Nedkylning av slaktkroppar (nöt) på gårdsnära slakterier - kartläggning och utvärdering av ny metodik

The purpose of this study was to study chilling of beef carcasses in on-farm slaughterhouses in Sweden. Two approaches to evaluate the chilling process were used. Firstly, continuous measurements of surface temperatures on individual carcasses and, secondly, a recent Australian method in which temperature readings were combined with a predictive microbiology growth model. In the Australian method the potential growth of Escherichia coli during chilling is calculated based on the growth rate estimated by the growth model at the measured temperatures. The potential growth during the chilling process is the expressed as a refrigeration index, RI, which is the log10 of the potential increase of the number of E. coli bacteria during chilling. In addition, a simple tool, i.e. an Excel spreadsheet, was developed and evaluated. The tool enables an estimation of the cooling capacity needed for chilling beef, lamb, or swine. The primary purpose of the tool is to indicate the required cooling capacity in planned slaughterhouses based on drawings and slaughter volumes. The present study only considered aspects of chilling related to food safety. 

Eleven slaughterhouses participated in the survey, and chilling of a total of 169 carcasses, ranging from 4 to 10 per occasion, were measured. The total number of carcasses in the chilling room ranged from 4 to 26 per occasion. The results indicate that in general chilling of beef carcasses in the slaughterhouses is satisfactory.