Projected to reach a total revenue of close to US$53 billion by the close of 2023, Mexico’s meat industry is one of the most significant in Latin America, with a current annual growth rate of 5.71%, according to Statista. JBT companies comprise a key player in this market providing everything from DSI Waterjet Portioners to brine injectors, spiral freezers and clean-label pasteurization technology.
The occasion of Expo Carnes 2023, which took place in the northern city of Monterrey from February 21-23, provided the opportunity for JBT to reconnect in-person after a break since 2019 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the most important bi-annual shows for the Mexican protein industry, Expocarne is noteworthy for bringing together the best of the country’s meat producers with service and technology providers.
Innovations on show
With red meat producers and processors heavily in attendance at the show, JBT took the opportunity to showcase full-size equipment and machinery from some of its best-selling brands, including Schröder Injectors, which offer outstanding quality combined with a favorable entry price and low operating costs in the basic version.
An example of DSI Waterjet Portioning systems, which have a proven record of improving product yield, decreasing labor and increasing productivity, was also on show. As well as the poultry industry, the integration of an x-ray guided waterjet solution in 2017 has enabled DSI to increase its reach worldwide to include beef, pork, fish and bakery applications for the Portioning Systems.
Other JBT innovations on-display at the show included a Frigoscandia GYRoCOMPACT spiral freezer, a JBT-Prime CSKB-1 Belt Skinner, the C.A.T. VacCAT Product Distribution System, and an example of Avure High Pressure Pasteurization (HPP) solutions for clean-label pasteurization that both neutralize harmful bacteria and help extend product shelf-life.
Reconnecting in-person
“We received more than 70 companies, which is a significant number of visitors, at a show that gave us the chance to reconnect in-person with customers after four years,” says Fernando Boulton, JBT’s Regional Director for Protein in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. “We had the whole team of JBT Mexico there, including Product Managers and Specialists, Field Service Engineers, and our customer service team. We were also joined for a visit by the JBT regional president, Jim Logan.”