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WhatsApp / Tel: +44 773 185 5142
In today's competitive poultry market, selling whole birds alone is no longer the most profitable option. The real margins often lie in further processed products — like boneless fillets, nuggets, marinated wings, or ready-to-eat meals. But to achieve consistent quality and volume, processors rely on specialized machinery known as further processing equipment.
This guide explores how further processing lines work, what equipment is involved, and how each step adds both value and profit potential to your poultry operation.
Further processing refers to transforming raw poultry into value-added products like marinated, coated, cooked, or packaged goods. These products are sold ready-to-cook, ready-to-eat, or frozen for retail and foodservice markets.
Portioning machines are the backbone of any value-added poultry production line. They are responsible for cutting whole or partial poultry cuts — typically breast fillets or thigh meat — into uniform sizes by weight, shape, or dimensions. This ensures consistency, which is essential for packaging, cooking times, and consumer expectations.
Modern portioning equipment uses advanced blade systems or even waterjet technology to achieve incredible precision, minimizing waste and maximizing yield.
By using portioning machines, processors can ensure every piece looks and weighs the same — essential for supermarkets, QSRs (quick service restaurants), and retail packs where uniformity builds trust and reduces labor downstream.
Tenderizers and flatteners are used to enhance the texture, shape, and surface area of poultry cuts. These machines help break down muscle fibers to improve tenderness and prepare the meat for uniform marination or cooking. Flatteners ensure consistent thickness across fillets, which is especially important for products like schnitzels or grilled portions.
By increasing the surface area of the product, flattening also aids in faster, more even cooking and allows better absorption of marinades or seasonings.
Marinators, including vacuum tumblers and injectors, are essential for adding flavor, moisture, and functional ingredients into the meat. Vacuum tumbling uses rotation and suction to draw marinade deep into the muscle, while injectors insert brine solutions through fine needles.
This step boosts product weight and shelf life, improves flavor retention, and enhances visual appeal. Marinators allow producers to create premium SKUs such as BBQ thighs, lemon-herb fillets, or seasoned drumsticks.
Coating lines automate the application of flour, batter, and breadcrumbs to prepare poultry for frying or baking. This process typically includes pre-dusting, battering, breading, and setting phases. Consistency and adhesion are crucial to ensure the coating stays intact during cooking.
Popular products made on these lines include crispy chicken nuggets, southern-style tenders, and schnitzels. Custom crumb types and double-battering stages can help tailor texture and appearance for different markets.
Please view our current range of Forming, Enrobing / Coating & Frying Machinery.
Once coated, many products go through fryers or ovens for full or partial cooking. Spiral ovens use convection heat to evenly cook large volumes of product, while contact grills provide sear marks and a grilled finish. Oil fryers create golden, crispy exteriors and can be precisely controlled for temperature and oil turnover.
Cooking in-house enables processors to produce ready-to-eat or heat-and-serve products, expanding access to supermarket delis, foodservice, and convenience channels.
After cooking, poultry products must be chilled or frozen rapidly to lock in freshness, extend shelf life, and meet safety standards. Spiral freezers and IQF (individually quick frozen) tunnels are ideal for preserving product shape and preventing clumping in items like breaded fillets or diced chicken.
Cold chain integrity begins here — efficient chilling ensures high yield and maintains the product's visual and textural quality during distribution.
Please view our Chilling & Cooling category for our current machinery.
The final stage involves portioning into trays, bags, or flow packs. Weigh-price labelers ensure accurate pack weights, while tray sealers maintain product hygiene and extend shelf life. Machines may also include metal detectors or vision systems for quality control.
Smart packaging builds consumer confidence and meets retailer requirements, while minimizing giveaway helps maintain profitability.
Our current machinery can be seen on these categories: Packing, Grading & Weighing, Thermoformers & Tray Sealers.
Yes. Start small with tumblers, cutting tables, or a tray sealer. Upgrade to coating or cooking systems as demand grows. Refurbished machinery offers a cost-effective path.
Further processing turns poultry into profit. With the right equipment, you can expand your product line, increase margins, and meet growing demand for convenient, ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat products.
If you're looking for affordable, high-quality further processing machinery, contact us — we stock everything from tumblers to full coating and cooking lines.