Introduction

We will perform an experiment to check how long it takes for meat in backpacking to spoil and what kind of environment would be safe for keeping meat. This experiment will include keeping steak, chicken, and hamburger meat under 40૦F until dinner.

Basic Building Concept

The temperature at which meat starts to spoil is 40⁰F.

Aim

To check how long it takes for meat in backpacking to spoil and what kind of environment would be safe for keeping meat.

Theory

1. The process of making things melt after taking them out from the refrigerator at room temperature or under sunlight, i.e., giving the things their original form, is called thawing.

2. We can protect food by keeping it in the refrigerator at low temperatures.

Requirements

1. Chicken

2. Thermometer

3. Plastic Wrapper

4. Bag-pack

5. Bear Can

6. Insulated Lunch Box

7. Hamburger

8. Steak

9. Refrigerator

Procedure

Step 1: Insert a thermometer into the chicken breast.

Step 2: Wrap this chicken with plastic wrap.

Step 3: Place this chicken under the refrigerator along with two other small pieces of chicken prepared similarly overnight.

Step 4: In the morning, take out all the chicken from the refrigerator.

Step 5: Now, again, put a thermometer in each chicken piece.

Step 6: Put one piece of chicken in the bag pack.

Step 7: Put the other piece of chicken in the beer can.

Step 8: Put the last piece of chicken in the insulated lunch box.

Step 9: Now, put each of them in a shaded area.

Step 10: Every half an hour, record the thermometer reading.

Step 11: Repeat these steps with the hamburger and the steak.

Step 12: Also, repeat this experiment with a stick under the sun.

Observation

1. When we took out the chicken from the refrigerator, its temperature rose to 32⁰F and stayed until the meat was not thawed.

2. After the meat gets thawed. Its temperature rose to 40⁰F and higher.

3. The steak stayed cold for the longest time, then the hamburger stayed, and then the chicken stayed.

4. The chicken thawed more quickly than others.

5. Away from the sunlight, the insulated lunch box keeps the meat cool; next comes the bag pack, and the bear can come after this.

6. Bear can thaw the meat the quickest.

7. The temperature inside and outside of the meat does not vary considerably.

8. Under the sunlight, the meat thawed quickly.

Result

1. Until the meat is frozen, all its heat and energy get used up in thawing, which keeps the temperature still at 32⁰F.

2. The insulated lunch box kept the meat cool.

3. The bear can thaw the meat the quickest.

4. All the meat, which got thawed under the shade, was safe to eat for eight hours.

5. Steak, when thawed under the sun, did not last even for five hours in any environment.

6. You should not take frozen meat in a bag pack to remain safe.

Precaution

1. Use fresh meat for this experiment.

2. Keep the meat overnight.

Conclusion

In this experiment, how long it takes for meat in backpacking to spoil,  we thawed different types of meat in various environments to know if it is safe to bring frozen meat while backpacking, and we found out that it is not safe.

VIVA Question With Answers

Q.1 What was the aim of our experiment?

ANS. To check how long it takes for meat in backpacking to spoil and what kind of environment would be safe for keeping meat.

Q.2 What do you understand about thawing?

ANS. The process of making things melt after taking them out from the refrigerator at room temperature or under sunlight, i.e., giving the things their original form, is called thawing.

Q.3 How could we protect foods for a longer time?

ANS. We can protect foods for a longer period of time by the process of canning, salting, freezing, refrigeration, vacuum packing, etc.

Q.4 At what temperature does meat start to spoil?

ANS. The meat starts to soil at 40⁰F.

Q.5 What result did you obtain in this experiment?

ANS. The insulated lunch box kept the meat cool, and the beer can thaw the meat quickest.

Saquib Siddiqui

Saquib Siddiqui is a Mechanical Engineer and a content creator. He has special interest in science experiments and teaches the same to school and college students. He is also a technical lead at RUDE LABS PVT. LTD.