Have you ever taken the time to think about how meat goes from the cow to your market’s cooler? It’s actually quite the process, and it requires plenty of skill and attention to detail. Here’s what you need to know about the meat production process and how it can affect the meat you sell to your customers.
The Livestock
The meat that ends up on your customers’ dinner plates all starts with a chick, a piglet, or a calf. These animals are either bred and born onsite or purchased from farmers who specialize in organic livestock breeding. They’re then raised organically, which means they are fed all-organic diets with no GMO grain, and they’re never given hormones or antibiotics. Organic livestock are not kept in confinement for extended periods of time, and they’re often allowed to roam freely and graze just as they would in the wild.
Slaughtering
Once the livestock has reached a minimum age and size, it is slaughtered as humanely as possible and processed into cuts immediately. In every single USDA-approved facility, there are inspectors on hand to oversee everything from animal welfare to food safety guidelines. In the best production facilities, trained butchers carefully carve the cuts that will later be packaged and delivered to stores and markets. This process requires adherence to several safety guidelines set forth by the USDA, and high-quality facilities will go above and beyond to exceed those guidelines.
Packaging
The cuts of meat are then packaged per each client’s unique specifications. Although MAP packaging is often recommended for the best possible presentation and color, other options include more traditional vacuum packaging and master bagging, as well. The meats are packaged safely into USDA-approved containers, and they’re then carefully stored in sanitary facilities.
Shipping and Delivery
When market owners place their orders, each cut of meat is hand-selected from the warehouse and packed carefully into boxes designed to protect the products while they’re in shipment. Then, they’re loaded onto trucks for delivery to markets in your area. The best companies work hard to ensure that the products you order are locally-sourced, which means they’re as fresh as possible when they arrive.
From Your Shelves to Your Customer’s Plates
The final stage in the meat production process involves choosing the right cuts for your customer’s needs and displaying them for sale in your store. When you choose high-quality, safe meat products that are raised organically in a local setting, you can rest assured that your customers will see and taste the difference in every single product they buy from your store. It’s vital to choose a meat processing company that pays close attention to every single detail; this allows you to sell only the best.
The processes behind producing organic meat to sell in your market are quite simple. They all start with organically-bred animals who are raised humanely and fed all-natural grains. Then, these animals are slaughtered and butchered with care and precision, neatly packaged, stored in a clean warehouse, and shipped directly to you so you can offer them to your customers.