The 'intelligent' system installed from Avery Dennison included AP 5.4 printers, compatible consumables and customised software. It optimises traceability while ensuring compliance with European and wider international meat industry regulations.

Ekro processes more than 400,000 animals a year from whole carcasses into ready-to-eat or ready-to-cook consumer products. Production processes consist of three phases: de-boning, packaging and dispatching. The firm handles 240 calves an hour, which generates approximately 100kg of meat in a variety of different meat cuts. To ensure total traceability, a label must be applied to every piece of meat during each phase of the process.

Scanning the barcode on the package gives the user product identification data, such as weight, number of pieces and the type of cut. The identification code is now printed on the label, which enables staff to track each cut of meat back to the animal, ensuring visibility.

Jos Rouwendaal, meat processing manager at Ekro, said: "We need to know exactly which meat is exported to which country, even when it is already packed."

Contact: Avery Dennison
www.rbis.averydennison.com