Pork Ham Research Articles

Improving the smoking process of kitoza, a traditional Malagasy meat product

Kitoza is a traditional Malagasy meat product made from beef or pork. It is presented as 20–50 cm x 2–3 cm strips. Considered for a long time as a royal delicacy (1, 4), it still holds a special place in the daily meal of Malagasy people. Strips are salted, sun-dried and/or smoked either above the fire in the kitchen until consumption (2, 3) or in smoking units. Kitoza is no longer only prepared by housewives, it is also produced today commercially in modern facilities (butchers’ shops and a few processing firms). Processing techniques of the product are not always controlled and frequently cause variations in quality. Meat smoking can lead to contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydro­carbons (PAH) which are carcinogenic compounds (6). Among them, benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is a good indicator of carcinogenic compound contamination in cooked and smoked meat products.This study aimed to improve the smoking process of kitoza in order to reach moisture and phenol contents close to the tra­ditional product, while decreasing the PAH content by using charcoal and sawdust, since products smoked with these fuels show acceptable PAH levels (below European norms) (5). The unit operations of drying/cooking and smoking were also sepa­rated to ensure sufficient smoking and conduct drying/cooking in a configuration which might not generate PAH.The raw material used was pork ham cut into strips that were then salted at 10 g/kg of meat. Kinetics of water loss, phenols and BaP gain during smoking assays with only wood, and assays alternating cooking/drying with charcoal and smoking with saw­dust phases were assessed. The different treatments consisted in: (i) cooking/drying with charcoal (4 h) and smoking with sawdust (2 h), (ii) smoking with sawdust (2 h) and cooking/drying with charcoal (4 h), and (iii) cooking/drying/smoking with small bricks of wood (6 h). Each treatment was repeated three times.Figure 1 shows the evolution of the air temperature in contact with the meat during smoking. We tried to stabilize the smok­ing unit temperature at about 100°C, since it was the average temperature in the traditional smoking process. The temperature in the traditional process seemed 10-20°C below those of the experimental treatments (Figure 2). However, Figure 3 shows that water contents (55%) were not significantly different in experi­mental Kitoza compared to the traditional one. After 6 hours of heat treatment, the moisture content was between 40 and 50%.Kinetics of total phenol accumulation on meat strips (expressed on a dry basis) are shown in Figure 4. The traditional process reached about 5 mg/100 g total phenols at end point. The charcoal-saw­dust treatment induced a slight and linear increase in phenols as soon as sawdust was added (i.e. after 4 hours of charcoal cooking/ drying). Phenol content reached about 4 mg/100 g after 2 hours of smoking, a value close to that of the traditionally-processed prod­uct. Phenol contents obtained with sawdust-charcoal and wood treatments reached higher levels (about 10 mg/100 g) than that of the traditional one (5 mg/100 g). The sawdust-charcoal treatment provoked very fast and efficient phenol deposit in the beginning, comparable to that of wood alone. It could be explained by the high moisture content of the surface layers of the meat strips in the first period of the process. The phenol content peaked after about one hour of exposure to sawdust smoke. The phenol con­tent remained then unchanged until the end of the process. Since this parameter was expressed on a dry basis, it would mean that the deposited phenols remained in the meat strips and were not destroyed neither did they evaporate. Figure 5 shows the kinet­ics of BaP accumulation on strips on a wet basis. Regardless of the duration of charcoal-sawdust or sawdust-charcoal treatments, BaP contents were lower than 2 μg/kg. For these two treatments, a slight increase was recorded after 3 hours in relation with the concentration effect due to water evaporation. In the wood treat­ment, accumulation was linear and BaP reached very high levels: 20 ppb after 2.5 hours and 40 ppb after 6 hours. In the traditional process, 8 ppb were reached after 2.5 hours. In the latter two cases, this could be related to wood pyrolysis at high temperature in a system allowing direct exposure to fire.Processes without wood are very promising to reduce PAH accu­mulation during drying and smoking. Compared with the tradi­tional process, splitting operations between cooking/drying with charcoal on one hand, and smoking with sawdust on the other hand allowed the same decrease in water content, effective phenol deposit which could be modulated according to the desired result, and decrease in PAH content in compliance with new European Union regulations. Reengineered products will be subjected to sen­sory and consumer acceptance analyses with Malagasy consumers, and the duration of preservation will also be assessed.

