OPTIMIZATION OF AIR-FLOW CONDITIONS DURING THE CHILLING AND STORAGE OF CARCASSES AND MEAT-PRODUCTS

In the meat industry investment and running costs for chillers are det ermined mainly by the chilling time and the weight losses associated w ith chilling or storage. The aim of this study was to assess the conse quences of the spatial heterogeneity of air-flow properties in rooms a nd to optimise the multi-stage low air temperature chilling process us ed to reduce weight losses. The calculations which provide the chillin g kinetics of either pork carcasses or cylinders were performed using a mathematical model which had already been tested, and with air/produ ct transfer coefficients which had been measured independently for var ious air velocities and turbulence intensities. The results show the r elative effect of product thickness and air-flow properties under prac tical conditions and indicate the limits of low air temperature chilli ng tunnels. They also suggest that if a homogeneous low velocity, low turbulence intensity air flow could be controlled in chillers, then th e air temperature could be very low thus reducing weight losses dramat ically. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.