Canning

Every year MCC’s Mobile Meat Canner travels across the United States and Canada meeting volunteers who prepare cans of turkey, beef, chicken and pork to be sent around the world. Over 30,000 people a year volunteer to fill, weigh, wash and label every can.

The finished cans are shipped to our partners, providing important nutrients when meat is hard to purchase.

For example, in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea), where meat is scarce, MCC shares canned meat with our partners to supplement meals for children as well as patients with tuberculosis or hepatitis.

260,621 kg of canned meat shipped last year to Cuba, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Malawi, South Sudan, Ukraine, Zambia and the U.S., including Puerto Rico.

How canning works

A step by step guide to the MCC meat canning process.

<span class="photo-caption">Step 1: The mobile cannery arrives at the location, is unfolded and attached to a building. </span><span class="photo-credit">MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens</span>

Step 1: The mobile cannery arrives at the location, is unfolded and attached to a building. MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens Step 2: The boneless and skinless meat arrives in 2,000lb or 40lb boxes encased in ice. MCC photo by John Hillegass

<span class="photo-caption">Step 2: The boneless and skinless meat arrives in 2,000lb or 40lb boxes encased in ice. </span><span class="photo-credit">MCC photo by John Hillegass</span>

Step 2: The boneless and skinless meat arrives in 2,000lb or 40lb boxes encased in ice. MCC photo by John Hillegass Then the meat is ground or cut by hand into 1x1 inch chunks. The four types of meat MCC cans are: turkey, beef, chicken and pork. At this point, the meat is around 2C degrees—just above freezing.MCC photo John Hillegass

<span class="photo-caption">Then the meat is ground or cut by hand into 1x1 inch chunks. The four types of meat MCC cans are: turkey, beef, chicken and pork. At this point, the meat is around 2C degrees—just above freezing.</span><span class="photo-credit">MCC photo John Hillegass</span>

Then the meat is ground or cut by hand into 1x1 inch chunks. The four types of meat MCC cans are: turkey, beef, chicken and pork. At this point, the meat is around 2C degrees—just above freezing.MCC photo John Hillegass

<span class="photo-caption">Step 3: The ground or cut meat is brought onto the canner and emptied into a large, steam jacketed kettle, which uses steam to heat the meat. While it’s heating, the meat is stirred using two large plastic stirring sticks and salt is added. For turkey, chicken and pork, stirring continues until the meat reaches a temperature of at least 4C or 40F degrees. Beef is heated to 71C or 160F degrees.</span><span class="photo-credit">MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens</span>

Step 3: The ground or cut meat is brought onto the canner and emptied into a large, steam jacketed kettle, which uses steam to heat the meat. While it’s heating, the meat is stirred using two large plastic stirring sticks and salt is added. For turkey, chicken and pork, stirring continues until the meat reaches a temperature of at least 4C or 40F degrees. Beef is heated to 71C or 160F degrees.MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens Step 4: Once the meat is at the correct temperature, volunteers put the meat into cans. MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens

<span class="photo-caption">Step 4: Once the meat is at the correct temperature, volunteers put the meat into cans. </span><span class="photo-credit">MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens</span>

Step 4: Once the meat is at the correct temperature, volunteers put the meat into cans. MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens Then the cans are weighed and volunteers add or remove meat until they weigh between 1.92-1.97lbs.MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens

<span class="photo-caption">Then the cans are weighed and volunteers add or remove meat until they weigh between 1.92-1.97lbs.</span><span class="photo-credit">MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens</span>

Then the cans are weighed and volunteers add or remove meat until they weigh between 1.92-1.97lbs.MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens Step 5: Then a canner operator takes the weighed cans and puts them through the sealing machine. The sealed cans are caught by volunteers who stack the cans into an empty basket.MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens

<span class="photo-caption">Step 5: Then a canner operator takes the weighed cans and puts them through the sealing machine. The sealed cans are caught by volunteers who stack the cans into an empty basket.</span><span class="photo-credit">MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens</span>

Step 5: Then a canner operator takes the weighed cans and puts them through the sealing machine. The sealed cans are caught by volunteers who stack the cans into an empty basket.MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens

<span class="photo-caption">Step 6: The baskets are then placed into a retort, which is a large pressure cooker, where they cook for approximately 135 minutes at 119C or 246F with a pressure of approximately 15psi. After the processing is complete, the baskets are cooled using a continuous flow of water until the cans are safe to handle.</span><span class="photo-credit">MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens</span>

Step 6: The baskets are then placed into a retort, which is a large pressure cooker, where they cook for approximately 135 minutes at 119C or 246F with a pressure of approximately 15psi. After the processing is complete, the baskets are cooled using a continuous flow of water until the cans are safe to handle.MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens Step 7: The freshly cooked and cooled cans are individually hand-washed and dried off by volunteers. MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens

<span class="photo-caption">Step 7: The freshly cooked and cooled cans are individually hand-washed and dried off by volunteers. </span><span class="photo-credit">MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens</span>

Step 7: The freshly cooked and cooled cans are individually hand-washed and dried off by volunteers. MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens Washing the cans is important to remove any baked on meat residue and so that the label can be applied. MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens

<span class="photo-caption">Washing the cans is important to remove any baked on meat residue and so that the label can be applied. </span><span class="photo-credit">MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens</span>

Washing the cans is important to remove any baked on meat residue and so that the label can be applied. MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens Step 8: Volunteers apply a label to the finished cans indicating what kind of meat is inside. MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens

<span class="photo-caption">Step 8: Volunteers apply a label to the finished cans indicating what kind of meat is inside. </span><span class="photo-credit">MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens</span>

Step 8: Volunteers apply a label to the finished cans indicating what kind of meat is inside. MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens Step 9: The labelled cans go through a printer which applies the production and expiration dates, before they are placed in boxes with 24 cans in each one.MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens

<span class="photo-caption">Step 9: The labelled cans go through a printer which applies the production and expiration dates, before they are placed in boxes with 24 cans in each one.</span><span class="photo-credit">MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens</span>

Step 9: The labelled cans go through a printer which applies the production and expiration dates, before they are placed in boxes with 24 cans in each one.MCC photo by Anthony J. Siemens Step 10: In a brief stay at a warehouse, the canned meat is incubated and held to make sure it’s safe. Then MCC sends canned meat (along with other material resources) around the world to those in need.MCC photo by Rhoda Shirk

<span class="photo-caption">Step 10: In a brief stay at a warehouse, the canned meat is incubated and held to make sure it’s safe. Then MCC sends canned meat (along with other material resources) around the world to those in need.</span><span class="photo-credit">MCC photo by Rhoda Shirk</span>

Step 10: In a brief stay at a warehouse, the canned meat is incubated and held to make sure it’s safe. Then MCC sends canned meat (along with other material resources) around the world to those in need.MCC photo by Rhoda Shirk

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