Slaughterhouse Supply Chain: Current Trends In The Market

Consumer needs are ever-changing. The drastic change in meat demands has pushed the slaughterhouse industry to perform better.

For instance, many customers are now worried about the sustainability and safety of the processing methods. Along with that, the global demand for meat is also on the rise. Thus, the slaughterhouses should meet the increased demands sustainably.

This is where technological advancements from companies like DGS come into play. Many slaughterhouses now use tools like a deboning system and robot depalletizer to make their job easier. It also reduces cost and improves food safety and transparency in production. In this blog, we will look at different trends in the slaughterhouse supply chain.

How does a modern slaughterhouse supply chain differ from conventional ones?

In earlier days, only a few prominent players were in the market. This limited the link between the suppliers and distributors. Hence, it was easy to meet their demands.

Now, the supply chain is a vast web of middlemen, producers, and distributors who work together to meet global demands. Industries are more connected now. The complexity and the size of operations have significantly increased. Also, the modern slaughterhouse is more connected with the farms. And several other meat processing facilities at the same time.

1. The Deboning System

Instead of resorting to manually deboning, modern slaughterhouses use automatic systems. It is a mechanical assembly that efficiently removes bones from the carcass. There are separate systems for white meat and dark meat. It has two active components.

1. The conveyor system.
2. The spinning blade assembly.

The conveyor belt moves the carcass into a spinning blade arrangement. Which then removes the meat from the bones efficiently.

Previously, there was no way of managing the wastes produced. However, the trend is to install several conveyor systems leading to different destinations. Thus, redirecting the wastes to get collected in a designated location. Companies in this industry offers several such setups that allow you to collect the waste and send it to the respective processing facilities.

2. Robot Depalletizer

Instead of manually removing the products from stacks, the current technology uses a mechanical arm. It is an automated arm that moves according to the programming.

A robot depalletizer operates at very low temperatures to maintain the freshness of the meat. They can quickly remove the wooden base and place the frozen products on the conveyor belt.

Employing an automated system reduces the need for manual labor. This helps you reduce costs and prevents material waste.

3. Intelligent Data Processing

By adopting intelligent systems, you can gain real-time insights into the supply chain. You get every information from sourcing to the packing of the meat. This helps suppliers and distributors streamline the supply chain. You can keep track of all the units you produce.

Automatic data capture systems help the slaughterhouses improve quality control. It also helps in traceability and food safety.

An efficient system like a robot depalletizer also comes with automatic counting systems. It keeps track of the units that it stacked/de-stacked.

Conclusion

Currently, automation and robotization are taking over the slaughterhouses in many nations. They help manufacturers provide a consistently high level of quality while reducing the cost of production. Thus, the current trends not only revolve around meeting the global demands. It also focuses on reducing the cost incurred during production.