Reclaiming the Craft of Meat Processing

Earthworm Express – ReEquipGlobal
By Eben van Tonder and Christa van Tonder‑Berger
Date: 13 March 2026

One of Christa and my newest creations – Rolled Mutton bacon – here on roosterkoek. This product represents exactly the philosophy described in this article. We sharpen our blades. We buy the correct grinders. We design the process around the physics of meat rather than around ingredient shortcuts. We visit the Karoo where the animals are raised. And we surround ourselves with the right people.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Two recent articles published on Earthworm Express examined mechanical realities in meat processing that are often ignored in daily factory life. Yet these realities determine yield, stability, shelf life, and ultimately the economic success of a meat plant.

It deals with two issues in meat processing that are fundamental to our art. The right equipment, rightly maintained!

The first article, The Grinding Truth About South Africa’s 52 Mincer, examined the continued dominance of the Enterprise cutting system in South Africa’s 52 mincers and compared it with the staged cutting logic of the Unger system used widely in Europe.

The second article, The Blunt-Blade Tax, explored the hidden cost of blunt knives and plates in bowl cutters, mincers and emulsifiers. Poor sharpening discipline silently reduces yield, destabilises emulsions, increases purge, and shortens shelf life. These are not minor technical details. They are core determinants of product quality.

The main point is that both articles is a call to return to basics!

A Conversation That Pointed to a Deeper Problem

Shortly after the articles were published, a colleague contacted me. He has worked internationally in functional ingredients, technical training and troubleshooting across many meat plants. His reflection was immediate and blunt: the grinder discussion is correct, but it only touches the surface of a much deeper structural problem.

An Honest Mail

The mail came from a long‑standing friend in Europe. His name is not important here. What matters is the honesty of the conversation and the shared commitment to understanding the craft properly.

I give his mail to verbatim.

“Saw you post on the grinding truth. You have a point here but let me address a much deeper problem in South Afrika. The first one to address is knowledge, all the PhD’s have no clue on meat technology, not even how to create a stable emulsion. They don’t know what happens inside an emulsion and what factors are important.“

“The second one is that companies are driven in the hands of blenders and all those ingredients houses in South Africa by this general lack of knowledge. A great business model for them is that they are not only selling blends and ingredients, they are also the ones selling the equipment.”

“Very often they are not selling the right processing equipment solution. They sell whatever they have available, which is often not the correct solution for the processor. The blenders or ingredient houses then solve production problems by adding another binder or additive to the formulation. Instead of examining the process itself, the solution becomes another ingredient inside what effectively becomes a black box. Whole lives are built around this system and people are afraid to change it. For me this is one of the bigger issues preventing the South African meat processing industry from moving forward.“

People Who Are Building Something Different

Despite these structural problems there are individuals in South Africa who quietly build something better.

One such example is Rhyno Siemens and his family at Diversity Blends Pty Ltd in Montagu in the Western Cape. They chose to establish their spice company in a small town that aligns with the vision they have for their family and the type of business they want to build.

Montagu is not a traditional centre of industrial meat processing. Yet it is precisely in places like this where something valuable can emerge: businesses close to producers, close to the land, and close to the craft.

Rhyno represents a technologist who understands both formulation and process. He is someone who is prepared to discuss what actually happens inside emulsions, curing systems and production lines.

If a processor wants to speak to someone who genuinely understands the craft and science behind functional ingredients, Rhyno Siemens at Diversity Blends in Montagu is one of the people worth speaking to.

Further information and contact details: Click on Diversity Blends (Pty) Ltd

There are others, like my friend in Europe, but in South Africa they are sadly far and few. So we celebrate those friends who different!

Finding a Home for the Craft

As in South Africa, we found new friends in Austria who share the same vision and passion for the art and trade of meat processing. In communities where the craft is still respected, technical discipline and pride in the raw material remain central. The objective is simple: to build products based on peer reviewed meat science, best practices from around the world, equipment that performs the correct technical function, and formulations that are transparent and technically justified. When the fundamentals are respected, remarkable things begin to happen. Yields improve. Products become more stable. Shelf life increases. Ingredient costs fall.

And suddenly the work itself becomes enjoyable again. When the mechanics of meat processing are properly understood, the craft reveals itself once more. And life returns!