Back in the days, the idea of poultry was limited to a farmer raising several chickens on his farm and then selling them or their eggs for profits. In today’s tech-based world, the vision for poultry has expanded a lot more.
The poultry industries of today produce millions of tons of meat. As the consumer demand is increasing, the supply is increasing in parallel too. The greater demand and supply also asks for growth in the poultry industry.
A critical aspect of the poultry industry is the poultry processors. Poultry processing has to streamline systems designed with modern technology that brings the food to the plates of millions of consumers every day.
The poultry industry is ever-evolving, so are the processes like poultry processing. The greater use of poultry processors means that they need to upgrade according to present and future needs. According to stats, chicken consumption is likely to exceed that of pork and other meat in the coming years.
The higher demand means a higher number of consumers and hence greater challenges. Over recent years, consumers have started to show concerns about the safety of poultry processing. Everyone loves their chicken, but surely no one wants to risk their health due to food contamination.
But when there is a will, there is a way. With the advent of technology, the customers can be assured about the safety of poultry processing with:
- Better industrial equipment
- A knowledgeable and well-trained workforce
- Proper implementation of food processing protocols
So, are the poultry processors in industries prepared for the influx of demand and consumer concerns that are to likely occur in the future? Here is how the poultry industry can buckle up and prepare the processors for the future:
1. More Birds, More Processing
Previously, farmers used to keep small flocks of birds in their backyard that came in use for their own consumption of eggs and poultry. The rest was then sold to the local market to earn some profit. The smaller flocks meant limited poultry supply.
But now, poultry processing has gotten much more extensive. Hundreds and thousands of birds in the poultry processors have replaced the 15-20 birds in the farmer’s backyard. The processors can handle a much larger number that would have been hard to imagine a decade back.
This has caused a significant increase in poultry productions as not one or two but hundreds of birds are ready for poultry processing in a single batch.
2. Poultry Processing Software
The higher production means that there are likely chances that the production equipment can break down anytime. In situations like this, the time utilized in taking the help of an engineer can cause a loss of thousands of dollars for the owner. How can this issue be dealt with?
Repair of the poultry equipment can be done with digital assistance. By connecting the poultry processing system to software, the entire production and its issues can be seen in one place. The software designed for poultry processing gives timely alerts for any problems like standstill lines so you can avoid such issues in the future.
The software makes the entire process much more efficient and ensures that the poultry yield remains uninterrupted.
3. Product Quality: Revised, Refined, and Improved
While the primary focus remains on meeting the high customer demand for poultry, the efficiency of poultry processors is dependent on the end-product. The processors can make use of industrial solutions to work on this.
One way is the use of bone detection technology used mainly in red meat production. But the same idea can be applied in poultry processing to detect hard contaminants, remove them, and elevate overall product quality.
The idea of the industry is based on precision, and the same thought applies to the poultry industry. The TrimSort technology provides more grip to the processor on the cuts and accuracy of the final product.
4. Avoid Contamination
Consider this. You go out to a newly opened restaurant, but the food is terrible, and you even found a hair strand in it. If this happens, you are likely to never return to that restaurant again. This is what contaminants do – take away the trust of customers.
If there is one constant risk in poultry processing, it is undoubtedly contamination. Slight contamination can put the consumer’s life at risk. By the time the finely cut chicken tenders reach the customer after the process and production line, there is little chance that it is entirely free from any contaminants.
The contaminants can be as big as bones, pieces of metal or plastic, or smaller ones like chemicals that are barely visible to the human eye. The health risks, however, are equally high regardless of the size of the contaminant.
Poultry contamination can be avoided in the long run by taking small yet effective measures like strict quality assurance and safety control.
By transforming poultry processors into contaminant-free and safer equipment that meets consumer demand, the poultry industry can continue to thrive in the future with unceasing growth!
