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Section Pour -(Equipment <br />This section recommends food processing and handling equipment needed for identified <br />potential user profiles. to succeed in expanding or starting value added food businesses at <br />a shared use food processing facility. Estimates of equipment acquisition costs are <br />presented. <br />The potential user survey asked respondents to select from a list of common food <br />processing equipment those items they need to process their food products. Using a tiered <br />valuation system based on the quality of survey responses, demand for specific pieces of <br />equipment is presented below. In highest demand are arange/oven, acutter/mixer, food <br />processors, awalk-in cooler, and packaging equipment. In lowest demand are dairy <br />pasteurization, a cider press, a rack oven, and a pie maker. <br />Chart 1: Equipment Demand Matrix <br />Equipment Demand Matrix: Valuation Total <br />35 - <br />25 - <br />20 II i ~ II - I ~~ <br />15 <br />10 ~ _ _ <br />_ _ <br />T <br />,eo `~~~ o~e~ yon tio~ aeo ~e~ `oo, ,~° o'o ey5 ~~A `~A .\~~ ,~o~ mot `~° `~0 <br />~~° t~6` °° o°e~ ~~e° o~ oho `z~ti ~~ `tia'O e~Q~ °`~a~ ,o°'~`~ 4e55 ~a~a ~ a ~°r o;,~i, <br />a~°j o'ze ~.~`O Q~ '`O °'~~ to r ~~~ wo° o`a Q~ ~° a°r Q~ . e~ ~~ <br />c o ~a o°a ~a~`E! c~~ \~,~5 y'~ Q,~S e~~,Q .° o,~a'o <br />~ o° ~p~ ~~c1 d` ~~A <br />a <br />Survey responses show demand for the most commonly used equipment found in <br />regional shared use food processing centers throughout the country. The exception is a <br />measured demand for meat processing equipment, including a smoker and other value- <br />added meat processing systems. In all 16 farm-based producers out of the 62 valid <br />respondents expressed a desire for meat processing: <br />While meat processing must be considered for this project;~it is important to understand <br />that meat processing, either raw or cooked, for retail and wholesale distribution comes <br />under an entirely different set of regulations than either non-meat products or catered <br />meals. While most shared-use food processing centers come under the purview of county <br />health inspection and FDA regulations, very few have met state or federal regulations for <br />value added meat processing. In this case, the relevant regulatory authorities are the <br />USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service and the NCDA&CS's Meat & Poultry <br />Inspection Division. Regulatory oversight for meat is quite demanding and it is <br />questionable whether regulatory official in North Carolina would support meat <br />processing at shared-use facilities. <br />28 <br />