Labour Challenges in Poultry Processing

Following the installation of our processing solution, our commitment to customers doesn’t end - in many ways, it begins a new chapter. We sat down with our Global Service and Installation Manager, Harry Otter, to discuss the core purpose of our service teams and how building strong, lasting relationships is essential to ensuring customers achieve consistently high performance and get the most value from their investment.

Today's poultry plants rarely produce a single product. Whole birds, wings, leg products, breast meat, and deboning all compete for capacity on the same processing line. An effective cut-up system must therefore offer the flexibility to process each bird into a variety og different cuts that each optimize the value of every product and meet a variety of customer specifications. Every cut made on the cut-up line has a direct impact on yield, product quality, and ultimately the value of the finished product.

At the 46th International Hanseatic Day in Stargard, the first-ever Hansa Export Award was presented. BAADER was among the five finalists – nominated by the Hanseatic Cities of Lübeck and Doesburg.

Dr. Fabian Isernhagen has been BAADER's Director of Vision & Machine Learning since 2023, responsible for developing AI-powered sensor systems that improve production quality throughout the entire processing chain.

Have you met Nicolas Groth yet? He has been our CEO at BAADER Poultry since January 2026. We took the opportunity at VIV Europe to interview him.

Through close collaboration, technological innovation, and an uncompromising approach to fish welfare, BAADER has developed solutions that set a new standard for quality, efficiency, and sustainability in the aquaculture industry.

The company’s long-term vision of Kalavapriikki is pretty clear: building a business centered entirely on domestic Finnish fish.

Between a packed schedule of meetings, we still had the chance to catch up with our CTO BAADER Group and Head of the BAADER Digitalization Division, Matthias Hoffmann, directly at Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global 2026 - to hear some of his impressions and insights.

Have you met our management team at BAADER Fish yet? We took the opportunity to briefly interview Dennis Schreiber (CSO & Managing Director Fish) and Nils Kuehnel (CTO & Managing Director Fish) for you at Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global in Barcelona.

Six years ago, KPS Group and BAADER launched a long-term partnership at KPS’s Radom facility in east-central Poland. What began as a single project- a full poultry processing line - has grown into a trust-based collaboration, creating measurable value across every stage of production.

North Coast is a third generation, family-owned American company. Building the business through deep relationships, solid trust, absolute dependability and unwavering integrity brought them to BAADER. In 2000 the North Coast Seafoods moved to the Boston Seaport District – where it is still situated. Today the company is also anchored in Boston, New Bedford and Cape Cod.

Reliable equipment is not only about performance, it is about how quickly that investment begins to generate value. Since establishing its operations in Homestead / Florida / USA in 2013, Atlantic Sapphire has an ambitious vision: to deliver safe, sustainable Atlantic salmon to the American market through innovation and responsible aquaculture. The company introduced its first product to U.S. consumers in 2019, marking a major milestone in its mission to transform salmon farming.

Starting as a small family farm in Ohio back in 1994, King’s Poultry has grown into one of the region’s most respected poultry processors. Founded by William King, who began raising chickens with a simple goal: delivering the highest quality products to families. When outside processors couldn’t meet his quality standards, King took matters into his own hands by starting a slaughtering line with the help of his five sons, thus beginning the company it is today.

True Performance means fewer drops, not higher peaks. With real-time data and AI vision, BAADER helps poultry processors detect deviations early, protect yield, and maintain efficiency every day.

“The big theme is stable output quality. Processors will win by combining flexibility, yield, value recovery, and operational robustness”, says Kjell Arthur Lind Olsen with his Norwegian perspective about the most important technology trends shaping seafood processing in 2026, in an interview ahead of the NASF.

“... we are constantly motivated to develop new solutions and never stand still”, says Finn Wiethölter who is Speaker at the NASF 2026. He presents BAADER’s Whitefish Portfolio and it’s role in shaping the future of whitfish processing. Before Finn travelled to the NASF, we had the opportunity to ask him a few questions.

“The NASF brings together a lot of different players from various levels in the respective organizations. Hardly anywhere else can you find so much experience and interest in one room”, says Nils Rabe, our Global Sales Director before travelling to Bergen, where he is scheduled to speak twice this year.

