Two batches of meat slaughtered on the same day can have different lives, because life is set by hygiene on the line and by how quickly chilling began. A high starting load is not made good by the cold chain, only slowed.
| Product | Internal temperature | Time from slaughter |
|---|---|---|
| Red meat | 7 °C, offal 3 °C | Mince within 6 days (15 days for vacuum-packed boneless beef and veal) |
| Poultry meat | 4 °C | Mince within 3 days |
| Mince | 2 °C | - |
| Meat preparations | 4 °C | - |
Under the Turkish Regulation on Specific Hygiene Rules for Food of Animal Origin, meat must reach this temperature before transport and hold it on the road (Articles 17 and 22); for mince and meat preparations the same condition continues in storage and transport (Article 31). The lot record therefore starts at the slaughter date and is completed by chilling start, dispatch and delivery temperatures.
At acceptance the internal temperature is measured, not the case surface. Short excursions cut life too: in a 2025 Auburn University poster, chicken breast held five times for an hour at 30 °C showed one log more aerobic bacteria on day eight.
