Grinding Meat Safety Principals

Good Retail Practices No.4

GRINDING

Meat Ingredient Storage

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Ground meat and trim should be stored at 4°C or lower in bins, under peach paper or in bags until use. If shop generated trim is used it must be carefully handled to prevent contamination and to ensure adequate temperature control while in production and storage areas. Shop trimmings should be labeled with the production date and species. Select meat ingredients in accordance with a first in–first out inventory management system. Inspect meat for off odour, excess purge, bone-chips, cartilage, torn or ripped packaging, or any other condition which would make the ground meat or trim unsatisfactory for use. Take special care to ensure that clips removed from chubs do not enter product. To reduce the likelihood of contamination after opening do not remove ground product from chubs until you are ready to package or grind. The operator should ensure that all bolts, pins or other small parts removed during disassembly are present and securely placed so that they may not enter ground products. Make certain the grinder is free of excessive rust, water, flaking paint or other condition which could contaminate product. Ensure that the grinder has been cleaned adequately and is free of visible meat residue. All grinder components including grinding knife and plate should be periodically inspected by qualified personnel for evidence of wear or other condition which could lead to metal particles entering product or difficulty in cleaning. Whenever possible, grind only what is required in the next few hours. Grind meat in areas where room temperature is not more than 10°C or whenever possible 4°C or colder. Particular attention should be devoted to keeping ground meat at 4°C or less as the temperature of the meat will rise during grinding due to heat generated from friction. When grinding, ensure that ground meat is placed into clean containers and that hands and all other meat contact surfaces including...