Hendrik Hansen, Head of Control Systems R&D at BAADER, was invited as a guest speaker on the latest episode of the German Siemens podcast ‘Einblick. Zweiblick. Weitblick.’.

Gain first-hand insights from our expert in this interview on transforming poultry processing. Discover how industry insights and smart technology are helping processors truly value every gram.

When IPPE ends, what remains isn’t the noise of the show floor — it’s the pattern in the conversations. For 2026, one message was remarkably consistent at the Baader booth: performance is inseparable from service.

ArcticFish marks a new milestone at its Drimla factory in Iceland’s Westfjords by upgrading to BAADER 101 and 144 technology for state-of-the-art salmon processing and regional harvesting.

In this video from IPPE 2026, Nicolas Groth, CEO of the BAADER Poultry Division, shares his impressions from his first weeks at BAADER — and his first IPPE visit representing BAADER.

When the Coho season hits its peak, there’s no room for bottlenecks. That’s where BAADER’s complete processing line really showed what it can do.

Nicolas Groth joined BAADER as CEO of the Poultry Division. In this short interview, he shares what attracted him to BAADER, how he views the market outlook, and where he draws his energy from.

In the fast-moving world of food processing, achieving optimal yield and productivity while maintaining the highest food safety standards is a constant challenge.

Join Nils Rabe , Global Sales Director BAADER Fish, at the digital event “International Salmon Week” speaking about emerging trends in seafood processing.

These days, businesses have to deal with the tricky task of creating systems that are not only powerful but also scalable and cost effective. The key is finding solutions that allow you to be successful and invest in a way that works for you, without going over budget.

In Norway’s seafood industry, First Seafood has long been known for delivering both whitefish and premium salmon products to the Norwegian and export markets.

Still using water chill systems in your poultry plant? You are not alone - it is a long-standing industry standard. However, as market demands evolve, many processors are exploring new options to meet modern challenges: Higher water cost, tighter regulations, labour shortages, sustainability goals, and rising customer expectations.

A major step forward for automated fish processing: our latest installation in Chile marks a significant game changer for Coho production. During the peak of Coho season, our team — together with our customer — achieved an incredible increase in throughput and size range by means of latest gutting technology on a BAADER 144.

In August 2025 Nils Rabe, Global Sales Director BAADER, gave an interview to IntraFish Media. He shared our perspective on the big questions shaping the industry – Animal Welfare, Food Safety, Hygiene, and AI, just to name a few – and even gave a sneak peek into where BAADER sees itself in 5 years. 

Since 1975, BAADER UK has been a trusted partner for food processors across Britain and Ireland. Combining innovation, service excellence, and a deep understanding of customer needs, our journey spans five decades—rooted in local expertise and connected to the strength of the global BAADER Group.

In today’s world, technology touches nearly every aspect of our lives - from smartphones to smart homes—and we have welcomed it for the convenience and efficiency it brings.

As the food industry continues its digital transformation, terms like IIoT gateway, edge device, and edge computing are becoming increasingly common. This blog post will explain what the BAADER Edge is—and why it is important for your operations.

As eating habits continue to evolve, they bring new challenges - and exciting opportunities - for poultry processors around the world. The key to success lies in adaptability: the ability to respond to emerging consumer trends, develop new products, and meet the stringent specifications of quick service restaurant (QSR) chains.

Over the decades, Salmones Antártica has grown into one of the largest sea trout producers in the world. But behind that success lies a story of long-term vision, innovation, and a trusted partnership — with BAADER.

A forward-looking step for food processing innovation, sustainability, and regional collaboration.

Sürsan has come a long way since it was founded in 1981. These days, Sürsan’s mission is to produce premium fresh or frozen sea bass and sea bream fillets.

To meet the demands of a competitive and evolving market, Íslandssaga recently made significant upgrades to its processing line, including the installation of the BAADER 189 Pro filleting machine and the IS-028s heading machine.

BAADER Iceland delivers efficiency, precision, and reliability to seafood processors worldwide. Discover how our advanced machinery is shaping the future of the industry.

Baldvin Johnsen is Managing Director of BAADER Iceland since the end of last year. In this interview, he talks about times of upheaval, how Iceland is increasingly turning to salmon processing, and how he spent his summer holidays catching fish in the northeast of the island as a teenager.

