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:
y y y y

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

2. Sugar Functions:
y y y

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:

y y y

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

Recommended use level:

y y y

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

4. Phosphates

Functions:
y y y y y

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

Recommended use level:

y y

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

5. Ascorbates, Erythorbates, Ascorbic Acid Functions:

y y y y

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

Recommended use level:

y y

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

6. Binders, fillers, emulsifiers usually added for economic reasons 6.1 Binders
y y y

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
y y y y

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

6.3 Emulsifiers
y

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:

y y

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

Examples:
y y

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

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

Spices pepper cloves mace cinnamon garlic onions nutmeg paprika Flavor modifiers o MSG [monosodium glutamate] o Hydrolyzed proteins o Hydrolyzed vegetable protein o Nucleotides Smoke flavor Starter cultures
o o o o o o o o

y y

9. Food color

Products

Application

AQUAGEL MP 486 Freeze thaw stable blend hotdog, hams, fresh corned beef AQUAGEL MP 463 Hamburger 0.5 1.0% AQUAGEL MP 454 Longganisa, Tocino, 0.5 1.0%

Dosage [by total weight] 0.8 2.0%

Tapa AQUAGEL MP 416 Hotdog, Luncheon 0.5 1.5% Meat AQUAGEL MP 478 Canned Corned Beef 0.4 1.0% AQUAGEL MP 452 Restructure Hams 2.0 4.0% [Trimix Match] Recommended application for carrageenan [aquagel] Antioxidants/Synergists

color improvement
y

10. Water
y

universal solvent

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

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:
y y y

citric acid monolsopropyl citrate monoglyceride citrate

Classification of processed meats 1. Non-comminuted

y y y y

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
y

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

Meat Processing And Sanitation

Category: Food Safety Posted by: swisher There are few operations in a restaurant where there is a better opportunity to minimize the growth of illness- and spoilage-causing bacteria than when it comes to the handling and processing of meat products. Thats because surfaces that come into routine contact with meat are particularly prone to bacterial growth, and the steps required to reduce that growth are both straightforward and affordable. The key to properly protecting your restaurant is to engage in an active and ongoing program of sanitation. Thats because bacterial colonies, once established, can be very difficult to remove. Bacteria is inconceivably small billions of them can live on the tiniest surfaces, and theyre especially good at inhabiting cracks and other small surface irregularities, so removal can be a real challenge. Biofilms, which is what these areas of contamination are called, can remain seemingly inactive for a while before erupting into large, dangerous blooms, contaminating everything they come into contact with, presenting a genuine risk to the health of employees and

customers alike, and jeopardizing your entire business. Once established, the only way to effectively remove them is old-fashioned scraping. And scraping. And scraping some more. Thats why youre better off preventing their formation in the first place. You should establish an ongoing cleaning and sanitizing program cleaning to remove dirt, debris and other residues, and sanitation to minimize the presence of microbes on your equipments surfaces. When cleaning, it is critical to use solutions which cut through the grease and oils typically found in meat products. If a film of grease remains on the surface of machinery, countertops or other surfaces, it serves as a barrier that blocks sanitizers from reaching the bacteria that lurk underneath. And when that bacteria is exposed to additional food products over time, those products can fuel dangerous bacterial growth, creating hard-to-remove biofilms. To ensure that your surfaces are cleaned properly, consider using either a high-pressure washing system and hot water or a manual spraying process thats complemented by thorough abrasion (with brushes, steel wool or other scrubbing devices). Regardless of which process you choose, always follow up by rinsing thoroughly and then applying an effective sanitizing solution. By effective we mean that you should ensure that your sanitizer is mixed to the proper concentration. Many contemporary kitchens are equipped with calibrated dispensing systems which ensure the correct dilution, but make sure to follow manufacturers directions and never substitute their recommended products with a different brand. If you dont have one of these systems in place, your solution provider should be able to offer testing strips or other products so you can verify that your mix is correctly made, and the testing process usually takes no more than a few seconds. Those few seconds are far more valuable than you might imagine. If the solution is ineffective, all of the steps that had gone before are of little use, because without an effective sanitizer to treat bacterial growth, you can be sure that microbes will find a way to flourish. That minor investment in time can translate into extraordinary savings, preventing the spoilage, illness, absenteeism, citations and litigation associated with contaminated meat products.