snack stick cutter

The Best Way to Cut Meat Sticks

The popularity of meat sticks is on the rise.

In 2017, processors made a combined total of over $1.3 billion in retail sales of meat sticks, up from $466 million in 2015. That’s almost a billion dollar increase in just two years!

Clearly, Americans love their meat sticks.

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wounded warrior project donation

Fusion Tech Donates to Wounded Warrior Project

Fusion Tech, a leading manufacturer of custom engineered food processing equipment and systems located in Roseville, Illinois, made a donation to the SecondWave Recycling Wounded Warrior Project Cell Phone Donation Drive.

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smokehouse quotes

How to Accurately Compare Smokehouse Quotes

Smokehouse quotes can be tricky to compare, especially when investing in an industrial oven for the first time.

Most food processors look at one number on a quote — the total cost. It makes sense. You have a budget to keep, finances to gather, and ultimately want to know how much you need to spend in order to get the smokehouse you need.

Total cost on a quote, however, can be deceptive.

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smokehouse installation checklist

How to Prepare Your Plant for a Smokehouse Installation

Preparing your facility for a smokehouse installation is an essential step in purchasing an industrial oven.

Not only does proper preparation ensure a quick and easy installation of your new oven, it also affects the life and operation of the oven.

Bumps in the flooring under the oven, lack of filters on water and air supplies, improper pressure on utilities, even the wrong floor slope can all wreak havoc on your oven, causing serious structural and operational problems down the road — most of which will not be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.

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warren county 4_h donation

Fusion Tech Holds Vote, Donates to Warren County 4-H

Fusion Tech, a leading manufacturer of custom engineered food processing equipment and systems located in Roseville, Illinois, made a donation of $10,000 to the Warren County 4H Club.

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hand injuries

5 Easy Ways to Prevent Hand Injuries

Hand injuries are the most common employee injury in the work place.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 358,890 cases of non-fatal injuries to the upper extremities were reported in 2015. Of those injuries, 143,900 involved the hands.

The US Department of Labor confirmed this claim, finding that of all injures reported, injuries to fingers and hands accounted for more than 23%, making them the highest in preventable injuries and in terms of lost work days, they ranked second only to back and neck injuries.

This is especially true in food processing facilities, where it’s not uncommon for employees to work with sharp knives, heavy carts, extremely hot or cold racks, and equipment that can easily crush, maim, or amputate hands.

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prevent e coli in ground beef

The Best Way to Help Prevent E. Coli

Escherichia coli (also known as E. coli) is the bitter enemy of ground beef and fresh produce processors — and finding ways to prevent E. coli contamination is important.

You only have to look at the recent news to see how damaging E. coli contamination can be to the reputation (and bottom line!) of a company.

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coves smokehouse air flow

4 Essential Benefits Coves have on the Smokehouse Air Flow

The air flow, or more specifically the breakpoint, is the most important feature in any smokehouse or dehydrator.

This one feature alone is what cooks product in the oven — and is ultimately responsible for product yields, consistency, and color, as well as cook time.

If you want to improve product yields, consistency, or color, it all starts with being able to improve and control the breakpoint. The more control you have to set the location and duration of the breakpoint in any one specific spot in the oven, the greater your yields and consistency. The opposite is also true: the inability to control the location and duration of the breakpoint in an oven will always result in less than optimal yields and consistency.

It seems to reason then that the design of the oven cabinet should help strengthen and improve the breakpoint.

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Should Pet Food Processors Invest in a Meat Shredder?

Shredded meat is making its way into the pet food world.

Dog and cat owners increasingly want to see recognizable meat and vegetable pieces in their pet’s food as part of a larger trend towards more natural, less processed pet food.

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