Product category:
Label converting and sleeving materials, equipment and services
News Release from: Albion Systems | Subject: lock and loop tags
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 23 February 2007
Keeping a tag on quality hams
For more than a hundred years, Bearfields have specialised in the production of high-quality traditional hams, gammons, and gammon steaks.
Today, the company has three factories fully-licensed to EC standards, all designed to meet the needs of their highly-specialist business, and fitted out to the most exacting standards Albion Systems of Altrincham are helping Bearfields to streamline their production with track-and-trace labels that meet the needs of what is essentially a craft business -- but give 21st century results! 'Lock and loop' Albion Systems' 'lock and loop' tags give Bearfields' operatives the opportunity to hand-label every joint of pork that enters their production system, which involves the curing, finishing, and packing of their respected Danefarm joints and steaks
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 7 Jul 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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The 'lock and loop' tags are made by Albion Systems from a special tear-resistant material that accepts traditional print, thermal transfer print, and pen and pencil marking.
They are heat-resistant to 90 deg C, and fully metal detectable as is essential for food packing lines.
Each individual pork joint makes its journey through the full curing, slow-cooking, finishing, and packing process with its own dedicated 'lock and loop tag' firmly attached to the flesh by the loop process.
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Product integrity Says Sammy Mangion, Bearfields' Operations Manager: 'Basically, the "lock and loop" tags Albion make for us -- which are EFSIS-compliant -- perform the same function as a hospital wristband, and for maintaining the quality and integrity of our cooked meat products, they are just as important.
Before we begin to fill in the product data on the tags, we choose the appropriate colour of tag: blue for natural hams, green for traditional cure, and so on.
The tag is then matched to a joint, batch coded, and the details recorded: kill date, date of receipt, and then, as each process is completed, details of cure date, cooking date, time, and temperature.
That way, we are always in complete control of the history of the joint -- and able to maintain our long-established quality standards.' Tony Hanmer, Sales Manager of Albion Systems, values Sammy Mangion's approval because, he says: 'We won Bearfields' contract because we were able to offer truly robust tag construction and performance with price benefits.
We have built up a strong reputation for providing functional labels in many sectors, and are pleased to number such a quality supplier as Bearfields among our customers.' Albion Systems can also supply 'lock and loop tags' to withstand the higher temperatures experienced in the bakery industry.
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