I-Corps: Translation Potential of an Automated Handling and Feeding Technology for Skewering Operations in Kebab Production

Award ID: 2431189

The broader impact of this I-Corps project is the development of an unattended production line to produce different kebabs with various meat, seafood, and vegetable combinations. In 2021, U.S. domestic per capita red meat and chicken consumption was 208 pounds, of which chicken (46%), beef (28%), and pork (24%) comprised the greatest fractions. The U.S. also has the largest seafood market globally, with $70 billion consumed in 2017. Shrimp had the greatest retail supermarket sales ($4,921 million) in 20202021. However, the U.S. meat and seafood industries face challenges in enhancing profitability due to international market competition and overproduction. Moreover, the outbreak of COVID-19 revealed a sharp decline in the labor force for the entire food industry. For U.S. meat and seafood processors to stay profitable and competitive, an increased level of automation is needed for value-added production. Currently, a kebab production line needs 5-10 operators for the manual preparation process. Realizing an automated process can save labor costs. Moreover, with appropriate adjustments, this automation system can be applied to all U.S. meat and seafood species. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. This solution is based on the development of an automated handling and feeding process to automate the skewering operations for meat cubes, vegetable slices, and shrimp that would be difficult to realize via commercially available production means. Currently, most skewering machines need manual placement and alignment of food items during processing. Fully automated skewering machines have high error rates and high manufacturing costs and cannot handle and process shrimp. The newly developed system is the first unattended kebab production line to process shrimp, and the first design using a horizontal skewering operation to produce meat and vegetable kebabs and shrimp and vegetable kebabs. The solution can be freely integrated with skewering machines, which have the potential to benefit the U.S. meat and seafood processors by minimizing labor dependence and costs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Ruth Shuman