Meat processors were spoilt for choice at Foodpro, with machinery to meet their every need.
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The company was showcasing its new M360, a linerless wraparound labeller that has just been launched in Australia. The label comes with glue strips and a silicone band so it requires no backing paper, reducing waste and allowing more labels per reel. The packaged meat tray product runs through a weighing unit, according to David Lynch, who was on the stand. This calculates the product weight, and the M360 prints on to the label, cuts the label and applies it to a tray. The label can wrap all the way around the tray or in a C-wrap, just around the top and sides. The machine does 90 trays per minute and can be adjusted for different-sized products in just a few seconds. The label allows more space for product information so brands can make a bigger splash on the retail shelf.Heat and Control was for the first time demonstrating its Stalam In Line Rapid Defrosting system which uses radio frequencies to defrost large blocks (over 20 kilos) of frozen meat for manufacturers. According to Heat and Control’s Bryan Bond, there is just one installation in Sydney so far with the new system. The system takes just 30 minutes to defrost, instead of days, defrosting the traditional way in an air-conditioned room, and reduces the amount of protein lost during traditional defrosting through drop losses, says Bond. That means the yield of the product is also higher, and some say it tastes better too, he said. “It works like a giant microwave, but at lower frequencies so it’s safer and easier to control,” Bond says. “Radiowaves also have better penetration that microwaves,” he said. “That means companies can go from pre-planning production to puling it out of the freezer that morning for production that day,” he said.Ennio has recently announced new partnerships with casing providers Devro and Viskase, and has also released a new range of casings to improve the flavour and texture of meat. The EnnioSmoke casing is pretreated with smoke designed to impart flavour onto the meat, according to the company. Its new EnnioSeal forms a barrier which also helps to keeps ‘yield’ (or moisture) inside the product, while EnnioPeel, which is a quick release agent for whole muscle products, prevents coating from binding to the product.On show at Foodpro was NORD Drivesystems' NSD TupH, a lightweight alternative to stainless steel, which NORD Drivesystems has developed for its drive equipment deployed in harsh environments. Paint can easily release at very low stress levels, so the NSD TupH provides a base layer that is permanently bonded to the aluminum substrate for improved adhesion of the surface sealant. According to Martin Broglia, NORD’s managing director, its sealed surface makes it particularly suitable for heavy-duty washdown operations typical in the meat processing sector, where it is currently being trialled.Scott Automation has rolled out a new Automated Guided Vehicle tailored for the meat industry. According to Stuart Shaw, the company’s red meat business manager, the vehicle has been specifically designed to meet the needs of the sector. The unit can move and accurately track large pallet loads around a meat facility, removing human handling from end-of-line tasks, which can help to cut contamination risk and extend shelf life. The company has also announced enhancements to its BladeStop automated safety technology. The updates have reduced the blade's stopping time to within 9 milliseconds and improved its reset/restart capability. Scott has also rolled out a larger model - the BladeStop 600 Series II.Vemag was showcasing new sausage processing and packing equipment designed to reduce human handling and speed processing. Its Alginate casing machine creates a continuous process for filling sausages using a vegetarian gel derived from algae which is solidified into a casing during processing. This reduces costs by eliminating the steps required to create natural and synthetic casings. The company has also recently launched an automated sausage packing line to completely replace manual handling.
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