Meat and meat products transportation using a reefer at the required temperature

Meat is one of the main sources of protein in a person's diet. Therefore, most people strive to consume it daily, and meat consumption is growing. Its production is also increasing, and as a result, the transportation of meat products is on the rise. Calf, pig, and poultry fattening complexes are constantly being opened. However, due to the specifics of production, these complexes tend to be located far from cities, while the majority of meat consumers live in urban areas. Therefore, the volume of cargo transportation of meat is constantly increasing.

Features of meat transportation as cargo

Meat can be fresh, chilled, or frozen. Fresh meat is the highest quality product. However, it is impossible to keep it in this form for a long time. Fresh meat is considered to be from the moment the animal is slaughtered until it cools down to a temperature below +25°C. Meat is considered chilled at a temperature from +12 to +25°C. To preserve meat longer, it is chilled and maintained at a temperature from 0 to +12°C. Chilled meat is transported within 1 day after slaughter. If meat needs to be preserved longer, it is frozen to -8°C or lower. The storage conditions for different types of meat are regulated, and transporting different types of meat in the same vehicle is prohibited.

Under normal conditions, meat and meat by-products spoil quickly, so they must be transported in refrigerated transport. In winter, transportation of meat in isothermal transport is allowed, provided that its temperature does not change by more than 2°C during the entire journey. The vehicle transporting meat must be thoroughly washed, disinfected, and dried. The carrier must have an FRC certificate confirming the right to transport frozen meat and fish products. Increased humidity can adversely affect the quality of meat and meat products, so maintaining temperature is essential for transporting meat and products made from it.

Rules for transporting meat and meat products

• Meat and meat products are transported in accordance with the following rules: The shipper must provide the entire necessary package of documents for the cargo batch, including the certificate of origin of the goods and the veterinary quality certificate of the meat.
• Meat and meat products cannot be transported with other food products, even if the established temperature regime for their storage fully complies with that established for meat.
• Meat must not thaw during transport and then be refrozen. The quality of the product noticeably deteriorates in this case.
• Beef and horse meat are transported in quarters, pork in halves and carcasses without heads, and lamb in whole carcasses. Carcasses can be hung on hooks under the ceiling of a specially equipped vehicle or placed on special pallets on the floor.
• Poultry, other small carcasses, and processed carcasses of large animals are transported in boxes and crates. Before placing the meat in this packaging, meat blocks are wrapped in polyethylene film and frozen for long-term storage and transportation.
• Sausages and smoked meats are transported in special mesh boxes with a ribbed surface. Smoked brisket, sealed in vacuum film, is transported in solid boxes. Bacon is transported in packs of 3-6 pieces. The pack is tied with rope and wrapped in burlap. In transport, packs of bacon can be stacked on top of each other in 5-6 tiers. Salted meat is transported in barrels.
• By-products can be packaged in cardboard or plastic boxes, fabric bags, or burlap sacks.
• Transportation of meat and by-products with signs of spoilage (sour smell, traces of slime or mold) is not allowed.
• When transporting frozen meat products in boxes, they must be stacked in piles with maximum density. If the size of the batch of meat products is less than the volume of the cargo hold, the boxes must be secured so that they cannot shift during transport.
• Chilled meat must be ventilated during transport. For this, an air gap of 30-35 cm is left under the ceiling of the vehicle.

Transportation of meat and meat products by different types of transport

Meat and meat products can be transported by all types of modern cargo transport: trucks, rail rolling stock, ships, and airplanes.

For road transportation of frozen and chilled meat, refrigerated vans, trailers, and semi-trailers are used.

In winter, for transportation with a short travel time, the same types of transport in isothermal design can be used. It is possible to transport meat in refrigerated containers on truck platforms of container carriers.

By rail, meat, by-products, and meat products are transported in refrigerated cars as part of refrigerated trains. Meat can also be transported in refrigerated containers on railway platforms.

When transporting meat by sea or water transport, low-temperature and universal refrigerated vessels and reefer containers are used. Meat products can be transported by sea and container ships in reefer containers while maintaining the required temperature for transporting meat.

Due to high costs, aviation is not often used for transporting meat and meat products. However, aviation can deliver meat to its destination in reefer containers. In particular, this is how Qatar, a country without agriculture that has been blockaded by neighboring states, is supplied with food products.

If you want to find a meat carrier and learn about transportation costs, leave a request in the "Add Cargo" section. Carrier representatives will contact you shortly.