Learning More, Eating Better

Modern Meat Processing Methods

Meat from animals raised for slaughter provides much of the protein requirements for a well-balanced diet. While protein is also available from dairy, eggs and vegetables; most people prefer to get most of their protein requirement from meat. Beef is probably the most popular variety of meat, but pork, poultry, fish and mutton are also sold in most grocery stores and meat markets.

Meat Processing

Meat processing plants are now subject to regular inspections that ensure the safety and quality of the products shipped for public sale. Since the early 20th century employees in the meat packing industry have been overworked in an environment without adequate safety measures. Between the mid-1920s early l930s, meat packinghouse workers achieved unionization, ensuring better pay and safer working conditions. The work was still difficult, but workers were able to advance to a middle-class lifestyle.

It is an unfortunate fact that even with the improvements in pay and safety regulations, meat packing industry jobs are still one of the most dangerous in America. Many of the workers are undocumented immigrants from Mexico, Peru and South America. This situation puts the workers at a disadvantage if a work-related injury occurs. Many large scale meat processing plants have become more mechanized as specialized equipment has become available. This is likely more common in poultry processing facilities than in plants that butcher and process beef and pork.

Grass fed beef and other types of organic meat is growing in popularity as the public becomes more educated and concerned with the feed additives and hormones that are often used by stockyard owners. Producers of organic beef typically do not ship their animals, but sell them privately to local customers. The buyer pays by the pound and the animal is hauled to a small, local meat processing business where it is slaughtered, cut and wrapped according to the preferences of the customer. The customer pays an additional cutting and wrapping fee to the plant. These small processing facilities are also subject to safety inspections by state and government officials.

Before the development of railroads and over-the-road trucking, it was not possible to transport meat products far from where the animal was raised. Without refrigeration, meat could not be preserved unless it was smoked or cooked. Even before electricity was available in American homes, iceboxes made it possible to freeze meat for at least a limited amount of time. Although it is not recommended to keep meat frozen for more than a few months, modern people are able to stock their freezer with a year’s worth of meat products at a time. This makes it possible to fill their freezer buying from a local farmer or watching for special sales at their local grocery store.

Although the majority of Americans live in urban or suburban areas, some have chosen to live in a rural setting. Hobby farms are a popular choice for those who prefer to grow their own vegetables in a garden, and some also raise beef animals, a few chickens or a pig to supply most of their meat requirements. However, butchering these animals is not likely something they have the desire or ability to accomplish on their own. Once again, the local meat processor is the answer to this dilemma.

One option for the hobby farmer with an animal to butcher is a mobile slaughterer. While most people have never heard of this service, an animal can be quickly and safely butchered. There has been some concern about the sanitation procedures these units offer, but they are required to satisfy all the state and federal regulations, along with requiring USDA inspection. The customer is typically responsible for the proper cooling, cutting and wrapping of the slaughtered and cleaned carcass. Although owners of beef and pork producing animals are the customers most often using the mobile units, poultry and fish can also be processed using this option.

Americans and people living in civilized countries around the world want and need fresh meat that has been raised, slaughtered and processed in a safe manner. Modern meat packing regulations and methods are far advanced from those employed 100 years ago, so restaurants and meat markets can feel sure they are offering only safe and high quality products to their customers.


Buying Wholesale Meat And Making Money On It

Buying wholesale meat is a good idea if you want to create a business plan where you make money with it. There are a lot of varying places to get a good deal. The key is to research what you are going to need to do to make the best business decisions.

The quality of meat is going to influence the price. If you want your company to be known for having good prices, then you’re going to have to go with something that is of lower quality. Just don’t go too low with the quality and price, because after a certain point the poor quality could make your business look bad. There are a lot of varying options to choose from, and by monitoring how well products sell you can know what will be your best bet to order consistently.

You may want to contact a wholesale meat provider before you make an order because they may have exclusive deals to offer that are not available online or through a catalog. You’re going to want to do some research to find their email, and you can then tell them what you are looking for. You don’t have to ask for a deal right off the bat, but you can make it clear that if you’re happy with their prices and services that you will become a customer. That may make them want to offer you a better deal so that you stick with them.

