Quality assurance in the food industry generally refers to a series of rules, standards, controls, and procedures implemented to ensure that the final product reaching the consumer’s plate is indeed edible.

This is achieved by following a system of standardized management, monitoring, and control procedures, starting from the first stages of production and reaching the final delivery of the product.

MEAT QUALITY ASSURANCE

Meat and meat products, due to the great vulnerability meat bears as raw material and since it undergoes processing before being standardized, must be subject to even more stricter and systematic controls, compared to other types of food.

Meat quality assurance already starts with the way the animal is reared and continues in its production, management, and preservation. This means that, in this case, quality assurance must be done through a very effective management system, which is called HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points).

An important quality assurance factor, based on this standard, is the hygienic conditions during the processing and standardization of meat and meat products.

At this stage, the following must be strictly implemented:

• Specific procedures for cleaning and disinfecting the premises, machines, and tools
• Setting the ideal temperatures for processing and preserving meats
• Continuous training of the staff who are in charge of managing the products

Another important factor is the regular performance of macroscopic and laboratory controls that will ensure the safety and quality of the products.

Part of the HACCP management system is also meat traceability. That is, the recording of all information concerning each carcass: where the animal was raised and with what food, where it was slaughtered, when and how the meat was processed, where and how it was preserved or frozen, and in which stores was eventually distributed.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AT ” ATTIKA MEAT, VOUDOURIS – KONSTAS” MEAT INDUSTRY

In the industrial meat processing and standardization unit “Attika Meat, Voudouris – Konstas S.A.” we ensure the quality of the meats we supply, as follows:

• Maintaining long-term partnerships with certified breeders and farms in Greece and Europe, which follow required animal husbandry standards
• Using an in-house specialized Quality Control and Quality Assurance department staffed by experienced veterinarians and food technologists
• Conducting systematic macroscopic and laboratory checks on our products and at every stage of production
• Implementing a system of recording all information that allows traceability of the product, as mentioned above
• Using separate production lines for the different types of meat and meat preparations
• Investing in modern equipment and packaging machinery and using large spaces for standardization, preservation, and the freezing of our products
• Using a plethora of cold rooms and freezer rooms for the best possible preservation of large meat quantities
• Using a modified atmosphere packaging unit (tray)
• Vacuum packing of fresh beef and pork cuts
• Using state-of-the-art freezing tunnels