Production process pork

Hidden

Report production process pork

A green cattle truck stops in front of the loading platform at the Vion slaughterhouse. After a short journey, the driver carefully brings in about 80 pigs, which he loaded at a farm in the region shortly before. They are 175 days old and weigh about 120 kilograms. He uses a paddle to calmly drive the herd off the platform. A veterinarian checks all pigs to see if they are suitable for slaughter. Sick or wounded animals are separated. One by one, the animals find their way through the gate to the open space of the stable in the abattoir. “We try to avoid any kind of commotion,” says the transporter, who must hold a permit for handling animals and their transport. 

Animal welfare has top priority. First, the herd is allowed to recover from the journey. They need to settle down. It is important that the group stays together as much as possible in the same configuration as they were brought in. 

After they’ve been allowed to settle down, the abattoir employees lead the animals to the stunning installation, slowly and in small groups. In the gondola, the pigs are put under a CO2 atmosphere for over 2 minutes to be anaesthetised. Specially trained personnel check the eyelid reflex to see whether the sedation is deep enough and is working properly. The animals are hung by their legs. The sedated animals are killed by stabbing them. These carcasses are now ready for further processing. First, blood samples are taken. “The samples provide information on the health of the pigs supplied,” explains the works manager. 

During the first phase of the slaughtering process, emphasis is on the steady handling of the pigs,  until the animals are dead. The subsequent processes are about producing high-quality food based on strict hygiene standards. 

A transport chain moves the hanging carcasses to a hot bath. The 60-degree water soaks off the bristle. A strip brush machine removes most of the bristle. Any remaining bristle is burnt off at a temperature of 800 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, all bacteria on the skin are also killed off. 

The next step is processing the carcasses into meat products. In one smooth cut, employees open the carcass and hygienically remove the gastrointestinal tract. Nothing must be lost. The intestine, for instance, is later used in organ processing for the production of sausages. Next, the heart, lungs, windpipe, liver and other organs are cut out. Hearts are a specialty in China, the other entrails are in demand in the animal feed industry, where they are used mainly in the production of dog food. 

A lot of the conveyor belt work in the abattoir is carried out by hand, but digitisation has also reached the meat processing industry. The provenance, quality of the meat and health of every pig is registered electronically. An ear tag provides information on the animal’s provenance. The data are registered. This way, it is possible to trace what has happened to an animal during its life. These data may be very important later, in the event that any abnormalities are found. 

After the carcass has been expertly cut into two parts using a saw, the meat is inspected. Official inspectors accurately check whether the carcass is suitable for consumption. All organs of the animals are also examined. If abnormalities are found, both halves are kept separate. Anything that does not meet the standards is cut off. Every now and then, an entire carcass is unsuitable. 

For the Trichinella test, which is mandatory with a view to food safety, an employee cuts out a piece of the diaphragm using special pliers.  This is part of a much larger test programme in the meat industry, which includes tests for heavy metals, antibiotics and other chemicals. Meat-processing companies and inspectorates (in the Netherlands this is the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) work together in different ways to ensure that only meat of impeccable quality comes onto the market. 

Carcasses that have passed the inspection without any findings are given an official stamp. This completes slaughter and the official meat inspection. A conveyor belt transports the carcasses to large cold stores where, over a period of several hours, the meat is cooled down from 37 degrees to below seven degrees Celsius. Once the correct temperature has been reached, the rough cutting of the halves into hams, shoulders and middles begins. 

Many of our customers want the meat to be supplied in smaller portions. So this is when our butchers lining the conveyor belt set to work with their sharp knives. They cut the meat from the bone and cut fillets, chops, bellies, spareribs or shreds for sausage production.  

Supermarket chains, butcher shops and industrial processing companies in the Netherlands and abroad all have special requirements for the products supplied. The cuts are vacuum-packed or placed into transport boxes unpackaged. Some retail customers have their own butcher shops and purchase whole halves. Before the products leave the abattoir, the shipping employees once again check whether the products, labelling, packaging and – last but not least – the temperature of the meat comply with the standards. Only then are the products released for transport. Finally, our state-of-the-art logistics system helps guarantee that the products arrive fresh at the customer. 

The work in an abattoir is never done. Work continues even at night. After production has finished for the day, the cleaning crew arrives. Their task is to clean and disinfect the company, so that it is ready for the next day of production.