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Sustainable Beef. Built by Cattlemen. Powered by Technology.

Emydex is proud to announce the successful go-live of its Production Management (MES) and Quality Management (QMS) software systems at Sustainable Beef, a newly launched state-of-the-art beef processing facility in North Platte, Nebraska, USA.

After months of collaboration on design, validation, and testing, the Emydex North American team arrived on site in May 2025 to oversee the final setup, configuration, and support for the system’s first operational phase. This milestone marks the deployment of our newly developed Emydex Beef Industry Standard software solution across the plant. It strengthens our partnership with one of the most forward-thinking beef processors in the United States.

About Sustainable Beef

Founded with a vision to bring transparency, efficiency, and shared value to every part of the beef supply chain, Sustainable Beef’s North Platte facility now employs over 850 local people and is designed to process up to 1,500 cattle per day at full capacity. The plant is projected to contribute more than $1.2 billion annually to Nebraska’s economy, underscoring its commitment to community-driven beef production and regional growth.

Initial Contact

The journey began in March 2023, when Sustainable Beef’s project consultants selected Emydex as their MES partner, citing our proven ability to integrate with modern, complex plants and deliver robust, scalable solutions. This was no ordinary implementation. The entire business, including construction, equipment, people, and processes, was being built from the ground up. Agility, deep industry knowledge, and adaptability were essential throughout the project cycle.

Requirements Analysis

Most requirements analysis was conducted remotely via online workshops, mapping the ‘expected future state’ of a plant still under construction. Challenges included undefined SOPs and uncertainty to hardware locations, as many staff were hired only close to go-live. Emydex visited the plant in November 2024 to review key processes and touchpoints, incorporating US-specific requirements such as Packers and Stockyards Act compliance and USDA grading processes into our solution.

 

Implementation & Testing

Leveraging our new Beef Industry Standard design and reusable components, Emydex minimised custom development and accelerated timelines. The Emydex Beef system delivered to Sustainable Beef required few development changes, with configuration and training managed by an Emydex team of project managers, business analysts, and software engineers on site. Rigorous testing, including dry runs of the kill floor chain using ‘orange cows’ (orange builders’ buckets) ensured system stability and readiness for live operations.

Kill Chain Testing

 

Operator Training

System Go-live

In June 2025, Emydex supported Sustainable Beef through a phased go-live approach, starting with core MES and QMS functionalities. Our on-site team worked side-by-side with plant personnel to:

  • Validate real-time data flows across grading, ERP, and labelling systems.
  • Provide hands-on training for operators and supervisors.
  • Troubleshoot and fine-tune integrations with MEQ grading, Vande Berg Scales, and Business Central ERP.

The first cattle were processed under the new system without disruption – a testament to the collaborative effort and meticulous planning by both teams.

Customer Perspective:

Go-live today was a success! There were tense moments, but overall, today went very well. The hundreds of hours dedicated to this aspect of the plant opening and operating paid off.  Our initial goal was achieved. ”

Kris Smith, Manager of Information Technology – Sustainable Beef, LLC

Post Go-live: Driving Continuous Improvement

Since go-live, Sustainable Beef has rapidly scaled production, recently surpassing 1,300 head in a single day. Emydex continues to provide:

  • Remote and on-site support to optimise workflows.
  • Performance monitoring to ensure system reliability.
  • Integration enhancements, including connections with FPEC for trim products and EDI updates for major customers like Walmart.

These efforts ensure Sustainable Beef remains at the forefront of traceability, efficiency, and compliance, setting a benchmark for the US beef industry.

Customer Perspective:

We’re moving from reactive mode to steady development. The system is central to our operations and is helping us ramp up production efficiently.”

Manager Sustainable Beef, LLC

A Foundation for the Future

With production ramping up and systems delivering real-time insights, Sustainable Beef stands as a blueprint for transparent, efficient, and community-focused beef processing. For Emydex, this project represents a significant milestone in the United States and a reference point for future growth in the region.

