Meat Produce Packer Job Description

Meat packer preparing raw meat.

Occupations in a meat packing facility can be hazardous due to the number of cutting machines, knives, saws and cleavers required to process raw meat for the marketplace. Meat factory workers precisely cut, clean, wrap and package meats like beef, pork and poultry in accordance with their customers' orders and federal health and safety regulations. Workers must endure extreme temperature conditions and strong odors.

Education Requirements

Little formal education is required to work as a meat packer; however, most companies prefer employees with at least a high school diploma, but this is not always a requirement. Recommended high school courses include biology, agriculture and shop classes, which teach mechanical aptitude. All the duties of a meat packer are learned on the job. Some trade schools offer courses in meat cutting and processing classes for butchers and meat processors.

Additional Qualifications

Meat packers and cutters need good manual dexterity because many of the job functions require repeated operations. Cutting, slicing and processing meat into smaller pieces occurs on a production line, and the operator at each station performs the required cuts to the meat as it passes along a conveyor belt. Packers must stand and manipulate animal carcasses in order to position the meat for precision cuts while maintaining required production levels. According to Stateuniversity, meat-processing operations work on an assembly line system, and raw meat may pass through 45 stations during the process.

Job Duties

Meat packers are responsible for the slaughtering and processing of animals into retail meat products. Mechanical or chemical devices render the animals unconscious before slaughter. Workers clean, eviscerate, skin, scrape or shave the carcass and cut it into smaller portions for easier handling. Meat packers cut most carcasses into hindquarters, forequarters or quarters, which are packed and shipped to wholesale or retail merchants for further processing. Some plants process meat into steaks or chops or other ready-to-cook portions before shipping to other retailers. Meat packers grind some portions into hamburger or sausage or rub the meat with curing solutions in the making of smoked meats.

Employment Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities in the food processing industry should increase by approximately 4 percent over the decade of 2008 to 2018. Stateuniversity projects overall employment to see normal growth through 2012. An increased demand by consumers for ready-to-heat meat and poultry products will contribute to an increase in jobs at meat processing facilities but may limit the need for butchers and meat cutters on the local retail level.

Advancement

Meat packers and processors employed at nonunion processing plants can advance to supervisory positions through gaining experience and proficiency in their particular job. Unionized packing plants typically require workers to learn all the jobs in their selected occupation and usually advance employees with experience and seniority to supervisory positions.

Working Environment

Meat processing plants use precision cutting machines, saws, knives and other sharp instruments to process meat. These facilities are climate controlled to maintain the quality and healthy handling of raw meats so employees are subject to working in cold temperatures. The facilities are typically damp and filled with fog due to the amount of hot water used to clean and process meat products.

Earnings

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for slaughterers and meat packers during the reporting period of May 2008 was $23,030. Meat cutter and trimmers processing meat, poultry and fish earned a median annual wage of $21,810. In nonunion plants, unskilled workers start at minimum wage. Union contracts determine workers' benefits such as paid holidays, vacations and health and life insurance. Additional income is typically available to workers willing to work overtime and as employees increase in skill level.

References

• BLS: Food Processing Occupations
• Stateuniversity: Meat Packing Worker Job Description
• Careerplanner: Job Descriptions Slaughters and Meat Packers