Abattoirs are an essential part of the meat production industry, but the main problem most facilities face is waste. As meat is brought in and processed, it is also cooled. This takes it from a body temperature of 37°C down to 12°C in a 12-hour period. This helps the meat last longer, and preserves the quality of the cuts as they go through packaging and shipping. The problem is, during the cooling process a carcass can lose up to 3% of its total weight. This can make a real difference to the abattoir’s bottom line.
Let’s break that down a bit. On a full side of beef, 3% weight can be as much as 3kg. Meat products are generally bought and sold by weight. Meaning a 3kg loss on one side of beef is a pretty significant loss of profit. In fact, there is a calculation used to work this out:
Reduction in weight loss (kg) x the value of the product (£/kg) = money saved
Over the course of a year, 1000s of carcasses and over 100,000kg in lost weight, resulting in substantial financial losses. So naturally, abattoirs want to find ways to reduce the amount of moisture lost during prep and production. Humidity control is by far the simplest answer.
By installing humidifiers that produce very fine sprays from high-pressure water systems, meat production facilities can surround carcasses with high humidity air. This reduces the amount of moisture that evaporates from the meat and limits the amount of weight lost during refrigeration. As the higher humidity air contains more water, the air around the carcass becomes a source of moisture, rather than a drain on it.
Charcuterie Production
Charcuterie is one of those areas where humidity is often forgotten about. After all, it involves curing and drying meats, so why would you need to add moisture to the air? Well, it’s mainly because the environments for curing require strict levels of humidity and environmental control that can’t be achieved through domestic air conditioning systems. The meats used in charcuterie are predominantly made of muscle, which has a water content of around 75%. This means that to achieve proper drying, an RH of below 75% is essential. However, keep it below 70% and you risk drying the outside of the meat, which traps moisture inside the muscles and causes it to rot from the inside out.
Humidity Solutions have delivered a bespoke humidification solution to the Chiltern Charcuterie in Buckinghamshire, which provides humidification for salami fermentation. Chiltern Charcuterie is a leading artisan producer, with award-winning salamis and air-dried charcuterie. Their chosen solution uses an electrode boiler, compact steam humidifier that serves a 12m3 sealed fermentation room, using precise humidity controls to maintain the necessary conditions for quality and consistency. The humidifier provides up to 3kg/h of steam to maintain a precise 85% relative humidity and a temperature of 25°C. In a separate room designed for the drying process, a humidifier is working alongside a dehumidifier, which has been installed to ensure that the heavily moisture laden new product in the first stages of drying does not produce so much airborne moisture that it creates a mould problem.
Chiltern Charcuterie owner John Miller said: “Humidity Solutions took the time to fully understand our requirements and propose the best solution – delivering the equipment within a few days. We are very pleased with the system and the service we received.”
Humidity Solutions & Meat Production
At Humidity Solutions, we supply humidity control solutions to meat production facilities including abattoirs, cold stores, packaging plants and more – helping provide the perfect environment for meat production every time. If you would like to know more, get in touch with us today.
