Poland – a Marel poultry success story

Poland’s poultry industry is now the leading poultry producer in the EU. Growth has been spectacular, from just 620,000 tons at the start of the new millennium to 2.5 million tons in 2015.

Exports, largely to other EU countries, account for a third of production and have increased fourfold in the last ten years. Besides chicken, Poland is a major producer of turkey meat. It is also well known, particularly in Germany, for its high-quality goose meat products.

EU and QAFP

A number of factors have been responsible for this success. The Polish poultry industry has taken full advantage of its geographical position and the access to major European markets given by its EU membership.

To build confidence in the quality of Polish poultry products both at home and abroad, KRD, the Polish National Poultry Council, introduced QAFP, a country-wide quality assurance program. To improve their competitiveness still further, Polish poultry processors have invested heavily in new processing plants and new technology.

A partner in the latest technology

Marel has been happy to play a significant role in the Industry’s rapid growth and all major Marel poultry processing systems are now in everyday operation in Poland. GP live bird handling systems, the first of which was installed over ten years ago, are in use with a number of Polish processors. The system’s containers have become a common sight on Poland’s roads.

The Nuova automatic evisceration and giblet harvesting system has established an enviable reputation for itself, both for the clean, hygienic way in which it works and for its ability to harvest high yield, high-quality edible giblets with a minimum of labor.

Valuable tools

Marel equipped plants are also using the very latest IRIS computer controlled quality assessment systems and the latest SmartWeigher product weighing technology. Together with Innova PDS software these valuable tools help processing plant management make the best possible return from each product. 

Automatic line to line transfer, Marel end-of-line equipment and Marel software give full traceability throughout the process.

Marel’s breast deboning leads the field

As elsewhere in the EU, Poland’s processors cut and debone a high percentage of what they produce. Large volumes of breast fillet are consumed domestically and also exported.

Stork breast deboning systems have truly become the industry standard in Poland. The market boasts well over thirty AMF breast cap filleting systems and a number of FHF-XB high-yield front half de-boning systems. Some plants boast up to four AMF systems working side by side with the capacity to fillet close to 15,000 breast caps per hour.

Last grams recovered

Although most Polish AMF systems are producing skinless half fillets with tenderloins attached, the system will produce a large variety of other breast fillet products, whole or half, skin on or skinless. If required, tenderloins can be harvested separately and their tendons trimmed.

Recently installed AMF systems include breast tendon and cartilage harvesting modules. These allow the recovery of potentially valuable cartilage as well as those last grams of meat and tendon from the keel bone.

Stored settings

Polish users are enthusiastic about the system’s latest PLC controls, which allow different module settings to be stored for different breast cap weights. These make light work of adjusting the system when weights change. This is done by activating a menu on the touch screen. All module settings are changed automatically and filleting can restart immediately.

Users can, therefore, be sure of hitting the highest standards of yield, quality and product presentation regardless of the weight of breast cap being handled.

Wingsticks

With the number of systems sold now running well into double figures, the ACM-NT high-speed cut-up system has put down strong roots in the market. Systems are equipped with a wide range of modules giving users optimum flexibility in the cuts they are able to offer domestic and export customers.

Of particular note is the first installation in a Polish processing plant of the ACM-NT wingstick module. This innovative module cuts off the inner wing joint with a bone “handle” attached, making it an ideal chicken snack.

Ducks

Marel recently commissioned the first ACM-NT system to work on ducks at AMI, Poland’s top exporter of goose meat products and a leading duck processor. The new system, commissioned in January 2015 and currently cutting 4,000 ducks per hour [66 dpm], includes the JLR anatomic leg module. Consistently high yield, excellent skin cover and perfect presentation are hallmarks of legs produced by the module.

Major processors choose Marel

Many Marel poultry projects are ongoing at a number of Polish processing plants. Soon we will publish an article singling out one major Polish processor, whose storming growth in recent years accurately reflects Poland’s confident emergence as an EU poultry heavyweight.

Local customer support

Marel has a fully staffed corporate office in Warsaw. Together with specialized technical and technological back-up from Boxmeer in the Netherlands, Marel is keen to provide its many Polish customers with the very best in support, allowing them to take full advantage of Poland’s rapidly growing reputation as a reliable supplier of quality poultry products.