OAKWOOD, GA. — Meeting the growing demand for chicken wings was the reason behind Wayne Farms adding a processing line at its Decatur, Ala., prepared foods plant. The new line can produce steamed or roasted bone-in chicken wings, adding up to 42 million lbs of capacity per year and 80 new jobs. The plant’s tenth production line features a twin-drum oven and spiral freezer and includes processing and packaging equipment from industry suppliers that included GEA, JBT and JBS.

  “Consumption is up and demand for prepared, easy-to-serve chicken has never been higher,” said Tom Bell, vice president of prepared foods. “With this new line, the opportunities for Wayne Farms and for our customers goes to a new level.”

Wayne Farms said the newly installed oven system maximizes yield and quality thanks to the electrically driven design that evenly distributes heat across the dual rotating tiers as opposed to more traditional thermal fluid systems that rely on oil and gas to cook products.

The new line supplements Wayne Farms’ technology-rich, dual-plant East/West Prepared Foods complex, where production includes fully cooked, frozen, fried, marinated and sous vide chicken products for foodservice and retail customers.