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Environment & Sustainability

Sometimes being environmentally conscious just makes good business sense ... and Bettcher Industries practices just that.  Bettcher is a good neighbor and practices sensible environmentalism.  For example:

  • No painting, etching or metal coating is done at Bettcher Industries
  • Active programs to reduce waste and product scraps
  • Energy Star and high efficiency lighting, computers and motors are utilized throughout the complex
  • Metal shavings, scrap and oils are collected and recycled appropriately
  • Low-flush toilets and motion-activated faucets are installed companywide
  • All literature is printed on-demand, so there is virtually no obsolescence or waste
  • Each Bettcher facility uses video conference rooms to minimize travel
  • Products are redesigned to require less packaging
  • Building construction promotes natural light and energy efficiency

 

Sensible Sustainability

As an example of Bettcher's commitment to the environment, our  foodservice products make possible sustainability for breaded items in foodservice operations.  To serve breaded fried foods, many restaurants rely on heavily packaged, frozen breaded items from food distributors.  To prepare these items, processors batter, bread and then par-fry to set the breading.  Before freezing, most items are blast-chilled, then bagged, boxed and put into a case. The product is trucked from the processor, to the distributor, and finally to the local restaurant.

The Optimax Sustainability Model

breading_onion_ringsThe Bettcher Optimax® automatic breading machine provides a sustainable solution in that a local restaurant can order fresh, never frozen, locally grown and processed meat, fish or produce. 

This space-saving batter breading machine makes it easy to support Local Sourcing of foods programs like the USDA's  Know Your Farmer and Know Your Food initiative.

With Optimax® breading equipment, these locally sourced meats and produce are fresh-breaded onsite.  Additionally, this efficient process is much less costly, drastically reducing food costs at a time when food inflation is out of control.  Plus, special recipes can be developed to tempt your customers with fresh, unique breaded food. The Optimax® breading machine also extends fryer oil life by almost 10%.

If the financial numbers aren’t enough to convince you, the flavor profile will.  Customers feel better about freshly cooked products, but it is the taste that will keep them coming back!

Local Sourcing of Food Benefits:

  • The freshest possible product.  Never frozen—you never know how old that frozen onion ring might be!
  • Freezing may be completely eliminated
  • Reduced trucking, eliminating shipping from processors to distributors to your restaurant
  • Less packaging
  • The origin of your food is known, making it easy to source a local, organic, free-range chicken for an improved flavor profile, for example
  • Labor efficient (vs. hand breading)
  • The Bettcher automatic batter-breading machine uses up to 40% less breading than when done by hand