Jun. 11, 2025
(June 12, 2025)
● Excessively long construction period affecting business development
● Huge capital investment is increasing operational pressure
● High operational costs reduce profitability
● Difficulty in controlling the investment return period
● All these may cause irreparable economic losses.
1.1、Define Product Categories & Market Demand
(1) Determination of Core Product Directions
● Clarify core product positioning
It is necessary to combine the enterprise's resources and advantages. For example, enterprises proficient in meat processing can take chilled meat and prefabricated meat products as core products; those with experience in vegetable processing can focus on clean vegetables, vegetable salads and other products.
● Consider the target customer group of products
To supply chain catering enterprises, standardized semi-finished products may be required; for the consumer market, more ready-to-eat meals and packaged foods may be needed.
(2) Main Distribution Channels for Pre-cut Vegetables and Meat :
Fast Food Chains
Hotpot Chains
Group Catering: Schools, hospital canteens (>60% supplied by central kitchens)
● Fresh Retail Outlets
Supermarket Pre-made Meal Sections
Community Fresh Stores
New Retail Lockers
● Food Processing Enterprises
Frozen Food Factories
Ready-to-Eat Meal Suppliers
Condiment Manufacturers
● Special Supply Channels
Airline Catering
High-speed Rail Catering
Military Field Rations
● E-commerce Channels
Community Group Buying
Livestreaming Sales
B2B Platforms
● Export Processing
Japanese Bento Ingredients
Korean Kimchi Ingredients
Middle East Halal Meat Products
(3) Product Portfolio Planning
● Form a reasonable product structure
Including flagship products, auxiliary products and featured products. For example, take Chinese-style set meals as flagship products, match with snacks, soups and other auxiliary products, and then launch seasonal featured products.
● Consider the production difficulty and the cost of the products
Avoid overly complex product categories, which may lead to low production efficiency.
(4) Product Standardization Design
● Establish standards for product specifications, quality, taste, etc.
Ensure product consistency and stability, such as the weight and cooking degree of staple food products, and the seasoning proportion of dishes.
● Define the packaging form and specifications of products
Determine according to market demand and sales channels, such as takeaway packaging, retail packaging, etc
(1) Food Processing Flow
● Raw Material Receiving and Inspection
Upon arrival at the central kitchen, raw materials undergo strict receiving and inspection to ensure their quality and quantity meet requirements. Inspection items include the appearance, color, odor, and shelf life of raw materials.
Qualified raw materials after inspection are stored categorically, labeled, and managed according to their types, specifications, shelf life, etc.
● Raw Material Pretreatment
According to product requirements, raw materials are subjected to pretreatment operations such as washing, peeling, cutting, and sorting—for example, washing vegetables, cutting meat, and peeling and pitting fruits.
During pretreatment, attention should be paid to preventing contamination and loss of raw materials to ensure that the pretreated raw materials meet production requirements.
● Processing and Production
Process the pretreated raw materials according to the product's production technology, including operations such as cooking, baking, frying, and steaming.
During processing, strictly control process parameters such as processing temperature, time, and pressure to ensure product quality and taste.
● Finished Product Packaging and Labeling
Package the finished products, with the packaging form and specifications determined according to product needs and market sales channels. Pay attention to the tightness and hygiene of packaging during the process.
Label the packaged finished products, including information such as product name, specifications, production date, shelf life, and manufacturer.
● Finished Product Storage and Distribution
Store the packaged finished products in suitable environments such as cold storage or freezers to ensure their quality and shelf life.
Distribute the finished products according to customer needs and order status. During distribution, maintain product temperature and hygiene to ensure product quality and safety.
(2) Facility Layout Principles
● Reasonable Process Flow
Arrange facilities in a continuous assembly line according to the food processing flow, from raw material receiving to storage and distribution. Avoid detours and cross-transportation of materials to improve efficiency. Maintain moderate distances between processes for smooth material transfer and easy operation.
● Hygiene & Safety:
Layout must comply with food hygiene standards. Separate raw material, processing, and finished product areas. Plan personnel flow, material flow, and air flow to prevent contamination. Use easy-to-clean and corrosion-resistant materials for floors, walls, and ceilings. Regularly clean and disinfect equipment and tools.
● Efficiency Priority
Optimize equipment and workstation arrangement to minimize movement distances for personnel and materials, enhancing equipment utilization and productivity. Reserve sufficient operation spaces and passages for easy maintenance and operation.
● Flexibility & Adaptability
Layout should be flexible and scalable, allowing convenient equipment addition and layout adjustment as product types or production scale change. Reserve space and interfaces for future technological upgrades and equipment updates.
(3) Facility Layout Schemes
● Zoning Layout
Divide the central kitchen into raw material, pretreatment, processing, packaging, storage, and office areas, each with independent functions. Locate raw material areas near entrances for easy receiving/storage, processing areas adjacent to pretreatment/packaging areas for smooth material transfer, and storage areas near finished product exits for efficient distribution.
● Assembly Line Layout
Arrange equipment and workstations in sequence according to the processing flow. Materials enter from the raw material inlet, go through each process, and exit as finished products. This layout enables continuous automated production to improve efficiency and quality.
● Modular Layout
Group equipment and workstations with similar functions into modules, each responsible for specific tasks. Suitable for multi-variety, small-batch production, it enhances equipment utilization and production flexibility.
● Hybrid Layout
Combine the advantages of zoning, assembly line, and modular layouts based on the central kitchen’s actual needs. This approach maximizes the benefits of different layouts to enhance overall efficiency.
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