The innovations will enhance its Eagle FA 720 fat analysis model, which ensures meat processors can verify that they are supplying meat at customer-specified Chemical Lean (CL) values.
The US firm, which is based in Tampa, Florida, is introducing Eagle Validate software, which internally calibrates the equipment and verifies its accuracy at specific CL values at the touch of a button.
The company said the new feature allowed manufacturers to avoid regularly passing a reference standard through the system, which required manual recording of test results, was time consuming, error-prone and costly.
Traceability
The software automatically records each validation in an electronic file to provide essential data to prove traceability in the event of a product recall or retailer queries about fat content.
Eagle has also launched a new remote touch screen console for the FA 720, which enables the system to be operated remotely from any location and provides full visibility of data.
As a result of this modification, for example, the company said a meat processing operator at a rework station, where rejected meat cartons are sent, can access the x-ray image of the carton.
They can then identify the exact location of the contaminant, such as a bone fragment, for quick and efficient removal.
New LED Marquee display
Eagle has also developed a new LED (light emitting diode) Marquee display, appropriate for viewing across a boning hall, that can be installed earlier on in the production line, such as at the trimming and packing stations.
This can transmit real-time CL data to personnel upstream. It enables operatives to adjust trimming and packing procedures to maintain tighter control of CL values before meat is sent for packaging and further processing.
"The new Eagle Validate software is the first of its kind in the industry and this innovation, along with the Marquee display and new remote console, are the result of our significant investment into technology and unrivalled expertise in the sector," said Richard Hebel, product manager for Eagle.