Ice hide processing innovation (stage 1)

04 May 2022
Focus area: Value opportunities
Program stream: Growth and global competitiveness
Project number: 2020-1097
This project trialled a hide icing process to reduce hide temperatures and maintain quality hides for hide processing. If hide temperatures could be delivered to the processing facility at less than 10 degrees Celsius, hide quality would improve. 

Temperatures before icing varied between 16 and 20 degrees Celsius depending on variables such as weather, transport time and density of hides in the hide bin. 

Two ice machines were installed at the meat processing plant with a seesaw-like hide chute which provided sufficient ice coverage on top of the bin before needing to be replaced with an empty bin. 

Reduced hide temperatures were recorded on arrival at the hide processing facility. The quality of hides recorded also improved, hides previously rated a D improved to C grading with icing. 

Supporting documents

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Previous in this focus area 26 June 2023 Development of Persian soups\meat dishes from Australian lamb for export markets Next in this focus area 21 October 2020 Digital transformation road map for meat export reforms