Table A.2.
Conditions reported for wet‐ageing beef, pork and lamb in response to the questionnaire, provided by food business operators (FBO) or associations of FBOs
| Respondents | EU/MS | Time between slaughter and ageing (d) | Duration (d) |
Specified temperature (°C) |
Chill room temperature (°C) |
Minimum – maximum temperature (°C) |
Mean meat temperature (°C) |
Meat pH | Start pH | End pH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef | ||||||||||
| 1 | EU | – |
30–40 (longer when super chilled) |
– | −2–0 | – | – | Checked in the abattoir | – | – |
| EU | NP | 14, 28 or 42 | 0–5 | – | – | – | Core pH measured 18 & 24 h post‐mortem | – | – | |
| 2 | AT | 3 | 9 | 0–3 | 0–3 |
Start: 1–4 End: 0–3 |
– | Not checked | 5.4–5.8 | |
| 4 | ES | 2 | 40 | < 5, optimum 2 | – | 2–5 | – | Not checked | – | – |
| DE | 2 | – | 2 to 7 | – | 2 to 7 | – | Not answered | – | – | |
| 5 | BE | 1–2 | 28–42 | 0–2 | – | Start: 4, Later: 0–2 | – | Not checked | – | – |
| 8 (a) | DE | 1–2 | 49 max | 2 ± 0.5 | – | – | 1.5–2 | 5.8 | – | – |
| 9 (a) | DE | 4 to 6 | 35–42 | – | 1.5 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 10 | IE | – | Customer specific, typically 14–46 | 0–2 | – | < 4°C start, 2°C within 24 h, thereafter < 2°C | – | Checked pre‐boning | 5.7 | – |
| 11 (a) | DE | 2 | 14–21 | 0–4 | – | 0–4 | – | Not measured | – | – |
| 12 | BE | 2 | 7–14 | 2 | 2 ± 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 13 | BE | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 14 | FR | 1–3 | 28 | 4 | ‐ | Not measured | – | Not measured | – | – |
| Belgian study | BE | 1–21 | 5 to 21 but usually 7–14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Pork | ||||||||||
| 2 | AT | 3 | min 3 | 0–3 | room: 0–3°C |
Start: 1–4 End: 0–3 |
– | – |
5.4–5.8 |
– |
| 9 | DE | 4–6 | 14–18 | 1.5 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 13 | BE | 2 | 18 | 0–4 | – | – | – | Not routinely checked | – | – |
| 14 | FR | 0.5–1 | 6 | 4 | – | Not measured | Not measured | Not measured | – | – |
| Lamb | ||||||||||
| 2 | ES | 2 | 30 |
< 5 optimum 2 |
– | – | 2–5 | – | – | – |
| 10 | IE | – | Customer specific, typically 7–21 | 0–2 | – | – |
Start: 4°C Within 24 h: < 2°C After < 2°C |
– | – | – |
| 12 | BE | – | 70–77 | −1 to 2°C | 2°C ± 1°C | – | – | – | – | – |
– : not provided.
(a)
Replies to the questionnaire provided by the hearing expert.