Value-added tour of Alberta
Last week at the International Farm Management Congress in Calgary, I had an opportunity to
attend several agricultural processing plants.
Adding value to the products we grow and raise is happening in the West. By taking the raw materials we produce and processing them into a product that is consumer-ready, we’re adding value to the product. By doing this processing in the West, we are reducing transportation costs of moving raw product and providing employment in the processing plants where the product is grown. Value-added products help to keep people on the Prairies.
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Fibrimex
At FNA Foods, Inc. in Strathmore, Alta., we learned about a fresh meat binding medium called Fibrimex. It is a 100 percent natural product and is approved by Agriculture Canada, Health Protection Canada, the United States Department of Agriculture and the American Food and Drug Administration. The product is low-fat, non-allergenic and naturally healthy, an FNA Foods spokesperson said.
FNA Foods is owned by Harimex BV in the Netherlands, one of the partners in developing Fibrimex.
Harimex was one of the first to industrially isolate proteins from animal raw materials. This process adheres whole muscles or pieces of fresh meat, poultry, fish or seafood (or any combination of the four) into one. Its performance is based on the formation of a fibrinogen network activated by the enzyme thrombin.
Both fibrinogen and thrombin are meat proteins that are fractionated from beef plasma.
The use of Fibrimex is simple. The two proteins are mixed proportionately and then applied to coat the surface of any fresh meat parts that may then be placed in a desired form. Fibrimex is packaged in plastic pouches and frozen to extend shelf life.
This new process in meat production allows for processing of new portioned and convenient products without chopping or grinding the meat. Also with no addition of sodium, phosphates or other foreign chemicals, Fibrimex-processed products are natural.
Meat products processed with the Fibrimex meat binding system are unchanged nutritionally and chemically. About 30 meat companies in North America use Fibrimex to process beef and pork tenderloins, portion steaks, pork roasts, lamb and veal medallions, veal chops, as well as a variety of poultry, seafood, and fish products. They can take various quality cuts of meat, add a marinade and bond them together.
Potato chips
Since potatoes are one of my favorite foods, I especially enjoyed tasting the freshest potato chips ever at Old Dutch Foods Ltd. Old Dutch owns two potato warehouses in Alberta with a capacity of 12 million kilograms. This potato chip plant opened in Calgary in 1979. The plant operates two production shifts per day year round, and uses every day 108,000 kg of potatoes and 13,000 litres of oil. The fryer capacity is 2,350 kg of finished product per hour.
The product includes plain, ripple, country style and shoestring chips, made with corrugated steel blades and vertical cutters. A large percentage of chips are coated in large mixers with special seasonings, such as salt n’ vinegar, sour cream and onion, barbecue and ketchup. Since my favorite chips are dill pickle, I was pleased to taste a fresh “hot off the press” dill pickle chip.
Potato chips represent about 70 percent of all snack items sold in Canada. The potatoes required for chipping are grown under contract, with 95 percent supplied by Alberta and the remaining five percent by the United States.
Fresh lamb
At Canada West Foods Corp. in Innisfail, Alta., I visited a processor of fresh specialty meat products. Canada West Foods holds the major share of Canada’s fresh lamb market. Sales include retail and food-service customers nationally and in Mexico and the United States.
A 100 gram (3.5 ounce) serving of cooked, lean lamb is low in calories, yet provides 50 percent of both the daily protein and vitamin B2 requirements, as well as 15 percent of the daily iron requirement for an adult.
Since it is barbecue season, here are some simple hints for fresh Canadian lamb:
- Before heating the barbecue, rub cold grill with oil; preheat to medium temperature.
- Use steaks and chops cut one to 11Ú2 inches (2.5-3.25 centimetres) thick; slash the fat along the side of each steak to prevent curling.
- Cooking time will depend on the thickness of meat, weather conditions, distance from heat source and intensity of heat.
Quick citrus mint glaze
Combine 1Ú2 cup (125 mL) lemon or orange marmalade, two tablespoons (30 mL) lemon juice, and one teaspoon (five mL) dried mint. Brush steaks and chops often with glaze during last five minutes of grilling.
Makes enough for six steaks or chops.
BBQ herbed lamb steaks
6 fresh lamb leg 6
steaks
1 tablespoon salt 15 mL
1Ú2 teaspoon pepper 2 mL
2 teaspoons dried 10 mL
rosemary
1 teaspoon dried 5 mL
thyme
(If using ground thyme, reduce the quantity)
Combine dry ingredients. Sprinkle on each steak and rub in with fingers. Turn steaks over and repeat process. Let stand at room temperature for one hour to enhance flavor. If holding longer, refrigerate.
Grill four to six inches (10-15 cm) from heat for eight to 10 minutes. Turn and grill for six to eight minutes more, or to desired doneness. Makes sufficient herb mixture for four pounds (two kg) lamb steaks or chops.
Serve with baked or scalloped potatoes, green salad, sliced tomatoes and crusty french bread.
BBQ lamb kabobs in light teriyaki marinade
2 pounds fresh 1 kg
lamb, boneless shoulder
1Ú4 cup oil 50 mL
1Ú4 cup soy sauce 50 mL
2 tablespoons 30 mL
vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar 15 mL
1 teaspoon ground 5 mL
ginger
Place lamb cubes in glass casserole dish. Combine oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and ginger. Pour over lamb cubes and marinate one hour at room temperature. If holding longer, refrigerate.
Drain lamb cubes, reserving marinade; place cubes on skewers. If rare or medium lamb is desired, place cubes close together. If well-done lamb is preferred, leave a little space between them.
Grill four to six in. (10-15 cm) from heat for eight to 12 minutes. Turn frequently, using tongs. Baste with reserved marinade. Makes four servings.
Serve with rice, snow peas, a green salad and vegetable kabobs made as follows:
Parboil chunks of red and green bell peppers and thick slices of carrots and zucchini until tender-crisp. Alternate on skewers along with cherry tomatoes. Grill five to seven minutes. Turn frequently and brush with reserved marinade.
From fleece to spun yarn
At Innisfail, Alta., we also toured Rocky Mountain Exotic Fibre, a “worsted” processing mill specializing in fine wool and the exotic luxury fibres such as alpaca, llama, angora, cashmere, silk, bison, qiviuq (muskox hair), merino and mohair.
Rocky Mountain Exotic Fibre found that the producers of these fine luxury fibres were unable to have their product processed in smaller quantities and with equipment that would enhance the special qualities of the fibres.
This company uses special equipment designed to handle the longer exotic fibres, maintaining the luxurious quality. This company fills a niche market in North America and complements the woolen mills already in existence.
It is seeing a worldwide increase in interest and demand for natural fibres, and a movement from reliance on man-made fibres.
Rocky Mountain Exotic Fibre is a Canadian-owned and operated family-run business founded in 1993, starting off with a small card. It is now capable of taking fibre from fleece to spun yarn. It does large volumes of high quality custom processing, but will handle custom orders as small as two kg.
There are two aspects to the mill. It produces for the retail market high quality yarns and spinning fibres blended from luxury fibres.
The mill has developed its own unique colors from fibre reactive dyes, formulated and used to protect the environment. It has color- and light-fast blends that produce luxurious, soft yarns for both the hand and the machine knitter as well as for weavers and spinners.
Custom processing services are also available. Those services include washing (only with mild detergent), air drying, dyeing, blending, carding, combining and spinning.
The mill welcomes tours. Call for sample cards and pricing at 403-227-6440 or 1-800-909-9665.
TEAM columnists welcome your questions, recipes, ideas or helpful information. Send letters to TEAM, c/o The Western Producer, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4.