 

Want to learn more about how Emydex supports beef processors with traceability, efficiency, and compliance systems?
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From Manual Port Marks to Meat Messaging

Preventing Costs & Rejections For Australian Processors Exporting to the USA

A market defined by precision, transparency, and performance, meat processors across Australia are excelling in digital transformation. As export volumes reach record highs, processors are under increasing pressure to maintain full traceability, guarantee compliance, and operate with greater efficiency across every stage of production.

According to Meat & Livestock Australia, 2024 marked a record year for red-meat exports, with 394,716 tonnes of beef and 85,133 tonnes of lamb shipped to the United States alone, and 2025 has shown no sign of slowing down.

As global demand for high-quality meat continues to rise, Australian processors are increasingly turning to technology to streamline exports, especially to high-value markets like the United States. One of the most significant innovations driving this transformation is Meat Messaging, a cloud-based digital traceability system designed to ensure compliance, reduce errors, and improve overall export efficiency.

The Cost of Manual Port Marks

For exporters shipping to the United States, even the smallest error can be costly. A single incorrect or missing port mark can lead to carton rejections, lost revenue, and reputational damage. Manual port marking remains one of the most common sources of non-compliance, often caused by human error during labelling or documentation.

I recall helping the load-out team on multiple occasions, applying pre-printed port mark stickers to cartons as they were loaded into the container. Up to 1,200 cartons in a container, it’s inevitable that some will not be applied correctly or fall off during transit. I remember conversations about product being rejected and discarded simply due to port marks missing.”
Shane Hayes, General Manager – Australasia, Emydex Technology

These manual processes are time-consuming and prone to inconsistencies, creating significant challenges for exporters operating under strict USDA import standards.

Meat Messaging: A Smarter, Digital Solution

Meat Messaging eliminates the need for manual port marks by providing a secure, cloud-based system that digitises the traceability of export cartons. Each carton’s data is recorded electronically and pre-registered with the USDA, allowing import authorities to validate and identify every unit in a shipment before it arrives.

This digital approach significantly reduces the risk of rejections, accelerates customs clearance, and strengthens transparency between processors, regulators, and importers. In an industry where precision and reputation are everything, Meat Messaging provides a modern safeguard against costly mistakes.

Emydex’s Seamless Integration: A Competitive Advantage

Recognising the operational and compliance benefits of Meat Messaging, Emydex has developed a fully integrated solution that connects directly with the platform.

Through the Emydex Manufacturing Execution System (MES), processors can automatically generate GS1-compliant carton labels, capture shipment data, and transmit it directly to Meat Messaging, removing the need for manual port marking and paper-based tracking.

This seamless integration ensures:

  • Accurate, real-time traceability from factory floor to export

  • Reduced manual handling and error rates

  • Improved compliance and audit readiness

  • Faster and more efficient export processes

The result is Fewer errors, lower costs, and faster exports. Emydex clients have reported significant improvements in operational efficiency and compliance since adopting the integration.

Looking Ahead

As Emydex continues to expand its footprint across Australia, our focus remains on helping processors strengthen their operations through smarter, connected systems.

This November, Dave McMahon (CEO) and Shane Hayes (General Manager – Australasia) will meet with customers and industry leaders across the country to discuss how Emydex’s digital solutions can streamline processes, enhance compliance, and support sustainable growth for Australia’s meat industry.

If you would like to connect in person, book a meeting with our team during our November visit and discover how Emydex can help your business enhance operational efficiency, ensure full compliance, and gain end-to-end visibility across the entire export chain.

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Silver Fern Farms Pacific Site Goes Live with Emydex Beef Processing Software

The successful implementation of Emydex software at the Pacific (Hastings) site marks another important milestone in the five-year partnership between Emydex and Silver Fern Farms (SFF). This is the sixth primary butchery site for beef processing within the SFF network to go live with Emydex’s traceability and production control systems. 

