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Hydrophobic membrane contactors represent a promising solution to the problem of recycling ammoniacal nitrogen (N-NH 4 ) molecules from waste, water or wastewater resources. The process has been shown to work best with wastewater streams that present high N-NH 4 concentrations, low buffering capacities and low total suspended solids. The removal of N-NH 4 from rendering condensate, produced during heat treatment of waste animal tissue, was assessed in this research using a hydrophobic membrane contactor. This study investigates how the molecular composition of rendering condensate wastewater undergo changes in its chemistry in order to achieve suitability to be treated using hydrophobic membranes and form a suitable product. The main objective was to test the ammonia stripping technology using two types of hydrophobic membrane materials, polypropylene (PP) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) at pilot scale and carry out: (i) Process modification for NH 3 molecule removal and (ii) product characterization from the process. The results demonstrate that PP membranes are not compatible with the condensate waste as it caused wetting. The PTFE membranes showed potential and had a longer lifetime than the PP membranes and removed up to 64% of NH 3 molecules from the condensate waste. The product formed contained a 30% concentrated ammonium sulphate salt which has a potential application as a fertilizer. This is the first demonstration of hydrophobic membrane contactors for treatment of condensate wastewater.

Spoilage of meat products during processing, distribution and exposure in the markets have an important negative impact on meat industry from an economic point of view. Two of the main problems of meat and products during processing and subsequent storage are lipid oxidation and deterioration due to microorganism growth. In this context, several packaging alternatives have been developed by meat industry in order to limit these losses and to extend the meat products´ shelf life. Over the last years, the use of active packaging has been proposed as an alternative to traditional packaging. The principle of active packaging, particularly antioxidant active packaging, consists of including active agents in the packaging which interact with meat and/or its environment, either by trapping pro-oxidant compounds or by releasing antioxidant compounds in order to delay degradation due to lipid oxidation. Therefore, the use of active packaging is presented as a future option to solve the problems derived from oxidative deterioration of meat and meat products. However, its use will depend on the costs involved in the development of this active packaging. Therefore, this review will give an overview about the use of active packaging and natural antioxidants, the active film development techniques, as well as the use of biopolymers as substitutes for synthetic polymers and their direct application in the meat industry., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This analysis was conducted to identify industry exposures strongly associated with reports of finger amputation., Methods: Reports of severe occupational injuries in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Severe Injury Report (SIR) database were analyzed in relation to U.S. Census Bureau industry employment data. Industries with significantly elevated reporting odds ratios (RORs) and relative reporting risks (RRRs) were identified. Multiple population association measures including population attributable fraction (PAF) were calculated by industry., Results: Among industries with statistically significant RRR and ROR, the poultry processing industry (RRR = 12.60, ROR = 3.37) accounted for the highest PAF by RRR (2.34%) and ROR (1.65%) CONCLUSION:: The results of this analysis identify the poultry processing industry as a leading source of reports of occupational finger amputations and substantiate the need for further collaboration with this industry.

