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Section Four -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, acider press, a rack oven, and a pie maker. <br />hart 1: ~quif <br />llemand Matrix <br />Equipment Demand Matrix: Valuation Total <br />45 <br />40 - <br />35 <br />25 <br />20 <br />10 ;:. <br />5 <br />0 - , <br />i ~, Ill il!' <br />.. ........ <br />°° e~ ~~~ y°~ .yep ,°° ~~o •`~o, ,~~ oo ey5 ~oA \o~ •`o~ ,~°~ ~~~ ~o~ `~~ <br />c~~\°~ ~°`\~~i-'`~°°° `°G~y •.~`ey ~`°~ m°~° ~`ee~, ~ e J``tim'o• ae`Qc m°~aA ~°~ °°°y5 r~a~m •`e~m ~~r °'aa <br />ca °J ~,~~~' °°aQ ~,~~~ ~~~° ~ \~,~5r ytiea ~,~5'~~ °~ Q ~m~,Q~ a° Q •~°e ~,~a`°~e <br />~` uo ~d a~c1 ~ ~~°, <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 />