Meat+Poultry - March 2021 - bacon - 17

Nicholas Brown, applications specialist for
Precipak, Mundelein, Ill., noted the latest trends
in injection are more thorough brine distribution
to speed curing prior to thermal processing and I think one of the biggest opportunities for
tumbling bellies to loosen up the muscles to help equipment manufacturers is to understand
brine distribution.
the constraints of bacon-injection systems
" Our industrial injectors are servo driven
and make sure we are engineering the
which helps make our injectors more versatile, "
he said. " The servo drive does not require our appropriate equipment for the jobs. "
injectors to not make full injection strokes like Jason Jordan
in direct-drive systems, which helps increase
throughput, allows the stroke to be tailor made
There are several items that make Fomaco
for the product being injected and can be
unique: first is its filtration system. The continchanged by a simple touch screen program. "
uous belt filter is the first step of the pre-filtraHenrik Thrysoe, product manager of martion process to clean the most debris and it elimgination for Dusseldorf, Germany-based GEA,
inates employee personnel and any interaction
noted a recent trend is to improve product qualwith cleaning the saddle tank.
ity and consistency by avoiding pickle pockets
" It is completely automatic and continuous, so
and membrane/fat blowouts for increased final
processors do not have to depend on any personslice yields.
nel to take apart filter screens, inline filters and
" The trend is to improve or establish existent
rotary drums that have to be periodically cleaned
capacity at highly deduced footprint, " he said. " A
or create stoppages in production, " Steinman
typical bacon curing line runs 12 to 15 bellies per
said. " You also have to pay someone, and they
minute and we are taking it up to 22 to 25 bellies
have to do it in a consistent and timely manner
per minute depending on size and weight range.
to avoid declining yields. This eliminates that job
This means a plant running four lines, now can
and responsibility and is much more consistent. "
accomplish the same overall capacity as two
The Fomaco Injector also has a secondary filGEA bacon curing lines. "
ter - the FM 80 self-cleaning filter - a 500-micron
filter basket with rotating compressed scrapers
that run automatically and filter out the smaller
IMPROVING INJECTION
particles in the brine and eliminate debris prior
As in many processes, processors are requestto the brine going into the needles.
ing more automation and continuous production
" Next, we use stripper feet blocks that actiwithout interruptions. This implies less labor, intervate the brine upon contact with the product, "
action and dependency with less tasks and fewer
Steinman said. " The stripper blocks help conrequirements throughout the process. Equipment
trol the needle pattern in the product for a conmanufacturers must provide better solutions to
sistent yield as it indexes through the injector.
meet these trends as consumption and demands
The blocks are pneumatic, so they are adjustable
continue to increase.
for the thickness of the belly and prevent it from
" Our customers are requesting improved filtracoming wedged into the needle head. The needle
tion systems to prevent clogged needles and less
head is sectional zones or blocks to help guarandeviations that can alter downward yields which
tee the pressure is always the same in the head
impact consistency and profits, " Steinman said.
from one area to the other. "
" They want the last hour of production to be as
consistent as the first hour of production. "
At Reiser, the company offers Fomaco
EVOLVING EXPERTISE
Injectors and Brine Making Systems, various
When it comes to injection systems with bacon,
systems to match the throughputs for all bacon
consistency, speed, better control, more automanufacturers.
mation and less maintenance have all improved
" Our ranges can be anywhere from small-voldramatically over the years. This has led to
ume to high-volume industry production lines, "
newer technologies in the injectors and brine
Steinman said. " We have the capabilities to intemixing systems.
grate technology for automated lines and to min " Customers have requested improvements in
imize line personnel to reduce employee interacthe equipment to help them minimize mistakes
tion and dependency. "
in their own process and ownership, " Steinman
MEAT+ POULTRY 2021 BACON TRENDS + TECHNOLOGY

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3/2/2021 1:41:08 PM

Meat+Poultry - March 2021

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