RADIO‐FREQUENCY PASTEURIZATION OF CURED HAMS

Abstract

SUMMARYRadio‐frequency heating at 60 and 2450 MHz in conveyorized equipment was compared with conventional hot water treatment for pasteurization of small cured hams packed in Cryovac casings inside moulds. For lean 2‐lb hams, treatment time to reach the desired central temperature could be reduced to 1/3 by heating in a condenser field tunnel operating at 60 MHz, with substantial reduction of juice losses and a tendency to improve sensory quality compared with that obtained with hot water processing. Treatment time could be further reduced by roughly the same extent by processing at 2450 MHz, but product thickness had to be reduced to secure sufficient heat penetration. Temperature gradients end juice losses were comparable to those in hot water treatment. At 2450 MHz in particular, but also at 60 MHz, bacterial surface counts were considerably higher than in the controls, suggesting the need for higher final surface temperature or supplementary heat treatment, which will lower the differences in processing time and juice loss between methods.