Bettcher Industries and Grasselli redefine high-yield skinning and derinding

Bettcher Industries, the US-based leader in precision meat processing tools, has announced a deepened partnership with Italy’s Grasselli to bring integrated skinning, derinding, and defatting technology to North American beef and pork processors.

The collaboration focuses on “One Machine, One Process,” a strategy designed to maximise yields and operator safety simultaneously.

By combining Bettcher’s domestic service infrastructure with Grasselli’s advanced Italian engineering, the partnership aims to solve the industry’s dual challenge of labor shortages and raw material waste.

For manual operations, Bettcher is highlighting the Grasselli MS600 and MS520 models. These machines are engineered for intuitive use in beef and pork processing, but their standout feature is the patented CLO safety technology.

The CLO System works via a series of operations:

• Intelligent gloves: operators wear specialised conductive gloves underneath standard sanitation gloves.
• Instant detection: these gloves are connected to the machine via non-electrical wires.
• Rapid response: if a glove touches the machine’s dangerous zones, the system detects the contact, pauses operation, and immediately reverses the toothroller.
• Accident prevention: the entire sequence typically occurs before the operator’s outer sanitation glove is even fully breached, ensuring an accident-free environment.

For facilities moving toward full automation, the Grasselli NAB520 offers a “drop-in” solution for in-line processing. It is specifically designed to handle delicate cuts of pork and poultry that are often damaged by standard derinders.

The NAB520 features the Skin Start System, a pneumatic-controlled toothroller that securely grips the beginning of the rind to ensure a uniform cut from the very first millimeter. Operators can toggle between “skin-only” removal or full defatting by adjusting the toothroller position, allowing a single machine to serve multiple product lines.

Both the MS and NAB series are built from food-grade, non-radioactive stainless steel. The machines prioritise food safety through:

• Continuous welding: eliminating “bacteria traps” with rounded edges and seamless joins.
• No-tool sanitation: cleaning can be performed without disassembling any machine parts, significantly reducing downtime between shifts.
• Easy access: major mechanical components are accessible via side panels, simplifying routine maintenance.

To ensure consistent performance, Bettcher has introduced a domestic Grasselli Blade Replenishment Program. Since blades are the most critical component for maintaining yield, this program uses production data to automatically deliver factory-specified blades exactly when they are needed.

This approach eliminates last-minute ordering and ensures that processors are always cutting with sharp, calibrated edges — preventing the jagged cuts that lead to product downgrades.

“Our goal is to provide US processors with the most advanced, safest, and most reliable equipment available globally,” a Bettcher spokesperson stated. “By housing Grasselli parts domestically and offering dedicated support, we are ensuring that Italian innovation meets American production speeds.”