Share

IIR document

Cold chain analysis of pork and meat product manufacturing.

Author(s) : WRÓBEL-JEDRZEJEWSKA M., WLODARCZYK E., PRZYBYSZ L.

Type of article: IJR article

Summary

A cold chain analysis of meat production and processing at selected Polish manufacturing companies was conducted to identify the impact of different production scales on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and key emission sources. The carbon footprint (CF) parameter was used as an indicator to assess processes impact on climate change. The system boundaries included stages from receipt of raw materials to the product delivery. The analysis focused on the processing of animal raw materials taking into account both direct and indirect emissions. The average carbon footprint of the small plant was 1.1 kg CO2eq/kg, which was three times higher than that of the large plant. Emissions from the small plant mainly came from electricity, diesel, and natural gas, whereas emissions from the large plant were dominated by electricity and natural gas. A refrigerant leakage observed at the large plant contributed to a 7.5 % increase in the total carbon footprint, highlighting the importance of such emissions in the overall greenhouse gas accounting. In contrast, the absence of refrigerant emissions at the small plant highlighted the variability of indirect emission sources between plants of different production scales. A 49 % increase in production at the small plant reduced the carbon footprint (CF) by 42 %, whereas a 1.5-fold increase in production at the large plant reduced the CF by 12 %. The study underscored the importance of energy efficiency, renewable energy sources use, transportation optimization, the use of natural refrigerants and the control of refrigeration systems in reducing emissions. The small plants could support
sustainable local practices, but industrial plants had a lower CF per product unit. The results indicated the need for tailored decarbonization strategies that take into account plants specifics in order to reach the goals of cleaner production.

Available documents

Format PDF

Pages: 8 p.

Available

  • Public price

    20 €

  • Member price*

    Free

* Best rate depending on membership category (see the detailed benefits of individual and corporate memberships).

Details

  • Original title: Cold chain analysis of pork and meat product manufacturing.
  • Record ID : 30034764
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: International Journal of Refrigeration - Revue Internationale du Froid - vol. 185
  • Publication date: 2026/05
  • DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2026.02.017

Links


See other articles in this issue (27)
See the source

Indexing