Meat Refrigeration

Meat Refrigeration

Features
• Provides an authoritative and practical guide to the refrigeration of meat
• Serves as an essential reference for meat industry professionals
• Explores the impact of refrigeration on meat quality
• Focuses on best practices in managing the cold chain from carcass to consumer

Summary
The chilling and freezing of meat remains an essential way of extending shelf-life and maintaining quality. Based on the work of the internationally-renowned Food Refrigeration and Process Engineering Research Centre (FRPERC), Meat Refrigeration provides an authoritative guide both to the impact of refrigeration on meat and best practices in using it to maximize meat quality for the consumer.

Topics include microbiology of refrigerated meat and its influence on shelf-life, drip production, weight loss, and the effect of refrigeration on color and texture. The authors discuss primary chilling, freezing, thawing and tempering, transport, storage, retail display, and consumer handling. In addition, the book looks at aspects of process control, including chapters on such issues as temperature measurement, and the design and optimal use of refrigeration systems.

Contents

REFRIGERATION AND MEAT QUALITY
Microbiology of Refrigerated Meat
Drip Production in Meat Refrigeration
Effect of Refrigeration on Texture of Meat
Colour Changes in Chilling, Freezing and Storage of Meat
Influence of refrigeration on Evaporative Weight Loss from Meat

THE COLD CHAIN FROM CARCASS TO CONSUMER
Primary Chilling of Red Meat
Freezing of Meat
Thawing and Tempering
Transportation
Chilled and Frozen Storage
Chilled and Frozen Retail Display
Consumer Handling

PROCESS CONTROL
Thermophysical Properties of Meat
Temperature Measurement
Specifying, Designing and Optimising Refrigeration Systems
Secondary Chilling of Meat and Meat Products

Index