Atlantic Beef Products recovers more value from every carcass with ProFIVE

For Atlantic Beef Products, getting the most out of every animal is about more than profitability. It is about supporting local farmers, making responsible use of valuable resources and building a sustainable future for beef processing in Atlantic Canada. By investing in JBT Marel's ProFIVE meat harvesting system, the company is turning previously unrecovered meat into additional value, with impressive results.

Supporting a sustainable regional beef industry

Located in Albany, Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Beef Products plays a vital role in the region's beef industry. The company provides local cattle producers with access to a federally inspected processing facility, helping keep beef production and its economic benefits within Atlantic Canada.

Originally designed to process approximately 500 cattle per week, the facility now handles around 650 to 750 animals weekly.

For Bruce Andrews, President and CEO of Atlantic Beef Products, long-term sustainability is closely connected to making the business economically viable.

"We're interested in having something that's long-term enabled to be here, so that producers will have a local area to ship their cattle," Andrews explains.

As production has grown, optimizing raw material utilization has become increasingly important. With beef representing a valuable resource, even small improvements in meat recovery can make a meaningful difference to the company's bottom line.

Recovering what manual trimming leaves behind

One of the challenges Atlantic Beef Products faced was recovering valuable lean meat remaining on bones after conventional deboning.

Previously, operators manually trimmed bones with knives to recover as much meat as possible. This was particularly challenging with certain bone structures, such as neck bones, where removing the remaining meat is difficult and time-consuming.

To improve recovery, Atlantic Beef Products invested in JBT Marel's ProFIVE meat harvesting system.

"The main reason that Atlantic Beef Products looked at buying the ProFIVE was that it was a way for us to extract more value from the carcass itself," Andrews explains.

The ProFIVE uses patented pressure technology to gently separate remaining meat from bones, allowing processors to recover valuable raw materials that would otherwise be difficult to utilize.

For Atlantic Beef Products, this has opened up new opportunities to improve yield while making more efficient use of the animals it processes.

15–20% more lean meat recovered

The results have been significant. According to Jay Willyard, Operations Manager at Atlantic Beef Products, the ProFIVE enables the company to recover approximately 15–20% more lean meat from bones compared to its previous recovery process.

"The ProFIVE has helped us recover lean beef material from the carcass that we could not get before doing it with knives," Willyard explains.

This additional recovery translates into more valuable beef products from the same raw material input.

The system also allows Atlantic Beef Products to process the remaining material a second time at a higher pressure, recovering a separate product stream for pet food applications.

By extracting additional value at multiple stages, the company can make better use of its raw materials and minimize what ultimately goes to waste.

Less waste, lower transportation costs

Beyond the financial benefits, improved meat recovery also supports Atlantic Beef Products' environmental objectives.

Previously, residual inedible bones had to be transported by truck to Quebec for further processing. By recovering more usable material on-site, the company can reduce the amount of material requiring transportation, helping lower associated logistics costs and environmental impact.

For Willyard, the connection between efficient production and sustainability is clear. "It helps our business and it helps our carbon footprint and sustainability."

The ProFIVE investment reflects the company's broader commitment to responsible processing: maximizing the value of each animal while reducing unnecessary waste.

A return on investment that delivers

While increased recovery and sustainability were important considerations, the investment also needed to make financial sense.

Atlantic Beef Products evaluated the expected return before purchasing the ProFIVE, establishing an anticipated payback period of approximately 16 months.

According to Andrews, the system has been performing in line with those expectations.

The experience has also been positive from a maintenance perspective. The ProFIVE's straightforward design and robust construction have contributed to reliable operation, supporting the company's day-to-day production requirements.

For Atlantic Beef Products, the combination of additional revenue, reduced waste and dependable equipment performance makes the investment particularly valuable.

A partnership built on confidence

Operating in a relatively remote part of Canada makes reliable technology and trusted partners especially important for Atlantic Beef Products.

"Our experience so far with JBT Marel has been very positive," Andrews says.

The company values the confidence of knowing that the equipment delivers what was promised, both in terms of performance and operational reliability.

According to Andrews, the system has been performing in line with those expectations.

The experience has also been positive from a maintenance perspective. The ProFIVE's straightforward design and robust construction have contributed to reliable operation, supporting the company's day-to-day production requirements.

For Atlantic Beef Products, the combination of additional revenue, reduced waste and dependable equipment performance makes the investment particularly valuable.

A partnership built on confidence

Operating in a relatively remote part of Canada makes reliable technology and trusted partners especially important for Atlantic Beef Products.

"Our experience so far with JBT Marel has been very positive," Andrews says.

The company values the confidence of knowing that the equipment delivers what was promised, both in terms of performance and operational reliability.