The pork industry includes the people and businesses involved in bringing pork products to dinner tables around the world. This includes farmers who raise hogs, people who work in the slaughter houses, and individuals involved in transporting and marketing. In many countries, portions of this industry are regulated by government agencies to make sure the end product is safe for consumers.
One of the biggest segments of the pork industry is found on local farms. These could be small family-owned enterprises or commercial farms. The purpose of each is to raise pigs until they are mature enough to be taken to market. This often involves housing, feeding, watering, cleaning stalls, and other tasks.
Once hogs have reached maturity, the next step is to take them to a slaughterhouse. Some workers in the pork industry are responsible for transporting animals to their destination, and others are in charge of slaughtering. Commercial operations may have a separate facility for processing meat and kill animals on site. Small farms that process their own meat and sell it locally might also perform this task at their own facility.
After being slaughtered, meat is then processed. In many countries, this segment of the pork industry is carefully regulated. This means processing plants are carefully inspected for cleanliness in order to make sure the finished product will not make people sick. Workers may also receive training from time to time so they can be sure they are in compliance with local laws.
Once pork has been processed, it may be kept in large freezers until it can be distributed to retail outlets. Some members of the pork industry are responsible for marketing this food to supermarket chains, butcher shops, or restaurants. Other people work out arrangements for exporting pork to other countries. Exporters must keep up to date on changes in the law, as many countries, including the United States, prohibit pork from certain areas of the world.
The pork industry often hires truckers to transport meat from the processing plant to various locations. This is usually done by refrigerated truck in order to keep it from spoiling. They may sometimes cross the border between countries, if local laws allow the import and export of pork.
Some of the products produced by the pork industry include bacon, ham, sausage, tenderloins, and chops. The fat of hogs can also be used to render lard, which can then be used for frying. People who are involved in producing these products help feed large numbers of people throughout the world.