Independent Processor

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When you think of a fine charcuterie tray, you may envision a fancy Italian restaurant, a wooden board covered with sliced meats and various cheeses, perhaps served with a glass of wine.

Frank Bertolino can still remember the first paycheck he ever received in America. It was in 1956, and the 20-year-old had just come to the country from Sicily, along with the rest of his family. He had worked in the fish business with his father in the old country, but when they settled in Boston, his cousin got him a job as a carpenter. They made caskets.

The most important thing small meat plant owners and managers need to be concerned with in meat processing is SAFETY. That includes food safety, employee safety and customer safety.

Like pretty much anything that happens in Washington DC, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act had a mixed bag of results. 

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a contagious neurological disease that affects deer and other cervids. CWD is classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) disease also known as a prion disease. 

The meat industry uses refrigeration as the air-chilling system to slow microbial growth and maintain carcass quality. In the pork industry, the time between harvest and fabrication is typically 24 to 48 hours.

World travel may not be for everyone – especially right now – but consumers can still enjoy foreign cultures without leaving their home. Indian food is a hot food trend. It’s a flavorful cuisine with a wealth of complex flavors and spices, and there are plenty of entrée options for consumers who want to settle down with a good Bollywood movie.

For years, buying a steak to prepare at home involved the same step: go to the supermarket, rifle through the wrapped foam trays to find the best cut, and take it to the cashier. Even if you were lucky enough to live by a meat market or a butcher and could get custom cuts, you still were able to see the product before bringing it home.

The last time that White Oak Pastures was on the cover of this magazine, it was because owner Will Harris had decided to build a processing plant to slaughter his own grass-fed beef. Over the last dozen years, the company continues to be at the forefront of producing pasture-raised beef.

During the COVID-19 pandemic it has been challenging to operate a small meat plant. However, most small meat plants have been able to successfully stay in business.