Ensuring Meat Processing Safety in These Challenging Times

With the rampant spread of COVID-19 among meat processing plant workers, the meat industry continues to face serious issues. The prevalence of the virus has led to meat processing - and packaging - plant closures. It has created bottlenecks everywhere in the chain, affecting farms to consumers, leading to much smaller production outputs and higher prices for everyone. What can be done to ensure the safety of meat during these challenging times?

A Texas A&M AgriLife-led research project funded through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture is investigating the SARS-CoV-2 impact on meat processing by assessing the risks in a systematic farm-to-plate model. The goal is to maximize safety and minimize viral exposure to meat production workforce employees, and to everyone who buys and consumes meat. For more information, read the NIFA blog.