Half a century of integrated hygienic processing

Over the years, hygienic processing has evolved through gradual, continuous improvement, not through revolutionary breakthroughs. Although regulatory requirements have become stricter in recent decades, the goal stays the same as it was 50 years ago: keeping the entire process clean and free from contaminants. 

Preventive and reactive

In the 1970s, the focus was on preventing hygiene problems through machine design. In the past 20 years, this has expanded to also include reactive measures, specifically targeting contamination on the carcass. At the same time, hygiene has gained greater priority among authorities, leading to stricter requirements. As a result, insufficient hygiene control can now have substantial financial consequences for poultry processors.

Hygienic design

With this focus on prevention in the early decades, hygienic processing began to develop. Thanks to research, engineering experience, and practical use across the whole poultry process, Stork’s equipment design improved continuously. The goal was simple: minimize contamination risk by design, not by correction. Prevention is always better than trying to remove contamination afterward. Smooth surfaces, open constructions, cleanable components, and material choices formed the foundation of machines that could effectively be cleaned and maintained.

Design principle

Over time, this design philosophy became deeply rooted in Stork’s engineering culture and later continued under JBT Marel. Hygiene was not treated as an add‑on or a feature, but as a fundamental design principle. Across the entire processing line, equipment supported the hygienic process. The ATLAS live bird handling system, for example, was designed with hygiene as a primary starting point. The Nuova eviscerators also illustrate this. Achieving the final shape of the extracting spoon, ensuring the most hygienic operation, took years of research and continuous improvement. Each new generation of Stork/JBT Marel eviscerators, with the Nuova‑i now representing the fifth generation, has introduced important steps in hygienic processing.

Reactive next to preventive

As poultry processing lines became faster and more complex from the 1990s onward, the importance of hygiene increased significantly. Detailed analysis of contamination behavior showed that microbial contamination unfolds as a chain of events, rather than a single moment of risk. This insight led to a fundamental shift: hygiene should not be addressed solely through preventive measures at isolated points but must also be managed through reactive measures applied across the entire processing line.

The water film principle

One of the most important reactive measures against microbial contamination is the water film principle. When a controlled water film layer is continuously on the carcass during the primary process, contamination can be significantly reduced. The water film acts as a barrier, limiting the transfer and spread of microorganisms. It prevents exposed carcass surfaces from increasing the overall microbial load. Stork and JBT Marel have applied the water film principle consistently for decades and it remains a core pillar of hygienic processing today.

Changing regulations and visual contamination

Over time, regulations have more and more focused on visual contamination. When visibly contaminated carcasses remain on the line, authorities can really penalize processing lines. Insufficient hygiene can result in direct fines. If problems continue, the line may be forced to slow down or even lose accreditation, with significant financial impact. Such regulations have changed the way process hygiene is addressed: visual contamination can no longer be tolerated but must be halted at the points where it is introduced.

So, all visible contamination must be removed right away and stopped from spreading further down the line. JBT Marel applies washing cabinets wherever carcass cleanliness is at risk, for example behind the pluckers and the eviscerator. And of course, the Final Inspection Machine and the Inside/Outside Washer serve as the final safeguards. These are not new insights. JBT Marel has applied these measures for decades, nonstop modernizing them as part of the continuous improvement strategy.

More than isolated cleaning

Perhaps the most important lesson from 50 years of experience is this: Preventive and reactive hygienic processing require an integrated approach. It cannot be reduced to isolated cleaning or washing sprayers inserted at some points in the line. Instead, it depends on how the line is set up and how the steps interact: air, water, equipment, and product must work well together. Risks must be managed across the whole line.

This integrated strategy has shaped JBT Marel’s development of both primary and secondary processing solutions: always, hygienic working has been a guiding principle.

A legacy that continues

Today, hygienic processing remains a significant strength of JBT Marel’s poultry portfolio. Not because it follows trends, but because it builds on decades of knowledge, research, and real‑world application. 

Even after 50 years, the hygiene basics have not changed: prevent contamination where possible, correct where necessary, design hygiene all through the process right from the start. That continuity, combined with ongoing innovation, such as intelligent equipment, is what defines half a century of hygienic processing with JBT Marel.