Agent /Broker delivery temperature query

Afternoon all,

I have a question I am hoping someone might be able to help out with?

As an agent/ broker if we have a third party haulier delivering a frozen meat product into a customer, is there a minimum accepted temperature required for delivery of frozen according to or as set out by BRC (ie if the product is loaded on the vehicle at  -18’C  but it arrives at a lower temperature, is there a minimum before the product should be rejected?)

If the actual vehicle temperature has not gone down (according to the haulier vehicle read out) but the customer states that a surface temperature reading of the product shows it as more than -18'C  ( ie -11'C) should the product have to be probed at core temperature in order to get a definitive temperature read out or should this be enough to accept a rejection of the product from the customer?

Thanks

Afternoon all,

 

I have a question I am hoping someone might be able to help out with?

 

As an agent/ broker if we have a third party haulier delivering a frozen meat product into a customer, is there a minimum accepted temperature required for delivery of frozen according to or as set out by BRC (ie if the product is loaded on the vehicle at  -18’C  but it arrives at a lower temperature, is there a minimum before the product should be rejected?)

 

If the actual vehicle temperature has not gone down (according to the haulier vehicle read out) but the customer states that a surface temperature reading of the product shows it as more than -18'C  ( ie -11'C) should the product have to be probed at core temperature in order to get a definitive temperature read out or should this be enough to accept a rejection of the product from the customer?

 

Thanks

Hi carterpoultex,

I'm not in UK but offhand cannot remember any official UK (or EC)  limits for temperature of frozen cargo at delivery. 

IIRC there is a UK organisation representing transporters of frozen goods who do set vehicle air temperature control criteria for their "services". Unsure whether the latter include product values at delivery.

HACCP plans i have seen seem to use various delivery limits ranging from ca.< -12 to < -18degC (ca. -15degC seems popular). IMEX surveyors of shipped frozen goods typically use a lower limit ca.-12degC at exit of manufacturer during transfer into a container.

Some Regulatory requirements exist from FSA, eg -

https://www.food.gov...ozen-foodstuffs

BRC may offer a recommendation in their Interpretation Guidelines.

Other than the above, i daresay it becomes contractual with respect to Limits and Procedures.

Alternative non-destructive procedures, eg Codex, for estimating the temperature of packed frozen cargo exist other than the method you refer.

Interested to hear other inputs.

addendum

The UK-related attachment in this post looks to be using  limits of <= (-18 / -15degC) or <= (-12degC) depending on status of foods, distribution, etc (Pgs 10-12) -

http://www.ifsqn.com...rol/#entry87631

Hello carterpoultex,

Similar to UK we have a legislation here in Sweden stating that frozen products can be kept for -15 degrees during limited periods. We consider -15 degrees ok but send out a message to our supplier/carrier to be more careful in  the future. Also conider that standard methods for measuring frozen products  have an uncertainty,

Any larger fluctuations in product temperature can effect the overall quality and shelf life. Me personally dont think that there is any bigger garm done on fresh meat for shorter periods up to -12 (where meat are considered frozen according to FAO - http://www.fao.org/d...E02.htm#ch1.1.5). The initial rate of freezing is also a important aspect to take into account.

I find this topic very complicated since many of our suppliers in Europe agree with this -15 limit. If we reject the goods they simply freeze it again and send it to another customer. Of course we should not let good meat go to waste but the whole value chain need to cooperate in order to keep frozen goods frozen.

Sorry for the wall of text but there is a lot to say about this