The use of support energy in the meat processing industry

✍ Scribed by J. Keith Jacques; Kenneth L. Blaxter

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1978
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 604 KB
• Volume: 29
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-5142
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.2740290215

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A study of the consumption of support energy in the meat industry in Scotland involved both large meat factories and “high street” butchers. The energy cost of transport of live animals from farms to abattoirs was 0.5 × 10^9^ J/ton deboned meat for both pigs and cattle. Factory slaughtering, butchery and processing costs were 60 × 10^9^ J/ton deboned meat for pigs and 41 × 109 J/ton for cattle. When on‐farm costs are included the support energy subsidy/ton meat was similar for both species at 110 × 10^9^ J/ton deboned meat. The energy subsidy incurred in meat factories/ton deboned meat varied with the extent of processing, from 27 × 10^9^ J/ton for jointed pork to 86 × 10^9^ J for beef pies containing 34% meat. The imparting of convenience to food was achieved by expending additional labour and support energy in the ratio 4 × 10^9^ J/man hour. Separate calculations showed that maintenance of hygiene and disposal of effluent accounted for over half the total energy cost of factory operations.