The Importance of Quality and Traceability in the Meat Industry

This blog focuses on the meat industry, the characteristics of this market and what impact COVID-19 has had on the industry. Various activities fall within the meat industry, including the slaughter, processing, packaging and distribution of poultry, cattle, pigs, sheep and game. This meat can be processed as a semi-finished or end product. According to the FAO, it is estimated that a total of 335 million tons of carcass weight was produced worldwide in 2019, indicating a 1% decrease compared to 2018.

Transparency Across the Entire Supply Chain Is a Must-Have Requirement

Companies that work within the meat industry cannot ignore this. The market demands transparency from various aspects. An increasing trend that contributes to this is sustainable consumption. The consumer is more interested and involved in the origin of the meat, the process up to the sale of the product, but also its impact on the environment. In order to keep all matters concerning the processing of the meat clear and transparent, it is important that there is continuous information available regarding traceability, product specifications and quality. With the right information in order, as a meat company, you can meet the required certifications, which are often set as a strict requirement by B2B customers.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Meat Industry

Where at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic it seemed that the demand for meat would increase because of hoarding by shoppers, eventually the opposite turned out to be the case. So far in 2020, meat consumption worldwide appears to have decreased by 3% after research by the FAO on global food markets. Bloomberg indicates that the COVID-19 crisis is an important cause of this in various ways. First, the closure of foodservice outlets like restaurants has resulted in a clear decrease in meat consumption. In addition, there is also a level of distrust of imported meat in countries such as China, where it has been linked to coronavirus outbreaks. Finally, in many countries, there have been disruptions at meat companies that have had to temporarily close their doors after outbreaks of the virus among the staff - and so capacity has been drastically reduced.

Accurate and Correct Information About the Entire Production Process is Essential

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the increasing trend of sustainable production and consumption and the importance of quality and traceability, meat businesses must be certain that their entire production process is clearly mapped out. Information and data must be accurate and up-to-date to meet the requirements of the consumer, purchasers and the government. In order to guarantee this, it is important that you work with the right software system within your company. A fully integrated software platform designed to address the unique challenges within the food industry and to enable your business to grow is now essential.

If your meat industry business is facing these traceability challenges, Aptean’s Food & Beverage solutions are purpose-built to help meet your specific needs. To learn more about how Aptean Food & Beverage could help your business, get in touch with our team of food and beverage industry experts today.