The use of the cold room in slaughterhouses

Cold rooms are an indispensable element within the meat slaughtering process in all its phases up to shipment by refrigerated trucks to the final destinations.

The first step is that of rapid cooling of the butchered meat in a special cold room programmed so that the carcasses can reach temperatures between 4 and 5 °C in a period of up to 24 hours, to then be kept at a between 0 and -2 °C with a humidity value that must be around 90%.

The recirculation of the air contained inside the cells is fundamental, which must have an air flow rate not exceeding 25 Vo/h (volumes/hour) and which must not be in direct contact with the carcasses themselves.

The second step is that of preserving the fresh meat; in this case, without prejudice to the previous temperature and air recirculation values, the parameter that changes is that of humidity which must not be less than 85% in order to avoid a drop in weight of the meat, but not too much higher because, if this were the case, there is a risk that the surface of the meat becomes viscous.

Consequently, the cold rooms that are installed inside slaughterhouses must therefore have a volumetric capacity suitable for the maximum production potential of the plant; in this way they are able to guarantee both the rapid achievement (and consequent maintenance) of the temperatures established for the meat after it has been slaughtered, and perfect disposal of the product even in the event of overprocessing, so as to ensure the authenticity.

In fact, the refrigeration devices must normally be both in number and in capacity suitable for the real extent of slaughtering in their maximum working period and in addition to this, the actual type of processing must also be taken into consideration as it must always be guaranteed both the achievement and, above all, the maintenance of the temperatures of the meats that are required by current legislation.

The cold rooms must also be equipped with refrigerated ventilation systems that guarantee adequate ventilation inside them in order to avoid the formation of dangerous condensation; this must be eliminated through a special outflow system so that it cannot be a potential risk of contamination for the meat considered edible.

The importance of the quality of a cold room inside slaughterhouses is not only for the meat that is intended to be eaten but because the law provides that there are specific cold rooms or closable refrigerated structures for all the meat that is declared not fit for consumption by humans.

Inside the refrigeration cells, the division between the exposed meats and those that have already been packaged or protected must also be absolutely guaranteed; this guarantee can be waived only if the products of the various stages of processing are stored at different times or in such a way that the packaging material and storage methods cannot in any way cause direct or indirect contamination of the meat.

Cold rooms in slaughterhouses are also used for by-products as they need to be placed inside containers produced with suitable material and provided with an airtight seal, in case these are not removed during the day. They must also be placed inside an adequate structure (refrigerated or frozen) which is mandatory for proceeding with their storage.

MIV Insulating Systems produces made-to-measure doors for slaughterhouse cells and for every need: sliding or double-leaf doors for access to pre-refrigerated areas, standard or sliding refrigerator doors for the actual cells, always ensuring perfect adherence thanks to the use of high quality materials and special hinges which not only allow continuous use, but also have a very high duration over time.