A schnitzel is thinned meat, coated with flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs, and then fried. Originating in Austria, it is popular in all parts of the world, often made using chicken meat. Marel's Chicken schnitzel line is able to produce high-quality, perfectly coated schnitzels which respond to the requirements of consumers around the globe. 

Whole muscle or formed

Schnitzels may be created from whole muscle breast fillet meat. In this case, they need to be sliced in the TSM Profiler or SmartSplitter to present a consistent thickness and weight to the Schnitzel convenience line. It is also possible to create formed schnitzels from meat mass with a RevoPortioner. The meat mass has to be prepared by Marel's Meat Preparation solutions to achieve the right consistency and viscosity for RevoPortioner to form it into consistent products with uniform shape and weight.

The first step of coating will be done in the Active Flour Applicator. A layer of flour, also called pre-dust, is applied in this stage. The fine layer of flour serves as an adhesive. It also supports the juiciness of product and adds yield. Now the schnitzel is ready for the wet coating. The Active Batter Applicator applies an even layer of batter on the top and bottom side, for the dry coating to stick to the product later on.

Crumb management

The final step in the coating process is to apply crumb. Depending on the customer's wish, the schnitzels can be covered by fine breadcrumbs or coarse product such as cornflakes, depending on end product requirements. Crumb is applied gently, so large pieces remain intact. Spreading of the crumb on top and bottom is very important, which is why RevoCrumb works with an innovative crumb management system to control the distribution of larger and smaller pieces on the schnitzel.

Now the schnitzels are ready to be par-fried, so they only stay in the GoldFryer for a limited amount of time. This is done to fixate the coating around the products, and to maintain the appearance. After this, the products are not safe to eat yet, so they enter the oven until they reach their desired core temperature, while their juiciness remains optimal. 

The dedicated Marel Food Processing Software functionality for convenience lines benefits the Chicken schnitzel line too. It includes several useful tools for convenience lines. A real differentiator is that product data, equipment data and process data are gathered for use in a process analysis tool. This helps the operator/manager make smart decisions and prevent products from going out of spec.

The Marel Software QC solution automates quality control procedures. This digitalization prevents operators from making mistakes and creates a paperless working environment. The Line Profiler tool is particularly useful for a convenience line. It configures the required line set-up per master recipe and with the single click of a button can send the programmed settings for this specific configuration to the machines.

• Real-time data analysis ensures production to specification
• Continuous OEE insight to improve the production process
• Recipe management ensures product consistency
• Reliable, digitized QC process

Marel offers a range of service solutions to prevent failures, maximize performance or in case of unexpected breakdowns remote or onsite assistance.

Marel has offices in 30 countries across all regions, and a global network of highly skilled professionals that provide remote as well as onsite service support. We provide quality spare parts and customized service agreements for our customers to ensure optimal performance of Marel equipment.