From humble beginnings to a leader in fish processing technology, BAADER Iceland has played a crucial role in shaping Iceland's seafood industry. Discover how this pioneering company overcame challenges, embraced innovation, and became a cornerstone of modern fish processing.

As Ramadan approaches, poultry consumption is soaring across Muslim-majority countries, driven by cultural traditions, economic factors, and nutritional benefits. Learn how BAADER’s solutions can help sustain growth during such times and how markets respond to seasonal highs.

Read our Poultry newsletter and stay informed about the newest trends, innovations, and advancements in poultry processing from BAADER. Get exclusive insights about new machines and digital solutions, industry updates, and expert knowledge.

At IPPE 2025 in Atlanta, we celebrated a double success with Emydex: Their second joint appearance at IPPE as well as their expansion into new markets, serving their first shared customer, Murray’s Chicken. Join Co-CEO David McMahon as he reflects on this successful partnership and shares a glimpse of exciting future projects.

KemperKip, a family business based in The Netherlands, has been passionately dedicated to delivering the highest quality organic chicken products to the discerning Dutch market since the early 1990s. The Kemper family’s commitment to recreating the traditional, rich taste of chicken and developing a sustainable business model has been the cornerstone of their success. This highly specialized small-scale processor relentlessly maximize the use of each bird, producing high-demand products such as whole birds, breast fillets and deboned dark meat, while transforming less demanded parts into high-quality, convenient, and delicious products for consumers.

There’s no doubt about it: Virtuality has its advantages. You can practise handling large machines that are hard or expensive to procure. You can also perform virtual commissioning before traveling to remote customer locations. The industrial metaverse is a great field of experimentation – and one that has already been tested and embraced at BAADER.

Since its establishment in 1988 in the Guayas province, Ecuador, Avícola San Isidro S.A. (AVISID) has evolved from a small-scale farming operation into a significant player in local and export poultry production. Recognizing the limitations of their existing processing plant in Guayas, AVISID set out to transform their business into an efficient, globally competitive processing facility. This strategic move aimed to harness new commercial opportunities and meet the increasing demand for convenience products in Ecuador and its neighbouring countries.

How do you ensure hygiene during fish processing? Siemens took this challenge to Torsten Rusko, Head of Mechanical Design at BAADER. In “unpacked”, the Siemens Packaging Podcast, he gave a super compact introduction into hygienic machine design basics.

Icelandic salmon farmer LAXEY signed an agreement with BAADER Ísland for processing equipment for a land-based aquaculture facility in Vestmannaeyjar.

The inauguration of the most advanced poultry processing plant at the Pacific marks a significant milestone in Ecuador’s agricultural sector.

Proud to share that Siemens recognizes our leadership in innovation and standardization. Together, we've developed a faster, more efficient way to create and maintain complex machines over the whole lifecycle.

Founded by Murray Bresky in 1992, Murray’s Chicken is dedicated to the local community and deliv- ering top-quality meat. Today, Murray’s chickens are raised in the rolling hills of Southeastern Penn- sylvania and processed just over the New York state line in the Catskill Mountain region of Sullivan County. By partnering with a select number of family farms, Murray’s strengthens local economies and supports small farmers, allowing them to focus on producing broilers of exceptional quality and taste. Quality in all aspects is the driving force of the company.

Cermaq, a leading seafood processing company founded in 1985, is making significant strides in enhancing its production capabilities in Puerto Montt and Chiloé Island, Chile. The recent installation of state-of-the-art machinery from BAADER marks a key step in this process.

Proper live bird handling is crucial in any processing plant as it directly impacts animal welfare, product quality, and operational efficiency. In the poultry industry, maintaining the quality of birds from breeding through processing is paramount.

The yellow pigmentation in chicken products, derived from their diet, has long been recognized as a global marker of quality. For broilers, the characteristic yellow skin is often linked to a traditional free-range lifestyle and a diet rich in corn. This natural colouration, influenced by the chicken's nutrition enhances consumers' perception of the product's value.

On January 26th, 2024, BAADER opened an office in Querétaro, Mexico, demonstrating our dedication to providing complete poultry processing solutions to customers in Mexico and beyond. Having a local presence improves communication and fosters stronger relationships with our Latin American customers.

