Cargill installs GEA poultry processing line for McDonald’s

The firm worked with GEA Refrigeration Technology for the deepfreeze and cooling part of the project (worth an additional €7m) to get the lines installed in nine months – eight weeks ahead of schedule to meet an order for McDonald’s chicken nuggets.

To realize the two lines in such a short time meant working with logistics and rigging specialists Convoy and integrated packaging provider Hellings Machinebouw, who handled the transport belt automation around GEA SmartPacker vertical packaging machines.

Christian van Grinsven, project leader, GEA Food Solutions, said unusually for a project of this size, the customer asked us to organize and oversee lifting the equipment into place (rigging) and to install utilities. This involved using local contractors, who were selected with the help of our Chinese sales and customer support personnel.

Cargill delivered its first shipment of chicken nuggets from one of the lines to McDonald’s China.

The first line processes chicken nuggets at a rate of 30 tons per day while the second line processes boneless and bone-in poultry products. 

The project covers the full scope of GEA Food Solutions’ equipment, including preparation, marination, processing, freezing and packaging machines. Line one features partial frying (‘par fry’) for nugget production, while line two has a GEA spiral oven for various fully cooked poultry parts.