Differences in transcription and expression of staphylococcal enterotoxin C in processed meat products

Staphylococcus aureus is a major foodborne pathogen contaminating meat products where it is able to produce thermostable enterotoxins. Staphylococcal enterotoxin C (SEC) together with other classical toxins are the most frequently detected enterotoxins associated with staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) outbreaks. This study investigated the transcription and formation of SEC in four heat-processed meat products: chicken ham, pork ham, pepper beef salami and turkey ham. Meat samples were inoculated with four SEC producing strains of S. aureus individually at a level of approximately 5 log CFU/cm2. The expression and production of SEC was examined during the growth of S. aureus in meat compared to routinely used laboratory media. Results indicate that the expression of sec in meat products varied significantly and was dependent upon the different levels of fat content compared to the laboratory medium. Meat varied in salt content and pH and this influences SEC production. Increased SEC and sec expression was observed in chicken and pork ham and was approx. 24–35 times higher compared with other meat products. Lower levels of sec expression and SEC production were found in turkey ham with SEC concentration 378 times lower than in chicken ham at 72 h. The varying meat environment affected the transcription and formation profiles of SEC, however staphylococcal growth remained reasonably constant. Staphylococcal strains were able to produce quantities of SEC under room temperature conditions that would be sufficient to cause food poisoning in susceptible individuals (mainly in children). Our data is important with respect to food contamination by S. aureus and contributes to an improved understanding of SEC production capabilities of these pathogens in meat containing food products.

Migration of smoke components into pork loin ham during processing and storage

The migration of smoke components into pork ham during smoke processing was measured and estimated by using the hypothetical equilibrium absorption at the surface of the casing (Cmax) via Fick’s equation. The temperatures of the heating medium, surface, and core of the product were monitored. 2,6-Dimethoxyphenol was used as an index for smoke components and was evaluated by HPLC. Empirical equations used to predict the concentration of smoke components (CWe) generated inside the smokehouse based on the weight of burned wood were obtained. CWe values were used to estimate the migration of smoke components into ham at several internal positions and agreed well with the measured values, regardless of the initial weight of wood. Smoke components adhered to the surface of the ham casing and then migrated to the interior of the ham, but did not reach the core even after 7days of storage.

Procesos simples que disminuyen el contenido de sodio y nitritos en jamones

Introducción: El jamón, producto altamente consumido por la sociedad, contiene algunos elementos que lo convierten en un alimento no recomendable, por lo que se ha buscado eliminar o reducir esos componentes.Material y Métodos: Se compararon los contenidos de sodio, nitritos, índice de peróxidos y coliformes totales resultantes de los procesos de Lavado (L) y Cocción Simple (CS) aplicados al jamón de pavo y de cerdo en un estudio transversal analítico experimental. Además, se evaluó la aceptación sensorial de las muestras a través de una prueba de aceptación de cinco puntos. Se aplicó la prueba ANOVA de 1 vía con post hoc de Bonferroni para valorar la diferencia de medias entre grupos. El valor de p≤0,05 se consideró estadísticamente significativo.Resultados: Ambos procesos redujeron la cantidad de sodio en ambos tipos de jamón de manera estadísticamente significativa (p≤0,001). El mayor porcentaje de reducción se presentó con CS: 73,4% para el jamón de pavo y 63,5% para el jamón de cerdo. Asimismo, el mayor porcentaje de reducción de nitritos fue de 50,6% con la técnica de CS en el jamón de cerdo (p≤0,05). El índice de peróxidos disminuyó con ambas técnicas en ambos jamones sin significancia estadística. El conteo de coliformes totales se mantuvo constante en todas las muestras. Se observó una mayor aceptación sensorial de L sobre CS en todas las características sensoriales.Conclusiones: Las técnicas de L y CS reducen sodio, nitritos e índice de peróxidos sin afectar la sanidad de los jamones. Asimismo, L es aceptada sensorialmente en todas sus categorías. Se recomienda utilizar la técnica de L antes del consumo del producto.

