Very useful

1. MEAT, FISH, AND POULTRY
TECHNOLOGY
BFTC-601
UNIT-4
BY SHIVANI SINGH
PhD RESEARCH SCHOLAR
JAMIA HAMDARD

2. CONTENT
Unit: 4
◦ Meat plant hygiene: GAP & HACCP; Packaging of meat products,
packaging of poultry products, refrigerated storage of poultry meat.

3. Meat plant hygiene: GAP & HACCP
Meat Hygiene
Meat Hygiene refers to a set of activities that require the implementation of specific
standards, codes of practices and regulatory action by the competent authority to ensure
safety and suitability of the meat the consumers eat. Hygiene requirements are to be met at
different stages of production, processing and transportation and must include hygiene of
personnel, slaughter & meat processing equipment and the environment. To ensure this, proper
cleaning and sanitization practices are to be followed by plant personnel and should include
disinfection of meat plant premises, equipment's and storage area. Failure in maintaining meat
hygiene may pose serious public health hazards and therefore evaluation of meat for meat-born
pathogens which can cause diseases of public health importance is very important. Food Safety
and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 also warrant that
every product being sold in the Indian market must meet/conform to legal standards of quality.
Principles of meat hygiene
There are three principles of meat hygiene, which are crucial for meat processing operations.
1. Prevention of microbial contamination during meat product manufacture by adopting
proper cleaning and sanitation practices.
2. Minimization of microbial growth in meat products by storing them at a low temperature.
3. Reduction or elimination of the risk of microbial contamination by applying suitable heat
treatment and packaging systems at the final processing stage.

4. Meat plant hygiene: GAP & HACCP
Two useful schemes are usually adapted at various levels of meat production:
1. Good Hygienic Practices (GHP) and
2. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Scheme.
Good hygienic practices in meat processing
Microbial meat spoilage or food poisoning through meat can be prevented if the microbial load/bacterial
contamination, which occurs during slaughtering and meat handling, is kept as low as possible. The key
to achieving this is strict meat hygiene, including an uninterrupted cold chain throughout the meat
production and handling chain through the following interventions.
1. Personnel hygiene
a. Wear clean protective clothes.
b. Washing hands before starting work and repeatedly washing hands during work.
c. No finger rings, watches, or bracelets.
d. Access to production areas with working clothes only.
e. Cleaning/disinfection of hands/tools/clothes if there was contact with highly contaminated subjects or
abnormal animal parts likely to contain pathogens.
f. Fresh wounds through knife cuts etc. must be covered by a water-tight bandage.
g. Strict toilet hygiene must be observed (removal of apron, hand washing, and hand
disinfection). Toilets must be kept clean and must not have direct access to production areas. (Risk of
spread of Salmonella).

5. 2.Hygiene during meat processing
a. Ideally meat cutting/deboning should be carried out in climatized rooms
(approx. + 10ºC) with low air humidity.
b. If visual contamination of meat has occurred during manufacturing, do not
try to wash it off but remove it with knives by cutting off superficial meat
parts in the case of minor contamination. Discard the meat in case of
heavy contamination.
c. Do not hose down floor and wall areas, equipment next to meat
processing operations, or final products with a power hose. (Risk of
contamination by aerosol/droplets).
d. Never take meat pieces, which accidentally had contact with the floor or
other contaminated surfaces, back onto working tables or into meat
processing machines.
e. Containers for meat, fat, or semi or fully-processed meat products must
not be placed directly on the floor but on hygienic stands, pallets, etc.).

6. 3. Equipment hygiene
a. Equipment should have proper sanitary design and construction. Designs
must allow easy and profound cleaning and avoid any accumulation of
difficult-to-remove organic matter. They should use food-grade
construction material in designing food contact surfaces and equipment
and allow easy cleaning after processing operations.
b. Stainless steel must be used for all food contact surfaces e.g. working
tables, meat hooks (at least their parts contact with meat), blades of
knives, saws, cleavers, axes, etc.
c. Food-grade synthetic materials should be used for meat containers and
other utensils.

