TCN Increases Slicing Yield

THE CUSTOMER

Tulip Ltd resides in the small port town of Boston on the east coast of England. A leading food producer supplying the retail and foodservice markets, Tulip is owned by The Danish Crown group. The company turns out an impressive variety of food creations from fresh pork, bacon, and cooked meats to sausages and canned meats.

“Nobody else in the UK does Wiltshire ham the way we do,” says factory manager Buster Peeling. “We’re a natural product with a unique process.” Tulip offers Wiltshire ham with honey and other flavourings, as well as a mini-Wiltshire in smaller diameter

THE CHALLENGE

Tulip Boston had reached a crossroads of sorts. Because their Wiltshire ham production process does not use tumblers or phosphates to assist with binding, achieving consistent product compression is challenging. This production method had previously resulted in cavity issues and inconsistent slices within the finished sliced product.

Clearly, it was time for a change. According to area leader Stuart Clarke, “We needed a solution to enhance the quality of our finished product without increasing labour and packaging costs” Tulip found the answer in Total Control Net, TruNet’s patented ‘Two Nets in One’ design. 

THE SOLUTION

Through using Total Control Net, Tulip was able to eliminate the requirement for plastic casings, which were previously used to control product size. This meant that labour and costs were greatly reduced. Furthermore, the innovative design of Total Control Net meant that consistency, yield and compression were all enhanced.

When paired with the Tipper Tie TN4200 mechanical press, a consistent product was achieved. Area leader Colin Graves adds, “It’s so easy to use. Just put the product in, close the door, and it comes out the same every time.”

Total Control Net paired with the TN4200 achieves consistent diameter across the entire length of the ham. Because of this newfound uniformity, Tulip has also experienced an increase in slicing yields.

Labour and efficiency savings have been significant. Although the factory is not a high production environment, Colin has also noticed considerable time savings: “The process time has been reduced by one-third compared to our previous operation.”

THE RESULTS 

Stuart Clarke said “I am pleased with the versatility of Total Control Net, due to its ability to be manufactured in any size. Furthermore, TruNet is also able to adapt the power of the netting to suit our production requirements.”

Although purchased specifically for Wiltshire hams, he sees a potential for other products. “There is scope there and we’re looking forward to running new products in the future.”

“It’s a competitive edge for me! But, seriously, yes, I would recommend Total Control Net. ”It’s consistent and easy to use!” said Buster Peeling.

Through using TCN the customer achieved;

• Reduced labour costs
• Cost savings by removing the need for casings
• Enhanced and even compression
• Consistent sizes and slices
• Reduction on cavity issues
• Increased slicing yield

Other Benefits include:

• Improves slicing yield
• Calibre stable
• Guaranteed maximum face size of product
• Reduced cooking times
• Uniform shape resulting in even cooking
• Unrivalled power and control
• Ability to add flavourings to the product
• Eliminating the need for casings - saving time and money

For more information about our patented Total Control Net contact us on 01530 833474 or visit www.trunet-netting.com