Evaluation of Novel Micronized Encapsulated Essential Oil–Containing Phosphate and Lactate Blends for Growth Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella on Poultry Bologna, Pork Ham, and Roast Beef Ready-to-Eat Deli Loaves

Essential oils and their constituents are reported to possess potent antimicrobial activity, but their use in food processing is limited because of low solubility in aqueous systems and volatilization during processing. Two proprietary noncommercial essential oil–containing phosphate blends were evaluated for antimicrobial activity against Salmonella enterica cocktail (SC)– and Listeria monocytogenes (Lm)–inoculated deli meat products made from pork, poultry, or beef. Four treatments were tested on restructured cured pork ham, emulsified chicken bologna, and restructured beef loaf: nonencapsulated essential oil with phosphate version 1 at 0.45% of final batch (EOV145; chicken and pork, or EEOV245 beef), micronized encapsulated essential oil with phosphate version 2 at 0.60% of final batch (EEOV260), a 2.0% potassium lactate (PL) control, and a negative control (CN) with no applied antimicrobial agent. Compared with the CN, none of the antimicrobial agents (EEOV260, EOV145, PL) successfully limited Lm or SC growth to <2.0 log cycles over 49 days or 35 days of refrigerated storage, respectively. The PL and EEOV260-treated ham loaves did show Lm growth limiting ability of up to 1 log cycle by days 35 and 42. On formed roast beef, the EEOV260 was able to extend the lag phase and inhibited the growth of Lm in the same manner as the PL. For SC-treated samples, the following effects were observed: in poultry bologna treated with EEOV260, a lag-phase extension was observed through 35 days of storage compared with the other samples. For pork deli loaves, the EEOV260 inhibited growth of SC at days 21 and 28 to the same level of efficacy as PL (0.5 log cycle). In roast beef samples, on day 35, the SC growth was inhibited ca. 0.5 log CFU/g by EEOV260 when compared with the CN. In conclusion the EEOV260 can function to replace PL to limit Salmonella and Lm growth in ready-to-eat deli products. Further testing is needed to ensure consumer acceptability.

Optimisation of stir-bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), targeting medium and long-chain free fatty acids in cooked ham exudates

The purpose of our research was to optimise the extraction conditions of the stir-bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) targeting the identification of lipid compounds particularly medium and long-chain free fatty acids in cooked cured pork ham exudates. The analytical conditions of extraction (including sample volume, extraction time, stirring speed, pH and dilution of the sample) were checked using the Simplex method approach. As a result of the SBSE optimisation, improved detection limits and linear ranges for hexanoic, heptanoic, octanoic, nonanoic, decanoic, dodecanoic and tetradecanoic fatty acids were obtained. When comparing results with those obtained by the commonly used SPME methodology, optimisation of SBSE achieved better results for volatile compounds of low volatility, such as medium and long-chain free fatty acids, whereas compounds with high volatility and polarity were only detected by SPME. SBSE also confirmed its potential as a tool to help identify undesirable contaminants/residues in meat products.

Non-destructive determination of fat content in green hams using ultrasound and X-rays

This work addresses the use of ultrasound (US) and medical dual energy X-ray absorptiometry methods to predict the fat content in green pork hams. Ultrasonic velocity (υ) and X-ray absorption were measured in 78 green hams. An increase in the fat content involved an increase in υ and a decrease in the X-ray attenuation measured at 2°C. Models developed to predict the fat content from the ultrasonic velocity or X-ray parameters provided errors of 2.97% and 4.65%, respectively. The combination of both US and X-ray technologies did not improve prediction accuracy. These models allowed green hams to be classified into three levels of fatness, with 88.5% and 65.4% of the hams correctly classified when using models based on ultrasonic and X-ray parameters, respectively. Therefore, US and X-rays emerge as useful quality control technologies with which to estimate the fat content in green pork hams.

Thorn-Shape Waveform and Double-Strike Phenomenon Seen in the Impact Force of Soft Materials

In the impact tests of soft materials, we sometimes observe a thorn shape in the rising segment of the impact force waveform. However, the reason for the occurrence of the thorn shape has not been made clear. In this study, thorn-shape waveforms of several soft materials are measured using compact drop test equipment under the condition of a flat frontal impact. A flat frontal impact is the condition where a drop hammer with a flat bottom surface strikes a plate-like soft material in the normal direction. Synchronized impact forces are measured using two sensors installed on both the drop hammer side and the floor side. The examined soft materials are a sponge sheet, sponge rubber sheet, gel sheet, rubber sheet, flat oil clay, low-rebound urethane foam, cork sheet, sliced ham, pork ham steak, and pork. Based on the test results, the features of the thorn-shape waveforms are discussed from a bird’s-eye view. Furthermore, the occurrence mechanism of the thorn-shape waveforms is discussed from the viewpoint of viscosity discontinuity and the double-strike phenomenon.

Effect of starter cultures and packaging methods on amino acid profile and eating quality characteristics of pork ham.

