Abstract

TEIXEIRA FERRAZ, Aline; DE OLIVEIRA SIQUEIRA, Antônio Marcos  and  PIEROTI FERREIRA, Daniela. Analysis of operational strategies in a pre-cooling system for chicken carcasses by immersion. Rev. ion [online]. 2021, vol.34, n.1, pp.79-95.  Epub Jan 01, 2021. ISSN 0120-100X.  https://doi.org/10.18273/revion.v34n1-2021007.

The pre-cooling system is one of the stages that comprises the technological processing of poultry slaughter, whose main function is the fast reduction of the temperature of the chicken carcasses. Considering the influence of this phase on product quality and safety, in addition to its strong contribution to water and energy consumption in agroindustries, the main objective of this study was to analyse parameters of heat and mass transfer and exergetic efficiency, as well as aspects involving the food security of carcass cooling layout of a specific largesized industry with continuous chillers under water immersion, in order to validate the process from an economic and technological point of view. As main results, the analysis showed full compliance with the normative standards of temperature and water absorption by the chicken carcass. Regarding the mathematical modelling developed, it was possible to adequately predict the behavior of the total amounts of renewal water and ice according to variations in the speed of the slaughter line and variation of initial temperature and mass of the chicken carcass. The destroyed exergies and exergetic efficiencies related to each component of the system as well as the related exergoeconomic costs allowed to visualize the location of the greatest inefficiencies in the process. Regarding microbiological standards, despite the need for improvements in the chlorination and mesophils load, enterobacteria and E. coli from the resident water of the chillers, there is an important microbiological logarithmic reduction for chicken carcass after passing through the pre-cooling system.

Keywords : Poultry Slaughterhouse; Pre-cooling; Chicken Carcass; Chiller.

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