The current study investigated the determinants of consumers' intention to purchase meat from mobile slaughter units (MSU). The theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the value belief norm theory (VBN) were used as conceptual lenses to guide this investigation. We conducted a survey among 329 respondents in the Netherlands who buy meat for themselves and/or for others. The results indicated that (1) TPB and VBN explain a high proportion of the variance in consumers' intention to buy MSU meat, and that (2) an extended TPB that includes peoples' attitude, personal norm, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control turned out to be the best model to predict willingness to buy MSU meat. Further implications for future research and practice are discussed., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The combination of ultrasound (US) with chlorinated water (CW) and neutral detergent (ND) for simultaneous cleaning and sanitation of knives used during cattle slaughter was evaluated as a novel non thermal treatment. The US mode of operation, detergent concentration and time of treatment were studied and the results were compared with the conventional sanitation method used in meat industries. The conventional sanitation method promoted a decrease (p<0.05) in the counts of mesophiles, Enterobacteriaceae, molds and yeasts, and a similar behavior was observed for US+CW (2.05±0.08mg/l of chlorine, and mode operation normal and sweep for 10min) and US+CW+ND (5ml/l and mode operation sweep for 5min) methods. Nevertheless, when detergent concentration and sonication time were increased (20ml/l, 15min) a strong decrease (p<0.05) in the counts of mesophiles, Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus, molds and yeasts. Knife blades presented appropriate hygienic-sanitary properties in such conditions based on the Clean-Trace Surface Protein Plus™ test swab, which were better than the results obtained from conventional method. Kinetic modeling of knife sanitation was performed according to the transfer of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus during the process indicated highest migration rate of residues for US+CW+ND method, reaching 1.61mg/l·min. The hardness of knives' surface (Rockwell) was not changed by sonication using US+CW+ND method. These results indicate that both knife cleaning and sanitation processes could be performed in a unique step without the use of heat., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Knife sharpness is imperative in meat cutting. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of knife blade steel quality with meat cutters' individual ability to maintain the cutting edge sharp in an industrial production setting. Twelve meat cutters in two different companies using three different knives during normal production were studied in this quasi-experimental study. Methods included were measuring knife cutting force before and after knife use, time knives were used, ratings of sharpness and discomfort and interviews. Results showed that the meat cutters' skill of maintaining sharpness during work had a much larger effect on knife sharpness during work than the knife steel differences. The ability was also related to feelings of discomfort and to physical exertion. It was found that meat cutters using more knives were more likely to suffer from discomfort in the upper limbs, which is a risk for developing MSD., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The study examined and compared levels of aerial contamination in commercial beef and sheep plants at four sites, i.e. lairage, hide/fleece pulling, evisceration and chilling. Aerial contamination was determined by impaction and sedimentation onto Plate Count Agar to enumerate Total Viable Counts, MacConkey Agar to enumerate coliforms and Violate Red Bile Glucose Agar to enumerate Enterobacteriaceae. AS I cannot see any difference in the text here - I am not sure what the change is?. The levels of aerial contamination were similar at equivalent sites in beef and sheep plants, irrespective of the sampling method or the type of organisms recovered. Mean log counts recovered on each medium in the chillers were generally significantly lower (P < .05) than the corresponding mean log numbers recovered at the other three sites. The relationship between impaction (air) and sedimentation (surface) counts could be described by the surface to air ratio (SAR) which in this study had an R(2) of 0.77. Further studies in an experimental plant compared counts recovered from the neck of beef carcasses with aerial counts determined by impaction and sedimentation onto agar and irradiated meat pieces. A relationship between counts on beef carcasses and in the air could not be established, irrespective of the method used to compare counts., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study was to determine effects of pre rigor stretching on beef tenderness development. Beef loins (M. longissimus dorsi; n=24) were assigned to either stretching or non-stretching treatments and aged for 14 days at -1.5 °C. Sarcomere length, shear force, water-holding capacity and proteolysis were determined for the loins at 1, 7 and 14 days of ageing. Stretching increased the length of the loins by 33% resulting in a trend of increasing sarcomere length (P=0.19). However, no significant differences for shear force values, purge, drip and cooking losses between treatments were found. Shear force values decreased with ageing times (P<0.05). Western blot assay found that stretching did not affect the extent of desmin degradation. The findings from the present study suggest that pre rigor stretching with the current increase in length will not contribute to tenderness improvement of the beef loins., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The instrument grading assessments for the 2011 National Beef Quality Audit evaluated seasonal trends of beef carcass quality and yield attributes over the course of the year. One week of instrument grading data, HCW, gender, USDA quality grade (QG), and yield grade (YG) factors, were collected every other month (n = 2,427,074 carcasses) over a 13-mo period (November 2010 through November 2011) from 4 beef processing corporations, encompassing 17 federally inspected beef processing facilities, to create a "snapshot" of carcass quality and yield attributes and trends from carcasses representing approximately 8.5% of the U.S. fed steer and heifer population. Mean yield traits were YG (2.86), HCW (371.3 kg), fat thickness (1.19 cm.), and LM area (88.39 cm(2)). The YG distribution was YG 1, 15.7%; YG 2, 41.0%; YG 3, 33.8%; YG 4, 8.5%; and YG 5, 0.9%. Distribution of HCW was <272.2 kg, 1.6%; 272.2 to 453.6 kg, 95.1%; and ≥453.6 kg, 3.3%. Monthly HCW means were November 2010, 381.3 kg; January 2011, 375.9 kg; March 2011, 366.2 kg; May 2011, 357.9 kg; July 2011, 372.54 kg; September 2011, 376.1 kg; and November 2011, 373.5 kg. The mean fat thickness for each month was November 2010, 1.30 cm; January 2011, 1.22 cm; March 2011, 1.17 cm; May 2011, 1.12 cm; July 2011, 1.19 cm; September 2011, 1.22 cm; and November 2011, 1.22 cm. The overall average marbling score was Small(49). The USDA QG distribution was Prime, 2.7%; Top Choice, 22.9%; Commodity Choice, 38.6%; and Select, 31.5%. Interestingly, from November to May, seasonal decreases (P < 0.001) in HCW and fat thicknesses were accompanied by increases (P < 0.001) in marbling. These data present the opportunity to further investigate the entire array of factors that determine the value of beef. Data sets using the online collection of electronic data will likely be more commonly used when evaluating the U.S. fed steer and heifer population in future studies.

