Plukon anticipates on growing demand for chicken

The increasing demand for sustainably produced poultry is an undeniable trend. Plukon Food Group is adapting its machinery accordingly. To meet the demand from retailers, a second Nock machine from IB Food-Machines has been installed in Maasmechelen to produce chicken strips. “We want to stay flexible.”

Plukon Food Group, the market leader in innovative chicken and meal concepts, is a major player in the European food industry with an annual turnover of nearly €4 billion, 10,000 employees, and operations in seven countries. In addition to chicken products, the company also develops and produces meal components and vegetarian alternatives. At the production site in Maasmechelen, Plant Manager Pascal De Meulenaer explains that quality is always the company’s top priority. Plukon encourages its supply chain partners, with whom it works closely, to pay strong attention to animal welfare and energy-efficient production.

A reliable partner

IB Food-Machines has been a trusted partner of Plukon for many years. Based in Urk, founder Ingmar Baars saw firsthand how the local fish industry operates. Today, the company also serves the meat and poultry sector, representing more than fifteen renowned brands. Plukon benefits greatly from this long-standing and constructive collaboration, confirms IB Food-Machines Account Manager Frans Jan de Vries.

Frans Jan de Vries and Pascal De Meulenaer

Strips

Plukon, which fully processes the entire chicken into ready-to-eat products, mainly targets the Belgian retail market from Maasmechelen and has seen strong growth in recent years. Thanks to continuous investments in modern production lines, the market leader is able to supply retail customers fully and on time with the growing demand for chicken products such as cubes, drumsticks, thighs, fillets à la minute, and especially strips. When supermarket chains run promotions and higher turnover is expected, the company can respond quickly. “We want to keep up with the growing demand in the market. To handle the increasing demand for chicken strips, we’ve taken action,” Pascal explains. “That’s why we expanded our machinery with the purchase of a second Nock machine from IB Food-Machines.”

Nock Cortex

The Nock Cortex CB 435/4E HVC is a slicing machine equipped with a band saw blade for horizontal cuts and circular saws for vertical cuts. The circular saw knife set can be supplied in different versions, depending on the desired end product. “Every customer works with us in a different way,” says Frans Jan. “The needs vary, one customer might want thicker chicken strips than another. But the core process is largely the same.”

Glenn de Boer, the Dutch Operations Manager at Plukon, adds: “We already had a Nock machine, but sometimes cleaning or replacing or sharpening the circular saws is necessary. By adding a second Nock to our machinery, we can always meet the growing demand. If needed, we process up to 21 kilograms per minute, or four tons of chicken strips per day.” Plukon initially rented the second Nock machine and later decided to purchase it. Pascal: “Renting was a temporary solution. Over time, it became clear to me that the investment was worth it. We wanted flexibility, and this guarantees exactly that.”

Stand-alone

“The Nock is a stand-alone machine. The Plukon team has now gained so much experience that it’s rarely necessary for us to provide on-site support. Another advantage of this machine is that it’s very user-friendly and requires little maintenance, apart from a few wear parts,” says Frans Jan. The machine, he adds, is ideal not only for slicing chicken breast strips but also for cutting turkey meat, thin escalopes, and fish fillets for sushi.

www.plukon.be
www.food-machines.com

Demo Days 2025: innovation in food processing

From Tuesday 28 to Thursday 30 October, IB Food-Machines will host its Demo Days at the demo center, De Meer 3 in Urk. During this three-day event, held daily from 12:00 to 17:00, the focus will be on live demonstrations of the latest machines, knowledge exchange, and tailor-made solutions. Each day has its own theme:

> October 28: poultry
> October 29: meat
> October 30: fish

Registration is possible via the registration form at www.food-machines.com

Photos: © Bert Jansen