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Fresh idea for chilled haulage
Page 30
Page 31
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Fecrure by Alan Millar Pictures by Brian Weatherley
PURISTS will tell you with feeling that refrigerated meat, fruit, or vegetables are never as good as the fresh article, and will point sadly at anaemic beef or pastel-coloured cabbages. It is easy to scoff as we accept convenience foods from supermarket shelves, writes Alan Millar, but it is true. Some bacteria still thrive under refrigeration, and require special treatment if the problem is to be countered.
The American Transfresh Corporation, which has been operating in Britain for three years, holds patents for its Tectrol controlled atmosphere system which has a soporific effect on perishable foods. By removing much of the oxygen from a container's atmosphere, it puts the food to sleep and retards the effect of the harmful bacteria.
The corporation sees wide scope for its system among British hauliers, and is drawing their attention to its possible applications on both domestic and international journeys.
For around lp per pound, the Tectrol system could revolutionise the transport of a wide range of produce which needs to be deep frozen if they are to withstand even short-distance trunking
Conversion kit
Transfresh does not build any bodies or containers itself, but offers a conversion kit which works best when it is built into a new unit. International shipper Sea Land has around 2000 containers built new with the system, and has another 300 which have been modified. It is so convinced by Transfresh's claims that it accepts fresh meat only when it is car
ried under controlled atmosphere. In addition, Sea Land recommends controlled atmosphere for most processed meats.
The kit comprises two port plugs, one on the side of the container or van body and one at the front. Gas required to modify the atmosphere — mainly nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide — is pumped in through one port plug and expels the existing atmosphere through the other, the entire process of purging taking around half an hour.
A vinyl curtain is slotted within an aluminium track behirrd the rear doors in order to seal in the modified atmosphere. Doors, inevitably, are the worst area for possible air leaks, as, to some extent, are conventional metal construction bodies, For this reason, Transfresh prefers its system to be applied to glass-reinforced plastic bodies, a type which is gaining ground slowly in this county.
It costs about £100 to modify a container to take the system, but it could be built in new for only £20. To that, £210 to £230 should be added for each operation — Transfresh prefers to describe this as "servicing" rather than "gassing"' — which amounts to between 1/2p and 1p per pound of goods carried, This compares favourably with spending £1,500 to send vacuum-packed lamb.
At present, most European work with the system has been done in Italy and Spain, with strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers being dispatched aboard Tectrol-treated lorries. It has also been used on two demonstration runs with Irish meat hauliers, and is used extensively for meat and vegetable exports from France to Canada and the French West Indies.
While its greatest applications are likely to be for intern-. ational shipping from, for example, Australasia to Middle Eastern countries which have a huge demand for fresh meat, the corporation believes it has something to offer British traders.
While Britain is compelled export much of its meat eitlby air or deep frozen, fresh me could be transported und modified atmosphere for jot neys of up to four weeks.
It has spoken with Scotti fruit farmers to try to intere them in Tectrol for raspber transport. At present, raspbi ries will turn into a mush bearded Father Christmases they are taken for more th; 200 miles. They must be del frozen for a journey south Gateshead, but Transfresh c; offer a system which takes fre fruit anywhere in Britain.
For journeys to Europe, combination of modifir atmosphere and favourab rates of exchange could widi the scope of Brussels sprout at cauliflower transport. Pork al poultry, items which terni housewives when they think defrosting times, can be movi very successfully by modifit atmosphere.
The corporation sees the sy tern as a boon to the haulier wl can enter markets not open him at present, as a boon to tl housewife who pays less of premium price for her fret food, and as a means of cuttir dramatically the number claims against a haulier. It tel sad tales of fresh fruit which Pt been dumped after long jot,. neys, but which would har been saved had it gone und modified atmosphere.
European activities
Transfresh's European act ities are probably still in thi infancy, as only around people, all controlled from Lc don offices, are engaged in activities. These include Frenc Italian, and Spanish manage responsible for sales develc ment and for controlling ' technicians who supervise tl "servicing' of loads.
Their work is still valuab and they point with son strength to the fact that the Tf trol system helps cut down t shrinkage of meat which occi_ normally in humid surrou dings. Normally, this amour to two per cent of a load, Transfresh can cut this by half. a saving on a 17-ton load whi amounts to an extra pounds of saleable meat.
Fresh, rather than froze food is something to which t public aspires rather thi necessarily purchases. Wi Transfresh's Tectrol systei people may be in a position put their money where thi hearts, if not their mouths are