From Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
This document explains in precise details the exact techniques and tools used to kill animals to be food.
Find the entire article (text and photos) here:
http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/004/T0279E/T0279E04.htm
First topic covered (as an example of the extent of information provided in this article):
EQUIPMENT
Slaughtering equipment, particularly for smaller-scale operations, need not be elaborate and expensive. The amount of equipment will depend on the slaughtering procedures employed. If possible, all equipment should be made of stainless steel or plastic, be rust resistant and easily cleaned and sanitized. Equipment which does not get in contact with the meat (e.g. overhead rails, working platforms, knocking pen) is usually made of galvanized steel.
Basic equipment needed for the slaughtering operation:
- stunning gun, electrical head tongs or simple stunning equipment for direct blow
- knives:
sticking - 15 cm sharpened on both sides
skinning - 15 cm curved - a sharpening steel
- oil or water sharpening stone
- scabbard and belt for holding knives
- meat saw - hand or electric and cleaver
- block and tackle or chain hoist strong enough to hold the weight of the animal to be slaughtered
- pritch, chocks or skinning rack (dressing cradle)
- a strong beam, tripod or track 2.4 to 3.4 m from floor
- spreader - gambrel or metal pipe
- several buckets
- working platforms
- scalding barrel or tank
- pot, barrel or system for boiling water
- bell scrapers
- solid scraping table or platform
- thermometer registering up to 70°C
- hog or hay hook
- torch or flame for singeing
The last seven items indicate additional equipment required when hogs are scalded and scraped rather than skinned.
Useful additional equipment:
- knocking pen
- bleeding hooks (for vertical bleeding)
- blood-catching trough
- wash trough (tripe) Sanitation of hands and tools:
- hand wash-basin
- implement sterilizers
Other topics include:
- TREATMENT OF LIVESTOCK BEFORE SLAUGHTER AND ITS IMPACT ON MEAT QUALITY
- STUNNING AND BLEEDING OF SLAUGHTER ANIMALS
- SCALDING AND DEHAIRING OF PIGS (USING SIMPLE EQUIPMENT)
- SKINNING OF ATTLE AND SMALL RUMINANTS
- EVISCERATION
- SPLITTING, WASHING AND DRESSING OF CARCASSES
- REFRIGERATION, HANDLING AND TRANSPOT OF CARCASSES AND MEAT
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