Page 28 - Food & Drink Business August 2018

MEAT, FISH & POULTRY
A regional flavour
A fully-equipped application lab and CleanSmoke technology are among the new offerings coming out of Kerry’s new Centre of Excellence for Meat in Thailand, writes Kerry’s Dimitrios Tzouvelekis.
CONSUMER tastes in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) region are rapidly changing due to the growing middle-class population and increased overseas travel, which introduces Southeast Asian consumers to international flavours.
In the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region, there is an increasing demand for meat applications that optimise cost, product yield and shelf-life, whilst meeting consumers’ preference for healthier and cleaner meat that retains authentic flavours, tenderness and juiciness.
A recent Kerry survey of more than 1,000 consumers across India, Indonesia, China, Australia and the Philippines, found that more than three- quarters of Asian consumers are unwilling to sacrifice taste.
With the rise in clean labelling, Kerry has seen this trend manifest itself in the use of clean smoke condensates, fermented ingredients, herbs and spices for meat flavourings and natural colour improvers.
Overall, consumers’ demand for trusted and understandable
labelling is driving manufacturers to use more natural and authentic ingredients in their recipes. This presents a huge growth opportunity for food and beverage brands that gain a first-mover advantage as these Southeast Asian markets open-up.
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
For more than 15 years, Kerry has been working with customers at its Regional Development and Application Centre in Bangpoo, Thailand to develop products for consumers in the region. Building on its heritage, Kerry decided to upgrade the centre in March this year and designate it as Kerry’s first Centre of Excellence for Meat in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) region.
This reaffirms Kerry’s commitment to increase its innovation pipeline for meat and other end-use applications, and help customers keep pace with the technically challenging and fast-changing consumer market.
Thailand is an important regional hub for many of our customers in Southeast Asia, whose products are exported around the world, and is
strategically located in the center of emerging Southeast Asian markets.
SHINY NEW FACILITIES
As part of the upgrade, Kerry expanded its Research Development & Application facilities, which include application labs and interactive customer suites, as well as research and sensory facilities. The centre also includes customer engagement kitchens and beverage bars where Kerry’s in-house chefs, mixologists and baristas will develop new menu concepts alongside customers.
Additional down packing, blending lines and automated pouch filling technology was added to the plant to double the centre’s production capacity. Pilot scale equipment also allows testing of solutions in end-use/finished products. With an adjacent blending plant, the centre can scale up newly developed products very quickly to give customers a first-mover advantage.
CLEAN SMOKE TECH
Drawing on Kerry’s expertise in cooking methods such as smoke and grill, the fully-equipped
application lab includes the latest Clean Smoke technology.
CleanSmoke is a highly versatile technology that delivers taste, colour and functionality for deeper flavour without the negative health impacts. This new, cutting-edge technology by Kerry is termed CleanSmoke because most of the ashes and tars are removed through a physical filtration process and the smoke is cleaner than smoke generated by burning woodchips. Preservation properties of smoke technology also help to protect the meat from bacteria and pathogens, allowing manufacturers to develop E-number-free solutions for meat.
With this technology, Kerry can co-develop with our customers signature taste and smoke profiles, not just for meat products, but also for vegetables, dessert and even beverages. ✷
✷ ABOUTTHEAUTHOR
28 | Food&Drink business | August 2018 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au
Dimitrios Tzouvelekis is the general manager for Meat at Kerry’s Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) region.