There’s no denying food processing is big business. In developed economies like the US and EU, the sector accounts for over 5 per cent of GDP, with generated turnarounds in trillions of dollars, and employment numbers well over 6 figures. The numbers are more staggering in export-reliant countries like Australia and Brazil, where the industry accounts for double-digit figures of overall economic activity.
A large portion of this is meat processing. With rising year-on-year demand, and growing populations, getting ahead in the game depends on several factors, including animal well-being for live exports, product quality, sustainable practices and dependable processing equipment.
Meat Processing Stages
Turning live animals into meat for sale encompasses several straightforward steps. Getting the animal from pasture to the freezer is done in stages, each depending on the meat processing facility’s capacity, aging time, staffing and fabrication processes. A general breakdown involves the handling and slaughter of live animals, cutting and wrapping meat, and value-added processing methods that turn meat products into retail cuts and ready-to-eat (RTE) products.
Live Animal Handling
Efficient and gentle handling is not only best for the animals, but crucial for meat quality. Here three factors – the handler, the type of livestock and well-maintained facilities ease the process. Observant, competent and confident handlers will notice slight differences in animal behaviour, have knowledge of different breeds, and can control livestock movement without increasing stress levels in the animals. Handlers will also be trained in effective stunning methods (mechanical – gunshot, captive bolt, chemical and electrical) by guidelines set for each breed.
Slaughter
This involves bleeding, skinning and head removal. Skinning and deciding for cattle and swine is done on vertical platforms in a downward movement, during which carcass stimulants can be used to prevent possible damage. Processing equipment during this stage also involves head removal with machines including head chisels and jaw removers.
Dressing and evisceration, or gutting carcasses of internal organs follow. This is done on work platforms that ensure efficiency and prevent contamination. Internal organs are collected in discharge drains or conveyors and inspected along with the carcass. Carcasses are then graded and transferred to chill tunnels or cooling rooms where they hang on rails, while edible and inedible offal is separated and classified.
Secondary Processing
Secondary processing moves carcasses from cooling rooms into deboning halls for cutting, deboning and trimming. Carcasses are cut into half and quarter cuts, then scanned with barcodes that supply basic info such as animal ID, age, slaughter date and farmer. For cleaner cuts free of fat and sinew, processing plants use membrane skinning machines. What follows is meat harvesting, or processing meat left on the bone. Meat harvester machines remove the meat while keeping the bones intact. The process minimises waste, with leftover trimmings later used in products like sausages and hamburger meat. Trimmed cuts are then inspected for fat content, and the meat is ready for further preparation.
Value-added Processing
Processing plants use various equipment and methods to produce different meat products. Here, grinding, casing, smoking, forming, and drying transform the meat and trimmings into sausages, ham, bacon, and other RTE products, as well as portion cuts into steaks, roasts, and retail cuts. The large variety of products also means a wider assortment of processing equipment in this stage, from grinders and mincers to in-line flatteners, tenderizers, vacuum fillers, and more.
Packing and Labelling
Labelling machines (including weigh-price labellers), tray packers and other packaging equipment sort processed cuts and meats into standard pack sizes. Machines vary in capacity and packing rates, with equipment in larger processing plants able to handle over 100 packs or more per minute. Packaged meat is then moved to freezers until ready to be shipped or sold.
Equipment and Machinery Used in Meat Processing
The various stages of processing meat from the pasture to the table involve several types of machines and equipment. In the slaughter stage, splitting and deboning machines remove meat from the bone. Meat is then fed through grinders to obtain different textures and through mixers to get a variety of meat cuts and ingredients, ranging from raw ground meat and paste used in sausages and luncheon meats, to meatballs and pet food. For sausages, vacuum filler machines and stuffers get the ground meat into casings, while processed and flavoured cuts benefit from meat injectors that inject marinades or brine to improve flavour, add longevity and increase moisture.
Cutting and portioning meat into different sizes and cuts involves band saws and circular knives, while portion control and labelling equipment ensure consistent size, shape, and weight. Other machinery used here includes shredders that cut meat into strips, slices, and cubes; dicers for cuts up to 30mm; bowl choppers that prepare finer cuts ready for blending; frozen meat slicers; and bone crushers that produce trimmings from bone leftovers.
To produce ready-to-eat meat products such as ham, bacon and jerky, processing plants use smokehouses, ovens and steamers. Finished meat products are then treated in blast freezers to maintain freshness and prevent bacterial growth, and then moved to regular freezers or cold storage rooms with fixed temperatures.
Equipment that goes unnoticed but is necessary for quality are metal detectors, X-ray machines, and temperature monitors. Metal detectors ensure there are no traces of metal contaminants, X-rays are used to search for foreign objects and maintain product integrity, and temperature monitoring devices ensure meat is stored and processed at safe temperatures.
Cleaning and sanitising are further factors that go towards product quality and maintaining a safe workplace. Plants use numerous types of cleaning equipment, from high-pressure washers to boot cleaning stations or crate and bin washers. Industry health and safety standards also mean workers wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, facemasks and goggles to prevent injuries or cause contamination.
Investing in the Right Equipment
Acquiring the right meat and food processing equipment ensures plants deliver quality products, meet health and safety requirements and have the flexibility to grow. This can be larger operations involved in every step of meat processing, from live animal handling and processing to storing ready products, or smaller businesses with a limited or specialist product range looking to get a foothold in the expanding meat market.