Wet cured pork hams were inoculated with a mixed starter cultures comprising of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Micrococcus varians M483 at the dose level of 106cfu/g and the un inoculated hams served as controls. The amino acid profile of hams of the treated and the control groups stored at 4oC under MAP and VP and evaluated on 60th day of storage revealed that treated hams liberated higher concentration of free amino acids except for proline and methionine which were found in higher concentration (P < 0.01) in the MAP control samples. The MAP control samples liberated glutamic acid (85.65 ± 1.40ppm), cystine (21.56 ± 1.14ppm) and tyrosine (16.63 ± 1.94ppm) whereas, the treated samples did not release these amino acids. The VP control samples too liberated cystine (6.98 ± 1.36ppm) and arginine (42.70 ± 2.78ppm) but the treated ham of the VP did not liberate these amino acids. The VP hams had higher concentration (P < 0.01) of free proline, glycine, alanine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, lysine and histidine than the MAP samples. Colour analysis of ham using CIE Lab colour system revealed that the treated samples had significantly higher concentrations of L*, a* and b* components. The L* and a* values were higher in the MAP than under VP systems while the b* values were higher in the VP samples than the MAP samples. Neither the bacterial cultures nor the packaging system influenced the textural property of ham. Starter cultures inoculated hams were rated superior (P < 0.05) in terms of their sensory properties. Hams packaged under MAP were rated superior (P < 0.05) than those packaged under VP in terms of appearance, colour, taste, tenderness, flavour, juiciness and overall acceptability.

Analysis of SPME or SBSE extracted volatile compounds from cooked cured pork ham differing in intramuscular fat profiles

We studied the influence of the IMF content (high – HI vs. low – LI) and the fatty acid saturation profile on cooked cured pork ham volatiles. LI hams had higher PUFA and lower MUFA contents than HI hams. Using SPME we identified 29 compounds novel to cooked cured pork ham profiles, mostly lipid derivatives. Group differences were related to the PUFA/MUFA contents but not to the IMF content. Differences were also identified in amino acid breakdown derivatives with potential aroma implications. The SBSE method, a novelty in pork meat science, revealed differences which included board taint-related volatiles, terpenes and 36 novel compounds; 14 of these compounds were only found by the SBSE method.

Alteration of Porcine Serum Albumin Levels in Pork Meat by Marination in Kiwi or Pineapple Juice and Subsequent Pan Broiling.

This study was conducted to evaluate the changes in porcine serum albumin (PSA), a major allergen, which occur when raw pork ham is marinated with kiwi or pineapple juice, and/or when the ham is pan broiled at 300℃ for 4 min after marination. In this study, raw pork ham was soaked for 4 h or 8 h in marinades containing commercial marinating sauce only, commercial marinating sauce and 7% kiwi juice, or commercial marinating sauce and 7% pineapple juice. When the meat was marinated and then pan-broiled, pork ham meat protein was significantly denatured and hydrolyzed, and the level of PSA in the meat was significantly reduced. The PSA contents of pork broiled without marination, pork that had been marinated in commercial marinating sauce alone, pork that had been marinated in commercial marinating sauce with kiwi juice, and pork that had been marinated in commercial marinating sauce with pineapple juice, were 95.4, 43.3, 14.3, and 5.4 ng/mL, respectively (p<0.05). Marinating with pineapple juice was more effective than marinating with kiwi juice; and marination for 8 h was more effective than marinating for 4 h. These results indicate that the level of PSA in pork ham is effectively reduced, when the meat is first marinated in sauces that contain kiwi or pineapple extracts for 8 h, rather than 4 h, and then cooked. Further study is needed to determine whether marinated pork meat reduces allergenicity in vivo, as well.

Effect of Oyster Shell Calcium Powder on the Quality of Restructured Pork Ham.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of oyster shell calcium powder (OSCP) as a substitute for phosphates in curing agent, on the quality of restructured pork ham. Restructured pork ham was processed under six treatment conditions: T1 (no additives), T2 (0.3% sodium tripolyphosphate), T3 (1.5% NaCl+0.5% whey protein), T4 (1.5% NaCl+0.5% whey protein+0.15% OSCP), T5 (1.5% NaCl+0.5% whey protein+0.3% OSCP), and T6 (1.5% NaCl+0.5% whey protein+0.5% OSCP). Addition of OSCP significantly increased the ash content and pH of restructured pork ham (p<0.05), but did not affect the cooking loss and water holding capacity values of restructured pork ham. Addition of OSCP had no effect on Hunter a and b surface color values of restructured pork ham, but did decrease the Hunter L surface color value (p<0.05). The addition of 0.5% OSCP showed significantly higher chewiness and springiness values of restructured pork ham, compared with the addition of phosphates (p<0.05). In conclusion, the addition of OSCP combined with low NaCl and 0.5% whey protein can be considered a viable substitute for phosphates in the curing agent, when processing restructured pork ham.

