Case Studies

High-Tech Deboning and Trimming

Norðlenska meat processor in Iceland installs new Marel meat processing lines

Norðlenska ehf, one of Iceland's largest meat processing operations with plants in Akureyri, Húsavík and Reykjavík, contracted with Marel last April to purchase high-tech deboning and trimming lines for its plants in Akureyri and Húsavík. Two deboning flowlines were installed at the company: for lamb meat in Húsavík and for pork and beef in Akureyri. The lines include traceability features, and both systems have greatly increased throughput, yield and utilisation. While Norðlenska is the first Icelandic company to purchase such systems, Marel has already installed several in both Europe and the USA.

Both systems are linked to Marel’s MPS Production Control software, which collects data and monitors the entire production process in real-time, including individual and overall throughput, yield and capacity. MPS has the capability of monitoring individual as well as overall plant production, such as raw material grading, stock, input, trimming, quality inspection, grading, packing, boxing and time-guarding. This innovative system also provides in-depth, real-time performance supervision. All registrations are stored in a powerful database, which can be retrieved in report form according to need.

The operators at the Marel line at Norðlensk

“The Húsavík slaughterhouse is export certified, which means it fulfils the most stringent quality demands placed on exporters,” said Jón Helgi Björnsson, managing director of Norðlenska’s Húsavík plant. “We are exporting lamb meat to Whole Foods Market in the USA, the world’s largest retailer of natural and organic foods with 133 outlets – that in itself says it all!”
 

Norðlenska ehf headquarters in Akureyri, Iceland.

 “We obtain our products locally and from all over the world, often from small, uniquely dedicated food artisans,” explained Blair Gordon, purchasing manager for Whole Foods Market. “We strive to offer the highest quality, least processed, most flavourful and naturally preserved foods available.”

“Quality demands in exporting are strict. But we believe our best interests are served by producing products that fulfil the highest standards made by our international customers,” said Sigmundur Einar Ófeigsson, managing director of Norðlenska’s Akureyri plant.
“When we made our decision to install a high-tech meat processing flowline, we naturally looked to Marel. It’s the world’s leading company in this field. In addition to meeting international quality standards, the system ensures topraw-material utilisation and throughput.”

“Traceability is a factor of increasing importance in Iceland, and the rest of the world,” said Jón Helgi. “This was a key reason for our decision to go with Marel. To my mind, if we’re not on the front-line providing quality products that fulfil changing market needs, we’ll lose our competitive edge.”

“In addition to meeting our quality standard, as well as improving yield, utilisation and throughput, we are able to closely monitor these aspects of operations, something that to date has only been done in a limited way. The flowline does all this automatically, as well as allowing us to monitor individual operators and make necessary adjustments immediately,” said Sigmundur.

Sigmundur added that the entire system was an enormous step forward regarding all facets of deboning and processing meat when compared with the old methods. “Cooperation with Marel on this project has been topnotch. And we now see other possibilities to develop and rationalise operations even further,” said Sigmundur.

“This has been a very exciting process. It will undoubtedly put meat processing in Iceland on a much higher plane, and the traceability feature is going to have a big impact on operations,” said Jón Helgi. “We foresee gaining a real edge on international competition with this new technology.”

Overview of deboning at Norðlenska.

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