Pork processing

The term “pork” refers to meat that comes from pigs and is the most popular type of meat consumed globally, making up around 38% of all meat produced.

Growing interest in pig farming can be linked to the relatively easy nature of keeping pigs in comparison to other animals. Pork has the potential to significantly improve diets’ protein deficiencies while also creating millions of jobs.

Because so many other items can be made from pork, it has a very strong value chain and provides farmers with a reliable source of income. Lard, sausages, ham, bacon, and other items made from pork are only a few examples.


However, farmers and businesspeople must embrace industrial pork processing if pig farming is to realize its full potential. This would enable the fullest, most effective, and most cost-effective exploitation of all pig farming products.

System for Processing Pork

Pigs must be slaughtered in order to be processed into various products and shapes that can be used both industrially and for human consumption.

There are two essential components of a modern pork processing system:
1. Pig Slaughter Line
2. Finishing the carcass.

These two major components each have a number of supporting systems, which are detailed and mentioned below:
Pig Slaughtering Line

1. Handling before slaughter

For the production of pork of high quality, care must be taken before the animals are slaughtered in the pork processing facility. In meat processing generally, the animal handling system has a greater impact on the meat quality. This system, which comprises of runways and stables, primarily maintains and directs live pigs toward the point of slaughter using excellent animal management techniques.

2. Stunning

The procedure of stunning involves making the animals to be butchered unconscious or incapacitated before they are slaughtered. An ethical and humane technique of animal handling requires stunning. This process is handled by this system. In the preparation of pork, stunning can be done either electronically or using CO2 gas.

3. Hollow knife systems and bleeding systems

This system includes of tools for butchering pigs and ways to remove their blood after being slaughtered. With ergonomic manual workstations and cutting-edge hollow knife blood collecting devices, the system can be constructed in either vertical or horizontal bleeding systems.

4. Scalding

To make it simple to remove the hair from the butchered pigs, boiling liquid or steam is applied here. Due to rising operational expenses and the risk of cross-contamination from reusing scalding water, the scalding method (conventional pull through scalding or condensation scalding system) used in pig processing is becoming more and more crucial.

5. Dehairing

This mechanism is in responsible for extracting the hair from slain pigs. Only when the dehairing apparatus is perfectly constructed for the scalding system will the greatest dehairing outcomes be realized. In addition to the equipment, variables like the scalding time, temperature, pig breed, and seasonal effects can all have an impact on the dehairing outcome.

6. Gambrelling

The pigs are gambrelled, hooked, or lifted up to the buffer rail in front of the machine/dressing line conveyor after being dehaired. Numerous gambrelling tables have either a fixed or shifting top execution.

Carcass Finishing

1. Eviceration

This system is in charge of removing the pigs’ internal organs. With the overall goals of optimizing labor utilization, enhancing slaughter efficiency, and avoiding contamination, this operation can be carried out manually or automatically.

2. Cooling and Chilling

The majority of contemporary pork processing facilities come with a rapid chill tunnel. In order to prevent unnecessary weight loss, this mechanism swiftly lowers the carcass temperature.

3. Cutting

The pigs are divided into many pieces and forms in this approach.

4. Delivery

The sliced pork must be transported through this procedure in order to be loaded and packaged for sale to consumers.

Pork processing will promote improved production and utilization of pig products, allowing pig farmers to earn more money and providing customers with more inexpensive sources of protein diet.

For more information on profitable Pig farming business, get a copy of our guide Here