Turning fat into fillet!

James Surridge travels around the world in search of a powerful and mystical Analysis technology...  

OK – let’s deal with the social bit first! Even though it’s the opposite side of the world, this client assignment to New Zealand got everyone’s attention in the Idealogy office. 

The upsides? Spectacular and mystical landscapes – just think ‘Lord of the Rings’, early morning ‘yomps’ up 1000ft lava cones in force 9 gales, meeting Scott Waldrom of the mighty All Blacks, working alongside a committed and professional film crew whose head-guy was called Mark Bellringer (we’re quickly back to Lord of the Rings again!!!) and some anti-quake therapy and a belting curry on a visit to Wellington.

Downsides? Well, no one wants to spend 24 hours each way on an epic plane journey that, quite literally, flew me around the world – London, LA, Auckland, Hong Kong, London. Then, unfortunately, a medical emergency on board with a young woman from a Swiss finishing school who was sat right next to me on the Auckland–Hong Kong leg, and, to be honest, not enough ‘real time’ on the ground to fully embrace such a ridiculously beautiful country.

However, the real story here is that I was in New Zealand to roll-up my sleeves and do a job of work. To get to the ‘essential truth’ about EAGLE’s Fat Analysis Product inspection technology – a technology that turns fat into fillet in terms of raw product value – and create an important film story.

Alongside this top line I also discovered the Kiwis are one of the most resourceful races on the planet - "if we can't source it we'll make it" seems to be the banner they all march behind - and that was most evident in the integration 'box' that hooks up the EAGLE Fat Analysis system with bar coding, labelling and carton management software.

SO what exactly did I dig up down under? Well, in the last year, Fat Analysis has added $1m to the ANZCO Riverlands Eltham plant bottom line, achieved by substantially reducing fat claims, adding product value and from maximising the business’s ability to completely control FAT:LEAN ratios – which is the power that EAGLE’s technology gives its customers.

On top of that, the technology also engages a more up-skilled and proactive workforce – a workforce focused completely on Chemical Lean percentage in meat products and that can immediately highlight variations in CL% that impact on the product value. Which means the meat producer can use more of the animal with less wastage and greater profitability.

 So, in the end, a long distance saga with a happy ending – just try telling that to everyone at Idealogy who said I couldn’t string a sentence together until the following Wednesday. But was it jet lag or my gyro just a little off? I might have to try the trip again to answer that one! Anyone got any more clients in New Zealand?

Posted by James Surridge