Unlabelled: High-pressure needleless injection (HPNI) is an emerging enhancing process where small-diameter, high-velocity bursts of liquid penetrate soft foods at pressures up to 69 MPa. The incidence and depth of translocated surface-inoculated E. coli O157 in HPNI-processed beef eye-of-round subprimal cuts was determined. HPNI translocated E. coli O157 from the surface to the interior of the eye-of-round subprimal cuts with incidence of 40% (± 7%), 25% (± 8%), and 25% (± 8)% for subprimals that had been surface-inoculated with a 4-strain cocktail at 0.5, 1, and 2 log₁₀ CFU/cm² , respectively. The run-off water was collected and found to contain 2, 2, and 3 log₁₀ CFU/mL E. coli O157. The runoff was reused for HPNI of additional subprimals, and this resulted in a cross-contamination incidence of 83% (± 4%), 60% (± 15%), and 37% (± 6)%. Incidence of translocation and cross-contamination was similar at 0 to 1, 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4, 4 to 6, and 6 to 8 cm below the inoculated surface. Results indicate that surface microbiota on beef will be carried to the interior of HPNI-processed beef by initial translocation from the surface with the injected fluid and by cross-contamination with recycled fluid., Practical Application: This research has practical relevance for the beef enhancement process called high-pressure needleless injection. The process's effect on surface bacteria on beef was studied., (© 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®)

The monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against ractopamine (Rac) were prepared and their properties identified by indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay (ELISA). The IC(50) of mAbs was 2.7 ng ml(-1) towards Rac or 9.3 ng ml(-1) towards Rac-glucuronides and no cross-reactivity (CR) towards other competitors except dobutamine (CR: 3.76%). Based on the mAbs, the Rac-kit (kit) and Rac-strip (strip) were developed to detect Rac residues in swine urine. The strip and kit assay could be performed within 5-10 min and 2 h, respectively, allowing the analysis of urine samples without the need for sample clean-up. The detection limits were 1 ng ml(-1) for kit and 3 ng ml(-1) with the unaided eye, and 0.2 ng ml(-1) with the Strip Reader for strip. The correlation coefficients (R(2)) were 0.988 for kit in the range 0-128.0 ng ml(-1), and 0.987 for strip in the range 0-10.8 ng ml(-1). Comparing the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with the kit or strip in swine urine spiked with Rac standards, the differences ranged from 1.4% to 4.5% for kit and 1.0% to 4.7% for strip. However, the differences were greater than 54% for the kit and 55% for the strip test for the analysis of urine from swine treated with Rac. The results obtained from GC-MS using hydrolysed urine samples were generally in good agreement with those obtained from strip or kit using non-hydrolysed urine samples.