7. 4. Hygiene of meat processing premises (design and construction)
◦ Meat processing facilities must meet the basic hygienic standards in order to
ensure and maintain clean and hygienic working conditions:
◦ � Provision of change room for duty staff.
◦ � Wall windows must be positioned at least 2 m high over floor level in
order to allow profound washing and disinfection of floors and walls. Window
frames should be of non-corrosive material e.g. aluminium or similar materials
and must not be painted.
◦ � Walls in all rooms, where meat and by-products are handled, must have
smooth and easily washable surfaces up to a minimum height of 2 m in
processing plants. Walls should preferably be covered with wall tiles or at least
with washable paint.
◦ � Floors in the mentioned sections must be impermeable for water and
reasonably smooth for good cleaning, but anti-slip for workers safety.
◦ � In order to facilitate proper cleaning, the junction between floor and
walls must be rounded (not rectangular)
◦ � Rooms for meat processing should have sufficient ventilation. Air
conditioning is only required in meat cutting/deboning rooms (10 - 12�C).
◦ � Supply systems for electrical wiring and pipes for hot and cold water as
well as for compressed air should not hamper cleaning operations and be out
of reach of possible dirt contamination. Insulations for hot water pipes must
have smooth surfaces and be washable.
◦ � Openings for ventilation must be bird- and insect-proof.
4. Hygiene of meat processing premises (design and construction)
Meat processing facilities must meet the basic hygienic standards in order to ensure
and maintain clean and hygienic working conditions:
a. Provision of change room for duty staff.
b. Wall windows must be positioned at least 2 m high over floor level in order to
allow profound washing and disinfection of floors and walls. Window frames
should be of non-corrosive material e.g. aluminum or similar materials and
must not be painted.
c. Walls in all rooms, where meat and by-products are handled, must have
smooth and easily washable surfaces up to a minimum height of 2 m in
processing plants. Walls should preferably be covered with wall tiles or at least
with washable paint.
d. Floors in the mentioned sections must be impermeable for water and
reasonably smooth for good cleaning, but anti-slip for workers safety.
e. In order to facilitate proper cleaning, the junction between floor and walls
must be rounded (not rectangular)
f. Rooms for meat processing should have sufficient ventilation. Air conditioning
is only required in meat cutting/deboning rooms (10 – 12 degree C).
g. Supply systems for electrical wiring and pipes for hot and cold water as well as
for compressed air should not hamper cleaning operations and be out of reach
of possible dirt contamination. Insulations for hot water pipes must have
smooth surfaces and be washable.
h. Openings for ventilation must be bird- and insect-proof.

8.  Hazard analysis and critical control point scheme (HACCP)
HACCP are factory and product-specific strictly sanitary control schemes that
shall prevent, detect, control, and/or reduce safe levels of accidentally occurring
hazards to consumers’ health. Despite GHP in place, accidental hazards cannot
be ruled out and may occur at any processing step of the individual meat
product. Specifically for meat processing plants, such hazards may be provoked
by failures such as:
◦ batches of incoming raw meat materials with abnormal tissues or heavy
contamination, breakdowns in refrigeration,
◦ failure in cooking/sterilization operations,
◦ abnormal pH or aw in raw or finished products,
◦ errors in levels of application of curing salts and other additives,
◦ technical problems in sealing of vacuum packages or cans with the risk of
recontamination.
HACCP schemes serve as additional alarm systems in the interest of consumer
protection to prevent such problems occurring. In case potential hazards
should occur, they can be detected, contained or eliminated at any stage.

9. Packaging Requirements
Fresh meat is highly perishable and a
biologically active item. The quality of
fresh meat is affected by the growth of
micro-organisms, enzyme activity and by
oxidation. The microbiological activity
continues even after refrigeration and
packaging, though at a reduced rate. The
factors that make fresh meat unsalable
are changes in color, odor, taste and
texture. The pigments present in fresh
meat are proteins like hemoglobin and
myoglobin. Hemoglobin does the function
of transfer of oxygen from the blood and
myoglobin acts as a storage mechanism of
oxygen in cells. Myoglobin has a purple
red color, which is the characteristic color
of fresh meat when it is first cut. In
presence of oxygen, there is formation of
oxymyoglobin, which imparts a bright red
color to the meat. In the absence of
oxygen, oxymyoglobin gets reconverted
to myoglobin. An undesirable brown color
is formed due to metmyoglobin when
meat gets exposed to air for a few days.
• Yet another form of discoloration on the
surface of the meat, which is dark reddish-
brown color is due to loss of moisture.
Dehydration of meat on the surface
results in concentration of the pigments.
• Hence, the principal role of fresh meat
package is:
a. To prevent moisture loss
b. To offer the product to the consumers
in most desirable color-red bloom
c. To prevent further bacterial
contamination of meat
d. To arrest pick up of foreign flavor and
odor by meat
e. To control oxygen transfer
Packaging of meat products

