Industrial meat cutters prepare meat and poultry for further processing, packaging or for marketing. They are employed in slaughtering, meat and poultry processing and packing establishments. Industrial meat cutters may perform a variety of specialized jobs, such as slaughterer, boner, carcass splitter, and trimmer.
Depending on the size of the meat processing company, you may perform many functions, or specialize in one particular task. If you work for a small meat processor, you perform many tasks, starting with slaughtering animals using a stunning device. You will sever the jugular vein to drain the carcass of blood, and remove the head and feet. Skinning and trimming carcasses, as well as gutting them, may be part of your job. You split the carcass and cut it into primal cuts for further processing. Then you cut the meat into smaller portions, such as steaks and chops or grind it up to make hamburger meat and sausages.
Larger meat processing facilities are set up on an assembly-line basis. Livestock is killed with a stunning device, bled and moved along the line for further processing.
A splitter cuts the carcass into smaller sections using saws, cleavers and knives. You could work as a trimmer or skinner to remove the skin, excess fat, bruises and blemishes from the carcass. As a boner, you use a knife to remove the bones from the carcass.
A meat cutter cuts beef, lamb, pork, and veal carcasses, or carcass sections into primal cuts for further processing, You cut the meat into steaks, chops, roasts and other cuts for institutional, commercial and wholesale customers, according to specifications. You may also cut poultry into portions.
Most modern meat processing facilities are extremely sanitary, efficient operations. Naturally, there is a certain amount of blood, since you are involved in the cutting of meat, but, as a rule, you work in a very clean, refrigerated environment with strictly controlled health and cleanliness standards.
Although you must be physically fit and fairly strong, most modern processing plants are highly mechanized and heavy lifting is done by mechanical hoists. You must have stamina to use knives, cleavers and saws for cutting and trimming carcasses all day.
You are usually paid by the hour in this industry. Although there are community college courses for meat cutters, much of the training is on-the-job, provided by the employer.
If you enjoy working with your hands, you will do well as a meat cutter. You should function well with people since you are usually part of an assembly-line situation and must work closely with others.
You must be a conscientious and safety-minded person since you work with knives, cleavers and mechanical cutting devices. Your safety and the safety of you co-workers depend upon careful handling of this equipment.
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