Beef processing involves slaughtering, removing waste, and cutting the carcass into component parts. Facilities must maintain clean conditions, and some may use chemical treatments to limit contamination. Government agencies regulate facilities and inspect for safety violations. Domestic processing requires basic safety measures.
Beef processing involves a series of steps to prepare cuts of meat and package them for delivery while maintaining safety conditions to limit the risk of foodborne illness. You can slaughter and process cattle at home for home use or hire a mobile butcher to do the beef processing on site. In other cases, farmers ship live cattle to a processing facility that can handle large volumes of animals at one time. Government agencies regulate such facilities and monitor them for safety and health violations.
The first step in beef processing is slaughter. Before slaughter, a technician examines the animal to ensure it is fit for human consumption. Slaughterhouses do not handle sick cattle and may be prohibited by law from handling downer cattle and other animals with obvious health problems. If the animal appears healthy, a variety of techniques can be used to slaughter and bleed it quickly to prevent spoilage.
After bleeding, processing of beef may include removing the skin along with waste products such as intestines and cutting the carcass into component parts. The level of processing available depends on the facility. Some facilities simply remove the lower legs and heads, clean out the internal viscera, and cut the cattle in half for shipment to another location. Others may butcher the carcasses into component cuts such as ribs, steaks, and so on.
Manufacturing facilities must maintain fresh, clean conditions for beef processing. The process may include aging to allow the meat to mature before being cut and sold, as fresh meat can sometimes taste raw and bloody even after thorough cooking. Facility operators typically cover their hair, wear gloves, and take other steps to limit contamination. Processed meat should be kept fresh after packaging to inhibit bacterial growth.
Some beef processing processes may include chemical treatments, irradiation or other measures to limit the possibility of contamination of the meat. Agricultural inspectors also grade the meat based on quality, which determines the selling value. Inspectors may also periodically review the facility to ensure workers are complying with the law. Sanitary code violations such as high temperatures, inadequate headgear, and other issues can lead to facility closures until the issue is resolved.
Less stringent measures are required for the domestic processing of beef. Households can handle their meat in a variety of ways to meet their needs and take some basic safety measures to keep the meat clean and prevent spoilage. These can include smoking, salting or pickling to preserve the meat, as well as freezing the cuts for later use.
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