If you searched for meat packaging equipment, the results are vacuum and tray packaging machines. We do not sell those, and we do the part after them.
Meat packaging equipment, in the search results, means the machines that pack the product: vacuum, tray, ground meat and wrapping lines. Marapack Services does not sell any of them. We sell and service the labeling and coding equipment for the cases and pallets that leave a meat, poultry or seafood plant.
We are the Pacific Northwest distributor for Altech labeling systems and supply plants anywhere in the US. Want the case line looked at? Book an equipment audit.
What does a meat, poultry or seafood plant need labeled and coded?
A protein plant needs a label or code on the case that carries the product, a date and lot that tie the case to a production run, and a pallet label for the load. These are case labeling, case coding and pallet labeling jobs, not packing jobs.
- Case labels: a variable label with lot, date and a barcode, printed as the case reaches the labeling point.
- Case codes: a date and lot printed directly on the case, where the surface takes ink.
- Pallet labels: an SSCC label applied to the finished load.
- Retail pack labels: where a preprinted label goes on the consumer pack, a labeling head applies it.
The lot and date matter most. They are what lets a case be traced back to a shift and a lot, which is the reason the code exists.
Why is case labeling harder in a meat or seafood plant?
Cases in a protein plant are cold, wet, waxed or frosted, and that is hard on both ink and adhesive. Our coding guidance is that a surface which is wet, waxed or refrigerated often will not take a good direct mark, and a label chosen for the cold is the safer route.
- Cold and condensation. A chilled case entering a warmer room grows condensation in seconds, and no ink dries on water. Label adhesive is specified for cold application instead.
- Waxed and coated board. A non porous surface needs solvent based ink if it is coded directly, and it should be tested on your actual case.
- Frost and moisture on frozen product. The label stock and application point decide whether it holds, as much as the machine does.
- Variable weight. Where the case label carries a weight from a scale, the labeler prints what the system sends. We do not sell scales or checkweighers.
We confirm any washdown or protection rating for a specific model before it is quoted, rather than assuming one.
Which meat labeling machine fits which job?
A meat labeling machine for the case is normally a print and apply head, because the label content changes with every case. A preprinted retail label goes on with a standard labeling head. A direct code uses thermal inkjet where the surface allows it. A pallet label goes on with a pallet labeler.
- Variable case labels: the Altech ALcode industrial print and apply head, published at up to 100 labels a minute for 24 hour line critical duty, or the economical ALcode LT at up to 40 a minute. See print and apply labeling systems.
- Preprinted retail labels: an ALstep or ALritma head on an ALbelt conveyor, covered on our label applicators page. For two labels on one pack, see front and back labeling machines.
- Direct case codes: a Marapack Titan thermal inkjet printer with MPT-* ink, described on our coding and marking page.
- Pallets: our pallet labeling systems range, including the ALcode P and the ALrobot.
- Service for what you already run: labeling machine repair and service.
Large format tamp applicators at 500, 750 and 1000 mm are available.
What traceability and retailer expectations apply?
Walmart states that all food suppliers must put an SSCC-18 on the pallet, linked to an advance ship notice, and use case labels with barcodes such as GS1-128 that carry lot and date data. FDA's Food Traceability List also names finfish, crustaceans and bivalve mollusks.
Walmart's requirements are on its food traceability page. FDA's Food Traceability List includes finfish, all crustaceans (shrimp, crab, lobster and crayfish among them) and all bivalve mollusks (oysters, clams and mussels among them), which matters to a seafood processor's record keeping.
Meat and poultry labeling, inspection marks and any required label statements are set by USDA and your customers. We do not state those rules here. Our job is to print the code your rules require and apply the label where your customer asks. GS1 US notes that direct printing onto corrugate has been known to cause readability issues, and that white labels work best, in its case code labeling guidance. The label itself is explained in our GS1-128 and SSCC pallet label guide.
Which meat packaging equipment do we not sell?
We do not sell vacuum packaging, tray sealing, ground meat, wrapping, casing, grinding, slicing or any other processing or packaging machinery, and we do not sell continuous inkjet or laser marking. We sell labeling and coding equipment, have custom conveyors and stands fabricated to your specification, and service what we sell.
If your search was for a packaging line, the machinery makers who appear on the first page are the right place for that. We specify the labeling and coding station beside it, on your cases and at your speed. We do not sell label design software, and we do not do barcode grading work for hire.
Should you label the case or code it?
Code the case directly when the surface is clean, dry and takes ink, and the only variable data is a date and lot. Label it when the case is cold, wet or waxed, when it needs a scannable barcode graded to a customer's rule, or when the pallet needs a matching SSCC label.
Many protein plants run both: a coder on the retail pack, a print and apply head on the case and a pallet labeler at the end. That is a normal shape. A line walk, with a real cold case in your hands, settles which points need which.
Frequently asked questions
Do you sell meat packaging machines? No. We do not sell vacuum, tray sealing or any other packaging machinery. We sell labeling and coding equipment for the cases and pallets that leave the plant.
Can you label a frozen case? We choose the label stock and application point for the cold and the frost, and test on your actual case. Frozen and wet surfaces are the hardest labeling conditions, and the adhesive matters as much as the machine.
Can you print a date and lot code on a waxed case? Waxed surfaces are non porous, so a direct code needs solvent based ink and a test. Where it will not hold, a label is the safer route.
Do you sell a weigh price labeler? No. We do not sell scales or checkweighers. A print and apply head prints the content your system sends, including a weight from your scale.
What does FDA's traceability list say about seafood? It names finfish, crustaceans and bivalve mollusks. Read the list on FDA's site for the exact entries, because the current text governs.
What do USDA rules require on a meat case? We do not state them. Your plant's inspection program and your customers set them. We print and apply the content you give us.
Can you service the labeler we already run? Yes, for Altech, Label-Aire 3100 applicators and 5100 systems, PackLeader, CTM and Tach-It machines. We also stock parts for Altech, PackLeader, some Label-Aire and Tach-It.
How much does a meat labeling system cost? It depends on the number of label and code points, whether each prints variable data, the conveyor work and the data integration. We quote itemized after walking the line.
Bring us a cold case
Bring a cold case and a label to the line walk. We look at the surface, the speed and where the label has to land, then tell you whether a print and apply head, a code or something else is the right answer. Call 253-709-5566 or request a case line assessment.