Chilling of Packaged Poultry in Ice-Water and Glycol-Water Solutions

Abstract

ABSTRACT An experimental chiller was designed, fabricated and used to chill eviscerated broiler carcasses. Ice/water mixtures as well as a mixture of 20% glycol/80% water (v/v) were used as the heat transfer media in the trial runs. All carcasses in the trials were chilled from 32°C to 4.4°C (weight range 0.9 KG to 1.6 KG). Unbagged carcasses chilled in an ice/water mixture had a mean chill time of 43 ± 8 min. Carcasses packaged in non-evacuated twist tied bags required 109 + 24 min for chilling. Vacuum packed carcasses were chilled in 62 ± 19 min, and a modified cavity bagged carcass required 62 ± 11 min. When the glycol and water solution at -4.4°C was used to chill the modified cavity bagged carcasses, 4.4°C was attained in 48 ± 8 min. The increased time needed to reduce bagged carcass temperatures to the required 4.4°C did not have an adverse effect on the microbiological quality of the chilled carcasses.