Following a brief description of the problem of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the meat industry and use of knives, this paper presents a study of the influence of the main intrinsic technical characteristics of a knife on its cutting performance. This study prompted design of a specific system for measuring initial cutting capacity and cutting edge retention. This design process preceded research into test conditions (cutting speed, sample nature and thickness, knife inclination angle, etc.) offering optimum test bench operation. This equipment was then used to study the influence of blade inclination angle, steel grade and sharpening angle on cutting performance. It has been shown that cutting force varies with blade inclination. Use of knives with curved blades and/or a blade inclined with respect to the knife handle is therefore preferred in relation to our cutting force reduction objective. It has also been shown that choices are in fact governed by compromises in relation to other parameters (steel grade and edge angle). These observations confirm the need to set up suitable training of knife users to achieve best possible cutting performance.

Sixty left sides of pig carcasses were scanned by spiral computed tomography (CT) to measure lean meat weight and percentage. The carcasses were fully dissected and scanned to develop a calibration protocol. Different image analyses were performed on the basis of anatomically defined scans, direct volumetric estimation, body- and grey-scale ranges and using Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression of data provided by CT. The R2 values of the calibrations for lean meat weight were 0.874, 0.976, 0.983 and 0.992, respectively, depending on the method applied. The PLS proved to be the best approach with a calibration RSD of 232 g. When changing from lean meat weight to percentage, the statistical goodness drops-to a very small extent (R2 = 0.988, RSD = 0.56). According to the results, the CT method can be recommended as a reference for determining the lean meat content of pig carcasses.

Visual inspection of wholesome and unwholesome chicken carcasses with a novel two-narrowband color-mixing technique for optically enhanced binoculars is simulated. From mean spectra of wholesome, airsacculitis (air-sac), cadaver, inflammatory process (IP), septicemia-toxemia (septox), and tumor chicken samples, 10 nm wave-band pairs are selected using color difference and chromaticness difference indices for simulation of multitarget and single-target detection. The color appearance simulation uses the CIECAM97s color appearance model. Results show that for multitarget detection, the wave-band pair of (454 nm, 578 nm) is able to differentiate all six chicken conditions. For single-target detection of wholesome, air-sac, cadaver, and tumor, the wave-band pairs of (449 nm, 571 nm), (441 nm, 576 nm), (458 nm, 576 nm), and (431 nm, 501 nm), respectively, easily distinguish the target condition from the other five conditions. For single-target detection of IP and septox, the wave-band pairs of (454 nm, 591 nm) and (454 nm, 590 nm), respectively, are able to differentiate the target conditions from wholesome and tumor conditions but have difficulty with the other chicken conditions. The two-color-mixing technique shows promise for use in small-scale processing plant environments to improve the visual inspection process.

Knife sharpness can affect the productivity of meatpacking operations as well as the forces to which meat cutters are exposed. This report describes the development and evaluation of a "sharpness tester" designed to meet the criteria that the system be portable for field use at meatpacking plants, requires no special skills to operate, provides a non-destructive test of the entire blade edge, and incorporates a test motion that is representative of meat cutting. The system was bench tested for sensitivity to incremental changes in blade sharpness; suitability of the test material as a surrogate for red meat; and ability to detect variations in sharpness along the length of the blade. A graphical presentation showed that changes in cutting forces measured with the system correspond to changes in blade sharpness. Measurements made with both the test material and with red meat showed good correlation (r = 0.89). The system demonstrated the capacity to detect differences in sharpness in regions of a knife edge as well as providing visual evidence of defects along the edge of a knife blade.

Meat cutting causes a much greater incidence of upper extremity disorders than industry averages. Grip forces and cutting moments in meat cutting operations can be very high. Recently published studies indicate that the blade sharpness can significantly affect force exposure during meat cutting. Two attributes that have not been investigated with respect to force exposure during meat cutting are the effect of blade edge angle and blade finishing after sharpening (honing and polishing). This study investigated the effect of three blade edge angles and three post-sharpening finishing protocols on the grip forces and cutting moments exerted by professionals during two different meatpacking operations. A fine polish finishing protocol significantly reduced cutting time by 25.3%, mean grip force by 21.2%, and mean cutting moment by 28.4% over a coarser finishing protocol during one of the operations. No significant differences in the exposure variables were found between the blade edge angle conditions.

