Mass Measurement And Foreign Body Contamination For Meat Processors

By David Farmer, North America Fat Analysis Specialist

Tight profit margins and labor rate increases have forced meat processors to find ways to become more efficient and increase product yields. At the same time, the global market is demanding food safety be made a priority. It is imperative processors find new ways to provide the highest quality product while still protecting their brand and bottom line efficiency.

Challenges for Red Meat Processors
There are many challenges that meat processors face in order to optimize their production process and ensure total safety of their products.

Fat Measurement
It is vital for meat processors to accurately measure the chemical lean (CL) in a batch of pork, beef or lamb to optimize their manufacturing costs. Processors can precisely control their recipes by implementing a fat management system. This is a critical component of a processor’s least cost formulation program. For example, hamburger manufacturers are able to blend a mix of trim stocks with different CLs to achieve their target CL and meet an specific burger recipe.