Meat Processing

The meat processing industry handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock. The industry is primarily focused on producing meat for human consumption, but it also yields a variety of by-products including hides, dried blood, and, through the process of rendering, fat such as tallow and protein meals such as meat & bone meal.
In the UK there are about 61,000 farms with beef animals, 80,000 farms with sheep and 6,000 with pigs. Some of these farms will operate as single businesses. Over time the number of farms has declined but the average herd size has increased; except on sheep farms.

Red meat and meat products have been implicated in many cases of foodborne illness. Pathogenic micro-organisms, i.e. those that cause human disease, are found in the digestive tract of healthy cattle and sheep. These micro-organisms are excreted in the faeces and can be found on the hides and fleeces of the live animal. Bacterial contamination of the fleece/hide can then be transferred onto previously sterile meat surfaces during slaughter and dressing.

The organisms of concern and focus in meat production are Salmonella spp. Escherichia coli 0157. In response to the recommendations of the Pennington Report (1996) after the outbreak of E.coli O157 in Lanarkshire attributed to cross-contamination between raw and cooked meat, the government encouraged industry to adopt a HACCP based approach to meat production. The MHS introduced the CLP which assesses the cleanliness of animals presented for slaughter to assist in the achievement of safe levels of dressed carcase hygiene. In the assurance of raw red meat safety, CCP's are points in the production chain where control can limit the microbiological hazards to a safe level. The acceptance of animals for slaughter is regarded as a CCP.

In addition to the pathogens of concern a spoilage organism Clostridium estertheticum is an issue for vacuum packed red meat. Clostridia are anaerobic spore-forming bacteria; they cannot grow in the presence of oxygen, but grow well in its absence. Their spores are more resistant than the vegetative forms of bacteria to various conditions including heat, disinfectants and damage due to oxygen. They can also multiply in relatively small concentrations of nutrients with moisture and localised anaerobic conditions. In particular, they are likely to survive and grow best in cool places, such as in the cutting rooms and chillers.

Perbac OPD has been developed and tested by Holchem as an open plant disinfectant with proven efficacy against the Clostridium estertheticum spore using the test protocol EN13704.

Cleaning in a meat processing plant involves the removal of gross debris from large and hazardous equipment. Typically medium pressure washdown systems are used for foam application and rinsing. Soils vary dependant on the process and include high levels of protein in the early stages of abattoir and fats and protein following evisceration.