Lamb carcasses: on the rail or in a container

Whole carcasses travel on rails and cut meat in containers; the customer's product form decides. On either route the meat must be at 7 °C before transport and stay there for the whole journey.

17 April 2025Updated 28 September 2026

Short answer

If the customer takes the carcass whole, hang it; if the customer wants cut product, use containers. Butchers generally take whole carcasses and cut them themselves, while restaurants, hotels and supermarkets want cut product. Whichever you choose, the meat must be at 7 °C before transport and stay at that temperature throughout the journey.

Hanging keeps surfaces apart and lets air circulate, but it needs a rail in the vehicle and a hanging arrangement at the unloading point. Container transport works with a standard closed body and at points without a ramp; the cutting is done at the plant.

The limit is the same on both routes: under Article 17 of the Turkish Regulation on Specific Hygiene Rules for Food of Animal Origin, meat must be at 7 °C (offal 3 °C) before transport and stay at that temperature throughout. Open meat and packaged meat travel separately; the requirement lapses where separation by time or packaging and stowage prevents contamination.

In containers, cuts are not pressed together, shelves give air a path, and because liquid collects the container has a cleanable base. GEBHARDT's Isotec TBX carries 500 kg in the 410-795 litre models and 700 kg in the 900-1500 litre models. Run a trial with a real load and note loading time, movement and the cleaning step.