Safety: The Most Crucial Aspect in Meat Processing

The most critical consideration for small meat plant owners and management in the meat processing industry is SAFETY. Food safety, employee safety, and consumer safety are all included.

Fremont, CA: As many bacteria can grow on animal products, it's critical to securely handle and store all types of meat. However, the many requirements for managing various sorts of meat can be perplexing. It may be totally fine to eat or freeze meat for up to a week after being prepared. Other kinds should be discarded after a few days. Every food item has the potential for contamination. Nutritious meat can be identified depending on one's understanding of safe cooking and storage techniques. Safety remains a major concern for meat consumers worldwide.

Food safety during harvesting

The microbial safety of raw and cooked foods is critical. An inspector will oversee the animal harvest for already inspected products. If the animal has been custom-processed, it should be visually inspected while it is alive and during the harvesting process for anomalies. If something doesn't "look right," the animal's owner should be informed about it. Contamination such as dirt, feces, and hair should be removed from the corpse during the harvesting procedure. When placing corpses in the cooler, make sure it is not overcrowded, as this will hinder the carcasses from chilling correctly. Relevant HACCP Plan must be followed for harvesting animals under inspection.

Food safety during processing

The appropriate HACCP plan should be followed while processing both raw and processed products under inspection. Following HACCP SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and SSOPs (Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures) will aid in the production of safe products. Things should be packaged and labeled correctly. An incorrectly labeled product containing an allergy is a major problem that can lead to product recalls. Products should be properly chilled or frozen after packaging and labeling. Each stage must be correctly executed and documented from the time the live animal enters a facility until the finished items depart the factory. A single weak connection can bring the entire system down.

Employee safety

Employee safety is a serious concern in the current COVID-19 outbreak. When required, all personnel must wear face masks and adopt social distancing. If an outbreak of COVID-19 occurs among a corporation's employees, the company may be forced to close. Ensuring that chemicals, insecticides, paints, and lubricants are utilized correctly is also necessary. Improper usage of these items might put both personnel and customers in danger. Inadequately maintained equipment might also be dangerous.

Customer safety

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the business must ensure that its clients have a safe shopping environment, and it must require them to follow safety measures. This safeguards not only them but also the workers. Customer safety depends on proper processing, packaging, labeling, and storage. Employees must understand their role in all aspects of safety and receive training in areas that are relevant to their job duties. Weekly corporate meetings, where safety procedures and concerns can be reviewed, are essential.