Processed meat products

This article discusses several aspects of processed meat products including (/) health and safety concerns (2) meat processing ingredients, procedures, and machinery (J) ha2ard analysis critical control point (4) fat reduction in meat products (5) sous-vide processing and (6) nutritional labeling. 

The sacroplasmic proteins myoglobin and hemoglobin are responsible for much of the color in meat. Species vary tremendously in the amount of sacroplasmic proteins within skeletal muscle with catde, sheep, pigs, and poultry Hsted in declining order of sarcoplasmic protein content. Fat is also an important component of meat products. The amount of fat in a portion of meat varies depending on the species, anatomy, and state of nutrition of the animal. The properties of processed meat products are greatiy dependent on the properties of the fat included. Certain species, such as sheep, have a relatively higher proportion of saturated fat, whereas other species, such as poultry, have a relatively lower proportion of saturated fat. It is well known that the characteristic davors of meat from different species are in part determined by their fat composition. 

Water. Water is often added to processed meat products for a variety of reasons. It is an important carrier of various ionic components that are added to processed meat products. The retention of water during further processing of meat is necessary to obtain a product that is juicy and has higher yields. The amount of water added during the preparation of processed meat products depends on the final properties desired. Water may be added to a meat product as a salt brine or as ice during the comminution step of sausage preparation. 

Ingredient Additions and Substitutions. Processed meat products have the greatest opportunity for fat reduction for modification because their composition can be altered by reformulation with a fat replacement (see Fat replacers). 

Protein-Based Substitutes. Several plant and animal-based proteins have been used in processed meat products to increase yields, reduce reformulation costs, enhance specific functional properties, and decrease fat content. Examples of these protein additives are wheat flour, wheat gluten, soy flour, soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate, textured soy protein, cottonseed flour, oat flour, com germ meal, nonfat dry milk, caseinates, whey proteins, surimi, blood plasma, and egg proteins. Most of these protein ingredients can be included in cooked sausages with a maximum level allowed up to 3.5% of the formulation, except soy protein isolate and caseinates are restricted to 2% (44). 

Phosphate in combination with NaCl has a beneficial effect on the waterbinding capacity of processed meat products for a detailed description, see Schmidt.227 The effect of phosphates is suggested to be alterations in pH or ionic strength, sequestration of metal ions, dissociation of actomyosin and depolymerisation of myosin.103,104,228,229 However, before action, added phosphates must be hydrolysed by muscle phosphatases or non-enzymatically. Belton et al.230 studied the hydrolysis of pyrophosphate and tripolyphosphate in comminuted chicken meat using 31P NMR spectroscopy, and found that the rate of hydrolysis was dependent on the length of ageing period of the muscle as well as the presence of NaCl. Li et al.231 studied the hydrolysis of various types of phosphates in intact chicken muscle with a similar approach by 31P NMR spectroscopy and thereby demonstrated differences in rate of hydrolysis of various phosphates. The findings of these studies... 

The main limitation to the clinical use of the MAOIs is due to their interaction with amine-containing foods such as cheeses, red wine, beers (including non-alcoholic beers), fermented and processed meat products, yeast products, soya and some vegetables. Some proprietary medicines such as cold cures contain phenylpropanolamine, ephedrine, etc. and will also interact with MAOIs. Such an interaction (termed the "cheese effect"), is attributed to the dramatic rise in blood pressure due to the sudden release of noradrenaline from peripheral sympathetic terminals, an event due to the displacement of noradrenaline from its mtraneuronal vesicles by the primary amine (usually tyramine). Under normal circumstances, any dietary amines would be metabolized by MAO in the wall of the gastrointestinal tract, in the liver, platelets, etc. The occurrence of hypertensive crises, and occasionally strokes, therefore limited the use of the MAOIs, despite their proven clinical efficacy, to the treatment of atypical depression and occasionally panic disorder. 

Processed meat products with a minimum of fat and cholesterol appear to be in high demand. As for edible beef tallow, reduced usage has increased... 

VITAMINS - BIOTIN] (Vol 25) - [MAT. ETC ANHYDRIDE, MALEIC ACID AND FUMARIC ACID] (Vol 15) - [MAIONIC ACID AND DERIVATIVES] (Vol 15) - [MICROBIALTRANSFORMATIONS] (Voll6) -as food additive [FOOD ADDITIVES] (Vol 11) -fortifying roan [PAPERMAKING ADDITIVES] (Vol 18) -hydrahonof [HYDROXY DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS] (Vol 13) -m meat processing [MEAT PRODUCTS] (Vol 16)... 

Biogenic amines can be found in processed meat products as a consequence of microbial activity related to the fermentation involved in their processing, but amines can be also found in poor-quality raw materials as a consequence of microbial contamination. Therefore the BA content in cooked meat (not fermented) products might serve as a useful indicator of the hygienic quality of the meat employed for its elaboration. However, this relationship for ripened meat products is rather complex, since the ability to produce BAs of the fermentative microflora need to be well known before limits can be set. According to the few studies performed on BAs in meat products,... 

Feeding of animals in general can enhance the omega-3 levels in lipids and is well documented. In contrast, few studies have documented the stability of the lipids in stored meats or in processed meat products. Additional researcher is needed to evaluate the sensory characteristics of stored meats and of processed meat products containing enhanced omega-3 lipids. 

Processed meat products Polyethylene bag within a printed cartonboard box Polyethylene/printing inks/polyester laminate Printed polyethylene to which a printed sticky label was applied Polypropylene container to which a printed sticky label was applied with a polystryrene lid... 

Buffered sodium citrate in combination with sodium diacetate or sodium salts of lactic or acetic acids can be used as ingredients in processed meat products to provide an additional measure of safety against C. perfringens contamination of chilled meat products (Juneja and Thippareddi, 2004). Addition of lactate does not affect meat pH, whereas diacetate reduces pH from 6.3 to 5.9, and a combination of the two salts reduces pH to 6.1 (Mbandi and Shelef, 2002). 

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