ELIZABETHTOWN, PA. — The American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) announced on Aug. 14 the release of its 2024 Meat and Poultry Processing Industry Data Collection and Analysis.

In 2023, AAMP contacted a total of 1,268 meat and poultry processors and received 145 responses to learn where the industry’s educational efforts could best be directed. Participants were questioned on employee turnover rates, HACCP hazard findings, gross revenue, species of animals processed and satisfaction with inspection personnel, among other things.

The 64-page report, compiled and written by Abbey Davidson, AAMP outreach specialist, analyzes the collected data on business structure, production standards, and food safety and quality systems.

“The data that the industry is currently collecting is not being utilized outside of each individual processing facility,” AAMP said in the report, explaining the purpose of the survey. “The ‘bigger picture’ may lessen the regulatory burden. Many meat processing establishments collect a multitude of useful data. It is now time to start analyzing and using the data to collectively benefit all processing companies.”

Thirty-seven out of the 50 states were represented in the sample. Out of the 145 responses, nearly 50% of the facilities were reported to be older than 25 years and most of the respondents had a workforce of between 10 and 50 employees. Within the past year, two-thirds of the processors reported a turnover rate up to 25% of their total workforce.

In a comparison between the annual gross revenue of the facility and the size of the operation, AAMP found the largest category of processors is an annual gross revenue between $1 million to $2 million and a presence of 1,000 to 10,000 square feet.

The full report is available here.