There is strong demand for farmed Atlantic salmon in China. Farming it on land close to cities such as Beijing and Shanghai enables fresher products and reduced carbon footprint and logistic costs. BAADER is making a significant contribution to this project.

BAADER is a specialist in advising on the processing process. With our long-standing commitment to the poultry industry, we are a qualified partner, offering comprehensive processing solutions that cater to the specific needs of your operation.

We're excited to share an inspiring story from one of our amazing customers in Denmark - Skagerak Salmon A/S. BAADER provides Skagerak Salmon A/S with a comprehensive solution for efficient salmon processing with a data-driven approach.

After several months of using the new machine, it is clear to us that all the main expectations have been met or even exceeded," says Óðinn Gestsson

In an insightful interview, Katrin Lange, our dedicated Scrum Master at BAADER bTrace Tomorrow, sheds light on the pivotal role Scrum Masters play in fostering agile practices within our digital teams.

Another example of solutions on demand and good customer collaboration is a project initiated by our customer Hofseth and the company Ode to slaughter farmed cod on a BAADER 142 salmon gutting machine. BAADER took up the challenge and developed a solution with valuable input from the customer. As a result of this collaboration Hofseth Processing AS has ordered three rebuilding kits for their existing BAADER 142 gutting machines.

In 2023, poultry processors worldwide faced numerous challenges, with escalating feed prices being a notable concern. Looking ahead to 2024, the global demand for poultry products is anticipated to rise, driven by various consumer trends that are shaping the growth trajectory of poultry processors.

BAADER has a long history of providing vision systems for quality grading in distribution applications. Our globally recognized ClassifEYE® system has been in operation for many years. The latest innovation, AI-based ClassifEYE® 2.0, represents a substantial step forward, taking vision technology to the next level and enabling real-time processing optimization throughout the entire processing phase. Within these pages, you have the opportunity to get insights into the BAADER development team by reading an interview with Dr Fabian Isernhagen, Director of Vision and Machine Learning.

Business Growth Based on New Technologies Ubojnia Drobiu Leszek i Jerzy Smolarek Sp. J. (Smolarek) is a prominent poultry processing company with a rich history spanning three generations of poultry farmers. Smolarek has navigated challenges in maintaining production efficiency and quality within the dynamic poultry industry. The company's commitment to embracing technological advancements and automation stands out as a proactive strategy, reflecting its forward-thinking approach to staying prepared for the future amidst the evolving landscape of the poultry industry.

In the dynamic landscape of our industry, the importance of fostering strong relationships with customers cannot be overstated. Relationships are built on a foundation of trust, mutual understanding, and long-term collaboration. Establishing and maintaining a positive rapport with customers is not just a nicety; it's a strategic imperative that can significantly impact the success and sustainability of our business.

The COVID-19 pandemic left a profound and lasting impact on labour shortages within the poultry processing industry. Even as the pandemic subsides, the repercussions persist. During the height of the pandemic, many workers exited the industry and have not returned. Today, processing plants find themselves in fierce competition with other sectors to secure the manual labour they rely on. This labour scarcity presents a barrier to the growth of businesses within the poultry processing sector.

Traditionally, breast filleting has been carried out manually on labour-intensive cone lines, a practice that persists to this day. However, there is a growing trend toward automating this process, and it’s not without reason. Firstly, manual filleting relies heavily on skilled workers who must ensure both high yield and quality. Unfortunately, even with skilled workers, human factors can introduce inconsistencies throughout the working day. Fatigue and lapses in concentration are unavoidable. Moreover, as production line speeds increase, manual cone lines occupy considerable space. As a result, the global poultry industry has witnessed a significant surge in the adoption of automatic deboning lines, encompassing both semi-automatic and fully automatic systems. However, when going from manual to automatic deboning, several factors must be considered.

In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in the size and weight of broilers to improve overall processing efficiency. This translates into the ability to produce more chicken meat per hour, particularly when dealing with larger animals. However, these advancements come with their own set of processing challenges directly related to the accelerated growth rate.

The drive behind this statement from Eskil Laukvik, COO SinkabergHansen, was the starting point for a significant increase in factory capacity.

