Avara invests £4m into automation technology
UK poultry manufacturer Avara Foods has announced an investment of over £4 million in automation, people and packaging at its Hereford and Telford processing plants.
Avara said its investment in new technology will deliver its 2022 BBQ range, meaning new products can be produced with “fewer, higher skilled people, less packaging and are easier for consumers to prepare and cook.”
The automated lines pack a range of BBQ products, including dark meat and flavoured options, directly into a pouch. According to Avara, the new process, which features in-pouch marination, removes much of the manual process in production and increasing productivity.
‘We can recruit from our local communities’
Andrew Brodie, people director at Avara, said: “The automation also means more skilled roles, creating opportunities for development and progression. “Replacing repetitive tasks with automated processes doesn’t remove the need for people.
“The difference is that we need fewer, but more highly skilled people to keep that automation running smoothly, and we can recruit them from our local communities.”
Avara believe that the new products will help the company meet its environmental targets too. The pouches use more than 60% less plastic than traditional poultry packaging.
Sustainability lead, Emily Phelps, added: “Our insight consistently tells us that consumers are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their food choices.”
A commitment to modern food production
The new BBQ production lines are the latest in a series of recent investments that reaffirm Avara’s commitment to modern food production, and closely follows a new £4.7 million processing plant, which opened in Wednesbury back in February.
Brodie concluded: “We think it’s what successful food manufacturing will look like in the future: investment in productivity, the creation of skilled job opportunities for local communities and greater sustainability.”
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