Poultry production has become a big business throughout the world. It is a highly competitive industry and feed suppliers, producers, processors, manufacturers of equipment have all appreciated the economies of scale. By so doing, they have gone on to develop bigger and more automated systems of operation than ever before to supply an insatiable market. It is a value addition process which produces ready-made chicken for consumption.
Following the ban on the importation of poultry products by the Federal Government of Nigeria as policy measures to revive the economy and encourage the local poultry farmers, there has been an increase in the number of poultry processing plants in the country. However, due to inadequate processing facilities to meet the local demand, the price of processed chicken increased by over 75% and has since opened up investment opportunity in the value chain.
Industry experts indicate that about 90% of broiler production are slaughtered, processed and sold as frozen chicken, while the rest is sold live in the open market and slaughtered in various homes. About 50% of the broiler produced are processed in automated slaughtering plants and stored in cold rooms before distribution and sale
The objective of a centralized poultry processing plant of any scale of operation is to produce material at a price which customers can afford, as well as that which is hygienic, wholesome, attractive, marketable and with a realistic shelf life.
Processing procedure
Pre-slaughter handling
Birds should be taken off feed and water when they reach “slaughter time”. This allows their digestive tracts to empty and reduces the potential for contamination during processing. Handling and transfer of birds both on the farm and at the slaughterhouse can be stressful. Stress can have negative effects on the quality of the final meat product, and therefore efforts are constantly being made to improve the pre-slaughter processes.
Stunning and slaughtering
After the birds have been transferred to the moving shackles, they are usually stunned by running their heads through a water bath that conducts an electric current. Stunning produces unconsciousness, but it does not kill the birds. The birds are slaughtered either by hand or by a mechanical rotary knife that cuts the jugular veins and the carotid arteries at the neck. Any birds not slaughtered by the machine are quickly killed by a person with a knife assigned to the bleed area. The birds are permitted to bleed for a fixed amount of time, depending on size and species (1 to 2 minutes for broilers). Any bird that is not properly bled will be noticeably redder after feather removal.
(May 16, 2021. From”AgroNigeria”)
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Post time: May-16-2021