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Equipment: Either Way You Slice It By Bob Sims ommissaries and central kitchens that serve the retail outlet with fresh foods rely heavily on slicers. Fresh sandwiches and wraps for breakfast, lunch, dinner and between-meal snacks all serve the American consumer's desire for healthy foods that are convenient and easy. Scobee Foods in Dallas, TX, focuses on producing fresh, ready-to-eat sandwich products for the convenience store industry, correctional facilities, schools, vending and gourmet trucks, and municipalities in the Dallas and Fort Worth area. To produce that many sandwich products, Scobee Foods relies heavily on equipment, particularly slicers. C "They play a huge role," says Steve Scobee, president at Scobee Foods. "About 75 percent of all the products that we make used sliced meats." Percentages that high mean that Scobee Foods' slicers continuously see a lot of use and for long periods of time. Slicing equipment needs to possess a top notch ability to meet many different criteria for that kind of daily use. PHOTO: GROTE What to Look For When looking to upgrade or purchase new slicers, every production facility will differ according to what they do and how much volume they produce. But a few general characteristics do apply to any slicer regardless of the machine's size and duty. Scobee Foods looks at four basic qualities when deciding on slicers to go into its produc- tion facility: "high speed, reliability, ease of cleaning and safety," Scobee says. Having a good line of communication with your supplier will provide insight into which slicers meet the criteria you and your facility need and the models that will work best for your business. "We use two Grote 530 high speed slicers," Scobee says. "They're both set up to run 4 1/2 inch slicing logs." Maintenance Slicers present potentially dangerous circumstances. Two scenarios exist that could harm operators, consumers and a company's reputation. The first comes in the form of physical injury to operators. Anyone in contact with a slicer needs to exercise caution at all times. "We have specific guidelines regarding the safe handling of slicer blades while installing and removing," Scobee says. The second potentially dangerous situation slicers present is food safety. This could affect large numbers and potentially cause damage that is beyond repair. Accessibility in a slicer means easy sanitation and less downtime during sanitation. According to Weber North America, a slicer company located in Kansas City, MO, quick, thorough and efficient cleaning should top the list for producers and processors when looking at slicers. Weber's hygienic, open PHOTO: WEBER 8 * FEBRUARY 2016 * commissary INSIDER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - February 2016

instore - February 2016
Editor's Note - Prepared Foods
Table of Contents
News - On Our Radar
Product Spotlight - Cakes
Product Knowledge - Belly up to the bar
Merchandising - Breakfast to go
Commissary Insider - Insight Insider
Food Safety - Foolproof Your HACCP Plan
Equipment - Either Way You Slice It
Product Category Spotlight - Score with Salads
Packaging - Future Solutions
Operations and Logistics - Communication and Service
Retail Foodservice - Winning the foodservice dollar
Specialty Insights - Healthy Italian meats
Equipment & Packaging - Fresh and warm
Product Trends - First to market
Product Showcase
Ad Index

instore - February 2016