Relevance of cold chain for meat products focusing on pork meat

Cold chain systems, as well as food safety and quality management systems, constitute tools used to prolong the shelf life of perishable products. Refrigerated storage conditions avoid development of pathogenic bacteria and other microorganisms that are associated with meat spoilage. This study aimed to determine cold chain management of fresh pork meat in four supermarkets located in Texcoco de Mora, Mexico. The surface temperature of the product located in different positions inside the self-service refrigerators of the supermarkets was recorded. A mixed model with repeated measurements over time and a completely randomized experimental design was used to analyze data. Results indicated that three of the four supermarkets that were evaluated exceeded the limits of temperature established by the Mexican regulation NOM-213-SSA1-2018. Low efficiency of refrigeration equipment and poor implementation of good management practices by the operator can be related to these temperature abuses. Non-compliant supermarkets are not able to ensure the quality of their products, essentially in terms of food safety.