The purpose of the study was to investigate factors related to force and postural exposure during a simulated meat cutting task. The hypothesis was that workstation, tool and task variables would affect the dependent kinetic variables of gripping force, cutting moment and the dependent kinematic variables of elbow elevation and wrist angular displacement in the flexion/extension and radial/ulnar deviation planes. To evaluate this hypothesis a 3 x 3 x 2 x 2 x 2 (surface orientation by surface height by blade angle by cut complexity by work pace) within-subject factorial design was conducted with 12 participants. The results indicated that the variables can act and interact to modify the kinematics and kinetics of a cutting task. Participants used greater grip force and cutting moment when working at a pace based on productivity. The interactions of the work surface height and orientation indicated that the use of an adjustable workstation could minimize wrist deviation from neutral and improve shoulder posture during cutting operations. Angling the knife blade also interacted with workstation variables to improve wrist and upper extremity posture, but this benefit must be weighed against the potential for small increases in force exposure.

The monitoring of a HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) plan for the Listeria monocytogenes control in the cooked and frozen meat section of a thermo-processing meat plant was evaluated. Seventy "non-product-contact" surface samples and fourteen finished product samples were examined. Thirty eight positive sites for the presence of Listeria sp. were obtained. Twenty-two isolates were identified as L. monocytogenes, two as L. seeligeri and fourteen as L. innocua. Non isolates were obtained from finished product samples. The detection of L. monocytogenes in cooked and frozen meat section environment showed the need for the HACCP plan to eliminate or prevent product contamination in the post-thermal step.

This study was conducted to assess the ability of the VCS2001 (E+V, Oranienburg, Germany) video image analysis system to predict pork carcass composition. Pork carcasses (n = 278) were selected from a commercial packing plant to differ in weight, Fat-O-Meater (FOM) predicted percentage lean, and gender. Carcasses were imaged three times with the VCS2001, chilled overnight, and then sequentially fabricated into boneless subprimals. The VCS2001 accurately predicted the weight of total saleable product (R2 = 0.88, root mean square error [RMSE] = 1.84) and fat-corrected lean (R2 = 0.92, RMSE = 1.66), but autocorrelation existed between dependent and independent variables. The VCS2001 was acceptably accurate and precise in predicting weights of bone-in ham (R2 = 0.83, RMSE = 0.80), bone-in loin (R2 = 0.74, RMSE = 1.17), loin lean (R2 = 0.77, RMSE = 0.82), belly (R2 = 0.78, RMSE = 0.94), sparerib (R2 = 0.55, RMSE = 0.28), and boneless shoulder (R2 = 0.73, RMSE = 0.79). Weights were more accurately predicted than yields (as a percentage of hot carcass weight) of total saleable product (R2 = 0.47, RMSE = 1.97) or total fat-corrected lean (R2 = 0.44, RMSE = 1.89) using VCS2002, and it did not accurately predict percentages of bone-in ham (R2 = 0.45, RMSE = 1.13), ham lean (R2 = 0.32, RMSE = 1.46), bone-in loin (R2 = 0.29, RMSE = 1.36), loin lean (R2 = 0.56, RMSE = 0.90), belly (R2 = 0.43, RMSE = 1.08), sparerib (R2 = 0.08, RMSE = 0.32), or boneless shoulder (R2 = 0.30, RMSE = 0.88). New prediction models and equations were developed using VCS2001 output variables plus hot carcass weight to predict weight of total saleable product (R2 = 0.89, RMSE = 1.72) and fat-corrected lean (R2 = 0.93, RMSE = 1.55) with very minimal increases in accuracy and precision over that achieved using E+V-programmed models and equations. Use of new prediction models and equations marginally improved accuracy and precision of estimations of total saleable product yield (R2 = 0.56, RMSE = 1.81) and fat-corrected lean yield (R2 = 0.57, RMSE = 1.67) over that achieved using E+V-programmed models and equations. The VCS2001 was not able to predict pork carcass composition more accurately than existing technology; therefore, further development is needed to assure commercial viability of this instrument.

