Food Processing: Meat Processing

Meat Processing Guide: Curing Ingredients & Functions

Meat processing is defined as any mechanical, chemical or enzymatic treatment of meat which alters the form from which it originally occurs.

Functions of meat processing:

1. Preservation and/or self-life extension
2. Tenderization
3. Meat cookery
4. Manipulation and control of composition
5. Portion control
6. Improvement of consumer convenience

Curing ingredients and their functions:

1. Salt [NaCl]

Functions:

for meat protein extraction
contributes to a desirable flavor
aids in water retention in processed meat
controls bacterial growth

2. Sugar

Functions:

counteracts astringent quality of aslt
enhances the flavor of the product
aids in lowering the pH of the cure [cane sugar is more suitable]

3. Nitrates, nitrites, curing salt

Functions:

for cured color development
for cured flavor development
inhibits the growth of clostridia

Recommended use level:

Â½ teaspoon/kilogram of meat
0.2% or weight of meat
200 ppm NaNa2 in finished products

4. Phosphates

Functions:

improve water retention
improve binding between meat chunks
enhance emulsion stability
help to suppress development of rancid flavors
decrease emulsion viscosity

Recommended use level:

1 teasepoon phosphate dissolved in Â¼ cup water
0.3% of weight of meat

5. Ascorbates, Erythorbates, Ascorbic Acid

Functions:

hastens reduction of nitrate to nitric acid
antioxidant
improve color stability
suppress nitrosamine formation

Recommended use level:

ascorbic acid – 500mg/kg. of meat
erythorbate – .05% of weight of meat

6. Binders, fillers, emulsifiers – usually added for economic reasons

6.1 Binders

dissolve and bind meat particles together
hold moisture during processing and/or subsequent heating
produce better yields e.g. dried skim milk, cereal flour, starches, soy protein concentrate, carrageenan

6.2 Fillers

insoluble additive
does not contain water soluble proteins
serve only as added weight
e.g. cereal grain products

6.3 Emulsifiers

contain water soluble proteins in varying amounts
aid in the emulsification of the ingredients in chopper e.g. dried whey, soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate

7. Extenders

Non-meat material added to meat in order to:

increase the bulk, and
modify the quality of a meat product

Examples:

TVP [textured vegetable protein]
ISP [isolated soy protein]

8. Flavoring agents – flavor improvement, bacterial inhibition, color improvement, antioxidant function.

Spices

pepper
cloves
mace
cinnamon
garlic
onions
nutmeg
paprika

Flavor modifiers

MSG [monosodium glutamate]
Hydrolyzed proteins
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Nucleotides

Smoke flavor
Starter cultures

9. Food color

color improvement

10. Water

universal solvent

Recommended application for carrageenan [aquagel]

Products	Application	Dosage [by total weight]
AQUAGEL MP 486	Freeze thaw stable blend hotdog, hams, fresh corned beef	0.8 – 2.0%
AQUAGEL MP 463	Hamburger	0.5 – 1.0%
AQUAGEL MP 454	Longganisa, Tocino, Tapa	0.5 – 1.0%
AQUAGEL MP 416	Hotdog, Luncheon Meat	0.5 – 1.5%
AQUAGEL MP 478	Canned Corned Beef	0.4 – 1.0%
AQUAGEL MP 452	Restructure Hams [Trimix Match]	2.0 – 4.0%

Antioxidants/Synergists

Antioxidants – used only where loss of flavor or freshness may become a problem. It slow down the oxidative deterioration of fat

Example:

BHT – butylated hydroxyl toluene
BHA – butylated hydroxyl anisole
TBHQ – tertiary butyl hydroquinone
Propyl gallate

Synergists – used in conjunction with the antioxidants to increase the effectiveness of each oxidant.

Examples:

citric acid
monolsopropyl citrate
monoglyceride citrate

Classification of processed meats

1. Non-comminuted

includes hams, bacons, corned beef commonly referred to as smoked meats
they are prepared from whole, intact cuts of meat
usually are cured, seasoned, heat processed and smoked
often they are molded or formed

2. Comminuted

products use small meat pieces, chunks, chips or slices. Most comminuted products are classed as sausages.

Sausages:

Sausages – are comminuted [ground seasoned meats, stuffed/unstuffed into casing; may be smoked, cured, fermented and heated.

Classification of sausages:

1. fresh saugages - are made from fresh meats, which are neither cured, smoked, fermented nor cooked. It must be kept under refrigeration after processing and must be cooked before serving e.g. hamburger, fresh pork sausages

2. uncooked smoked sausages - fresh sausages which are cured and smoked at a temperature of 32 degrees centigrade [90 degrees foreign height] for three [3] hours.

3. cooked, smoked sausages – type of sausages which are subjected to light smoking and cooked at an internal temperature of at least 61 degrees centigrade [142 degrees foreign height]. e.g. frankfurters, wieners

4. cooked meat specialties – sausages which are formulated and processed same as frankfurters however, these are cooked in pans or molders and the degree of chopping is coarser than frankfurts. E.g. meat loaf

5. fermented dry sausages – type of sausage which requires the action of microorganisms for the production of lactic acid. Moisture content is withdrawn from the initial moisture content of 75% to 26-40%. E.g. salami, summer sausages

6. semi-dry sausages – type of sausages which are smoked and dried for a short time at high temperature. Final moisture content s higher than the dry sausages [40-50% vs. 26-40%]. E.g. chorizo, pepperoni

Next Read: Meat Processing Business

Meat processing ingredients can be bought at:

Ultima Entrepinoy Forum Center
Nutrition Foundation of the Philippines Bldg.
#107 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave., Quezon City
Tel: 411-1349; 742-0826; 742-7866
Email: lulu_sfmh@yahoo.com
Web: www.spicesandfoodmix.com

source: www.da.gov.ph, photo from dizzypigbbq.com

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