An increasing number of case-ready, minimally processed, uncooked meat and poultry products are appearing in retailers’ refrigerated cases. In fact, for food-safety reasons, many retailers no longer handle fresh poultry on premises. Most continue to process primal cuts of beef and pork into consumer-ready cuts, ranging from chops to roasts. However, an increasing number of retailers only stock case-ready meat and poultry, and no longer staff butcher counters. To create a point of differentiation among case-ready meat and poultry, many processors are enhancing product appeal by adding value through marinades and seasonings, as well as technologies to improve appearance, enhance food safety and ultimately extend shelf life.
Packing and packaging
Meat and poultry packing plants handle the livestock slaughtering, processing and varying degrees of packaging. The volume of case-ready packages produced is on the rise because retailers’ preference is to not expose raw meat to the supermarket environment.
“The two most-common types of case-ready packaging are lid-sealed trays and overwrapped trays. Both often include additional packaging elements, such as an absorbent pad and sometimes an oxygen scavenger,” says Tatjana Meerman, publisher, “The Fresh Meat Market in the U.S.,” a market analysis from Packaged Facts, Rockville, MD. “We are also seeing a growing trend of meat processors trimming, portioning and packing select cuts of meat and poultry for both retail and foodservice customers, as this creates consistent product quality and uniform appearance, reduces product waste and slashes labor requirements. Portion-controlled products also allow foodservice operators to order what they need when they need it, reducing opportunities for spoilage. For consumers, portion-controlled meat products appeal to the perpetual desire for convenience. Increased retailer demand for exact-weight meat products is another major driver in the portion-control category.”
Meat and poultry manufacturers resist adding chemical preservatives to uncooked meat products, as it removes the natural, minimally processed halo these products wear. Hence, this is another reason why case-ready meat is becoming increasingly popular: the modified atmosphere used in the packaging assists with shelf life extension.
Better than nature
Consumers and foodservice establishments look to case-ready meat for more than portioning and longer shelf life. They are looking for improved flavor and texture, as well as convenience. “Raw meat can be enhanced with moisture—water, broth or, in the case of certain whole-turkey products, fat—as well as flavoring ingredients such as seasoning or marinade,” says Meerman. “Some raw meat becomes more flavorful when it is wrapped with a slice of bacon or stuffed with herb dressing. What’s important to remember is that when anything is added to meat, it must be declared on product labels.”
Magic of marinades
Adding flavor to meat and poultry has traditionally been accomplished through liquid marinades, which also serve a number of functions. “Marination is the process of soaking, injecting or tumbling meat in a seasoned liquid mixture or brine to enhance its flavor and texture,” says Mar Nieto, senior principal scientist, TIC Gums, Belcamp, MD. “A marinade consists of a number of functional ingredients, such as seasoning, acidulants, curing and tenderizing agents, salt, phosphates and gums.