1. Pi-Vac Elaste System® Process description
The following information was provided by the Pi-Vac Elasto Pack® manufacturer and one company which implemented this process.
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2. Pi-Vac Elasto Pack®
The Pi-Vac Elasto Pack® system consists in packaging pre-rigor muscles in highly elastic film tubes.
Each film tube is stretched to enable the introduction of a meat piece. Once the meat is inside, the film is released and returns to its original dimensions.
As a result the tubes exert strong forces on muscles, hindering radial expansion caused by muscle fibre contraction during rigor mortis development.
This system improves meat aspect and tenderness and reduces packaging costs.
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3. Pi-Vac Elasto Pack®
Packaging chambers
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4. Step 1 - Machine in start position
The process (1)
Step 1 - Machine in start position
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5. Step 2 - Plastic film tube preparation :
The process (2)
Step 2 - Plastic film tube preparation :
The film is placed on the hooks.
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6. The hooks stretch the film and the air inside the machine is removed.
The process (3)
Step 3 - Packaging chamber depressurization to dilate the plastic film tube:
The hooks stretch the film and the air inside the machine is removed.
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7. Step 4 - Meat piece introduction into the packaging chamber:
The process (4)
Step 4 - Meat piece introduction into the packaging chamber:
The meat piece can easily be introduced in the film.
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8. Step 5 - Pressure release inside the packaging chamber:
The process (5)
Step 5 - Pressure release inside the packaging chamber:
The pressure around the film is released so that it contracts itself around the meat piece.
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9. Step 6 - Extraction of the meat piece
The process (6)
Step 6 - Extraction of the meat piece
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10. Step 7 - Plastic film tube removal:
The process (7)
Step 7 - Plastic film tube removal:
The plastic film tube is easily cut using the pre-cut end.
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11. Products packaged
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12. Diagram of a packaging chamber (1)
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13. Diagram of a packaging chamber (2)
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14. Benefits
Place saving and costs reducing: no cooling room and dip tank required
Energy saving: no need to cool carcasses before boning
Time saving: muscles are cooled, not whole carcasses
Environmentally friendly: less packaging materials
Water retaining: reduction of drip loss
Tenderness, aspect and texture improving: reduction of “cold shortening”, better shape, more juice
Flavour improving: smell and taste
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15. Conditions
Constraining: Only implementable in plants where slaughtering and boning are possible
Adaptation required: the plant’s logistic must be adapted to the hot boning process
BSE: Only for young beefs that don’t require BSE test
More workforce: no automatization of the packaging process
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16. Figures: Packaging materials
Indicative prices – 2007
Shrinking bags
Pi-Vac Elasto Pack®
Price for 1 m2 without quatity discount
1.43€
2.70€
Price for 1 m2 with quatity discount
0.99€
1.86€
Price per Kg packed meat
0.10€
0.075€
The Pi-Vac Elasto system is 25 % cheaper than the use of shrinking bags.
The costs saving are not based on cheap packaging materials but on the consumption of less material for each package!
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17. Figures: Pi-Vac Elasto Pack®
Indicative prices –
PACK – MAN – System
Description
Price / €
Packaging machine I 2,0 – 2,5 – 3,0
38.517,00
Packaging machine II 2,5 – 3,5 – T
32.922,00
Automatic in feed belt for meat
6.413,00
Clipping machine
3.969,00
Complete packaging system
81.821,00
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18. The leaflet Find this information and even more on our leaflet:
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