Information about meat production
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Contents
General information
The energy consumption is one of the key production factors in the meat processing industry. It has a great impact on the meat processing plant efficiency and the natural environment. Consumption of energy carriers in meat processing plants depends on many factors such as, for example, size and structure of output, production technology used, thermo-physical properties of raw materials, mechanisation of production processes and utilization of processing capacity. An average about 775kWh of energy required to produce a tonne of beef and 685kWh per tonne of sheep meat (based on the energy used for slaughtering, cutting and retail packing). In meat processing, moderate levels of both electrical and thermal energy are consumed in wide range of processes and applications. Electricity is used for refrigeration, compressed air, ventilation, lighting, powering the operating equipment in the slaughter, boning and by-product processing areas such as saws, hoists, conveyors, packing machines and electrical stimulation. Gas and oil are primarily used to provide heat and hot water for the factories (eg. for scalding, knife sterilisation, cleaning process areas and machinery, by product processing and heating).
Products
- poultry (chicken, turkey)
- canned meat (beef muscle in gelatine)
- bacon
Processes in meat production
Energy consumption in the meat industry
Sector Electricity Fuels Activity % Activity % Pork slaughtering Cooling 49-70 Gas oven 60-65 Slaughtering 5-30 Cleaning and disinfecting 18-20 Water cleaning 5-7 Singeing 15 Lighting 2-8 Space heating 7 Evisceration 3 Cattle slaughtering Slaughtering 26 Cleaning and disinfecting 80-90 Evisceration 3 Space heating 10-20 Cooling 45-70 Compressed air, lighting and machines 30 Poultry slaughtering Cooling 52-60 Singeing 60 Machines and compressed air 30 Cleaning and disinfecting 30 Lighting and ventilation 4 Space heating 10 Meat slaughtering Cutting and mixing 40 Cleaning and disinfecting 25 Cooling 40 Space heating 15 Packing 10 Lighting 10 Rendering Compressed air, lighting and machines 12 Vacuum evaporation 2 Grinding and pressing 17 Drying 61 Drying 23 Grinding and pressing 17 Vacuum evaporation 6 Space heating 1 Milling plant 8 Fat treatment 3 Meat sterilization 2 Meat sterilization 8
Benchmarks
Table of energy consumption for an abattoir with an output of 200 up to 250 pigs or 40 up to 60 cattle per hour: (Heiss, R. [Hrsg.]: Lebensmitteltechnologie)
For more benchmark data, check above the sector Products
Literature
- Ramirez C A et.al.(2006) Energy 31, 2047- 2063
- Heiss, R.(1990) Lebensmitteltechnologie
