Application of lean paradigm in red meat processing

Purpose Lean is a well‐established industrial paradigm and has proved to be of significant benefit in different sectors of the manufacturing industry (e.g. automotive and aerospace). This paper aims to report on the introduction of lean to a new sector – the “UK red meat industry”. It highlights the benefits of lean production in one specific manufacturing area, the “cutting room”, where meat is split down from a carcass into retail cuts of meat. Design/methodology/approach A multiple case study approach is adopted in this paper. As part of the Red Meat Industry Forum's Value Chain Analysis Initiative, five cutting plants are presented as case studies in this paper. Findings This paper identifies two “traditional” and three “advanced” cutting rooms and reports a typical 25 per cent productivity gap. The paper tentatively concludes this is due to the advanced cases practicing lean techniques, such as “Takt‐time” and “work standardization”. Originality/value The literature review identifies a gap in previous research on the applications of logistics and operations management concepts and practices into the red meat industry. Particularly, lean techniques have been overlooked in the red meat industry.