Manufacturing and Production

Meat Processing and Abattoir Operations

An abattoir carries food safety, animal welfare and worker safety risks at the same time, in a wet environment where every surface is a route for contamination. This course covers running one properly. Delegates work through lairage, ante mortem inspection and the handling that determines meat quality before slaughter, including stress and its effect on pH. Stunning and slaughter are covered against welfare requirements. Dressing, evisceration and the hygienic techniques that prevent carcass contamination follow. Post mortem inspection and condemnation are addressed. Chilling, the cold chain and the temperature discipline that decides shelf life are covered. Cutting, deboning and yield are addressed. Processed products, curing, brining and emulsions are covered, including nitrite use and its limits. By products, rendering and effluent follow. The course closes on cleaning, on microbiological verification and on the records an inspector requires.