Meat Processing

Meat processing involves the slaughter, processing or fabrication, and packaging of farmed animals for human consumption. Beef, pork, and chicken account for the overwhelming majority of meats consumed in the United States, although fish and shellfish consumption is increasing. A distinction is often made between red meat (beef and pork) and poultry, but the same companies generally slaughter and process all three. Meat and poultry processing is concentrated in the hands of a few multinational corporations. Tyson Foods, JBS USA, Cargill Meat Solutions, Smithfield Foods, and Sysco Corporation were the top five companies in sales in 2012 and 2013. One in eight U.S. manufacturing workers is employed in the food, beverage, and tobacco industries (Ollinger, Nguyen, Blaney, Chambers, & Nelson, 2005). Meat processing accounts for ...