Page Title

Meat Processing

The OSU Meat Lab offers facilities and equipment for cattle, hog, sheep, and goat harvesting; carcass fabrication; and further processing of fresh and cooked meat and poultry products. Cooking can be accomplished using convection and impingement ovens, as well as smokehouses, for either natural or liquid smoking. Finished products can be vacuum, modified atmosphere, or tray packaged. This facility operates under State of Ohio Meat Inspection, but experimental products can be shipped interstate from this facility.

Contact: Dr. Henry Zerby
              110E Animal Sciences
              2029 Fyffe Road
              Columbus OH 43210-1095

              614-688-4584
              zerby.8@osu.edu

Harvest: A 290-square-foot room allows for daily harvesting of cattle, hogs, or sheep, under full inspection by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Division of Meat Inspection. There is a chill box that holds carcasses after slaughter. Poultry can also be harvested at a poultry facility on Lane Avenue near The Ohio State University.

Fabrication: A 290-square-foot room, held at 40 degrees F, is designated for fresh meat cutting. Packaging can be done by fresh meat overwrap, vacuum or modified atmosphere using a bi-vac machine, and gas-flushed tray packing using a Cry-O-Vac machine. A shrink tank is also available. Retail display shelf-life testing can be done in this room.

Further processing: A 290-square-foot refrigerated room is designated for cured and further-processed meat products. This facility is under full inspection by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Division of Meat Inspection. Capabilities include:

• Grinding/mixing-Two grinder mixer units allow for grinding and mixing of large batches (200 pounds). Smaller grinders and mixers (50 pounds) are also available.
• Chopping/emulsifying-Two small choppers (Hobart: 15 pounds and Seydelman: 25 pounds) and a tabletop emulsifier are available.
• Stuffing/linking-Three stuffers. Holly piston stuffer, a Vemag Robot twin-screw stuffer, and a new Risco vein stuffer with linker.

Packaging: Three options include: fresh meat overwrap, vacuum or modified atmosphere using a bi-vac machine, and gas-flushed tray packing using a Cry-O-Vac machine. A Cry-O-Vac shrink tank is also available.

Slicing: Multiple tabletop Hobart slicers are available, as well as a bacon slicer.

Pattie forming: A pattie maker and a Tom's pattie maker are available.

Meatball forming: A meatball former is available.

Injection/marination: Two injectors are available: a Holac 20 needle injector, or a new Belam 44 needle injector.

Tumbling: Two vacuum tumblers are available, with capacities varying from 50 pounds (Hobart) to 250 pounds.

Thermal processing: A 144-square-foot room, under full inspection by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Division of Meat Inspection, contains a variety of cooking equipment including:

• Smoking/cooking-Two ovens are available including: a 500-pound Single cage Alkar oven, and a new Single cage Enviro-Pak oven. Both have liquid and natural smoke capabilities.
• Impingement cooking-A Lincoln conveyor oven is available.
• Convection cooking-A Blodgett forced air convection oven is available.
• Kettle cooking-A Groen, steam-jacketed kettle is available.
• Chilling/stabilization-An RTE cooler is available adjacent to the Thermal Processing Room. Temperature charting equipment is available for monitoring stabilization for HACCP plans.

Back to Top >

Created: 2007-04-10, Updated: 2008-08-04