Specialty and Small-Scale Poultry Processing
Types of processing On-farm processing Mobile Processing Units (MPUs) Small plants (I.e. pilot plant) Large plants
Activities required for ready-to-cook poultry: Pre-slaughter: catching and transport Immobilization, kill, and bleed Feather removal: scalding and picking Evisceration Chilling Packaging
Feed withdrawal Catching Loading Transport
Immobilize/stun Kill Bleed
Types of scalding equipment: Homemade scalders and dunkers Stockpot Used electric or propane water heaters Very labor intensive Scalder bath Multi-stage scalders Overflow Temperature control Pathogen control
Scalding 101
Types of pickers Homemade pickers Used washing machines Plastic 55-gallon drums Small pickers Drum Tub In-line pickers
Drum picker Tubpicker
Remove head, oil glands, and feet
Eviscerate
Evisceration Guts remain attached to bird for inspection Avoid tearing gut and causing microbial Harvest giblets Wash carcass Specialty evisceration New York dressed
Chilling Lower temperature of carcass Broilers (4-lb)40F within 4 hours (4-8 lbs)40F within 6 hours Turkeys (greater than 8 lbs)40F within 8 hours
Rule of thumb: One pound of ice per pound of meat Used dairy equipment
Chilling: Ice bath Static
Pre-chilling Prevents cold shortening Gradual temperature reduction Water uptake 8-12% water in carcass
Large chillers Counter current Overflow Air Bubbles Paddles or rakes 32F 45 minutes Pre-chiller 55-60F 15 minutes
Air chill Soft scald Temperature 20-35F Takes longer: 2 hours No water uptake/less microbial contamination More expensive equipment, space, utilities Less water Homemade air chill?
Yield 67% for broilers without giblets Whole birds Further processed Cut-up Parts Deboned Sizing and portioning Formed Whole (deli loaves) Comminuted (nuggets) Emulsified (hot dogs) Curing and smoking Brining
Hand deboning
Aging Tenderness: Poultry meat must age at least 4 hours before eating or freezing Rigor mortis Stress before slaughter can lead to dark, dry meat
Packaging: On-farm: bags, shrink bags Shelf life: 6 days Small plants: shrink bags, vacuum packing, totes Shelf life: up to 12 days (vacuum) Large plants: tray packs, bulk ice packs Shelf life: 21 days (crust-frozen tray pack) 7-28 days (bulk, depending on modified atmosphere)
Storage: Home refrigerators or freezers Freezing extends shelf life to 6-12 months Rate of freezing: Slow freezing (3-72 hours): large ice crystals that damage cells Fast freezing (30 minutes): small ice crystals
Methods of freezing: Still air (slow) used by home freezers Blast freezing (fast) Bone darkening seen in young chickens after freezing
Clean up On-farm: hoses Plants: pressure washers.
Waste: Offal, feathers, blood Wastewater Treatment: Screen out big chunks Remove small particles in water Fat trap Dissolved air flotation Break down organic matter Aerobic lagoons Anaerobic lagoons Trickling filters Land application Composting
Processing diverse species Broilers, Cornish game hens, stewing hens, ducks, geese, squab, turkeys Multispecies processing: Rabbits Red meat and poultry in the same plant
Putting It All Together: Batch vs continous processing Processing rate: Working alone with minimal equipment: 6 birds per person per hour Experienced processor with equipment handling at least 4 birds at a time: 15 birds per person per hour
On-farm processing set-ups: Less than $1000
Less than $15,000
Mobile Processing Units (MPU): A shared resource $7,000-$12,000
1 Kentucky MPU - $70,000
Small Plant Establishment $100,000- $400,000
Small Plants Usually enclosed building Separate areas for killing and evisceration Keep edible product from coming in contact with inedible. GMP SOP SSOP HACCP Code of Federal Regulations