Effect of temperature on the growth kinetics of Salmonella Enteritidis in cooked ham

Abstract The aim of the study was to determine a growth rate of Salmonella Enteritidis in cooked ham stored under different temperatures and to compare usefulness of the mathematical models for describing the microbiological data. The samples of cooked pork ham were inoculated with the mixture of three Salmonella Enteritidis strains and stored at 5°C, 10°C, 15°C for 21 d, and at 20°C and 25°C for 5 d. The number of salmonellae was determined at 10 periods of storage at each temperature. From each sample a series of decimal dilutions were prepared and plated onto Brilliant Green Agar. The plates were incubated at 37°C for 24-48 h under aerobic conditions. The colonies grown on culture media were counted, bacterial counts were multiplied by the appropriate dilutions, and number of bacteria (colony-forming units) was calculated. The bacterial counts were transformed into logarithms and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20. The experiment was performed in five replicates. The obtained growth curves of bacteria were fitted to primary growth models, namely Gompertz, logistic, and Baranyi models. The goodness-of-fit test was evaluated by calculating mean square error and Akaike’s criterion. Growth kinetics values from the modified Gompertz and logistic equations were calculated. It was found that in samples of ham stored at 5°C and 10°C for 21 d, the number of bacteria remained almost at the same level during storage. In samples stored at 15°C, 20°C, and 25°C growth of salmonellae was observed. It was found that logistic model gave in most cases the best fit to obtained microbiological data describing the behaviour of S. Enteritidis in cooked ham. The growth kinetics values calculated in this study from logistic equations can be used to predict potential S. Enteritidis growth in cooked ham stored at 15°C, 20°C, and 25°C.

The application of d-SPE in the QuEChERS method for the determination of PAHs in food of animal origin with GC–MS detection

This paper reports the evaluation of the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) method for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in food of animal origin with GC–MS detection. Although in the available literature, there is a lot of information about sample preparation method for PAHs determination in food samples, but the QuEChERS method application for PAHs determination in food of animal origin has not been reported as yet. The results showed that the best recovery ratios 72.4–110.8 % with relative standard deviation lower than 10 % for all determined compounds were received for the method with ethyl acetate as an extraction solvent, primary–secondary amine and C18 sorbents and evaporation to dryness and dissolving the residues in the hexane. The limit of quantification ranged from 0.0003 to 0.0030 mg kg−1 for pyrene and benzo[a]anthracene, respectively. This method was also used for the determination of PAHs in 15 samples of pork ham. In 8 of 15 samples selected, PAHs were identified. It was observed that in 6 cooked ham and one smoked and cooked samples, any PAHs were found. In other samples, which were smoked and roasted, some low concentration of PAHs was detected. In one sample benzo[a]pyrene (0.0015 mg kg−1), in one sample benzo[b]fluoranthene (0.0015 mg kg−1) and in one sample chrysene (0.0024 mg kg−1) were detected. A number of other less harmful PAHs were also determined. There were no exceedances of maximum levels (according to Commission Regulation (EU) No 835/2011) for determined PAHs in any of the analysed samples.

Protein Removal from Waste Brines Generated during Ham Salting through Acidification and Centrifugation

The salting step in food processes implies the production of large quantities of waste brines, having high organic load, high conductivity, and other pollutants with high oxygen demand. Direct disposal of the residual brine implies salinization of soil and eutrophication of water. Since most of the organic load of the waste brines comes from proteins leaked from the salted product, precipitation of dissolved proteins by acidification and removal by centrifugation is an operation to be used in waste brine cleaning. The aim of this study is optimizing the conditions for carrying out the separation of proteins from waste brines generated in the pork ham salting operation, by studying the influence of pH, centrifugal force, and centrifugation time. Models for determining the removal of proteins depending on the pH, centrifugal force, and time were obtained. The results showed a high efficacy of the proposed treatment for removing proteins, suggesting that this method could be used for waste brine protein removal. The best pH value to be used in an industrial process seems to be 3, while the obtained results indicate that almost 90% of the proteins from the brine can be removed by acidification followed by centrifugation. A further protein removal from the brine should have to be achieved using filtrating techniques, which efficiency could be highly improved as a consequence of the previous treatment through acidification and centrifugation. Waste brines from meat salting have high organic load and electrical conductivity. Proteins can be removed from the waste brine by acidification and centrifugation. The total protein removal can be up to 90% of the initial content of the waste brine. Protein removal is highly dependent on pH, centrifugation rate, and time.

