Atria's bovine slaughterhouse to be among the best in Europe

Atria Group’s major investment is progressing according to schedule. The bovine slaughterhouse in Kauhajoki, which will be among the largest of its kind in Europe, is scheduled to be completed in just over a year. Its operation methods and technology have been honed as close to perfection as possible in terms of animal welfare, production hygiene, efficiency, and occupational safety.

The slaughterhouse is a great investment in the future. Once completed, it will be one of the industry’s largest production units in Europe: larger slaughterhouses can be found only in Italy and the Netherlands. In the initial stages, the annual slaughtering capacity will rise from its current 26 million kilos to 40 million kilos.

‘We will improve the company’s productivity and profitability by developing our production structures. To this end, the centralisation of bovine slaughtering is our most important project. This investment will have a significant impact on the entire group’s profitability,’ says General Manager of Atria Finland Mika Ala-Fossi.

The centralisation and the expansion of the Kauhajoki unit will generate annual cost savings of approximately EUR 6 million. Atria is investing roughly EUR 27 million in building and renovating the Kauhajoki bovine slaughterhouse and cutting plant. The project is due to be completed in early 2013.

Currently under way are both the construction of new production facilities and also renovation and automation of the existing facilities, to use the latest production technology.

‘Meat quality is enhanced especially by peaceful treatment of animals and sticking immediately after stunning. Ethics issues have been taken into account in planning the routes for animals, for instance, to support their natural behaviour as much as possible,’ says Tapani Potka, the director of Atria-Tekniikka.

Developments in the various stages of slaughtering will increase hygiene and improve safety at work. This will create safe and ergonomic working positions for the challenging and physically demanding slaughterhouse work. Electric lifting platforms, for example, reduce the physical strain on employees.

‘The greatest improvements in occupational safety are related to sticking and attachment with a chain, which are clearly the most dangerous stages. In the new model, dangers can be minimised or even eliminated. The animal can be better controlled, or the stage can be carried out when the animal is not moving,’ Potka explains.

The improved hygiene is a result of many factors. Process planning has made it possible to address details related to hygiene without significant compromises. Clean surfaces are as far away from unclean surfaces as possible at every stage.

The construction of the new unit will also increase energy-efficiency and improve wastewater treatment. Heat recovery from ventilation air and cooling equipment will raise the plant’s energy-efficiency. Condensation heat from cooling systems will be used for heating water, whose total consumption will be greatly reduced through new control methods that make the sterilisation of tools more effective.

In wastewater treatment, capacity will be increased and the activities balanced.

‘The wastewater pre-treatment equalisation tank will be enlarged to allow us to balance the capacity and improve treatment efficiency. In addition, the pre-treatment of waters from both the cattle house and the washing facility for cattle trucks will be enhanced.’ Potka says.