Plukon has worked on minimising false rejections and ensuring the highest levels of metal detection by implementing Mitus from Minebea Intec. (Image source: Minebea Intec)

To address the challenge of metal detection in poultry production, Plukon, a leading player in the poultry supply chain, has implemented the metal detector Mitus from Minebea Intec

Metal detection is a critical aspect of food safety protocols, especially in environments where contamination risks are high. However, traditional metal detectors often struggle to accurately detect metallic foreign objects in poultry products due to their unique electromagnetic properties. This not only causes product wastage, but can also have a major impact on food safety. 

To combat these challenges, Plukon has worked on minimising false rejections and ensuring the highest levels of metal detection by implementing Mitus from Minebea Intec. Equipped with MiWave technology, Mitus works by significantly improving detection accuracy and reducing false rejects. By detection even the smallest metallic contaminants with unparalleled accuracy, the technology helps in overcoming the limitations of traditional metal detectors.

Moreover, the new design eases frequent cleaning procedures, which are essential and rigorous in this environment. Mitus also ensures compliance with HACCP standards, providing peace of mind to both Plukon and their customers regarding the safety and quality of their poultry products.

"We’ve faced many challenges with false rejects over the past few years, so I’m really pleased to have these new metal detectors on our lanes," said maintenance manager, Jeroen V. "They not only save us time and reduce costs, but also allow my hardworking team to stay focused on what truly matters.”

Enviva DUO is a direct-fed microbial solution for poultry production. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

IFF recently announced the launch of Enviva DUO, a groundbreaking direct-fed microbial (DFM) solution for poultry production

The solution constitutes innovative blend of two non-spore forming bacterial strains designed to address challenging conditions by supporting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Moreover, the solution also encourages a favorable nutribiotic state and promotes optimal bird performance. Its direct dosing strategy ensures that challenged birds receive the microbiomeboosting benefits of Enviva DUO, despite a decrease in feed intake.

Scientific research also supports the efficacy of Enviva DUO and demonstrates its ability to restore the bird's microbiome, improve gut conditions, and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria. Its stable formulation disperses evenly in water distribution systems, preventing sedimentation or build-up, and ensuring uniform and consistent delivery to the flock, thereby maintaining operational efficiency.

The solution which is currently available to poultry integrators and large farm complexes across the US, will also expand to other regions that are pending regulatory approvals.

PUPIL AI vision technology, SmartBase software and HMI touchscreen control all add intelligence to the VC-i. (Image source: Marel)

Primary poultry processing receives a revolutionary upgrade with Marel introducing the world's first intelligent vent cutter—VC-i

The vent cutter's job in the primary poultry process is to drill out the cloaca without damaging the intestines and hang it over the back of the carcass. Being the first operation performed inside the product, vent cutting needs to be done with surgical precision and hygiene. This is because mistakes cannot be corrected by the remaining operations in the evisceration line.

The Marel VC-i vent cutter sets a new benchmark in accuracy by meticulously drilling out the cloaca without touching the intestines, thereby preventing any soiling or contamination. Designed to optimise hygiene, efficiency and automation, the VC-i eliminates manual adjustments and ensures precise, contamination-free vent cutting. This precision is driven by PUPIL (Precision Unified Processing with Intelligent Learning) AI vision technology, which provides real-time insight into the machine’s performance, ensuring that cloacas are extracted and positioned correctly.

Promoting automation

Advanced features including the HMI touchscreen allows users to set the VC-i on-the-fly with a few taps. Pre-defined recipes are controlling the automatic machine settings to achieve optimal parameters, such as drill depth and product positioning, for the incoming flock. Thanks to these digital machine settings, manual adjustments based on guesswork are a thing of the past. PUPIL visually monitors performance, eliminating human error and ensuring consistent, high-quality results irrespective of significant variations in bird weights and sizes.

Automated adjustments along with PUPIL AI monitoring maintain high performance across all shifts and flocks, even with wide weight ranges. Internal SmartBase software contributes to VC-i’s consistency by monitoring the machine’s health in real time. It offers early warning alerts on performance at both machine level and unit level, enabling proactive adjustments and maintenance.

Prioritising hygiene

When it comes to VC-i design, soiling or contamination is strictly unacceptable. The open structure of the 20 newly developed, robust carousel units not only reduces wear and tear, but also residue buildup and contamination risk, while offering enhanced cleanability. After each operation, the individual drill units are thoroughly cleaned by their own spray washers. The VC-i’s vacuum system also adds to hygiene by removing initial feces from the intestines, preventing soiling of the clean process and contamination in downstream processes. Moreover, to save water, empty shackles are identified by the smart product detection system and switched off. 

The idea is that instead of selling the eggs raw, processing them in the form of powder and liquid will fetch higher prices both locally and internationally. (Image source: State House Uganda)

In an attempt to strengthen Uganda’s economy, improve nutrition and food security, president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has said that the government will establish a processing factory to add value to eggs

The idea is that instead of selling the eggs raw, processing them in the form of powder and liquid will fetch higher prices both locally and internationally. The president remarked that eggs could be processed into products such as baby foods and nutritional foods to feed the country’s sick and elderly and export. 

During the president’s assessment tour of the PDM and wealth creation programmes in the Kigezi sub region, he said that while eggs that are boiled, scrambled, or mixed with chapati, commonly known as Rolex, cannot be exported, they can attract international markets if properly processed and packed. 

Speaking to the residents, the President reminded the Kigezi people that the only medicine to poverty is intensive agriculture by not only using their small portions of land but going for products with high returns under the 4 acre model and the recommended seven activities. These include one acre for coffee, another acre for fruits (mangoes, oranges, and pineapples), another one for food crops for the family (cassava, bananas, Irish potatoes, or millet), and the last one for pasture for around 8 dairy cattle. On top of this, one can add on poultry for eggs in the backyard, piggery and fish farming.

Akampurira Evas, a poultry farmer and beneficiary of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Bubare trading centre expressed gratitude for the PDM programme, which she said has changed her life. “This PDM has really worked for me because I’m selling chicken, eggs, and chicken manure, and I’m now able to pay school fees for my children, some of whom had sat home,” said Akampurira who received US$273 in September 2023. “Those who got money for the PDM and know what to do must now be rich,” she informed the president.