The efficiency of storage during distant continental transportation of beef sides and quarters

• Published in: Food research international Vol. 26; no. 4; pp. 239 - 245
• Main Authors: Gill, C.O., Phillips, D.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1993; Elsevier
• Subjects: beef; beef sides; Biological and medical sciences; Food industries; food quality; food storage; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; hanging beef; long distance transport; Meat and meat product industries; meat cuts; overland transportation; quarters; refrigerated transport; temperature; temperature function integration; temperature function integration; beef; hanging beef; overland transportation; Vertebrata; Temperature; Mammalia; Warehousing; Ox; Shelf life; Artiodactyla; Transport; Ungulata; Meat
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/0963-9969(93)90026-F

Temperature histories were collected from the deep tissues and the surfaces of beef sides transported by rail and beef hindquarters transported by road. Three product units were monitored in each of 10 rail consignments from 1 plant, and in each of 5 road consignments from each of 2 other plants. All the monitored product was carried from western North America to markets in the east of the continent. The surface temperature histories were integrated with respect to a model describing the dependency on temperature of the rate of growth of psychrotrophic pseudomonads. For each temperature history, a storage efficient factory was derived from the calculated proliferation and the duration of the journey. Product was transported for periods ranging from about 4 to about 7 days. Calculated proliferations ranged from 8 to 21 generations. Most storage efficiency values obtained from rail consignments exceeded 55%, while only one value from road consignments exceeded 55%. The findings indicate that in well-managed refrigerated railway wagons, the storage life of hanging beef can approach the possible maximum. However, the refrigerative capabilities of road trailers cannot equally compensate for the deleterious effects on storage life of the current practice of loading hanging beef to transport while the product is still warm.