Why buy wholesale? The main reason is that if you’re buying in bulk from a supplier, you’re going to get a lot better of a deal when all is said and done. Instead of having to deal with getting a little bit of stock at a time, if you have a popular store then you can always be stocked up for people that like to shop with you. Unless you’re running a shop that only stocks specialty meats, you can buy a lot at a time and will be sure to sell enough to make it worth it.

Look at the stats for your company and what does well. That is what you should try to stock, but don’t forget that variety may increase the chances of you making sales. People like to know that they have a choice, even if they only buy one kind of meat. The worst thing to do would be to have nothing on the shelves but one or two packages because that makes it look like something is wrong with them and that’s why nobody has bought what is left on the shelf. By creating an attractive display of meats, you will make it appear as if they are of higher quality.

See if you can save on shipping if you buy a certain amount from a wholesale supplier. When you’re always making small orders and having to pay for shipping, you’ll find that you are better off if you actually buy as much as possible at once. However, if you can get shipping done for free or for a lower price if you are willing to make consistent orders, it can save you quite a bit. The good thing about saving money is that you can pass this onto your customers and get even more business.

Figure out what people are saying through reviews about a wholesale company that offers meat to the public. You should get a good idea before you even contact them because you don’t want to waste your time working with those that have a bad track record with customer service and how they price their various meats. Don’t assume that if a company has a good price or because they do a lot of business that they are good to work with. Through reviews, you can tell before you spend any time working with others if you are wasting that time or not.

Wholesale meat is a good investment because you can make money off of it. You’re going to need to put some time and effort into learning more about who offers what and how much it will cost you. Not only do you want a good deal, but you want meat that is in great condition.


How To Get The Most From A Butcher Shop

As much as people are flocking to all kinds of farmers markets for their produce, they are beginning to demand better quality and locally sourced meats as well. Because of this demand, butcher shops have made a roaring comeback. It allows people to get a greater connection to where the meat that they eat comes from. Also, it is well known to be much healthier to consume meat that is fresh and local. In this article, we will be going over some of the tips as to what you should look for in a butcher shop and what you will need to know in order to have the best possibly purchasing experience once you do arrive.

What To Look For In A Butcher Shop:

1. Find A Butcher Willing To Talk.

The first thing that you are going to want to do is make sure that you find a butcher that is completely willing and able to talk about their meat and where it comes from. You want them to be telling the story of their meat so that you know they are being completely transparent.

After all, that is the perceived benefit of going to a butchers shop versus a grocery store or a super market. It is one of the most important things to do because you want to be able to know exactly where the meat your purchases is coming from. After all, if you were buying a car and the salesperson could not tell you a single detail about the exact model that you were looking at, it is very likely that you would avoid purchasing from them. The same can be said about butchers within the large chain stores. If you typically ask one of these butchers where their meat comes from, it is very likely that they cannot tell you a single thing about the origin of the meat because they do not get this kind of information. This is something you will only be able to get from a local butcher.

2. Whole Animals.

You are also going to want to make sure that you choose a butcher that purchases whole animals. A lot of butcher shops actually do not do this. These are the shops that you are going to want to avoid because their product is not going to be nearly as fresh. Even if they happen to be getting a good product, it has often been sealed in a bag placed in a box and shipped to them. Therefore, you have no idea where it came from, how long it has been in the bag or how long it has been on the shelf for.

However, a good and reputable butcher is going to be much more intimately acquainted with the meat that they purchase and the meat that they sell. Try to find a shop that is going to be able to tell you where the animal was raised, what the animal ate, and how old the animal was when it died. Also, you will want to try to find a butcher that is going to be able to offer you cooking tips for the meat that they are selling.

Now that we have gone over some of the key things that you should be looking for when you are trying to find the right butcher shop, we will be going over some of the top tips that you are going to want to utilize in order to be able to have the best butcher shop experience possibly.


1. Go Slow.

Going to a butcher shop for the first time can be a little overwhelming and it is very likely that you are going to be wanting to purchase a lot of different meat that you either have never tasted and possibly never seen before. However, you should resist the urge to do so for your first time and focus on what you came to get.

2. Meat Doesn’t Have To Be Exotic.

A lot of people might try to purchase the most exotic meat that is being offer by the butcher simply because they are blown away by the presentation and everything else. Try to stick with what you know at first and then branch out from there.