Due to concerns about a link between variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and similar prion protein-induced disease in cattle, i.e., bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), strict controls are in place to exclude BSE-positive animals and/or specified risk materials including bovine central nervous system (CNS) tissue from the human food chain. However, current slaughter practice, using captive bolt guns, may induce disruption of brain tissues and mobilize CNS tissues into the bovine circulatory system, leading to the dispersion of CNS tissues (including prion proteins) throughout the derived carcass. This project used a marker (antibiotic-resistant) strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens to model the effects of commercial captive bolt stunning procedures on the movement of mobilized CNS material within slaughtered animals and the abattoir environment. The marker organism, introduced by injection through the bolt entry aperture or directly using a cartridge-fired captive bolt, was detected in the slaughter environment immediately after stunning and in the abattoir environment at each subsequent stage of the slaughter-dressing process. The marker organism was also detected on the hands of operatives; on slaughter equipment; and in samples of blood, organs, and musculature of inoculated animals. There were no significant differences between the results obtained by the two inoculation methods (P < 0.05). This study demonstrates that material present in, or introduced into, the CNS of cattle during commercial captive bolt stunning may become widely dispersed across the many animate and inanimate elements of the slaughter-dressing environment and within derived carcasses including meat entering the human food chain.

Knives are used in industry, and particularly on meat packaging assembly lines, where a premium is placed on the speed of cutting. One consequence of this is that knife design and selection has been based on the speed of cutting as the most significant measure of a knife. In industry the cuts that knives make vary in difficulty with many factors such as thickness, contour, and temperature of the material being cut. These factors may change the speed with which these cuts are made. According to Taguchi's methods, a robust design is one that maintains high performance while remaining insensitive to changes in its environment. This means that a robust knife design would enable an employee to cut not only with as much speed as possible in one particular cutting scenario, but also with a consistently high speed in as many cutting scenarios as possible. An experiment with various knife designs was evaluated with Taguchi's method. Ten subjects cut outlined clay patterns in 15 min with each one of nine different knives. The nine different designs were generated from the following combinations; three grip sizes (44.4, 50.8 and 63.5 mm), three coupling angles between the grip and the blade (0, 45 and 90 degrees), three blade heights measured from the middle of the blade (10, 13 and 15 mm), and three blade lengths (85, 125 and 155 mm). Eight conditions of cutting material were used to generate 'noise'. They are combinations of temperature of the clay to be cut (from temperature (R) approximately 25 degrees C, frozen for 1 h (F) approximately 5 degrees C), thickness of the clay to be cut (15 and 25 mm), and orientation of the work surface (0 and 30 degrees). The result shows that the knife design of 63.5 mm grip size, 0 degree coupling angle, 13 mm blade height, and 85 mm blade length provides the highest number of cuts, the knife design of 50.8 mm grip size, 45 degrees coupling angle, 15 mm blade height, and 85 mm blade length gives the highest signal to noise ratio. The shorter blade (85 mm) is suggested by both designs, but the two designs are different in the other three variables. Further analysis of the noise variables shows that lowering clay temperature significantly reduces cutting speed. Although there is more than one design that can resolve changes in clay thickness and clay orientation, a 15 mm blade height is the only design insensitive to the clay temperature change.

In an experimental study on stunning of 460 turkeys in a CO2 enriched atmosphere (60-70% CO2 in air), as a more animal protecting and more economic alternative to conventional electrical stunning, the following results are obtained: all animals show respiratory arrest within 100 seconds. After being dipped in a CO2 enriched atmosphere for a few seconds the turkeys show head shaking and forced respiration which has to be considered as a strain the animals are conscious of. The meat hygienic results after CO2 stunning are much better than after electrical stunning.

