Beef bunging and ring loader technologies
| Project start date: | 28 September 1998 |
| Project end date: | 04 September 2006 |
| Publication date: | 04 September 2006 |
| Project status: | Completed |
Summary
Background & early research
A series of projects prior to 2000 were funded by MLA and Food Science Australia so as to develop improved beef bunging technologies. The main method used currently is a manual procedure using a plastic bag with an elastic band except in countries where the bung is not sealed at all.
These projects developed the SafeSeal System 500. This is made up of the SafeSeal 501 (beef bunging machine) and SafeSeal 502 (ring loader). The operator uses the bunging machine to grip the anus of the carcase and seal the rectum in a plastic bag using a rubber ring after the operator has separated it from the carcase.
The SafeSeal 502 is the ring loader which expands the rubber sealing rings so that it can fit over the end of the SafeSeal 501.
Outcomes
Sales of the SafeSeal™ 501 and 502 commenced in January 1996, with 48 SafeSeal systems sold by 2007. At this time a new commercialiser was appointed (BANNS) but was not successful. In 2013, a replacement New Zealand commercialiser was appointed (Southern Engineering Solutions Ltd).
Intellectual property was protected under project A.NTP.001 but all patents have now lapsed.
