Meat Industry 5.0 – a review of technological approaches and robotic systems in the meat processing industry

The meat processing industry is experiencing a significant technological transformation, with automation and robotisation increasingly complementing traditional manual labour. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and human-robot collaboration—core elements of Industry 5.0—are central to this shift. These technologies are being adopted to address persistent labour shortages, amplified by events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and to meet growing demands for safer, more sustainable, and resilient food production systems. Despite ongoing progress, a consolidated overview of automation technology in secondary meat processing, particularly in the context of Industry 5.0, is lacking. This review addresses this gap by examining recent technological developments, identifying current industry needs, and outlining key research challenges. The focus is on the secondary processing of the world’s most consumed meats by volume: poultry, pork, beef, and veal. Emerging technologies show strong potential to enhance productivity, food safety, and working conditions. However, major barriers to adoption remain, including high integration costs, strict food safety compliance requirement, and the need for flexible systems that can accommodate variability in raw materials. Automation levels vary significantly between meat types, generally decreasing with animal size. The review emphasises the need for adaptable, modular automation solutions that support gradual integration into existing operations. Addressing critical challenges, including labour shortages, hygienic processing, and environmental sustainability, will be key to ensuring a more robust and future-ready meat processing industry. • Flexible automation can allow gradual integration into existing systems. • Cobots and AI augmentation can enable hybrid workflows in meat processing. • HRC is a transformative enabler, particularly for SMEs seeking scalable automation. • Industry 5.0 transition implies balancing technological, economic and social aspects.