(a) Describe the basic requirements and main components in the establishment of a modern slaughterhouse. (20 marks) (b) Enlist…

(a) Basic requirements and main components in the establishment of a modern slaughterhouse

Basic requirements: a site away from residential areas, on well-drained high land with downwind location, abundant potable water (several hundred litres per animal), continuous electricity, road access, and an effluent and waste disposal facility. Design and licensing follow the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, FSSAI licensing rules and pollution-control norms. Flow must be one-way from live animal to meat, separating clean and dirty areas.

Main components:

1. Lairage: covered, well-ventilated pens with non-slip floor, water and rest for 12–24 hours, with isolation pens for suspect animals.
2. Ante-mortem inspection: by a veterinarian at the lairage.
3. Stunning and bleeding: restraining box, humane stunning (captive bolt, electrical or gas), and bleeding over a trough fitted for blood collection.
4. Slaughter hall: overhead rail for hoisting, dressing stations (dehiding, evisceration, splitting) above floor level, sterilisers for knives, and hand-washing points.
5. Post-mortem inspection: of head, viscera and carcass, with a provision for retaining condemned parts.
6. Chilling and storage: chill rooms at 0–4°C, freezing at −18°C, and a deboning room at about 10–12°C.
7. By-product and condemned-material section: edible offal room, rendering plant, and hide and skin handling.
8. Effluent treatment plant with primary, secondary and tertiary treatment, and laboratory, office and staff facilities.

(b) Edible and inedible by-products of meat industry, and preparation of gelatine from bones

Edible by-products: liver, kidney, heart, tongue, tripe (stomach), brain, spleen, lungs, blood (for blood products), intestines as sausage casings, and fat (edible tallow, lard).

Inedible by-products: hides and skins, hoofs, horns, hair, bristles and bones (bone meal, glue, gelatine, buttons), blood meal, meat and bone meal, inedible tallow, and glands for pharmaceutical use such as insulin, heparin and pepsin.

Preparation of gelatine from bones (flow of steps):

1. Selection of clean, fresh, degreased bones.
2. Crushing into small chips and degreasing with hot water or solvent.
3. Demineralisation in dilute hydrochloric acid (about 4–7%) for several days, leaving ossein.
4. Liming in lime slurry for weeks, to swell the collagen (type B gelatine).
5. Washing and neutralising to pH 5–6.
6. Hot-water extraction in stages at rising temperature, about 55–65°C first then up to about 90–100°C.
7. Filtration and clarification.
8. Vacuum concentration.
9. Chilling to a gel, extruding to noodles, and drying.
10. Grinding, blending and grading by Bloom strength.

(c) Merits of rabbit as an alternate source of meat

• Biological: short gestation (30–32 days), 4–6 litters a year with 6–8 kits each, early maturity, and a feed conversion of about 3–4 kg feed per kg gain; rabbits use roughage, kitchen and farm waste, not human food grains. Dressing is about 50–55%.
• Nutritional: a white meat with high protein, low fat and low sodium, good digestibility, and a favourable fatty-acid profile and low cholesterol.
• Economic and social: small space and low capital are needed, so backyard and cage rearing suit small and landless farmers, women and youth, with quick returns and additional income from skin and manure.
• Other: low greenhouse-gas footprint, and support from schemes of the National Livestock Mission.