10. 1. Tray with Overwrap
The most common packages for retail
fresh meat cuts in Western countries are
polystyrene foam or clear plastic trays
over wrapped with a transparent film.
These trays offer an aesthetically
appealing background. The use of
blotter underneath eliminates the
changes of excessive meat juice
accumulation. Meat thus wrapped may
keep for approximately 10 days at a
temperature of 0°C before it becomes
microbiologically unacceptable.
However, it can retain the desirable
bright red color only for about 5 days.
Cellophane coated with nitrocellulose
on one side was in use for wrapping
fresh meat for a considerable period.
The uncoated side is kept in contact
with meat. Moisture saturation on the
film increases its oxygen permeability,
while nitrocellulose coating on the outer
side prevents excessive moisture loss to
the atmosphere. Another grade of
cellophane with polyethylene coating on
one side can be used for irregular
shaped meat though it is not much in
use.
Packaging Materials and Techniques

11. 2. Shrink Packaging:
• Plastic Shrink films are used for wrapping large and uneven cuts of fresh meat.
• It is a technique in which heat shrinkable polymer film is shrunk around the meat
product by application of heat to achieve a skin-tight and compact pack.
• Dressed chicken is overwrapped with such films and passed through hot air tunnel
or dipped in water tub maintained at 90°C for a few seconds to effect shrinkage of
the film.
• The packaging film should have structural strength. It should be a good water
vapour barrier and be capable of with standing storage temperature of about -
45°C. The advantages of plastic shrink film include neat appearance, ease in
handling and a contour fit.
• Heat shrinkable polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, irradiated polyethylene PVDC
and rubber hydrochloride are used to shrink wrap fresh meat.

12. 3. Vacuum Packaging
• In vacuum packaging, then product is filled in
a bag/ pouch, air is withdrawn either by
nozzle vacuuming or by chamber vacuuming
and the bag/ pouch is heat sealed thus
storing the product in an air free
environment.
• The plastic film used for vacuum packaging
must have high resistance to gases and water
vapor with perfect sealing ability and good
mechanical strength.
• Since vacuum packaging provides a barrier to
the product from oxygen and moisture, it is
suitable for period of 3 weeks.
• The most commonly used film for fresh meat
vacuum packaging is PVDC (poly vinylidene
chloride). It offers low oxygen permeability
and shrink characteristics so that large cuts
can be kept for upto 21 days with minimum
loss of moisture. Typical packaging materials
used are:
 Polyethylene / co-polymer coated
cellulose film laminates
 Polyester / polyethylene film laminates
 Polyamide / polyethylene laminates
 Nylon / EVA / laminates
 PVDC / Polyester / PVDC / PE laminates
 LDPE / BA / nylon / BA / LDPE
• Vacuum packaging is more a means of
keeping meat at better level of quality than
the means of increasing shelf-life, because it
is virtually impossible to remove all the
oxygen (small quantities remain trapped
within the product).
• A shelf-life of up to three weeks for fresh
meat is achieved by vacuum packaging, but it
is not popular at retail level because of the
development of purple red color of meat.

13. 4. Skin Packaging:
• Another development that offers
advantages for presentation as well as
packaging design variety is skin
packaging.
• The process allows the packaging film
to conform exactly to the profile of the
product. This gives rise to enhanced
product presentation as well as further
improving the integrity of the pack
itself.
• The top of the packaging material is
heated in an evacuating chamber until
it is near its melting point, at which it
drapes over the product and forms a
skin around all the contours.
• Upon sealing and cooking, it retains its
new shape, ensuring intimate contact
with the product, irrespective of
surface irregularities. Skin packs are
prepared with an oxygen barrier plastic
film.

14. 5. Modified Atmosphere Packaging
• MAP involves placing fresh meat in an environment in which the oxygen
availability is altered from that in the air. This is commonly done either through
the removal of air/ oxygen by vacuum and then back flushing with carbon
dioxide, nitrogen or a combination of the two.
• Carbon dioxide inhibits the growth of typical aerobic meat spoilage
microorganisms.
• Carbon dioxide also inhibits mold growth, but the same is true for complete
nitrogen flush and vacuum packaging in which the oxygen is almost totally
removed. In all three processes, low oxygen availability atmosphere are
created, inhibiting aerobic meat spoilage organisms.
• It has been reported that, in general, the use of 20% carbon dioxide and 80%
oxygen is a good proportion with respect to balancing the attractive meat
colour and retarding the bacterial growth thus extending the shelf-life.

