Meat+Poultry - June 2019 - 12

BUSINESS NOTES

companies from the American
Association of Meat Processors (AAMP)
from the US were honored with awards
while attending the show.  
The next IFFA will be held in
Frankfurt, May 14-19, 2022.

WHOLE FOODS GETS WAYNE
FARMS' NAKED TRUTH

IFFA 2019 ATTENDANCE
INCREASES 7% FROM 2016

12

MEAT+ POULTRY | 06.19 | www.meatpoultry.com

JBS USA ANNOUNCES GRAND
ISLAND PLANT EXPANSION
JBS USA has embarked on a $95
million expansion of the company's
beef processing plant in Grand Island,
Nebraska. Upgrades to the plant are to
include new animal handling facilities,
a state-of-the-art, temperaturecontrolled harvest floor and an
improved configuration designed to
enhance worker experience, food
safety and product quality.
The project entails a 107,000-sq.-ft.
expansion in addition to the facility
enhancements. Construction already
is underway while operations continue
uninterrupted. JBS USA, a unit of São
Paulo, Brazil-based JBS S.A., expects
the project to be complete in early
2021. Currently, the plant processes
nearly 1 billion lbs. of beef products
per year.
"JBS Grand Island has been a
standard-bearer for American beef for
over half a century," said Zack Ireland,
plant manager. "Our team sends the
best US beef products the country has
to offer to customers both domestically
and globally. Today's announcement
strengthens our long-standing
commitment to local farmers and
ranchers, our team members, key
customers and the community of Grand
Island, whose support has been critical
to our ongoing success."
Forecasts for rising international
demand for US beef prompted the
investment, the company said. JBS
Grand Island exports beef to more than
30 countries, including Canada, Chile,
Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Mexico and
Singapore, under the 1855 Black Angus,
Swift and Swift Black Angus brands.
"Today's announced expansion is
an important strategic investment to
secure Grand Island as an unquestioned
leader in food quality, animal care and
beef innovation for years to come,"

Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH - Jochen Günther; Panorama Meats

For six days, IFFA organizers and
exhibitors hosted more than 67,000
visitors from 149 countries at the
triennial trade show at the Frankfurt
Fair and Exhibition Centre in
Frankfurt, Germany. In 2016, 62,440
visitors from 142 countries attended the
show. This year's show featured 120,000
sq. m. (1.29 million sq. ft.) of exhibition
space, which was up 9 percent over the
2016 show.
"IFFA has once again shown that it is
not only one of our longest-established
trade fairs but also, above all, the global
meeting place for the sector. Seven
out of 10 visitors came from outside
Germany. The mood in the halls, on
the exhibition stands and in the aisles
was fantastic," said Wolfgang Marzin,
president and CEO of Messe Frankfurt.
Alongside the trade show
of innovations, IFFA offered a
complementary program featuring
lectures, dedicated exhibitions,
panel discussions and competitions.
The German Butchers' Association
held a number of international
quality competitions in Hall 12. The
International Competition for Young
Butchers featured six, two-person
teams. The International Quality
Competition for Sausage and Ham
was also held. A number of member

Wayne Farms and Whole Foods
Market have partnered to bring Global
Animal Partnership (GAP) Step 2 rated
Naked Truth chicken products to
consumers. Wayne Farms is a longtime
supplier of poultry for the foodservice
segment and this represents its second
agreement with a retail chain (including
Costco). Wayne Farms spent two years
retooling its processing operations
to facilitate sous-vide cooking and
preparing producers to operate in
welfare-certified marketplaces.
The Whole Foods deal places
Wayne Farms' newest premium brand
in a market of consumers clamoring
for welfare certified poultry. The
freezer sections of 425 Whole Foods
Market stores will carry four fully
cooked products featuring verified
humane care standards. Whole Foods
said the products are unique to the
category and offer consumers new
poultry options, in addition to animal
welfare certification.
"Conscientious consumers want
to know where their food comes
from, and they continue to raise the
bar regarding animal welfare," said
Tom Bell, vice president and general
manager of prepared foods at Wayne
Farms. "They're paying more attention
to labels, and they're opting for highquality chicken products sourced from
flocks whose care has been verified by
a trusted third party," he added. "Naked
Truth products are literally made to
order for that consumer."
"Meaningful claims are becoming
the expectation," said Diane McDade,
business development manager for
GAP.  "We appreciate Wayne Farms'
commitment and ability to offer GAP

Step 2 rated products on a large
scale, meeting demand for the rapidly
expanding market."
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