Beef Processing Equipment for the NZ Market: Quality & Efficiency

Beef Processing Equipment is at the core of the New Zealand agricultural sector. The quality and efficiency of beef processing is highly valued.

The following article first outlines the eight most vital components in the processing system, all fast and efficient to make the result that is the hallmark of NZ beef. Then we’ll take a closer look at the New Zealand beef farming industry as a whole and give you a little background, so let’s get going!

1. Stunning Boxes

These are designed to hold the animal securely but safely for the stunning process so as to allow for a humane and effective operation. They frequently make use of pneumatic or hydraulically assisted mechanisms.

2. Automated Carcass Processing Lines

Conveyors and automated hooks are used in lines that transport the carcass through the different stages of processing, skinning to evisceration, in a continuous flow, eliminating repetitive manual handling.

3. Dehiders and Skinning Machines

The industry relies on top-notch dehiders that deliver raw hides without damaging the live carcass. 

Rather than pulling the hide like a slingshot around the animal for removal, skinning machines cut away the hair and soft tissue in a way designed to prevent tearing or damaging the meat, thereby reducing waste and upgrading the edible product.

4. Sawing And Cutting Equipment

Saw through the largest uncooked bodies and portioned them into separate cuts with precision blades. These industrial-conceived saws and slicers can chop through anything with tough skin, while sophisticated models also serve up accurate cuts with built-in precision and tracking. 

These pro-grade tools are often made from high-grade stainless steel to ensure long life and easy sanitation, while ergonomic handles can also help stabilise and protect hands from vibration while may help protect your hands from vibration.

5. Chilling and Freezing Systems

Specific systems are dedicated to cold, rapid chilling, and freezing. It is a crucial operation to preserve the quality and safety of meat. 

These systems optimise the transport of meat in a very short time from a high temperature to the desired temperature to lock in freshness and, therefore, shelf life.

6. Packaging Solutions

Vacuum packing machines and shrink tunnels. In packaging solutions, vacuum packaging will prolong the supply of meat on the market. 

In vacuum packaging machines, which include the sealer and thermoforming units, vacuum is obtained by removing air from the package which enhances the preservation of the beef products for a longer period. In this process, shrink tunnels will shrink the vacuum-packaged beef for efficient distribution.

7. Waste Management Systems

Keeping the farm sustainable depends on good waste management. Rendering provides a way to compost by-products and processing waste while the effluent system deals with the manure that remains.

8. Cleaning and Sanitation Equipment

Also referred to as cleaning-in-place (CIP) equipment in the industry, this type of equipment is used to clean all parts of the manufacturing process, including: 

• Tanks
• Pipes
• Valves
• Containers
• Utensils
• Bottling
• Lines
• Tubing
• And Bottles…

High-pressure water washing involves a combination of water and steam with caustic or acid solutions, depending on the products being processed, as well as calcium hypochlorite and other sanitising agents.

A Look at New Zeland Beef

New Zealand beef has a good reputation in some parts of the world due to its high quality. New Zealand is famous for having high standards of animal welfare and environmental and meat processing standards. Here is some general background on New Zealand beef and why it became known around the world.

Natural Farming Practices

Yet one reason for New Zealand’s sterling international beef reputation is its free-range farming, involving cattle grazing on cattle-sized pastures.

QAPs: 1997 was the year that NZ launched its first quality assurance programme, the NZ Beef and Lamb Quality Mark, to assure consumers that beef is produced in NZ, free-range, and free of Hormone Growth Promotants (HGPs).

Sustainable Practices

This commitment to sustainability has been there from the beginning, and in 2020, New Zealand’s Roundtable for Sustainable Beef was set up to secure ongoing improvement in the beef value chain through its focus on:

• Animal Health and Welfare
• Climate Responsiveness
• And Nature-positive Production.

International Recognition

New Zealand beef started to gain recognition as the meat industry grew as a driver of the economy, and the focus from the beginning has been to provide beef of very high quality. 

Dedication to the production of high-quality beef processing equipment, that produces environmentally sound beef has helped the meat industry to become a large player in the world beef trade.

Innovation and Development

We continue to innovate in a highly competitive global meat-processing industry by utilising technology and research to improve the efficiency and quality of our beef processing equipment. New Zealand beef continues to grow in popularity through these ongoing development initiatives.

SUMMARY

With the fusion of natural farming techniques, quality assurance and sustainability, New Zealand beef is heading for another era. The beef and meat industry was quick to respond to all challenges and changes, and today, it remains the brand for excellence in quality. Our beef processing equipment enables NZ beef processors to sustain the highest standards to address some of the considerable global demand for top-end, value-added beef products.