Statistical Process Control applied in industry: Case study at a poultry slaughterhouse

This study addresses the effects of input variables on the water absorption process in chicken carcasses during their stay in a pre-cooling tank (chiller). The tests were carried out in an industrial chiller during the normal working routine of a meat processing plant in Minas Gerais. The mass and temperature of the chicken carcasses were monitored at the beginning and end of the tanks, the total pre-cooling time, and the temperatures at the beginning and end of the tank. Advanced statistical techniques were used to verify the variability of the process and correlate the input variables with water absorption by the carcasses. With this information, an action plan was developed to stabilise the process and meet the standards imposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.