Patent ID: 7086940

Claim:
A method of cooling at least a portion of a cattle carcass side, the method comprising: guiding the carcass side into a cooling chamber; directing a coolant through first and second coolant nozzles, the first coolant nozzle being positioned above a horizontal axis and the second coolant nozzle being positioned below the horizontal axis, wherein a portion of the carcass side including a cavity portion is positioned below the horizontal axis; wherein directing the coolant through the first coolant nozzle comprises directing the coolant through a spray nozzle of the first coolant nozzle, wherein the spray nozzle is disposed substantially parallel to a line extending perpendicular to a direction of travel of the carcass side; and wherein directing the coolant through the second coolant nozzle comprises directing the coolant such that the coolant contacts interior muscles located within the cavity portion of the carcass side and includes directing the coolant through alternating oppositely directed first and second spray nozzles of the second coolant nozzle, wherein the first and second spray nozzles are disposed at first and second nonzero angles with respect to a line extending perpendicular to a direction of travel of the carcass side.