Life cycle sustainability assessment of a novel slaughter concept

Abstract

This article presents a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of an innovative slaughter concept, i.e., a semi-automated version of the Meat Factory Cell (MFC). The system is characterised by division of labour with close human-robot interaction, as compared to a Conventional Slaughter and Cutting Process (CSCP). A case study is built which considers the conditions at a Norwegian slaughter facility. Several assumptions are made for the MFC as the concept is still in the development phase. A sensitivity analysis has been employed to highlight the key factors leading to changes in the environmental, economic and social aspects of the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment framework.The results show that MFC is a viable alternative to CSCP within a life cycle sustainability assessment, even though there is a trade-off between the three dimensions of sustainability and variability among the considered impact categories. At the slaughterhouse, the climate change performance for the CSCP is 387 kg CO2eq/ton carcass. For the MFC concept, results showed no substantial changes in the environmental performance. For the Life Cycle Costing, the difference between the two concepts arises primarily from lower energy costs due to a 50% reduction in the cost of chilling. From a cost perspective, the innovative concept is relatively more profitable for small and medium-size abattoirs than for very large slaughterhouses. The social LCA indicates that a more efficient abattoir system using MFC might lead to the loss of low-skilled jobs but creates opportunities for more qualified personnel.