VARIOUS METHODS OF CHILLING AND HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL STIMULATION APPLIED IN SUSTAINABLE BEEF PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Abstract

Entrepreneurs implementing the concept of sustainable development of meat production are highly interested in combining various red meat chilling systems with quality-improving techniques. Therefore, we analyzed the impact of high-voltage electrical stimulation (HVES) and selected chilling methods on changes in quality characteristics and weight loss of beef. We also studied energy consumption based on the heat balance of chilling chambers during the fast chilling of varying amounts of raw material. The HVES and the fast chilling method yielded positive economic (meat weight loss), technological (high quality, hot-boning), energetic (lower electricity consumption), and organizational effects (increased chilling speed, reducing of storage surfaces and expenditures for staff wages) compared to the slow and accelerated methods. Reaching the desired final temperature with an increased amount of chilled meat enabled a few-fold reduction in the total heat collected from the chambers and in meat weight loss. This allows recommending the above actions to be undertaken by entrepreneurs in the pursuit of sustainable meat production.