Effects of Improved Bovine Slaughtering Processes at a Meat Plant

Abstract

The former bovine slaughtering process involved skinning the breast and forelegafter the gullet was tied. We improved the process and minimized the stripping area by using a standing-typeskin stripper immediately before whole skinning. In addition, in 1998, we replaced the at-the-deskhygienic lectures we had held until 1997 for meat-plant personnel with practical discussion and trainingsessions conducted while actual slaughtering was taking place. As a result of these measures, total values ofcarcasses increased markedly while total numbers of viable bacteria and ofEscherichiacoli in carcassessignificantly decreascd.