Clean Label safeguards traditional meat taste

How do you guarantee that meat products can be kept for long enough and remain tasty? That was the challenge Aarnink Vleeswaren faced. They chose Masterblends 'clean label' and are pleased with the natural, traditional meat flavour.

Ton Aarnink started his own butcher's shop in Deventer at the age of twenty. With success, the taste of Aarnink's meat became famous. Besides working for his now three butcher's shops, he supplied meat - ox, calf and pigs on the spit - to, among others, caterers, catering wholesalers, events, parties and celebrations. Even the Royal Family and the Dutch national football team enjoyed his meat products. 

Growth in meat products

In the 1990s, Ton sold his shops and continued as a meat products wholesaler. The business grew partly due to the takeovers of Dengerink in Meppel and Het Huis van Beleg in Houten. The meat production was centred in Meppel. A new location in Lochem was used for slicing, packaging, logistics and administrative processing. The expansion demanded broader management. Son Bart joined the company as successor and manages the activities in Lochem. 

Shelf life versus quality

During the years of growth, Ton continued to monitor quality closely. "From legislation and regulations, the bar is set higher and higher to guarantee the bacteriological quality standard. The wishes of our customers are also becoming more challenging. We supply to, among others, caterers, hotels and restaurants, wholesalers, retailers, care institutions and petrol stations. Several customers want us to supply meat products with a longer shelf life, for example 21 days THT. But how do you guarantee this shelf life and ensure that the meat products remain tasty? So I am constantly looking for the balance in the production of healthy products; with as few E numbers as possible but still with a long shelf life and retention of good taste. This ambition dates back to his youth. Ton comes from a farming family and wanted to become a farmer himself. His father, however, saw a veterinarian in him. Because he is 'not a studious person', he opted for the butcher's trade, thinking 'then I'm also in the cattle business'. After the butcher's school he started his own butcher's shop, where he made his own meat products, sausages and hams. High-quality meat products by producing as cleanly as possible and buying in the cows himself.

Marco van der Wielen (left) and Ton Aarnink

Taste versus shelf life

Ton outlines the current market situation in which customers ask for assurance with regard to bacteria and Listeria. "A number of them even want a guarantee of shelf life of two months THT. This is possible, but means that we have to add more additives. However, I want to add as few E numbers as possible to achieve the maximum. Personally, I think that 21 to 30 days THT is too long; two weeks is the maximum period to retain the good taste. Achieving a longer shelf life while retaining flavour is a challenge for us; we do not want to alienate flavour. E-numbers do not make the meat products tastier, the taste is too salty. I do not support that.

Challenging new process

The challenge led to market research for a new process. That is how Aarnink ended up at Prosur. They offer biotechnological nutrients, from vegetable and fruit gardens in Europe, without E numbers, allergens and gluten, approved by NVWA and certified by IFS and BRC. "This is really different 'shelf life stuff' to lactates," Ton explains. "You can obtain information from Prosur yourself, but that's just the beginning. Because how do you produce a clean label product with these ingredients? We found that help at Cura Biotech from Steenwijk. They have knowledge of the market and recipes. Moreover, they are the exclusive dealer of Prosur in the Netherlands. We tested first. We have recently started production of the hams and chicken here. The first results are good: the meat tastes like the old days. A nice compliment from a man who has been in the 'meat business' for 50 years. 

With Cura Biotech as a partner in this field, Ton sees opportunities to bring back the identity of the real craft. He still has some reservations, however: "Our expectations are high, but first we will continue to test whether it really works. If so, we will continue. "It is no fault of the guidance from Cura Biotech. The cooperation with Marco van der Wielen is appreciated, and supplemented: "We recently hired a meat technologist who will take over the clean label process from me. I will continue to keep an eye on things in the background. Ton is the (taste) guardian of his craft. This is confirmed by a series of tin butcher's figurines in his office, which he expands every year with an element of that craft.

www.aarninkvleeswaren.nl
www.curabiotech.nl

Photos: ©JTD Producties