A trusted partnership in New Zealand’s red meat industry 

Silver Fern Farms is one of New Zealand’s leading red meat companies, recognised for its focus on quality, sustainability and innovation. Since 2020, Emydex has worked alongside the SFF team to deliver tailored software solutions that optimise operations, enhance visibility and support data-driven decision making across the company’s beef processing plants. 

Custom deployment for a site with unique requirements 

The go-live at Pacific followed a structured deployment approach, beginning with the transition from the legacy CRS system to Emydex. Barrel testing was conducted in advance to simulate real animal processing and ensure system readiness. 

Due to the specific layout of the Pacific site, liveweight data needed to be captured before the stunning stage. To accommodate this, Emydex designed and implemented a custom indicator terminal that replicates the standard liveweight functionality while integrating seamlessly into the existing process. 

Efficient delivery and strong collaboration 

As with previous deployments, the Pacific rollout was executed smoothly, with only minor issues quickly resolved by the combined efforts of the on-site and remote support teams. This go-live also included the rollout of SFF BI V2, the latest version of Emydex’s business intelligence platform. The updated solution enhances access to production insights and enables faster, more informed decision-making across operations. 

Positive feedback from the SFF team 

Feedback from Silver Fern Farms has been extremely positive. Matt Ballard, Chief Transformation Officer, shared: 

Great Moment! Our legacy CRS system is now retired across all our six beef only plants! Keep going team!” 

This successful go-live reinforces the strength of the partnership and the shared commitment to continuous improvement across the SFF network. 

Looking ahead 

The successful go-live at Pacific confirms the effectiveness and adaptability of the Emydex platform across Silver Fern Farms’ operations. The implementation has proven to be both efficient and beneficial for on-site teams, reinforcing the strength of the ongoing collaboration. With all six beef processing sites now live or nearing completion, the focus will soon shift to supporting Silver Fern Farms as they prepare to roll out Emydex systems across new species, including venison and lamb, in the near future. 

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Rising Tide of Food Recalls: What’s driving the Surge in Ireland and the US?

Over the past few weeks, both Ireland and the United States have seen a sharp increase in food product recalls. From Listeria and Salmonella outbreaks to undeclared allergens and metal fragments, the incidents span a wide range of categories and risks. While no single company or product line is solely responsible, the pattern is clear: food safety is under pressure.

As a provider of traceability and quality management solutions to the global food industry, Emydex is closely monitoring these developments. Here’s a breakdown of the recent recalls, followed by insight into the factors driving this rise in recalls.

Ireland: A Wave of Microbial Contamination

Ready Meals and Listeria

Over 140 ready-made meals were recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Distributed across multiple well-known Irish retailers, the outbreak has resulted in nine confirmed cases and one fatality.

Leafy Greens Under Scrutiny

Separate from the ready meal incident, several batches of spinach, rocket, and mixed leaves were pulled from shelves due to Listeria detection. These recalls highlight vulnerabilities in fresh produce supply chains.

Salmonella in Turkey Burgers

A batch of turkey burgers was recalled for potential Salmonella contamination. Though the use-by date had passed, the product was suitable for freezing, prompting warnings to check home freezers.

United States: A Broader Spectrum of Risks

Undeclared Allergens in Butter

Over 64,000 lbs of butter were recalled due to undeclared milk, a major allergen. The recall was classified as Class II, indicating moderate health risk.

Metal Fragments in Frozen Beef

A major recall was initiated for frozen ground beef due to suspected metal fragments. Other recalls involved foreign material contamination, including glass and plastic.

Salmonella in Pantry Staples

Products including dried black fungus, pistachio cacao spread, and frozen sprouted legumes were recalled after Salmonella was detected during routine inspections.

Listeria in Mushrooms and Tuna Salads

Several mushroom products and tuna salads were affected due to Listeria contamination, traced back to breadcrumbs supplied to manufacturers.

