Hygiene First in New Meat Van
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ANEW Albion 5-ton van specially designed to secure hygienic conditions for the transport of meat from the distribution depots to the butchers' shops, has been commissioned by Messrs. I. Wharton and Sons, of Birkenhead. Ai r-condittoned, the vehicle will hang about 150 lamb carcases or 100 quarters of beef, and has two roller shutters at each side.
Inside the van is a removable steel framework from which the carcase meat is hung. When the framework is not carried, triangular-section wedges are placed around the floor to prevent dirt or fat from collecting in the skirtings.
A feature is the special section for offals. This is partitioned from the main storage space and has a roller shutter at the rear. On the bulkhead there are double hooks which swivel back, each set of hooks being numbered.
When meat is delivered, each butcher's allocation is marked with a number corresponding to the number on the delivery note, on which particu
lars are detailed. The sets of lamb and sheep offals, too, are hung on the hooks corresponding to the numbers on the delivery note.
By swivelling back the hooks against the bulkhead, the compartment can be used for frozen offals and meat cuts. The sides of the compartment are protected by removable galvanized wire mesh. A zinc tray with a plug and drain is fixed in the floor.
Below the platform level at the rear there are two large zinc drawers, with bases of whitewood, which will accommodate about 20 sets of beef offal.
Of Messrs. Wharton's fleet of seven vehicles, five 5-tonners are used for bi-weekly deliveries of meat from the Bebington and Tranmere meat depots to 350 butchers' shops in Birkenhead. Wallasey and the Wirral area. The other two vehicles—one a 4-tonner and the other a 2-tonner—coneentrate on the collection of by-products from the meat depots at Liverpool, Birkenhead and Bebington.