Water Testing In The Red Meat Industry

Global meat production has increased rapidly over the last 50 years, with beef and pork contributing the biggest rises in red meat. Red meat is defined as any meat that is a red colour before it is cooked, including lamb, beef, pork and goat.

Despite the increasing demand, meat producers are under pressure to focus on food safety and traceability. This pressure not only comes from regulatory bodies but also the general public, which causes buyers to be more focused on these issues.

What roles to disinfectants play in red meat production?

Extensive disinfection procedures are implemented throughout meat production facilities to kill any pathogens and prevent cross-contamination. Effective sanitation of both the carcass and the production environment is a key measure included in HACCP plans.

Common disinfectants used in red meat production are:

Chlorine
Chlorine dioxide

Peracetic acid
Quarternary ammonium compounds

The choice of disinfectants will depend largely depend on cost, efficiency, handling safety and the pH of the wash waters. For example, chlorine is considered an effective disinfectant which is relatively cheap and easy to store, however chlorine is less effective at a low pH so it is not suitable for all environments.

Why is disinfectant monitoring important for red meat production?

Testing of wash waters at critical control points is also part of the HACCP procedure. This is to ensure that the disinfectant dosage is high enough to be effective at removing pathogens and limiting cross contamination. However where dosage is too high, product quality can be effective and cause chemical costs to increase unnecessarily.

Kemio Disinfection is a waterproof, portable device which can perform testing of wash waters directly on the production line. Inclusive of testing for chlorine, chlorine dioxide, bromine and PAA; Kemio is truly simple to use, requiring no reagents or chemicals. Find out more about how Kemio works by watching our short instructional video.

Kemio Disinfection is a waterproof, portable device which can perform testing of wash waters directly on the production line. Inclusive of testing for chlorine, chlorine dioxide, bromine and PAA; Kemio is truly simple to use, requiring no reagents or chemicals. Find out more about how Kemio works by watching our short instructional video.

To find out more about how Kemio can support you contact a member of our team below, or visit the product page.

Clear pass/fail results. No calculations required