Botulism Risk in Salted Fish

Improper evisceration of dry salted fish led to a recall over potential Clostridium botulinum contamination.

Why Are Recalls Increasing?

Enhanced Detection Technologies

The rise in food product recalls is not necessarily a sign of declining food safety standards. Instead, Emydex believes it reflects enhanced surveillance and testing protocols implemented by regulatory bodies:

  • FSAI (Ireland) has intensified microbiological testing, particularly for Listeria in ready-to-eat foods, enabling earlier detection and broader precautionary recalls [1].
  • FDA (USA) has introduced stringent traceability rules under the Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA), requiring rapid access to batch-level data and critical tracking events [2].

These improvements mean that contamination is being identified faster and more accurately, allowing for swift action to protect public health.

Risks of Not Having Robust Traceability

Without a comprehensive traceability system, food producers face significant risks:

  • Delayed response timesduring contamination events increase the likelihood of consumer harm.
  • Regulatory penaltiesfor non-compliance with traceability mandates.
  • Reputational damagethat can erode customer trust and brand value.
  • Operational chaos, including costly product withdrawals and production halts.

In today’s regulatory landscape, traceability is not optional – it’s a strategic imperative.

How Emydex Helps

At Emydex, we empower food processors and manufacturers with real-time traceability, quality assurance, and recall management tools. Our systems help clients:

  • Track ingredients and finished productsby batch, supplier, and production shift.
  • Generate instant traceability reportsto isolate affected products within seconds.
  • Automate quality checksand compliance alerts
  • Respond swiftlyto recall events with complete visibility
  • Comply with regulatory requirementsfrom bodies like the FSAI and FDA.
  • Integrate seamlesslywith existing ERP and production systems.

This level of visibility and control is essential for managing recalls efficiently and minimising disruption.

Let’s Talk

If you’re looking to strengthen your food safety protocols or streamline your recall response, Emydex is here to help.

Reach out to our team or visit https://www.emydex.com/contact/to learn more.


Written by: David McMahon, CEO, Emydex Technology

 

[1] Update (2) to recall of various branded prepared meals and side dishes …

[2] FSMA Final Rule on Requirements of Additional Traceability Records Traceability

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From Manual to Digital: The Impact of Emydex EQMS

In today’s fast-paced and highly regulated food industry, operational efficiency and compliance are non-negotiable. Yet, many processors still rely on fragmented systems and manual processes to manage quality, exposing their operations to unnecessary risk, inefficiencies, and audit fatigue.

At Emydex, we believe quality management should be a driver of performance, not a barrier. That’s why processors across the globe are turning to our Electronic Quality Management System (EQMS) to bring structure, traceability and speed to their quality operations.

The result? Tangible, measurable impact on the factory floor.

95% Faster Audit Preparation

Compliance reporting that once took days is now ready in minutes, giving us more control over quality and peace of mind.
— Dwayne Chin, Head of Technical, Forresters (UK)

Traditional audit preparation can consume valuable time and resources, often taking full days to gather and review documentation. With Emydex EQMS, companies like Forresters have reduced audit preparation time by up to 95%, ensuring teams are always audit-ready, without the scramble.

Real-Time Visibility, Real-Time Action

In manual systems, errors are often identified after they’ve impacted production.

With automated checks and instant notifications, non-conformances are flagged in real time, enabling immediate corrective actions and reducing operational risk.

The system’s speed and performance has allowed for more thorough and detailed checks on the line.
— Alan McCormack, Technical Team, Dawn Meats (Ireland)

One Integrated Platform Across All Sites

For multi-plant operations, maintaining standardised processes and visibility across regions is critical. Emydex EQMS offers a centralised, cloud-based system that provides real-time oversight, from group technical teams to plant-level QA staff.

