40. Methods of technological treatment of meat and meat products (salting, smoking and drying).

What are the benefits of salting meat?

Increased tenderness, change of flavor, and increased shelf life

What can be combined with NaCl in the salting process?

Nitrates and/or nitrites

What effect does marinating have?

• Increases water holding capacity, highest at about 5% added salt

• Relaxation of muscle fibres, increasing tenderness

• Increasing flavour

• Improving quality of PSE meat

• Preservation of products by decreasing water activity

• Anti-clostridial effect with nitrates/nitrites

How much salt can be added if there is no specification?

max. 2%

How much salt can be in cooked long-lasting meat products?

3.3%

How much salt can be in dried long-lasting meat products?

6%

What are the steps for salting meats?

Pre-salting

Salting

What is pre-salting?

Preparing products for further processing in a cold room for 24-48 hours

What types of salting are there?

Dry salting

Marinating

What is dry salting?

Putting meat in dry salt after cutting into smaller pieces

What are the types of marination?

Immersion
Massage
Injection

What is immersion (pickling) in the context of salting?

Submerging the meat in brine which diffuses over time

What is massage marination used for?

small, boneless meat pieces in brine under vacuum

What is the advantage of injection salting?

Most reliable and safe, gives homogeneous distribution of marinade

At what temperature should meat be kept during marination for microbiological reasons?

Under 4°C

Why are nitrites and nitrates used in salting?

To increase the colour of the meat by forming nitroshemochrome after cooking

What is a potential risk of nitrites and nitrates in salting?

Formation of methemoglobinemia

What compounds are used for the addition of nitrates?

3% NaNO3 or KNO3

How are nitrites added to meat products?

0.6% nitrites in salt mixture

What is the limit for nitrites in meat products?

150 mg/kg

What is the process of smoking meat?

Preserving meat by heat and drying with smoke

What are the effects of smoke on meat?

Bacteriostatic/cidal, antioxidants, flavoring, and colorant

What are the three types of smoking based on temperature?

Cold smoke (max 24°C), warm smoke (60°C), hot smoke (80-90°C)

What is the composition of smoke?

Phenols, alcohols, carbonyls, organic acids

What is the optimum combustion temperature for formation of smoke?

280-350°C

How is liquid smoke produced?

By condensation of fresh smoke from wood or charcoal

How is liquid smoke applied?

Spraying in smoking chamber, dipping, or saturation of casings

How should smokehouses be constructed?

So air flow is uniform

What are open smokehouses?

Smokehouses that allow the outdoor exhaust of smoke

What are closed smokehouses?

Smokehouses where smoke is captured in the products and walls of the chamber

What are the types of smoke generator?

Grate
Friction
Steam

What is the simplest type of smoke generator?

Grate smoke generator;
sawdust ignited and smoke directed via tube

What is friction smoke generation?

Producing smoke by pressing timber towards a fast-rotating steel drum

What is steam smoke generation?

300°C steam directed over sawdust causing combustion of wood and formation of smoke

What are the steps of smoking?

1. 40°C Colour (reddening) of meat

2. 60°C Drying

3. 90°C Smoking

4. 75°C Heat treatment

What is the process of drying meat?

Removing moisture from flesh by surface evaporation

What is the maximum ratio of water to total protein in dried meat?

3.4

What is the maximum water activity (aw) in dried meat?

0.90

What is the effect of low water activity (aw) on microbes?

Inhibitory effect on many bacteria, yeast, and molds

What are the methods of drying?

Drying by salting
Drying by smoking

What types of salting are used in drying?

Dry salting
Brine

What are the conditions for equalisation during salt drying of meat?

2-5°C until water activity drops to 0.95
75-85% RH

What is the temperature range for the enzyme activity kick-start in drying by salting?

22-24°C for 24-48 hours

What are the conditions for the last stage of drying by salting?

16-18°C
76-80% RH
2 days

What should be avoided during the final stages of drying?

Formation of a crust/hardening the outside of the product

What are the steps and conditions for drying by smoking?

1. Drying: 60-65°C, 20-40% RH until surface is dry

2. Smoking: 60-70°C, 40-60% RH

What are the factors affecting drying?

Temperature and humidity
Air speed and exchange
Meat properties and thickness