Meat Industry Services

Food Safety Interventions Information

Click on the links below to access information on interventions available at each stage of the meat production process

Contents Page Introduction to Interventions On Farm Processing - hide on Processing - hide off Chilling Packaging or Retail

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide (CO 2) is a colourless, odourless, tasteless and non-flammable gas. The inhibitory effect of CO 2 on spoilage microorganisms and pathogens has been well documented. At the meat surface, CO 2 penetrates the cells, inhibits bacterial enzymes and also disrupts the cell membrane. The inhibitory effect of CO 2 increases as temperature decreases, as the gas becomes more soluble, and the use of increased pressure will improve the penetration of CO 2 into the cells

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INTERVENTION SUMMARY
Location
Packaging
Intervention Type
Gas flush of packaged product
Treatment Time
During Storage
Regulations
Accepted worldwide
Effectiveness
Fair to good
Likely Cost
CO 2 is cheap. The high pressure CO 2 equipment is still under development but will most probably be expensive due to the product and the associated risks
Value for Money
Good
Plant or Process Changes

Many plants already use CO 2 in MAP retail packs to improve storage life

High Pressure processing system may require space
Environmental Impact
CO 2 is naturally present in air, so little impact
Occupational Health and Safety
High CO 2 levels can cause suffocation, the area would need to be well ventilated
Advantages
CO 2 is cheap and safe
Disadvantages or Limitations

The high pressure equipment is still under development

Works well in MAP packaging but would be much harder to control in larger pack sizes (such as sides or quarters)

If used in large quantities would have OH&S implications

 

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