A new experimental kitchen for meat research and small-scale processing has been inaugurated at the Public Abattoir in Marsa following an investment of around €200,000.

The facility is intended to allow farmers, meat processors, researchers, students, chefs and entrepreneurs to develop and test new food products using locally produced meat before producing them on a commercial scale.

Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo said the investment forms part of a wider strategy to support research, innovation, value addition and sustainability in Malta’s livestock and meat sectors.

The facility was designed as a fully equipped environment where innovative meat products can be researched, tested, developed and produced on a pilot scale before being commercialised.

The need for the facility emerged from discussions with local meat processors, who said they would normally have to travel abroad to test ideas for new products, at considerable expense.

Public Abattoir Director General Stefan Cachia said the facility represented an evolution of the abattoir’s role, which he said had developed beyond animal slaughter to include research, innovation, education, training and product development.

He said the facility would strengthen the abattoir’s ability to support the local livestock sector, develop higher-value products, reduce waste and create new economic opportunities.

The facility will also provide a platform for collaboration between government, academia and industry, allowing researchers, food technologists, educational institutions and private operators to carry out product development, research projects and pilot production without having to make substantial initial investments in infrastructure.

According to the ministry, this could facilitate the creation of new enterprises and products for niche markets while reducing barriers to innovation in Malta’s meat industry.

Refalo said the investment forms part of the implementation of a measure included in the government’s electoral programme. He also highlighted previous investments, including a Vertical Scalding System and a facility for processing mazzit, which were inaugurated in recent years.