Ökodorf Brodowin
Beef broth
At a Glance
Details:
Product:
Beef broth
Producer:
Origin:
Documentation scope:
Gate to gate
Date of documentation:
January 2021
Certification:
Demeter, EU-Bio
Production time: 2 days
Seasonality: all year (depending on availability of meat)
Regionality: Brandenburg, Germany
Shelf life: 2 years
Production Steps
View process→
Step 2: Filtering, bottling & autoclave
Step 3: Labelling
Step 4: Sales & transport
Step 1: Preparation & cooking
Procurement
As soon as the ingredients that originate from the agriculture of Ökodorf Brodowin for producing the beef broth (e.g. carrots, onions, leek) are depleted, Ökodorf Brodowin buys missing products from local suppliers or farmers with the following priority:
Regional (+Bio) -> Demeter → Bioland → EU-Bio
The production of Ökodorf Brodowin’s beef broth depends on the slaughter of grown cattle at Gut Kerkow. It is carefully decided whether cattle are slaughtered for further processing depending on age, health, productivity and size of the herd.
Preparation & cooking
Before the production can start all ingredients are collected from the storage area. The ingredients are filled into the autoclave together with water. Then the ingredients are heated to 80 degrees for approximately 14 hours.
Details
# Workers: 1
Timeframe: 1st day
Machines / tools: Autoclave, trolley, NAPF-boxes
Material input: Allspice, bay leafs, beef bone, beef meat, carrot, celeriac, electricity (autoclave, cooling storage), juniper, leek, onion, pepper, seasalt
Locations: Production & delivery facility (Eberswalde)
Timeline
Fact
The beef broth was created mainly out of "necessity", because Ökodorf Brodowin wanted to make a product that could also be used to utilize parts of the beef that would otherwise be disposed of (bones, etc.). Ökodorf Brodowin wants to take responsibility and not slaughter its cattle for the sake of convenience or demand. When the cattle are no longer in foal or their milk yield falls permanently below a certain value, the costs for feed and care rise above the yield from the milk. Only then it is acceptable to have the respective cattle slaughtered at the butcher (Gut Kerkow).
Cattle-raising
Ökodorf Brodowin takes care of about 600 cattle (Holstein schwarzbunt, of which about 200 are dairy cows + offspring), which are kept according to Demeter principles.
Preparation
All ingredients are collected from the storage. Ökodorf Brodowin preferably uses vegetables that are not good for selling in other sales channels due to its form or light damage for their broth production.
Cooking
The ingredients are put in the autoclave and the autoclave is filled with water. Then the vegetables are heated to 80 degrees for approximately 14 hours. Usually, broths are cooked overnight so that the production does not block the autoclave for a whole day.
Step 2: Filtering, bottling & autoclave
Filtering & bottling
Early in the morning, the broth is filtered by a cloth strainer and filled into stainless steel tanks. After the filtering process the broth is bottled with a semi automatic bottling machine. It is important that the freshly filtered broth is bottled in a short period of time after the filtering process. Otherwise the broth develops a bitter taste. Now the filled glass jars are stored until they are autoclaved.
Autoclave
Next, the filled jars are placed back into the autoclaves. There, the jars are heated to 108 degrees for one hour. During this process, the jars are sealed due to the resulting pressure in combination with the temperature and any germs present are killed. After autoclaving, the broth has a shelf life of two years.
Details
# Workers:1-2
Timeframe: 2nd day
Machines / tools: Autoclave, bottling machine, NAPF-boxes, stainless steel containers, trolley
Material input: Electricity (autoclave, bottling machine, cooling storage), fuel (transport), glass jar, gum ring, metal clips, cloth strainer (etamin)
Locations: Production facility (Eberswalde), distribution facility (Eberswalde)
Waste: Cooked vegetables, beef bones and meat
Timeline
Filtering
The broth is filtered with cloth strainers and filled into big stainless steel containers. The cooked vegetables, bones and meat are thrown away and the used machines are cleaned.
Bottling
The fat of the broth is filled in the glass jars by hand. Then the broth is bottled into glass jars (530 ml) within a short time period after the filtering process. Otherwise the broth will be inedible or at least the broth develops a strong bitter taste. The filled glass jars are stored until the autoclaving process starts.
Fact
Compared to vegetable broth beef broth can only be stored for one day before autoclaving. Otherwise it is not edible anymore.
Autoclave
For autoclaving, the glasses are stacked in the autoclave and then heated to 108 degrees. Through the resulting pressure the glasses are closed and disinfected.
Transport to distribution facility
Step 3: Labelling
General Information
In the distribution facility, the glasses are labelled by the labelling machine, packed for different sales channels and stored until the products are sold.
Details
# Workers: 1-2
Timeframe: 2nd day
Machines / tools: Labelling machine, plastic foil
Material input: Carton, electricity (labelling machine), labels
Locations: Distribution facility (Eberswalde)
Waste: Damaged labels, open jars
Timeline
Loading & labelling
The glass jars are loaded onto the labelling machine and the labelling process starts. The labelled beef broth jars are packed into cartons (6 glasses each) and stacked onto europallets.
Step 4: Sales & transport
General Information
Ökodorf Brodowin sells its products through several distribution channels, such as direct sales in the farm store or direct delivery to customers through the Brodowin delivery service. In addition, Ökodorf Brodowin supplies wholesalers (Terra Naturkost, etc.) and in part directly to retailers (Alnatura, Bio Company, Edeka, Rewe). The products are packaged differently for the aforementioned distribution channels. Wholesalers and retailers, for example, are supplied with whole or half pallets, while the products ordered by the delivery service and the farm store are packaged individually.
The jars can be returned by customers either directly or in some cases also via partners in the organic retail. When returned to the facilities of Ökodorf Brodowin the jars are washed, the label is removed and they are returned to the production cycle. These are non-deposited reusable items.
Details
# Workers: 1-2
Timeframe: Depends on destination & distribution channel
Machines / tools: Transport vehicle
Material input: Electricity (storage), fuel (transport)
Locations: Distribution facility (Eberswalde)
