Study of a possible innovation for medium-small scale productions in the meat products area

Abstract

The OG INNOGeflügel project - financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) 2014-2020 and managed by Südtiroler Bauernbund - has formed an operative group as a response to the growing interest of South Tyrolean producers in the poultry sector. The project aims to identify viable business models and considers the various steps during the production chain slaughter, production, processing, and marketing of poultry products. Laimburg Research Centre has been involved as a partner in the period of July 2018-January 2019; its task was the identification of processed poultry meat products with the aim of enhancing those portions of meat that are unattractive to the fresh market. The Group of “Meat Products” has as a first step listed and categorized the poultry meat products on the market. The categories were defined according to the type of product (fresh, precooked, cooked, seasoned, and fermented) and the health and hygiene risk associated with the type of production. Subsequently, production diagrams for each product and related CCPs (Critical Control Points) were identified. CCP is a point, step, or procedure at which controls can be applied and a food safety hazard can be prevented, eliminated, or reduced to acceptable (critical) levels. During the project, producers had expressed the need to strengthen the eco-sustainability of productions, especially in response to the growing consumer demand. The Research Group proposed products that could meet this need on several levels: the quality of the raw material, the energy consumption for storage, and the eco-sustainability of packaging.