Fine foods and fine solutions for Labeyrie smoked salmon

A team from Labeyrie Fine Foods attended JBT Marel’s Salmon Showhow in 2025 to explore the possibilities available in smoked salmon cutting. The partnership that resulted was the development of the FleXicut Tres to meet the specific needs of smoked salmon production. “It was an automated solution with the foremost objective of industrial competitiveness. We had gains to make in terms of productivity and yield,” said Simon Médevielle, Production Manager, Labeyrie Fine Foods smoked salmon facility in Southwest France.

From hands to machine

Before the introduction of the FleXicut Tres, Labeyrie’s smoked salmon was cut by hand. While the result was a high-quality end product, the skilled operators who worked on production lines, often experienced repetitive strain injuries.

FleXicut Tres automates salmon pinbone removal, trimming and portioning. The precision of the waterjet cutter and X-ray bone detection provide superb product handling that increases high-value product.

“The improvement of working conditions for the operators, was the most important,” said Simon. The FleXicut Tres needed to increase throughput and yield, while protecting the long-term health and wellbeing of the Labeyrie workforce.

Partnership that leads to smoked salmon results

JBT Marel and Labeyrie Fine Foods worked together to ensure the FleXicut’s advanced portioning met smoked salmon specific requirements such as texture, thickness variation and quality standards. With installation planned for the start of Labeyrie’s busiest season, it was critical that the first trials of the FleXicut Tres held in Iceland, demonstrated that the machine and JBT Marel were up for the task. “JBT Marel’s team accompanied us on these tests, welcomed us. That was very important to me because I am very attached to having a healthy and transparent partnership.”  

From specification definition through to performance validation, both teams were aligned. Detailed performance protocols were developed jointly, ensuring that when the machine arrived in France in September it was ready to perform from day one. 

Installation challenges met

Installation and adaptation to new equipment creates its own challenges, for Labeyrie, at the start of peak production season, the workshop was running at full capacity to fulfil orders.  

JBT Marel’s technical team rose to the challenge, bringing the FleXicut in through a constrained space, and setting it up without disrupting production in the already busy facility.  

“The machine came in September 2025, just before the festive season which is very important to our company,” said Simon Médevielle. “It was a success because the project was able to start on time, we were able to deliver to our customers on time with a quality that is now expected.”

JBT Marel engineers remained on-site for three weeks following installation to train and support Labeyrie’s team as they became competent and confident with the use and control of the FleXicut Tres. “Today, we have almost total control over the machine, and we are now autonomous in develop new products with it,” said Médevielle.

Results as evidence

Labeyrie smoked salmon was delivered to consumers on time and to specification throughout the festival season, no small achievement when introducing new equipment to a line and operators. The performance protocols established by Labeyrie and JBT Marel to drive ongoing improvement, including productivity and yield, “We are meeting our objectives,” said Médevielle, “So that’s already a success.”

Increased production ability is reason enough to integrate automation into lines, Simon Médevielle thinks it's the human measure that gives real meaning to the success of the FleXicut. “At the end of the season, I was able to give feedback with all my production teams. All the operators who used to slice by hand are now satisfied what they didn’t have a sore wrist this season,” he said.

“Today we justify a lot by costs. But tomorrow, the long-term cost may be an occupational disease or a person who is injured in the workplace. This project is a success in industrial terms of worker safety.”

Foundations for future growth

Labeyrie’s smoked salmon line now operates with both the Retail Pack Slicer I-Slice 3400 and the FleXicut Tres, increasing automation across the line. Simon Médeville sees even more possibilities for the future, “For me it’s important to understand everything from primary to threading and slicing. It allows me to see a little bit of the global JBT Marel catalogue and maybe have inspirations for tomorrow when the workshop will have to modernize to be more competitive.” inspirations for tomorrow when the workshop will have to modernize to be more competitive.”

Partnerships based on sharing ideas and building trust are at the heart of transforming fish processing. Simon Médevielle agrees, “Without JBT Marel we might not have the solution, and without us, maybe the FleXicut wouldn’t have been developed for smoked salmon. It’s a give and take relationship that goes beyond equipment. It is built on mutual respect, transparency, and a shared commitment to excellence.”

We look forward to many more give and take projects that support Labeyrie Fine Foods long into the future.

About Labeyrie

Founded in 1946 in Southwest France, Labeyrie Fine Foods is committed to creating products from land, sea, and plant-based sources that are a pleasure to eat and promote consumption that is responsible to the environment and society.