15. • Poultry meat is high in protein, low in calories and easy to chew and digest,
but poultry fat is unsaturated and is very prone to the development of
oxidative rancidity.
• Shelf-life of poultry varies according to type of processing, nature of
processing environment, initial flora and post-slaughter treatment.
• Packaging of poultry meat is undertaken immediately after the dressing
operations are over. Unpacked refrigerated storage may result in surface
dehydration, freezer burn, characterized by surface dis-coloration, tough
texture and diminished juiciness as well as flavor loss.
• Poultry is usually packed as whole dressed poultry, cut up poultry and poultry
organs.
• Dressed poultry have a shelf-life of 5-7 days at refrigerated storage conditions
of 0-5°C
Packaging of poultry products

16. 1. Over-wraps: Packaging of whole dressed chicken halves or cut-up parts are
done in plastic films like polyethylene, polypropylene, PVDC, rubber
hydrochloride or nylon 6. These are films of 150 to 200 gauge in thickness.
Polyethylene is the most widely used packaging material in our country
because of low cost and easy availability. Each dressed eviscerated bird is
inserted into a bag. Gilblet of individual bird is wrapped in waxed paper or
parchment paper and placed into the body cavity before bagging. The
problem of body fluid accumulation is avoided by putting an absorbent pad or
blotter on the pack of each bird to soak up the liquid. The bag is then heat
sealed or twist-tied or clipped shut.
2. Tray With Over-wraps: Small whole dressed chicken, broilers, roasting
chickens are placed in a polystyrene foam tray and over-wrapped with
transparent plastic film. A blotter underneath absorbs the excessive meat
juice accumulated. Chicken thus wrapped has a shelf-life of 7 days at 4°C in
refrigerator.
Packaging Materials

17. 3. Shrink Film Over-wraps: Many thermoplastic films such as polyethylene,
polypropylene, poly vinylidene can be biaxially oriented to stay
stretched at ambient temperature. Dressed chicken is overwrapped with
such films and passed through hot air tunnel or dipped in water tub
maintained at 90°C for a few seconds to effect shrinkage of the film.
4. Vacuum Packaging: The ideal materials for vacuum packaging of
poultry are laminates of polyester / polyethylene (PE), polyamide/
polyethylene, PVDC co-polymer film, nylon/ EVA.
5. Modified Atmosphere Packaging: In this technique, the atmosphere
surrounding the product in the pack is modified by flushing carbon
dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen alone or in combination. Mixture of 60%
nitrogen and 40% carbon dioxide or 50% nitrogen and 50% carbon
dioxide is ideal for modified atmosphere packaging of chicken meat.

18. • Refrigeration can have an important effect on poultry even before the bird is hatched.
• After slaughter of birds, the main purpose of refrigeration is to reduce and then
maintain the temperature of the meat below a value that will ensure a high-quality,
safe product.
• There are clear differences between the environmental conditions required for
cooling processes, that is, primary and secondary chilling and freezing, which are heat
removal/ temperature reduction processes, and those required for subsequent stages
of the cold chain, that is, chilled storage, frozen storage, transport, retail display and
home storage, where the aim is to maintain a set product temperature.
• Many storage problems are due to a failure to remove all the required heat in the
cooling process.
• This failure can be due to a number of causes:
1. insufficient time allowed ·
2. insufficient refrigeration capacity to cater for high initial product load
3. overloading
4. variation in size of product
5. incorrect environmental conditions
Refrigerated storage of poultry meat

19. • Chilling reduces surface temperature.
• Enhance carcass drying resulting in reduction of microbial growth.
• Critical process in terms of meat hygiene, safety, shelf life, appearance and eating
quality.
• Temperature for chilling process ranges from 1°c to 4°c.
• Refrigeration begins with chilling of animal carcasses.
• Continues through the entire process of holding, cutting, transit, retail display and
even in the consumer household before ultimate use.
• Relative humidity generally kept 90%.
• Carcasses first held in chill coolers (15°c) to remove their body heat passed on to
holding coolers (5°c).
• Refrigerated temperatures favor the growth of psychrophilic organisms causing
spoilage of meat occurs in due course of time.
• Fresh meat maintains good condition for a period of 5-7 days at a refrigerated
temperature of 4±1°c.
• Processed meat products are stored under refrigeration have long shelf life as
compared to their raw ones.
• Processed products less perishable and life of poultry meat is 3-6 months under
refrigerated conditions