2021 RETA Breeze May-June

FROM MICROBIAL HAVEN TO SAFE HAVEN: GUIDELINES FOR MAINTAINING PROPER MEAT PLANT AIR QUALITY By Jim Adler, Manager of Refrigeration Engineering, Hixson

Studies have shown that microbial growth is inhibited by keeping meat processing facilities cold and dry. Such studies are part of the reason why the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) established guidelines #4 and #5 of the Sanitary Design Principles for Meat Processing Facilities. Specifically:

• Principle #4 recommends that plants keep room temperatures cold to control microbial growth and to keep rooms dry to prevent condensation from forming (including managing fog during the sanitation process). • Principle #5 recommends that facilities ensure airflow moves from the most clean to least clean areas, with proper facility air balance/pressurization, while maintaining air quality and controlling contaminants. Following these recommendations can be a significant challenge in an environment which is hard to control and constantly changing. Fortunately, getting your facility to conform to the design principles – while sometimes complicated – is not impossible, particularly if you know the steps to take and what you’re looking for along the way. Whether you’re trying to solve existing temperature and condensation issues or prevent problems from occurring, the first step in the process involves understanding existing room conditions in four key areas: room temperature, humidity levels, pressurization and filtration. This article describes what to look for in these areas and provides a broad overview of the issues to be considered when solving a temperature or condensation issue.

14 RETA.com