Emydex eliminates unnecessary checks by integrating all essential ones into its system.
— Phil Wise, Plant Manager, Murray’s Chicken (US)

Whether you operate across sites, divisions or countries, Emydex EQMS ensures consistency and transparency at scale.

Designed for the Realities of Food Production

Unlike off-the-shelf solutions, Emydex EQMS is designed with the food industry in mind. Key features include:

  • Customisable QC workflows designed by technical users, not IT staff

  • Conditional logic and automated follow-up actions

  • Integrated traceability with existing production systems

  • Robust version control and document management

  • Secure, cloud-based or on-premise deployment

  • Real-time dashboards, dynamic reporting, and audit trails

Proven Results from Industry Leaders

Our system is already in place in more than 120 plants across Europe, Africa, The Americas and Australasia.

The impact includes:

  • Reduced manual workload and paperwork by up to 90%

  • Enhanced audit performance and regulatory compliance

  • Increased QA productivity and efficiency

  • Improved visibility for decision-makers at every level

Ready to Modernise Your Quality Operations?

If your business is still reliant on spreadsheets, paper forms or disconnected systems, the risks are growing, and so are the missed opportunities.

Let’s explore how Emydex EQMS can support your digital transformation and drive quality performance across your organisation. Contact us today to schedule a Demo.

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The 4 Hidden Risks of Poor Traceability and How to Eliminate Them

In the food processing industry, traceability is no longer just about compliance. For leaders, it is a strategic capability that directly impacts ROI, brand trust and operational resilience.

Yet many processors still rely on outdated or fragmented systems, exposing themselves to risks that are avoidable. If your business cannot trace a product by batch, shift, supplier or site instantly, you are likely facing more than just inefficiency.

1. Product Recalls

According to Consumer Brands Association, the average cost of a product recall is 10 million dollars. That does not include damage to brand reputation or customer relationships.

Without real-time traceability, identifying and isolating affected batches becomes slow and imprecise. The longer it takes to act, the greater the exposure.

2. Regulatory Non-Compliance

Many countries enforce strict regulations regarding food traceability. Failure to comply with these requirements can lead to legal penalties, failed audits, loss of operating licenses and serious reputational damage.

As outlined by the Food Safety Institute, traceability is a core pillar of modern food safety management, and weak systems are a risk few businesses can afford to take.

3. Increased Risk of Fraud

Lack of traceability opens the door to fraudulent activities, including mislabelling, product substitution or deliberate manipulation of records. These practices threaten not only food safety, but also consumer trust and business credibility.

Robust traceability systems help protect against intentional and unintentional breaches by increasing transparency and accountability throughout the supply chain.

4. Damaged Brand Trust

In today’s global food industry, transparency builds competitive advantage. Customers, partners and regulators expect clear, real-time data that supports both traceability and accountability.

One traceability gap can compromise years of brand investment and erode long-standing relationships.

Smart Investments in Traceability in Food Processing

Top-performing food processors treat traceability as part of their strategy. They invest in:

  • Real-time traceability
  • Traceability across sites
  • Batch-level traceability
  • Audit-ready traceability

This level of visibility allows them to mitigate risk, act faster, and strengthen performance across every plant.

How Emydex Helps

The Traceability Reporting module from Emydex is designed specifically for food processors operating in complex, multi-site environments.

It gives your team fast, accurate and reliable traceability, without manual searching or data gaps. With Emydex, you can:

  • Run full trace reports in seconds
  • Filter by product, supplier, time or location
  • Investigate incidents while production continues
  • Meet audit and compliance requirements with confidence

And because it is part of the wider Emydex platform, it integrates seamlessly with MES, ERP and quality systems for total control.

Time to Take Control

If your current traceability system is slowing your team down, exposing your business to risk, or making compliance more difficult than it should be, it may be time to rethink the strategy.

At Emydex, we help food processors simplify traceability across complex operations, providing the visibility, speed and confidence your teams need.

To learn more, contact Emydex at any of our global market offices in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or North America.

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