Assessment of the cold chain for cuts of beef sold in supermarkets

The demand for food at global level has constantly increased, and particularly for perishable products that require a specialized management to assure their safety when they reach the final consumer. The cold chain is a useful tool for achieving this objective. However, there are problems in the different links that can affect the product quality. Retailing is a weak link, for this, the cold chain needs to be monitored to assure there are no fluctuations in temperature that negatively affect the food quality and safety. In this study, the cold chain management for beef sold by four supermarkets in the State of Mexico, was assessed, considering those that use open fridges. The surface temperature of the product placed in different parts of the fridge, was recorded. Data obtained were analyzed with a mixed model with repeated measurements over time under a completely random design. It was determined that two of the four supermarkets showed management problems in the cold chain during the assessed months, breaching the provisions of the NOM-213-SSA1-2018 standard. This represents a risk for human consumers, due to the possible growth of microorganisms caused by the temperature increase, in addition of decreasing the shelf life and subsequent waste of food, generating economic losses.