Two of the most vital processes for staff in the meat industry to undertake are proper handling and sufficient storage. Here’s why you need to refine your bulk meat handling techniques, regardless of which kind of meat it is, sooner rather than later.

Consequences of poor meat handling

Foodborne illnesses have yet to be completely eradicated, mainly due to human error in the food storage and handling processes. Rigid procedures need to be followed to ensure that all products arriving at a point of sale are examined, placed in a refrigerator or cold room immediately, and stored in the correct way. Failure to do this could be disastrous to a food service company and may result in:

• Loss of customers and sales
• Illness and possible death of customers
• A damaged reputation
• Costly legal costs
• Increased insurance premiums
• Lowered employee morale
• Increased costs to the healthcare system such as lab analyses, physician time, and hospital care

Ideal meat receiving procedures

There are several steps that you should follow to ensure your bulk meat handling process goes as smoothly as possible so that the products are handled in a timely and safe manner.

• Ensure the order matches the invoice, including the number of boxes to be delivered and the list of product names. Make sure the driver and receiver sign off on this.
• Check that all packages are still sealed and are not damaged
• Check the temperature of the delivery truck storage and ensure it was cold on arrival
• Sort through all the meat products immediately into their correct storage coolers or rooms
• Keep fish, meats, and poultry as far apart as possible and ensure fish containers remain sealed until ready to use
• Ensure cooler and freezer doors are kept closed at all times
• Do not ignore abnormal temperature fluctuations — report them to your employer as soon as this is flagged

Proper meat storage procedures

Meat firstly needs to be packaged properly to avoid spoilage, drying out, and freezer burn. Whole sub-primal cuts should ideally be vacuum-packed as soon as they are removed from the carcass in order to maintain a long shelf-life. Cut meat products for retail purposes should be wrapped in cling film on trays or vacuum packaged soon after portioning. Cut meat products for foodservice purposes may be vacuum-packed after cutting, otherwise should be stored in food-grade containers, wrapped properly, and stored according to food safety standards. Coolers and refrigerators should be maintained at 0℃-2℃ as this is considered the safest temperature to hold meats and maintain flavour and moisture. The appropriate receiving and storage procedures are vital to the proper handling of bulk meat products. If you need assistance with the correct methods and processes, our team can help! Get in touch with the VWG team or shop our range of bulk pork products.