processor profile
standard meat
Fourth-generation meat company
focuses on innovation
Texas-based Standard Meat Co. begins construction on a new plant dedicated to sous vide.
Associate Editor
By Sammy Bredar
Fort Worth, Texas-based Standard Meat Co. offers a variety of services and products, including beef, pork and poultry products, to its customers. This multi-generational protein packaging and portioning company first got its start back in 1935, when Ben. H Rosenthal began selling meat door to door.
Ben’s son Manny quickly got involved in his father’s company, which is still family-owned and –operated. SMC is now in its fourth generation of family ownership, with Manny’s grandchildren Ashli Rosenthal Blumenfeld, co-president, and Ben Rosenthal, co-president and CEO, at the helm.
Standard Meat Co. currently has four plants, but is in the process of constructing its fifth.
“The Saginaw plant handles multiple proteins and a variety of meat processing functions, including portioning, marinating, and packaging, as well as our cast-iron searing process. The Dallas plant handles beef and our sous vide processes,” Ashli said. “The Ponder, TX plant remains focused on sausage and meatball products, and SMICE produces ice packs for meal kit delivery clients.”
SMC has begun construction on its fifth plant, which is located in Fort Worth. This new plant will focus on sous vide production. Sous vide-style cooking is rising in popularity, as it offers an evenly cooked, tender product, as well as higher nutritional value due to the vacuum-sealed packaging.
SMC's cast iron cooking process
“SMC is fulfilling existing as well as anticipated demand with this new plant, particularly with sous vide, but also allowing for other technological advances in the future,” Ben said.
The four current SMC facilities were inspired by Icelandic fishing industry technology. SMC noted that it has updated its facilities over the years, incorporating new and innovative technologies such as programmable water-jet trimming and portioning, advanced inventory technology and chef-inspired cooking technology. The company also noted that it is continuously seeking new innovations.
“One of the things we are most excited about with the construction of the new plant is the space it will offer to bring online not just the innovations we are aware of today, but to explore the technologies we can use to provide solutions for our customers' needs in the future,” Ashli said.
Standard Meat Co. serves a variety of sectors, including foodservice, retail, industrial and meal-kit industries. “We custom cut to client specs. We do marination, seasoning, and cooking, from cast-iron searing and oven finishing to sous vide. Basically, we'll do whatever it takes to move our clients' business forward, and that's what people come to us expecting.”
Currently, SMC is seeing growth in popularity for its marinated proteins, cast-iron-cooked chicken and sous vide products, especially as staffing challenges continue for back of house.
Hand-cutting and trimming beef in the Saginaw facility
Labor is an issue that has plagued the meat industry. SMC is addressing these labor challenges by continuing to prioritize its employees, offering a variety of benefits including health and wellness benefits, a 401(k) plan, paid time off, free meals, meat box benefits, education and career assistance and more.
“We also promote from within whenever possible,” Ben said. “That's a huge benefit and so important for employee retention.”
In addition to its employees, SMC prioritizes its sustainability initiatives, noting its commitment to environmental impact reduction.
A few of Standard Meat Co.’s sustainability initiatives include water recirculation to minimize water used in production, efficient production processes to ensure lower food waste, energy tracking to ensure decreased carbon dioxide output and more.
Opening image: SMC's executive chef in the test kitchen. All images credit: Tadd Meyers.
