Hotel and Restaurant Meat Purveyors: Improved Methods and Facilities for Custom Service Houses

Excerpts from the report: One of the newer members of the meat industry is the wholesale meat purveyor that provides ready-to-cook meat cuts to hotel dining rooms, restaurants, hospitals, schools, and other establishments that serve meals. Hotel and restaurant meat purveyors have had a spectacular growth within the past several decades, both in number of houses and in volume of meat handled. The number of houses in 1964 was estimated as 1,000, an increase of about 70 percent since World War II. These houses now account for over two-thirds of the total volume of meat and meat products sold to the food service industry. This report covers hotel and restaurant meat purveyors that prepare roasts, steaks, and other meat cuts, on a custom service basis; such houses deal primarily in fresh meat. They prepare (fabricate) meat ready for cooking according to customer specifications, and deliver orders usually the same day, often within a few hours after the order is placed. It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of the hotel and restaurant meat purveyors operate primarily as custom service houses. Other hotel and restaurant meat purveyors fabricate meat, freeze it, and deliver to customers from inventory; this type of meat purveyor was not included in this study

Livestock Auction Markets in the Appalachian Area: Methods and Facilities

Excerpts from the report Summary: Three market layouts are proposed for a livestock auction market in the Appalachian area that sorts animals into grades and market classes and weighs them as they arrive at the market. Each layout is designed for a different number of animals . The No. 1 type of market is designed to handle 400 cattle, 180 calves, 400 sheep, and 300 hogs; the No. 2 market 350 cattle, 125 calves, and 600 hogs; and the No. 3 market 590 cattle, 245 calves, 315 sheep, and 125 hogs. The proposed layouts include improved designs and arrangements of the yards, sales barn, market driveways, unloading and loading aprons, and parking areas for market patrons. Specific designs include improved layouts for the receiving-weighing area and the sales barn. For each of the 3 proposed layouts, the suggested lines of flow during the receiving, selling, and loading out cycles are shown. The estimated costs of constructing the proposed markets, based upon general construction costs in this area in 1957, are: The No. 1 market, $87,209; the No. 2 market,$72,893; and the No. 3 market, $92,330. The cost of the land and the cost of putting the land in condition to build are not included in these estimates

Hotel and Restaurant Meat Purveyors -- Improved Methods and Facilities for Supplying Frozen Portion-Controlled Meat

Excerpts from the report: This is the second of two reports based on research in hotel and restaurant meat-supply houses. The first report dealt with custom-service houses, which prepare fresh meat to customer specifications and deliver orders, usually on the same day they are placed. This second report covers supply houses that prepare and freeze packages of portion-controlled steaks, chops, and meat patties (packages that contain a definite number of uniform pieces that are of the same weight) , and usually deliver orders from inventory. The objectives of this research were to evaluate in-plant operations to determine which work methods and types of equipment are the most efficient, and to develop layout principles to be used as guides in the planning of new houses or the expansion of existing ones

Layout Guide for Small Meat Plants

Excerpts from the report: Given the requirements of the Wholesome Meat Act, as the 1967 revision of Federal Meat Inspection Act is commonly called, the average small meat processor has a choice of four courses of action: remodeling his plant to qualify for certification; building a new plant; confining himself to custom (exempt) work; or going out of business. The need of small operators for assistance with plant design and layout has not gone totally unrecognized. This study was undertaken after the Meat Handling and Facilities Research group of Agricultural Research Service had received a number of requests from processors for assistance with plant design and layout. About 60 small operators were assisted over a 2-year period. Of these, about 40 percent chose to remodel, and the rest chose to build new plants. In addition, architects and builders were assisted in making plans for their customers. The researchers made no attempt to ascertain if any plan represented a sound investment. The project has been evaluated, and the drawings and some of the information derived from it are presented here

Layout Guide for Small Meat Plants

Excerpts from the report: Given the requirements of the Wholesome Meat Act, as the 1967 revision of Federal Meat Inspection Act is commonly called, the average small meat processor has a choice of four courses of action: remodeling his plant to qualify for certification; building a new plant; confining himself to custom (exempt) work; or going out of business. The need of small operators for assistance with plant design and layout has not gone totally unrecognized. This study was undertaken after the Meat Handling and Facilities Research group of Agricultural Research Service had received a number of requests from processors for assistance with plant design and layout. About 60 small operators were assisted over a 2-year period. Of these, about 40 percent chose to remodel, and the rest chose to build new plants. In addition, architects and builders were assisted in making plans for their customers. The researchers made no attempt to ascertain if any plan represented a sound investment. The project has been evaluated, and the drawings and some of the information derived from it are presented here

Beef Carcass Boning Lines -- Operations, Equipment, and Layouts

Excerpts from the report: This study included plants located in the Southwest and Midwest. Detailed industrial engineering studies were made at nine selected boning lines, and 11 additional lines were visited to obtain background information. Fourteen of the boning lines studied were a part of individual slaughtering plant operations. Six were in separate boning houses that usually obtained carcasses for boning from several slaughterers. The objectives of this research on beef carcass boning lines were to compare the relative efficiency and operating costs for the table and conveyor systems, and to develop guidelines and efficient layouts for use by the meat industry in planning the optimum boning line for its needs