In a recent Factory Acceptance test (FAT test), equipment developed by BAADER and SKAGINN 3X for salmon processing at MOWI in Norway has proven to meet the highest standards set by the renowned seafood company MOWI. It was employees of BAADER, SKAGINN 3X and MOWI who tested the equipment in Akranes.

In a world where digitalisation is the key catalyst for industry evolution, we at BAADER have taken a strategic leap towards digital transformation in the food processing sector. The company has secured a majority stake in EMYDEX Technology, a move that not only amplifies the digital expertise of BAADER but also fuels EMYDEX's expansion and market penetration.

As the global population continues to grow, the demand for protein sources, such as poultry meat, becomes increasingly vital. Poultry is a significant protein choice that is widely accepted worldwide, transcending cultural and religious boundaries. However, ensuring food safety is of paramount importance. It is essential to guarantee that poultry products are safe to consume and free from harmful pathogens and contaminants. Poultry processors bear a crucial responsibility in upholding food safety standards throughout the entire production chain, from the farm to the consumer's plate.

This product video demonstrates how the BAADERING technology of the BAADER 608 supports the value-add of fish products. BAADER offers six different machines for various capacities.

In a world where carbon footprint is a constant challenge and alarming difficulties in access to electrical energy are affecting our customers, we in BAADER are proud to contribute to solutions to the challenges. In an Icelandic part of the BAADER organisation called SKAGINN 3X we are building Plate Freezers that are by far more energy efficient than the traditional Blast Freezers.

A well-maintained machine is synonymous with best product quality

In the poultry processing industry, quality rubber fingers play a crucial role in the picking process. As the carcasses move along the line, the rotating movement of the rubber fingers effectively removes the feathers. However, it is essential to recognize the significance of maintaining and using high-quality rubber fingers to ensure optimal performance and hygiene standards.

Before 2020, Murray’s Chicken was manually processing livers. However, labour shortages caused by the pandemic prevented them from processing more quantities and other types of by-products like hearts and gizzards. Furthermore, a need for updating the existing evisceration line became more and more evident as the need for increased maintenance grew.

Processing machines must be highly adaptable to cut each fish according to its quality. That was the goal of the engineers when developing the BAADER 581 Pro – which is today one of the best salmon filleting machines in the market.

First five commissioned BAADER 144 running smoothly

Denholm Seafoods to install new turnkey onshore processing system with the integrated BAADER SKAGINN 3X solution

How the R&D departments in Germany and the USA designed an innovative deboning machine that keeps the line speed of 70 front halves per minute while severely decreasing the number of operators.

With 30 per cent less energy consumption than conventional blast freezers and more yield guarantee, the vertical Plate Freezer is energy-efficient and maintains high product quality

Wing segmenting and freezing

After a machine delivery did not turn out the way it was supposed to, Norwegian vessel operator NAPIER and BAADER put together their complementary experience to develop a state-of-the-art onboard salmon solution

They started their business by selling live birds at local markets – now they needed to increase their production to 8000 birds per hour. This is how the couple Yin Ping’an and Zhang Thengfen became a market leader for Qingyuan chicken.

How to deliver the prefect princess-cut at speed

In the evolving landscape of poultry processing, digital solutions offer many opportunities to enhance efficiency. With razor-thin margins driving innovation, optimizing every aspect of processing— from line utilization to resource management— becomes paramount.

Successful renaming party in Doesburg marks highlight of intense week of cooperation

Utilizing up to 100 per cent of poultry does have ecological and economic advantages – this is how you can make the most of your supposed leftovers

BAADER Global SE: exciting outlook on digitalization and innovation, collaborations and partnerships, product innovations in food processing technology, upcoming events and market expansion, brand awareness and focus on people.

How to increase resource efficiency with the best possible quality outcome

Digitalizing salmon processing requires an orchestrated combination of expertise. Automation, monitoring and data analysis offers customers the ability to make data-driven decisions

A call for collaboration within the farmed salmon industry to address future challenges

With minor updates and digital process control tools, Iqbal Poultry is now running 15,000 birds per hour while accommodating great product size variations on a single processing line

The success factors of the Tamam poultry brand in Jordan

The term BAADERING has been a synonym for gentle product refinement with maximum resource appreciation and value creation

Training customers and exchanging about specific needs and requirements

Ensuring automation, capturing digitalization and brining the human into the centre of food processing