Day 097 - 06 Mar 95 - Page 70
1 less by the time it leaves?
2 A. Yes.
3
4 Q. Is there a point in its processing where it is less than
5 that or not?
6 A. Possibly at the boning stage.
7
8 Q. When it leaves the line, as it were, to go into the
9 chilling room what sort of temperature is it likely to be
10 at at that stage?
11 A. In the chilling rooms?
12
13 Q. Just before it goes into the chilling rooms. What is the
14 ambient temperature in the slaughter hall?
15 A. In the slaughter hall the ambient temperature is
16 probably fairly similar to the ambient temperature in here
17 today. In the chillers, in fact, everywhere after the
18 slaughter hall is temperature controlled to below 12
19 degrees centigrade.
20
21 Q. What is the temperature in the chiller?
22 A. Around zero.
23
24 Q. How long does it take the meat to get down to that sort of
25 temperature or something near it?
26 A. To near zero.
27
28 Q. Yes.
29 A. Oh, that would probably take 48, 72 hours I would
30 imagine.
31
32 Q. So it goes in at whatever temperature it happens to be at
33 and then it is left there until it reaches ----
34 A. Well, until it reaches an acceptable temperature for
35 boning.
36
37 Q. Which is what? What is acceptable?
38 A. Five, 4 to 7 degrees.
39
40 Q. Is it difficult to bone meat which is frozen solid?
41 A. Yes.
42
43 Q. It may be obvious but we have to be told these things. So
44 it would be the temperature at which it can be handled but
45 not more than 5 or 6, is that right?
46 A. Yes.
47
48 Q. Does it ever get above that before it leaves the premises?
49 A. Above?
50
51 Q. Five or 6?
52 A. It is possible, yes.
53
54 Q. At what stage could it climb above 5 or 6?
55 A. At the deboning stage.
56
57 Q. What happens to it after it has been deboned?
58 A. It has to go straight into a chiller.
59
60 Q. Another chiller?
