April 2021

Check out the April 2021 edition of The National Processor, featuring Bell & Evans' initiative to ensure growth in organic chicken, portion control trends, spare parts know-how, slicing, sanitation and much more!

Cover Story | Organic

Organic’s time to shine

Bell & Evans spearheads initiative to ensure growth in organic chicken by partnering to significantly boost organic grain production in the U.S.

Andy Hanacek

April 14, 2021

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Organic agriculture — considered by some to be a niche and/or fad some 30 years ago — continues to grow in the United States, and the sheer number of organic products found in retail and foodservice outlets offers anecdotal evidence.

Tech | Sanitation

Sanitizers get back to basics

When it comes to sanitizing products and equipment, there is an increased interest in materials that have been around for years but not fully utilized.

Megan Pellegrini

April 14, 2021

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The latest sanitation tools for meat and poultry have familiar names but, more importantly, increased interest.

Tech | Weighing

Weighing: In search of an automatic solution

Chip Bolton

April 14, 2021

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The advancements in weighing and labeling technologies haven’t been all that phenomenal in the recent past, according to one processor.

Tech | Slicing

Embrace best cutting technology and methods to boost product yield.

Keep cutting in the crosshairs

Richard Mitchell

April 14, 2021

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Maximizing yield in the processing of meat and poultry is crucial for boosting operator revenues. While such factors as the amount of external carcass fat, carcass muscularity and aging all affect yield, mastering superior cutting equipment and techniques is crucial for getting the most product from an animal, analysts say.

Tech | Meat Science Review

Assessing the contribution of mature collagen crosslinks to cooked meat toughness using a stewed beef shank model

Wan Jun Wu Amelia Welter Colin Chun Travis O'Quinn Geraldine Magnin Michael Chao

April 14, 2021

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Connective tissue sheaths serve as the scaffolds in skeletal muscle, and they allow for the growth and development of muscle tissue. However, these connective tissues also cause the “background toughness” in meat.

Tech | Spare Parts

Spare Parts Management: What is True Optimization?

Phillip Slater

April 14, 2021

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Why is it that, despite the best efforts of management teams, the vast majority of spare parts inventories remain bloated with excess, surplus and obsolete items yet don’t provide the level of service expected by users?

Tech | Portion Control

Drop in Mobility Shifts Portion Size Demands

Elizabeth Fuhrman

April 13, 2021

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Before the COVID-19 outbreak, consumers were purchasing a variety of pre-portioned or portion-controlled meat and poultry products. A shift in lifestyle changes because of the pandemic caused the total poultry and meat portion size category (0- to 6-ounce sizes) to drop 3.8 percent to approximately $654.2 million for the latest 52 weeks ending Feb. 21 in total U.S. multi-outlets, according to IRI Inc., Chicago.

Tech | Poultry Packaging Solutions

Poultry packaging packs a bigger punch

Packaging that is eco-friendly, visually appealing and features elements that help to extend the shelf life of poultry is increasingly prominent.

Richard Mitchell

April 9, 2021

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Finding the best packaging for merchandising poultry can be vexing.

Commentary | Fight for Food Safety

The new administration begins to take shape

Shawn K. Stevens

April 13, 2021

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With the Presidential election behind us, the new Biden Administration continues to fill key food safety and policy positions within USDA and FDA. To date, however, we have not yet witnessed the rollout of any significant new food safety or regulatory policy announcements.

Inspecting the new era of food safety

Meat processors get smarter.

April 14, 2021

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Fortress Technology examines the different factors that are accelerating the need for smarter systems, and how intelligent inspection equipment is helping to usher in a new era of food safety.