Meat supplier founder passes on

Herb Lotman, who died of complications following heart failure, founded Keystone Foods, a major supplier of burgers, poultry and fish to the McDonald’s chain. Starting out in the family beef business, Lotman, along with his partners, pioneered the use of cryogenics for McDonald’s, developing a mass production system for the manufacture of frozen burgers.

After establishing itself as a key partner in the McDonald’s business, the company went on to be instrumental in developing the chain’s Chicken McNugget in the 1980s.

The company, under the stewardship of Lotman, grew from scratch over 40 years to one that was generating more than US$5bn in sales a year with operations in over 15 countries around the world. In 2010 it was rated 45 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies.

Lotman stepped down from the business six years ago, but remained an active member of the board, while sharing his management expertise with a wide range of charities and charitable organisations.

Lotman, who often described himself as "just a butcher", is survived by his wife Karen, and children Shelly Fisher and Jeff Lotman, sister Marlene Weinberg and grandchildren Julia, Sam and and Joseph Fisher and Anna Sophia and Gianna Lotman.