ATTRA Question of the Week

W.A.
Georgia

Answer: I am pleased to provide you with information on small scale processing facility for cattle and hogs.

Well-designed and built multi-species processing plants will contain some if not all the following attributes: receiving and holding pens, a well-outfitted and designed kill floor, large meat coolers, a processing/fabrication area, cutting rooms, smokehouses, and a meat packaging area. They will be designed with attention to workforce safety, food safety, and animal welfare. In addition, Standard Operating Procedures will need to be developed including the implementation of a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) plan (see the resource list for more information).

Local design criteria must be followed, and since your state has an inspection service, a visit to your state Department of Agriculture will turn up the criteria you should follow in building small plants. Also, the USDA-FSIS has a new service for small and very small plant owners that provides information on inspections and compliance. See the USDA-FSIS entry in the resource list below.

Resource List

Meat Inspection in Georgia

Georgia Department of Agriculture
Animal Industry - Meat Inspection
Dr. Rex Holt, Director
19 MLK, Jr. Drive, Room 108
Atlanta, GA 30334
404-656-3673

Facility Design

Building a Small Meat Processing Plant Webinar. eXtension.
Information on the process and the pitfalls of plant design and construction.

Thiboumery, Arion. 2009. Guide to Designing a Small Red Meat Plant. Iowa State University Extension.
This guide offers insights and formulas for planning the layout of a small-scale locker-type red-meat processing plant. Two model designs are presented and were created by an experienced meat plant consultant. The plans are for initial design use and not for construction use.

U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration
A Beef Slaughter Operation: Introduction
Ergonomic considerations of processing plant design.

Meat Processing Regulations and Practices

Meat Processing Rules & Regulations. eXtension.

HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Information Center. Iowa State University Extension.
Resources for the development of HACCP programs in foodservice establishments (Schools, Assisted Living, Childcare, and Restaurants) and meat processing facilities.

USDA-Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
Small and Very Small Plant Outreach
Resources on regulations, compliance, and education.

Guidelines for the Establishment and Operation of an Official Red Meat Establishment
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
IDALS, Wallace State Office Building, 502 E. 9th St.
Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Best Practices for Beef Slaughter
Kerri B. Harris and Jeff W. Savell
Department of Animal Science
Texas A&M University
November 20, 2003

Business Development

Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, Business Development.
Fact sheets, analysis tools, videos and other educational materials to help you create and operate a successful value-added agricultural business.