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J.C. Younger Poultry Chillers: Ready for the Poultry Industry’s Demands

1 Comment / POULTRY CHILLERS / By Sam Eppel

The poultry consumption is expected to rise by 35% in upcoming years. We can help your poultry business in staying at top of the business. Want to know how to improve your poultry product and retainn your customers? Read the following detailed guide to know how our poultry chillers can enhance your poultry business. Poultry Forecasted to Increase in the Protein Demand Poultry consumption is forecasted to be the most demanded animal protein which is expected to see a “35 percent” increase “in the next 20 years,” as reported on The Poultry Site.” As found on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, “the United States of America is the world’s largest poultry meat producer.” It’s the advances in breeding and technology that is contributing to the poultry industry’s increasing demand. “The development and transfer of feed, slaughter, and processing technologies have increased safety and efficiency” for the bigger poultry processing businesses. As we know, the United States is at the forefront of many advanced technologies. To further substantiate the role of poultry not only in the United States but around the world, The Economist reports that chicken is the meat of choice in the more wealthier countries around the globe. The Cost of Enjoying Fresh Chicken Protein If you have ever contemplated raising your own chicks, here is a very interesting guideline about the cost and the return on investment found on Countryside Daily. Have you ever bought fresh chicken at a farmer’s market? A chicken can be quite expensive compared to what a chicken costs at the local grocery. How Chickens are Commercially Processed No matter how you enjoy a chicken, most of the process is the same. When you raise your own chickens, you usually cook your chicken carcass almost immediately after the process preparation. Again referring to The Poultry Site, you get a clear picture of how chickens are processed. As you may know, there are two ways the chicken carcasses are chilled, and you see that “air chilling systems” are becoming more popular. Using air-cooled chiller systems, chickens do not absorb as much water, and “the potential for cross-contamination is reduced.” The only downside of the air-cooled chilling systems is it takes longer to reduce the chickens’ temperatures. To address the time element, “carcass chilling systems involving both water and air chilling have become available.” The Chilling Technology Required by the USDA As reported in one of our JCY blogs, “the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released their Compliance Guide that includes the chilling guideline changed to modernize recommendations with the available technology of today’s poultry chillers. ” As we all know, the United States has strict regulations when it comes to food processing, especially those foods that can easily spoil and cause illnesses, so it becomes necessary to have good quality poultry chillers. J.C. Younger Customizes Poultry Chillers to Exact Specifications Quality is built into every chiller at J.C. Younger (JCY). Our poultry chillers are user-friendly, so our customers do not have a long learning curve to operate. JCY Team: Decades of Experience and Knowledge The team at J.C. Younger has been manufacturing and remanufacturing chillers since 1956. With our training, experience, and industry knowledge, we have the capabilities to build poultry chillers system for your processing needs. In the event of an emergency, and a chiller is quickly needed, we have rentals that we can customize and get out the door. This facility is also available for our poultry chillers. JCY Options: Financing New versus Temporary Rental If you need financing, we have options that make it easy for our customers to get what their industry application demands. When you’re not sure of exactly what you need, we recommend renting to make sure you get what your poultry business needs. It gives you more flexibility, and you have time to plan for a more permanent chilling solution. The time element is never a problem with our rentals, and maintenance is always our responsibility. JCY Dependability: Delivery and Installation We have a dependable and knowledgeable shipper, and we ship anywhere in the United States. Once our chiller reaches your location, you can expect a quick installation. We have a dedicated network of chiller technicians, located across the country, and we’re always here to help with operational questions. Our hours are 24/7, 7-days per week. Your Questions: Always Welcome at J.C. Younger! Call the team at J.C. Younger, and find out everything you need to know about our chillers and poultry chillers. We’re always excited to meet new customers and show you we’re the team you can depend upon to keep your poultry business chilling.

New Guidelines For Poultry Processing Chillers

Leave a Comment / POULTRY CHILLERS / By Sam Eppel

Working in the food industry means compliance with the directions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In 2014 the USDA released their Compliance Guide that includes the chilling guidelines changed to modernize recommendations with the available technology of today’s poultry processing chillers. The specifications involve new temperature and time regulations with regard to the USDA’s Salmonella Initiative Program (SIP). The purpose of SIP is to control and prevent the levels of bacteria and pathogens that contribute to spoilage. Procedures Section III, Article H of the USDA Compliance Guide scraps the 2012 time and temperature requirements with a new procedure that is a performance based approach. This allows businesses within the poultry slaughter industry to establish their own time and temperature guidelines. The USDA now requires businesses within the poultry slaughter industry to put their chilling procedures in writing as part of their HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) or Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for sanitation. Eviscerated poultry is to be maintained according to the proper time and temperature requirements outlined in a company’s procedural protocols. Chilling is specifically defined as “air chilling” for the proper method of maintaining poultry carcasses at the proper temperature. By including chilling procedures as part of a company’s documented regulations, a company is meeting the USDA requirement to validate that their chilling practices are up to current standards. Chiller Validation Document the scientific process of how the company’s poultry chiller operates. Include supportive technical data to support claims of the company’s chilling process. Include reports of regular periodic testing of the chilling process to prove the adequacy of poultry chillers. Purpose Although it may sound counter-intuitive to let companies decide for themselves the temperature and length of time to chill poultry carcasses, that, perhaps, they may not act in the public’s best interest, is, in fact, a concern already considered by the USDA. However, their conclusion is that for companies who want to stay in business, they know it is in their best interest to protect their product adequately against spoilage. By de-regulating and allowing a business to determine independently how to operate efficiently and effectively, it allows flexibility for smaller slaughterhouses to stay in business. The 2012 requirements put a burden on small businesses whose production levels were lower thus making it difficult for them to maintain adherence to the time and temperature regulations. Air Chilled The adoption of the air chilling method has marketing benefits in addition to safety benefits in the preservation of poultry carcasses. Consumers are interested in cleaner, safer foods. An “air chilled” label has been proven to have marketing appeal. This method also opens up markets outside of the United States. The USDA adopts the definition of air chilling as established by the European Union that allows the inclusion of antimicrobial liquid mists that are used on the poultry while chilling. The key factor to compliance is that the majority of time poultry is in the chilling process it be fully air chilled at the proper temperature. Chiller Time & Temperature As the USDA no longer establishes time and temperature guidelines for poultry processing, what, then, is the best time and temperature procedure to use? The University of Georgia’s Agriculture Extension’s Department of Poultry Science has published a reference guide (source no longer available) for poultry processors to solve this problem. It recommends a rapid decrease in carcass temperature, goal temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit within two to four hours after slaughter. Chilling actually begins after the carcass has been dipped in a chlorine mixture that reduces the development of pathogens. Poultry would then be hung on a drip line for a few minutes to allow moisture level from the chlorine mixture to evaporate. Additional moisture interferes with the efficiency of chilling to the recommended temperature. For best results, keep chiller temperature at 36 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. For more information on how to get the best performance out of your poultry chiller, please contact us. Our skilled professionals can assist you in the rental or sale of a chiller as well as the service needs of an existing one.