The objective of this study was to test and validate electromagnetic scanning of whole pork carcasses in an on-line, integrated, industrial configuration. The electromagnetic (EM) scanner was installed in two pork processing facilities (Plant A and Plant B). Plant A was a small pork fabrication plant that further processed chilled pork carcasses. Carcasses were delivered to Plant A by refrigerated trucks. The amount of EM energy absorbed by the carcasses was recorded as they were conveyed through the EM field. A plot of the absorption units over time (EM scan curve) was used to obtain predictive variables for estimating carcass and primal cut composition. Forty-eight whole, chilled carcasses (Group A) were electromagnetically scanned and conveyed onto the fabrication line. The average percentage carcass lean for Group A was 49.1% (range = 36.5 to 59.5%). Right carcass sides were removed from the processing line, fabricated into primal cuts, and dissected into fat, lean, and bone. Prediction equations were developed from EM scans for weight of total dissected carcass lean (R2 = .830; root mean square error = 1.80 kg), percentage of carcass lean (R2 = .820; root mean square error = 2.29%), and weight of dissected ham, longissimus muscle, and shoulder lean. In Plant B, the electromagnetic scanner was installed at the end of a pork slaughter line to ensure carcass scanning at a consistent carcass temperature. Fifty whole, pre-rigor eviscerated carcasses (Group B) were electromagnetically scanned before entering the chill cooler where fat and loin tissue depths were obtained by an optical grading probe. The average percentage carcass lean for Group B was 46.7% (range = 30.1 to 57.3%). Prediction equations were developed from EM scans for weight of total dissected carcass lean (R2 = .904; root mean square error = 1.59 kg), percentage of carcass lean (R2 = .863; root mean square error = 2.05%), and weight of dissected ham, loin, and shoulder lean. Statistical equations developed for the prediction of dissected primal cut lean were superior from EM scans of Group B (prerigor) carcasses. Electromagnetic scanning proved more statistically efficient than optical probes for predicting weight of dissected carcass lean and percentage of carcass lean. Statistical comparison of EM scan equations from Groups A and B are not completely valid because two different populations of carcasses were tested at different times of the year. The results of this study show that EM scanning has the potential to accurately predict pork carcass composition in a fully automated, on-line industrial configuration.

Forty-eight series of experiments were carried out to establish the effect of disinfections with 2% septin, 1% tagonin, 2.5% chloramine and 2% chlorinated lime, all applied in the meat processing shops. Determined were the total count of bacteria and that of coliforms alone, employing the methods of washings and taking impression (contact) samples (Schothorst et al., 1966). It was found that these disinfection agents did not produce a complete disinfection effect. The contact method of determining the total count of bacteria proved readily applicable and suitable to investigate subjects having smooth surfaces. The combined use of the two methods to record the effect of disinfections is, however, suggested because of the diversity of the various subjects in the meat processing shops.

The effect of disinfection of knives with water of 82 degrees C (180 degrees F) strongly depends on the amounts of protein and fat present on the tools. When fats or proteins are absent, even a high bacterial contamination on a stainless steel plate will be completely eliminated by immersion in water of 82 degrees C during 1 s, whereas even after 10 s immersion does not give satisfactory results if a high degree of fat and protein contamination is present. By adding lactic acid to hot water the bactericidal effect may be improved, although the results are far from optimal. Apparently, optimal disinfection of contaminated knives is extremely difficult to attain without the use of mechanical forces such as a high pressure water jet to remove the dirt. Therefore a special disinfection unit was designed in which apart from the factors cleaning time and temperature, the effects of mechanical forces could be determined. By increasing water pressure the cleaning effect was improved. Adding lactic acid to the spraying water made it possible to lower water temperature and water pressure, which, among other things, resulted in a lower climatological strain at the place of work. The thermodisinfector (a modified dish-washer) appear to be a good alternative for cleaning and disinfection of tools if the requirement is dropped that every worker had to have a disinfection facility within his immediate reach. The practical application of such equipment is discussed.