Slaughtering and processing facilities where meat and poultry are manufactured have improved dramatically over the past 100-plus years. Comparing the abhorrent treatment of livestock and the people working in the plants in the early 20th century, as chronicled in Upton Sinclair's 1906 infamous novel, The Jungle, to the operations of today's processing plants demonstrates how innovative solutions and a commitment to continuous improvement by industry stakeholders have made game-changing improvements. Along with addressing the well-being of livestock and plant workers by vastly improving working conditions, the industry's supply chain infrastructure has evolved significantly since Sinclair's portrayal of the stockyards of Chicago, which also resulted in food-safety advances, improved food quality and efficient production at processing plants that operate using sophisticated technology, and increasingly, automation. Industry thought leaders unanimously agree the processing plants of the future will include even more technology and refinements with goals of improving operational efficiency, increasing yields, minimizing the impact on the environment, and addressing a labor shortage that has hamstrung the industry for years.
展开▼
