Marel takes poultry technology into pork

Launching the Deboflex at the IFFA trade show in Germany, Marel attracted strong interest in its modular system for de-boning pork fore-ends.

The system, which Marel says is flexible to suit a processor’s needs, offers a shackle-based method of de-boning the pork, borrowing heavily from processing methods within the poultry sector.

With the pork fore-ends hanging from shackles and the equipment taking the strain out of the labour-intensive need for turning and shifting product by hand, the company estimates it can save time and effort on the processing line and eliminates heavy lifting from the job.

Dorthe Christensen, Marel’s industry marketing manager, said: “In a standard line, around 30% of the time is spent having to lift and move the pork to allow the trimming; with the Deboflex, the turning and movement is all done automatically.”​

She said the machinery also allowed processors to use less skilled workers on the line.

Also launched at the show was Marel’s Platino Flattener, a machine that the company claims allows effective flattening of product while not affecting the water-holding capabilities of a product, making it ideal for injected meat products.

The flattener uses a kneading technique, which massages the meat to a lower profile by stretching the meat’s fibres, without tearing or ripping them. This allows the meat to be flattened to a larger size while also retaining moisture.