Meat Science

REFRIGERATED MEAT TRANSPORT

• Meat may be transported by road in properly insulated and refrigerated vehicles or in insulated or non-insulated non-refrigerated vehicles.
• Only refrigerated transport can be considered adequate.
• The latter vehicles are totally ineffective, especially the non-insulated type, particularly for chilled meat.
• A well-designed refrigerated road vehicle should have the following qualities –
  • High standard of insulation
  • Internal lining, which is impermeable, easily cleaned, without seams and durable
  • Airtight door seals
  • Watertight flooring
  • Rigidity of construction
  • Efficient refrigeration unit, noiseless, economical and lightweight
  • Provision of indicators in driving cab
  • Properly spaced overhead rails.
• Solid carbon dioxide is sometimes used, either as solid blocks or crushed, and provides a temperature of 0-10ºC.
• The van cooler is provided with a fan, which blows the cool air over the CO₂ and load.
• A thermostat switches off the fan when the desired temperature is reached and a microswitch ensures that the unit does not operate when the vehicle doors are open.
• The maintenance of the internal temperature is influenced by the difference between the inside and outside temperatures, the number of times the doors are opened and closed, loading temperature of the cargo, capacity rating of the refrigerating system, respiration rate of the product, etc.
• Vehicles, which are left standing with doors wide open in high summer temperatures attract not only heat but also undesirable arthropods.
• Urethane foam sprayed between inner and outer linings forms an efficient insulating medium.
• This material expands to fill all the crevices and has low heat loss factor, a low water absorption rating and a density of 124 g/cm³.
• Lining materials must be smooth, impermeable, durable, easily cleaned and able to withstand detergents and hot water.
• They must also be non-toxic and as far as possible free from seams.
• Typical lining materials are glass-fibre reinforced panels, special non-marking aluminium (bare aluminium can mark fresh unwrapped hanging meat), plastic-covered plywood and galvanized sheeting.
• Floors should be very durable, watertight and easily cleaned.
• There should be no crevices or sharp corners throughout the inside of the vehicle, which would hinder cleaning.
• While construction of transport vehicles is normally suitable for hanging quarters of beef, lamb carcasses, packaged meat, etc., the same does not hold for offal, which is not in cartons.
• It is important that for the retail delivery of meat and offal there should be good handling facilities and offals should not be placed in an unwrapped state on dirty floor.