Food and Beverage Business
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BMPA Conference 2023: Embracing Innovation in the Meat Processing Industry

BMPA Conference 2023: Embracing Innovation in the Meat Processing Industry BMPA conference 2023, The comma-separated tags from the given title are: The Meat Processing Industry 2.0 Food and Beverage Business

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister for food, Mark Spencer, kicked off the day’s proceedings at the BMI-BMPA Conference by acknowledging the efforts made by the meat industry in overcoming labor shortages. He emphasized the future of meat processing plants and their role in the UK government’s vision for a workforce led by skilled laborers and increased automation.

Spencer stated, “I know historically the food and farming sectors have relied on foreign workers…but we must also acknowledge the UK’s commitment to becoming a high-skilled, high wage economy.” He emphasized the need to attract British workers by offering training, career opportunities, wage increases, and investing in automation technology.

Hildur Einarsdottir, automation center manager at Marel, provided insight into the future of meat processing plants and the progress made in automation. While poultry and fish processing industries have successfully incorporated automation technology, the meat industry has faced challenges due to the non-uniformity of meat cuts. Machines struggle to handle the variability, and manual labor remains necessary for certain tasks.

However, Cobots, or collaborative robots, could be used in meat processing plants to assist with heavy carcasses and replace human workers when necessary. Einarsdottir also highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry, citing examples of improved efficiency and reduced waste in US factories implementing AI.

Regarding the possibility of a fully automated plant, Einarsdottir stated, “Do think that we’ll be heading towards a light’s out factory by 2040? Unfortunately not… It will take a lot of effort and a new strategy to reach a point where we can say we have gotten to the next level of automation.”

The conference ended with Paul Wood, a professor from Monash University, discussing the future of cultured meat and its impact on the meat processing industry. Wood raised concerns about the viability of cultured meat as a sustainable solution and its nutritional profile. He believed that despite investments in the sector, cultured meat would remain a niche, high-value market rather than a transformative replacement for traditional meat products.

Wood concluded, “All this technology is feasible, but the business models don’t make any sense. I believe that cell-based and most precision fermentation products will be niche, high-value markets. The inability to scale these technologies at a reasonable cost remains a challenge.”

In summary, the BMI-BMPA Conference highlighted the progress made in the meat processing industry towards increased automation, the potential of Cobots and AI, and the future challenges and opportunities presented by cultured meat.

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