When consumers walk to a store to purchase meat, what’s the first thing that catches their eye? Most likely, meat color is an important quality attribute influencing purchasing decisions. Of course, marbling and price play an important role in decision-making. It is human psychology to relate color with the wholesomeness or freshness of food products. […]
Once an important source of income for meat processors, the value of hides has fallen since 1980. Now, smaller processors without access to rendering services often have no option besides landfill disposal of hides and other meat processing byproducts. The labor, transportation and landfill charges cut further into the already tight operating margins of smaller […]
Belonging to your state’s meat processors association (or a nearby state if your state does not have an association) is a great way to increase your knowledge about the industry, gain insight into new technologies, and have a network of colleagues at your fingertips to help brainstorm whatever issues come your way. So why should […]
Overcapacity. Several ag trade journals have mentioned recently that the nation’s shrinking cattle herd has transformed the shortage of processing capacity into excess capacity within the past two years. I see the situation a bit differently. Since March 2022, I’ve traveled to more than 30 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands as part of […]
It is hunting season, and many small lockers take the opportunity to shift the business model to processing venison. First a few reminders on food safety when processing deer… Now on to economics and making a profit during venison processing season. Many of your customers likely want jerky. And some will complain at the amount […]
Ground beef quality was a mandate and expectation by customers my entire career which included working at companies that made very large quantities of ground beef daily, then after decades of learnings, it turned into a passion! Ground beef quality may be the single best indicator of a production plant’s microbial and sanitation performance. While […]
Phosphates, alongside salt, are crucial ingredients in meat products, contributing to better texture, water retention, and flavor stability. Despite their benefits, there’s been a trend to remove them from food labels over the past decade. But why? Phosphates are naturally occurring compounds in our bodies, and phosphorus, a component of phosphate, is vital for our […]
Tight margins and rising input costs in sausage manufacturing make it crucial to optimize production yields and minimize product “giveaway.” Giveaway, the shipping of packages that weigh more than the label states, is a controllable cost, particularly in natural-casing sausages. These sausages are more prone to varying weights due to differences in casings and the […]
The Summer Olympic Games are here and what a great time to be cheering on your favorite team/sport/athlete! So thankful for the live streams (and the later rebroadcasts), to see these athletes at the very top of their game. So, what does this have to do with the launch of the Meat Locker? Have you […]
The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) is excited to announce the launch of The Meat Locker, a new website created as part of a grant received through the Meat Processing Plant Technical Assistance (MPPTA) program. This initiative was born out of a recognized need for a comprehensive, one-stop-shop for technical resources related to meat. The […]