Frequently Asked Questions
North America
Below is a condensed list of frequent questions we get, mainly from processors. If you don't see your question answered here, please contact us directly using the contact form.
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Rinse & Chill® is a scientifically proven, government-approved process that enables meat processors to produce cleaner, safer and better quality meat.
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Today, our customers are mostly independent meat processors supplying to larger end customers and markets, domestic and export. Rinse & Chill® helps them deliver on their commitment to produce safe, wholesome, consistently tender and great-tasting meat. It also helps many processors meet their quality assurance standards more easily. Many well-known retailers across the U.S. carry Great Range Bison, the world’s first fresh, case-ready bison courtesy of Rocky Mountain Natural Meats, a MPSC Rinse & Chill® client of almost 20 years. Rinse & Chill® ground beef is sold coast to coast to a comprehensive list of prominent QSR’s (Quick Serve Restaurants) and retailers alike. Rinse & Chill® lamb is newer, but making an impact in Australia and North America due to superior tenderness, color, flavor, shelf life and microbiological quality. One article recently published in Meat Science documents a 50% improvement in lamb tenderness, other studies range from 18% to 33% improvement in shear force tenderness. Recent UW research documents a 25% to 58% shear force improvement in beef.
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Early in the slaughtering process, an extremely dilute (1.5%) sugar-electrolyte chilled solution is used to rinse more residual blood out of the carcass, accelerate carcass chilling, optimize ideal pH levels and inhibit bacterial growth, leaving no detectable residues. As such, it meets the definition of processing aid. The result is meat that is safer and cleaner, as well as tenderer and better tasting.
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Rinse & Chill® has been approved by government regulators in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. It is a thoroughly tested, safe, effective and proven process. It has been used many millions of times in numerous plants, and has an outstanding track record of safety and effectiveness during its over 25 years of commercial use. At the time of its approval, Robert D. Ragland, D.V.M., Former Senior Staff Officer, USDA-FSIS stated that Rinse & Chill® was “The most thoroughly investigated technology to be approved by USDA-FSIS.”
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The Rinse & Chill® solution is 98.5% water and does not leave any detectable residues in the meat. The solution is essential to making meat cleaner and safer. Included in the solution are very small amounts of sugar and electrolytes which are completely metabolized, leaving no detectable residues (as documented in the studies available for your review on this website.) These common food grade substrates are internationally GRAS listed on the CODEX Alimentarius (Generally Recognized as Safe, or “GRAS”) and by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, AQIS and the CFIA.
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There is a trained and certified Rinse & Chill® technician in every customer facility on a regular basis. We also remotely monitor the process and conduct regular tests to confirm that Rinse & Chill® is helping achieve the highest levels of safety and efficacy possible.
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University level, peer-reviewed, published and private research plus years of experience conclude that meat delivered through Rinse & Chill® is safer, cleaner, tenderer and better tasting. Yet, it does not alter the meat nutritionally. It adds a tiny amount of moisture to the meat—less than 0.5%–which is compliant with USDA and CFIA standards for retained moisture. The USDA-accepted test for added moisture shows de minimis carcass water uptake, similar to other commonly used carcass wash processes.
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No. There is no consumer or regulatory mandate requiring the labeling of Rinse & Chill® meat. It is USDA, CFIA and AQIS inspected and approved.
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No. The initiation of Rinse & Chill® begins post-mortem after the animal has been humanely slaughtered. Our technicians follow federally mandated Humane Animal Handling Procedures.
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MPSC, Inc. is the owner and developer of the globally patented Rinse & Chill® technology. Full USDA approval was granted in 2004 and the technology is now in use in a growing number of abattoirs, primarily in the U.S., Canada and Australia. Rinse & Chill® is also approved for use in species such as pork, lamb, goat bison and even yaks!
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Under its brand Rinse & Chill®, MPSC Inc., provides meat slaughtering services, know-how, and groundbreaking science and technology. Our team is composed of experienced slaughter-men, engineers, QA and meat scientists who can help you use this new tool called Rinse & Chill to produce cleaner, safer meat products that are also more tender, with brighter color and longer shelf-life. Our services become integrated into daily production routines, with both remote and in-plant support personnel. We are invested in your success.