WARWICK, ENGLAND — Pilgrim’s UK, a business unit of Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., announced on July 18 that it would make a £5 million ($6.55 million) investment in new technology at its Kings Lynn site in Norfolk, which focuses on sliced cooked meats.

The company said the investments at Kings Lynn will improve yields, efficiency and reduce waste while developing continuous improvement.

The location invested £800,000 ($1 million) into automation for its packaging facility. The flexibility allows the site to pack single or combi packs in one system with the goal of speeding up packaging lines by 12% to produce more than three million packs a week.

“We have put a tremendous amount of effort and focus into our packaging lines to enhance our sustainability credentials,” said Dave Parker, site director at Pilgrim’s UK. “This investment forms the next step in our commitment to the ever-evolving UK market. I am really proud that the site is continuing to set high standards in efficiency and increasing its capacity to meet the demand, not just in our business, but across the industry.”

A piece of the investment by Pilgrim’s UK included new meat slicing and packing technology that expects to increase the line capacity by 25%.

At this site, the company also invested an additional £600,000 ($785,535) in reducing greenhouse gas and energy. Some steps taken include electric alternative vehicles, and support upgrades to refrigeration plans and LED lighting across Kings Lynn.

Pilgrim’s Pride also said that it saved 31 tonnes of plastic at the location during 2023.