Dear All,
The information presented above - below suggests that the meaning of the terms requested by Zeeshan will depend on where you are geographically and what precise process you are referring to. I guess this is not surprising.
It’s not my direct area but after looking around on IT, the main variation appears to be concerning “chilled” and “frozen” processing / storage. I suspect the term “Cold Room” is infinitely flexible (also saw ‘Cold Storage Room” used once). The “room” temperatures required are a result primarily of the microbiological hygiene requirements and (partly) the limitations of people to work at low temperatures.
To illustrate, some examples are below ( most of the UK regulations quoted seem to have now been superceded by the encyclopaedic Meat Industry Guide (2006) illustrated at end of this post )–
(A) (“Theory” but see last reference below for current numbers.) –
The Department of Health has published guidance
on the Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations
1995 which gives advice on the types of foods which are
required to be held under temperature control. It also
gives guidance on the circumstances when the
Regulations allow some flexibility from the temperature
requirements including during food preparation. The
Regulations require that foods which are likely to support
the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms or the
formation of toxins be held at or below 8 °C (or above
63 °C). Certain tolerances are allowed. Other
temperature requirements for product specific foods are
given on page 3. Lower workroom temperatures in
premises where particular foodstuffs requiring
temperature control are produced, may be justified (see
paragraph 10).
(UK - Food safety regs 1995)
[B] -
"Cold store" means any premises, not being a part of approved meat products premises,
which store unpackaged meat products under refrigerated conditions.
(UK – Meat products Regs 1994)
[C] –
Cold Store
The cold store is spec'ed to run at 0 - 2 degrees C and is currently configured to hold 180 pallets with opportunity to increase if needed.
(Australia – Commercial advert 2006)
[D] -
7) Factories producing frozen food should also meet the following requirements:
a. The meat-cutting room should have temperature control equipment and the temperature should not exceed 20 degrees centigrade.
b. There should be suitable rooms respectively for chilling. quickfreezing and cold storage that are connected with the work rooms.
The temperature in the rooms for chilling should be kept between zero and 4 degrees centigrade.
The temperature of the room for quick-freezing should be maintained at -25 degrees centigrade or below. The frozen products cannot leave the room before their central temperature have dropped to -15 degrees centigrade or below (within 48 hours for meat products, 24 hours for poultry meat, and 14 hours for aquatic products).
The temperature of the cold store room should be maintained steadily at -18 degrees centigrade or below and the central temperature of the frozen products should be maintained at -15 degrees centigrade or below.
The cold store room should have automatic temperature recording device and mercury thermometer.
(China, draft 1984)
[E] –
h) suitable refrigeration equipment to enable the internal temperature of fresh meat to be maintained at not more than +7°C for carcases and cuts, +3°C for offal and -12°C for frozen fresh meat, such equipment to have a drainage system which avoids risk of contamination of fresh meat;
(UK – Fresh meat reg 1992)
[F] –
99.01 Definitions . For the purpose of this chapter', unless the context otherwise requires :
(1) "Cold storage" means the storage or keeping of articles of food at or below a temperature above zero of 50 degrees Fahrenheit in a cold storage warehouse .
(2) "Cold storage warehouse" means any place artificially cooled to or below a temperature above zero of 50 degrees Fahrenheit, in which articles of food are placed and held for 40 days of more .
(11) "Chill room" means a room or compartment for the chilling of meats which is capable of maintaining temperatures within 2 degrees Fahrenheit plus or minus of 35 degrees above zero Fahrenheit, with a' tolerance of 10 degrees Fahrenheit for a reasonable time after fresh food is put in for chilling.
(US – 1981)
[G] –
Food business operators producing … meat preparations … must ensure compliance with the following requirements.
D1. The work on meat must be organised in such a way as to prevent or minimise
contamination. To this end, food business operators must ensure in particular that the
meat used is:
(a) at a temperature of not more than 4°C for poultry, 3°C for offal and 7°C for other
meat; and
(b) brought into the preparation room progressively as needed.
D2. © Immediately after production,… meat preparations must be wrapped or
packaged and be:
(i) chilled to an internal temperature of not more than 4°C; or
(ii) frozen to an internal temperature of not more than -18°C.
These temperature conditions must be maintained during storage and transport.
853/2004 Annex III Section V Hygiene During Cutting & After Production: Chapter III points
(UK - Meat Industry Guide 2006)
I omitted the links to save space but can add if anyone that interested.
Hope this has not added to any confusion.
Rgds / Charles.C
