Quiz Bowl-- Slaughter and Grading

Slaughter and Grading

Sources: The Meat We Eat, Meat Evaluation Handbook

Hog Slaughter:

• States in order of Commercial Hog Slaughter:

o Iowa_________

o Illinois______

o Minnesota___

Process:

• Held off feed for 16-24 hours prior to slaughter.

• Weighed prior to slaughter to later calculate dressing percentage

o Dressing percentage (yield) = Carcass weight / live weight x 100

o Market weight: 210lbs

• Sex, breed, ID number are noted

Immobilization:

• Electric stunning and CO2 are common

o Federally approved methods: physical, mechanical, or chemical

• Captive bolt as back-up

Exsanguination:

• Want minimal time between immobilization and exsanguination to avoid blood

splash

• 6-inch sticking knife is used

• Locate the tip of the sternum and insert the knife in the soft tissue toward the tail

• Sever the carotid arteries and jugular veins

• A good stick results in removal of ~50% of the blood

Scalding, Hair Removal, Head Removal:

• Used to loosen hair

• Temperature: 143 ± 2F for 4-5 seconds

• Remove when hair slips off easily

• Over scalding has the opposite effect and can cook the skin

• Dehairing machine with belt scrapers

• Toes nails are removed

• Scalding tank  Dehairing  Remove Toenails  Wash  Scorch  Clean-up

• Typically, the head is removed as a whole, and offal is removed (ears, tongue)

Evisceration:

• Barrows require removal of penis before process

• The aitch bone is split

Commented [EF1]: to assure completeness

of bleeding and to ease evisceration.

• Bunging, or loosening the anus and the reproductive tract

• Split the sternum

• Remove bung from the carcass (internal organs)

• The pluck, or the thoracic cavity, will also be removed and inspected

Splitting, Inspection, Weighing, and Refrigeration:

• Split using a power circular saw or hand saw

• Remove leaf fat and kidneys

• Wash the carcass to ensure safe preservation

• Inspector will look over the carcass and stamp it if it passes

• Placed in a 32 to 34 cooler

Cattle Slaughter:

• States in order of Commercial Cattle Slaughter:

o Nebraska

o Kansas

o Texas

Process:

• Cattle are kept off feed for 24 hours before slaughter

o “shrink” or “drift” is the 3% - 4% yield lost during this time

Weigh  Immobilization  Exsanguination  Weasand  Heading  Legging  Hide

Eviscerating  Split  Wash  Chill

Unique Remarks:

o Immobilization: Use a penetrating or non-penetrating compression stunner

o Weasand: the weasand is rodded and tied off to avoid ingesta contamination

o Heading and legging is the removal of the head and legs

o Hide: removal of the hide while avoiding contamination

Sheep and Lamb Slaughter:

• States in order of Commercial Sheep and Lamb Slaughter:

1. Colorado

2. Kansas

3. Minnesota

Process:

• 24 hours off feed before slaughter

• Avoid grasping fleece, can cause bruising

• Dressing percentage based on hot carcass weight rather than the chilled carcass

weight

Weigh  Immobilization  Exsanguination  Heading  Legging Heading 

Pelting  Eviscerating  Wash  Chill

• Immobilization: captive bolt gun or stunning

• Legging: spool joint = mutton; break joint = lamb

• Pelting: removal or the pelt

• Chill: typically not split before chilling

Poultry Slaughter:

• Off feed overnight

Immobilization  Bleed  Scalding  Plucking Chilling Evisceration

• Immobilization: stunning and cutting veins inside the mouth

• Scalding: using water to loosen features

• Plucking: removal of the feathers

Meat Grading:

• Federal meat grading was established in 1925