Meat&Poultry - October 2013 - 92

INGREDIENT ESSENTIALS • ADVERTORIAL

incomplete information causing delays,
and companies operating under multiple
names being difficult to identify as sources.
If a food company improves its ability to
trace products and ingredients, the company can expect to achieve improved business
processes, increase supply chain confidence
and possibly expand their markets.
Unfortunately, many companies in the
food industry still consider product tracing a subset of supply chain operations,
with product tracing not being a dominant
consideration when making investment
decisions. However, the threat of not having
product tracing capabilities in the event of
a foodborne illness outbreak represents significant risks to a firm. One way to improve
product traceability is to work with vertically integrated suppliers.
“Vertically integrated ingredient suppliers
typically control the ingredient from farm
to product. They control all inputs along the
way and this helps with ensuring quality
and consistency (by not having variation associated with different suppliers), as well as
traceability in the event of a product recall,”
says Jennifer McEntire, vice president and
chief science officer, The Acheson Group,
Washington, D.C., and researcher and
author of the IFT FSMA traceability pilot report. “Even vertically integrated companies
need to make sure that their systems that
manage traceability data are integrated
across facilities. This type of structure and
the connectivity that results from a vertically integrated supply chain can facilitate
traceability in a way that builds trust and
improves food safety, and helps prevent
financial disasters.”

From seed to extract

Recognizing the importance of providing
its customers with the highest-quality rosemary extracts possible, Kemin, Des Moines,
Iowa, entered the business as a vertically
integrated supplier, controlling every step
of the production process…from breeding
to growing to extracting to formulating.
“Meat and poultry manufacturers who
use rosemary extract to extend product
shelf life need to trust that the ingredient
is safe and highly efficacious,” says Justin
Green, PhD, product manager—antioxidants. “We use carefully selected plant
breeds to produce the most potent extracts.
Depending on the application and the desired outcome, extracts are carefully blend-

Why Kemin’s Rosemary?
Kemin controls inputs along every step of the
rosemary extract manufacturing chain, from seed to
extract. Such vertical integration provides a traceable
raw material source and a sustainable ingredient that is
safe, consistent and of the highest quality.
Kemin began growing rosemary as a crop in 1996.
Today the company has 1,000 acres of rosemary in New
Mexico and Texas and two acres of controlled
greenhouse under glass.
The company’s exclusive breeding program
is a five-year process that includes breeding,
selection and advancement of cultivated
rosemary. Not all rosemary is created equal.
Kemin’s scientists and engineers screen
hundreds of genetically different Rosmarinus
officinalis (rosemary) plants for the most
desirable traits, with the focus being select actives, biomass and winter hardiness.
This is followed by traditional plant breeding to establish a population of cultivars.
Creating a new variation of rosemary is a continual process of improvement for Kemin’s
breeders. Once an ideal cultivar is determined, it moves into the propagation phase
and finally into the field.
Kemin contracts with growers—often family farmers—to grow rosemary at an
agronomical scale. They are stewards of the land, keeping integrity throughout the
entire growing process.
The company is in the process of receiving sustainable certification of its rosemary
farms and is also seeking sustainable certifications on its final products.

ed into the most effective combination.
“Our sustainable and highly controlled
crop production allows our customers to
feel at ease knowing that they have a safe
and consistent supply,” says Dr. Green. “We
grow rosemary like other companies grow
corn or soybeans. We begin by using a conventional breeding process and then conduct our own propagation, transplantation,
growing and harvesting. The raw material
is then developed into unique products
tailored to the needs of the market. Our
proprietary process results in a more consistent product that can only be achieved
with a vertically integrated approach.”
The company’s FORTIUM® brand of
natural plant extracts is well recognized
for their ability to conserve the appearance, taste and quality of raw and cooked
meat products, both refrigerated and
frozen. “These versatile, natural solutions
are label-friendly alternatives to traditional
tocopherols or conventional synthetic antioxidants commonly used in the industry,”
says Dr. Green. “They are just as effective
and efficacious as synthetic options and
many times won’t negatively affect the

sensory attributes of the food when applied at the appropriate dosage rates.”

Conclusion

Vertical integration allows Kemin
to control the rosemary supply chain
from plant to final extract. FORTIUM®
brand natural plant extracts provide
meat and poultry manufacturers with
greater assurance of safe, consistent
and sustainable products.
For more information on FORTIUM® brand
natural plant extracts, contact Kemin at
kftmarketing@kemin.com.

Note: Certain statements may not be
applicable in all geographical regions.
Product labeling and associated claims
may differ based upon government
requirements.

Meat&Poultry - October 2013

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