Courtesy of MSA – Bacharach.
Reliable temperature control is essential in the industrial meat processing sector to ensure that meat products are safe and enjoyable for consumption, with optimal texture and taste. This is Part 3 of a three-part series.
For meat processing, finding and fixing refrigerant leaks quickly is critical for product safety and quality, and also for minimising environmental harm, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enhancing energy efficiency. To support a rapid leak detection, notification, and consequential repair to assist in minimising refrigerant emissions, there are a number of solutions that can be categorised as background monitoring, localised leak detection, and integrated IoT solutions to improve efficiencies. For large scale meat processing sites, an aspirated detection system would be the most effective and efficient considering the high sensitivity, wide coverage and remote sampling functionality:
- High sensitivity: Aspirated systems, also known as active air sampling systems, can detect even very low concentrations of refrigerant gases. They use a pump to continuously aspirate air samples, ensuring high sensitivity and quick response to leaks.
- Wide coverage: Aspirated systems are designed to cover larger areas. They use a network of sampling points, allowing them to monitor extensive spaces effectively. This feature makes them suitable for large supermarkets with complex refrigeration systems.
- Remote sampling: Aspirated systems can sample air from various locations, which is particularly useful in supermarkets where refrigeration units might be dispersed across different sections of the store.
A further integration that would help support a rapid refrigerant leak response and repair would be to integrate the detection equipment with a cloud-based solution. Cloud-based monitoring solutions collect data from the fixed leak detection hardware installed within the meat processing facility. This connected solution then provides secure, remote access, allowing authorized personnel to monitor the system’s status from anywhere. Cloud platforms often come with analytics tools that provide insights into system performance and trends. BMS software can integrate refrigerant monitoring as part of its functions. BMS continuously monitors various building systems, including refrigeration. It provides real-time data and can be configured to send alerts via email, SMS, or in-app notifications when leaks are detected.
References:
National Library of Medicine, ‘Microbial Communities of Meat and Meat Products: An Exploratory Analysis of the Product Quality and Safety at Selected Enterprises in South Africa’ (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7997435/)
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), ‘Beef from Farm to Table’ (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat-fish/beef-farm-table), ‘Fresh Pork from Farm to Table’ (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat-fish/fresh-pork-farm-table), and ‘Lamb from Farm to Table’ (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat-fish/lamb-farm-table)
MSA Safety, ‘New Rules of Refrigeration Leak Protection: What You Should Know’ (https://blog.msasafety.com/new-rules-of-refrigeration-leak-protection-what-you-should-know/)
Environment Agency, United Kingdom, ‘How to comply with your environmental permit Additional guidance for: The Red Meat Processing (Cattle, Sheep and Pigs) Sector (EPR 6.12)’ (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c5180e5274a1b00422f54/geho0209bpja-e-e.pdf)