The Rural Voice, 2002-07, Page 17traditional plants.
Stunning too is handled in a
completely different manner as pigs
enter small pens on a ferris-wheel-
like system which lowers them
gently into a pit of carbon dioxide.
The pigs breathe in the carbon
dioxide and lapse into
unconsciousness (they would recover
in a few minutes if they were allowed
to breathe fresh air again).
From this point on German -
designed equipment is used in
the plant. Traditionally, once
the hogs have been killed and bled,
they are dipped into a hot water
scalding bath to open the pours on
their skin and allow hair to be
removed. This can contaminate their
lungs and make the lungs unusable.
explained Miriam Terpstra. Instead,
the system at West Perth Packers will
put the carcasses through cabinets
where steam will scald the carcasses.
Not only is this a cleaner system but
it uses one-tenth less water than the
traditional system, a bonus for the
municipality since some residents
were concerned the plant's water
needs might tax Mitchell's water
capacity.
The carcasses enter another set of
cabinets where paddles will remove
most of the hair. Exiting these
cabinets they are then hoisted onto
hooks on a moving line. They go
through one last cleaning process
where rubber flails remove the last of
the hair and a series of flaming jets
singe off anything missed.
In the evisceration room different
organs and offal are removed at
Rain sent opening ceremonies indoors with guests assembling in the cutting
room (top). Miriam and Joe Terpstra (right) give a tour to Helen Johns,
Minister of Agriculture and Food and Paul Steckle, MP for Huron -Bruce
(above). Below, left, flails and fire jets to singe off hairs are used in a final
cleansing of the carcasses. The evisceration room will see everything from
blood to hearts to offal collected for use or storage.
JULY 2002 13