Germany’s Edeka Sudwestfleisch Rheinstetten is considered one of the most modern meat processing operations in all of Europe. Some 900 employees process and package up to 600 tons of fresh and processed meat every day. The end products—approximately 2,500 items are continuously in stock in Rheinstetten—are transported to 1,250 retail stores in the five states that belong to the Edeka region in southwest Germany.
The best-selling product in the case-ready segment is ground meat, supplied in various grades including pork, beef, and mixed. But it’s also the most sensitive in terms of shelf life because the meat tissues are far more exposed to ambient air than whole muscle meat cuts that don’t go through the meat grinder.
