Food Chemistry

598 12 Meat

Fig. 12.30.Water holding capacity of beef muscle ver-
sus heat treatment and pH. (according toHamm, 1972)

pH, development of a typical cooked or roasted
meat aroma and, finally, softening induced by the
shrinking and partial conversion of collagen to
gelatin (cf. 12.3.2.3.1).
Refrigerated storage of heated meat and reheating
may lead to WOF (cf. 12.6.2.1 and 12.9.4).

12.6.2.7 Tenderizing

Plant enzyme preparations (ficin, papain, brome-
lain) are used to tenderize meat. These substances
are either sprayed onto the meat cuts or are dis-
tributed via the blood vessels of the animal either
shortly before or after slaughtering.

12.7 Meat Products

Canned meat, ham, and sausages, and meat ex-
tracts are produced from meat.

12.7.1 Canned Meat

Examples of canned meat are beef and pork in
their own juice, corned beef, luncheon meat,
cooked sausages, jellied meat, and cured and
pickled hams. In order to achieve sterile canned

Table 12.19.Effect of can size and product on re-

quired heating time of canned meat (time in min to

reach 121◦C at the center of the can)

Canned meat 400 g 850 g 2500 g

Beef 47 57 80

Pork 58 98 120

Liver sausage 90 130

Blood sausage 106 113 130

meat, the required heating time and temperature

depend on the size and content of the can since

heat penetration is highly variable (Table 12.19).

Therefore, mathematical models have been

developed which allow the temperature to be

controlled in such a way that even the coldest

point in the contents is heated to a tempera-

ture high enough and for long enough to kill

pathogenic bacteria and microbes responsible for

spoilage. Correspondingly controlled processes

are also used in the production of cooked and

boiling sausages.

12.7.2 Ham, Sausages, Pastes

12.7.2.1 Ham, Bacon

12.7.2.1.1 Raw Smoked Hams

After the center ham has been cut (longitudinal or

circular),ham on the boneis dry, then wet cured

(4–7 weeks), matured (reddened) for 2–3 weeks

by dry storing, followed by washing, drying and

exposure to cold smoke for 4–7 weeks. Inrolled

ham, the bone is taken out, and it is subsequently

processed like ham on the bone, except that the

curing time is shorter.Lightly-salted lean hams

are made from cutlet or chop meats by a mild cur-

ing process, filled into casings and warm smoked.

12.7.2.1.2 Cooked Ham

Bone-free ham is cured for 2–3 weeks, stored dry

to mature, washed and warm smoked. It is sub-

sequently cooked by gently simmering. In the

cook-in process, the cured meat is first packed

in foil that is resistant to boiling, then cooked