조리 온도와 조리 방법에 따른 돼지고기 뒷다리살의 물리 화학적 및 관능적 품질차이 비교연구

Quality changes of cooked meat products are dependent upon cooking temperature and heating methods. Pork ham is the most preferred pork dish using pork hams in South Korea although it is not suited to various cooking methods because its low fat content does not provide desirable physiochemical and sensory properties to consumers. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of four different cooking methods on pork legs by comparing Ocoo, Sous-vide, steaming, and boiling technique at <TEX>$80^{\circ}C$</TEX> and <TEX>$100^{\circ}C$</TEX>. Ultimately, the most effective cooking method and temperature to improve the quality of cooked pork hams was investigated. As the results of texture analysis, the samples cooked using Ocoo and Sous-vide methods showed higher springiness and cohesiveness than those using steaming and boiling methods. For the sensory evaluation, participants liked the hardness, juiciness, chewiness, tenderness of the samples using the OC method, resulting in the highest overall acceptance rate. The results of this study showed that using Ocoo or Sous-Vide cooking methods can improve the quality of cooked pork hams in both physicochemical and sensory properties.

Evaluation of the QuEChERS Method with GC-MS Detection for the Determination of Organochlorine Pesticides in Food of Animal Origin

This paper reports the evaluation of the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) method for the determination of organochlorine pesticide residues in food of animal origin with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry detection. There is a very little information about sample preparation method for the determination of pesticide residues in food of animal origin in the literature. Moreover, any example of application of the QuEChERS method for the determination of pesticide residues in food of animal origin has not been reported as yet. The results showed that the best recovery ratios from 75 to 112 % were obtained for the method with primary secondary amine, C18 sorbents and evaporation to dryness and dissolving the residues in hexane with relative standard deviation lower than 10 % for most compounds. The limit of quantification ranged from 0.0015 to 0.0071 mg kg−1. This method was also used for the determination of pesticide residues in 15 samples of pork ham. In 12 samples, low concentrations of DDT or its metabolites and isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane were detected. Heptachlor epoxide and α-chlordane were determined in one sample and HCB in two samples. There were no exceedances of maximum residue levels (MRLs) for the determined pesticides in any of the analysed samples.

Combined effects of high pressure and sodium hydrogen carbonate treatment on pork ham: improvement of texture and palatability

In this study, the combined effects of high pressure and sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO3) treatment on the physical and chemical properties, and palatability of pork ham, a tough and under-utilized meat, were investigated. Assessment of meat properties with heat treatment, after exposure to NaHCO3 and high pressure treatment, revealed an increase in water content, and decreased weight reduction and rupture stress. The free amino acid content of meat samples increased with NaHCO3 and high pressure treatment. The effect of high pressure processing was especially notable at a pressure of 300 MPa. Sensory evaluation showed that meat subjected to high pressure processing after NaHCO3 treatment was tender and juicy. In addition, the sample produced minimal residue in the mouth and was characterized by a good taste.

Effects of processing parameters on immersion vacuum cooling time and physico-chemical properties of pork hams

The effects of agitation (1002rpm), different pressure reduction rates (60 and 100mbar/min), as well as employing cold water with different initial temperatures (IWT: 7 and 20°C) on immersion vacuum cooling (IVC) of cooked pork hams were experimentally investigated. Final pork ham core temperature, cooling time, cooling loss, texture properties, colour and chemical composition were evaluated. The application for the first time of agitation during IVC substantially reduced the cooling time (47.39%) to 4.6°C, compared to IVC without agitation. For the different pressure drop rates, there was a trend that shorter IVC cooling times were achieved with lower cooling rate, although results were not statistically significant (P>0.05). For both IWTs tested, the same trend was observed: shorter cooling time and lower cooling loss were obtained under lower linear pressure drop rate of 60mbar/min (not statistically significant, P>0.05). Compared to the reference cooling method (air blast cooling), IVC achieved higher cooling rates and better meat quality.

Effects of Kimchi Powder on the Quality Properties of Emulsion Type Sausage Made with Irradiated Pork Meat

In this study, the effects of kimchi powder on the quality properties of an emulsion type sausage made with irradiated porkmeat were investigated. Raw ground pork ham was gamma-irradiated at 5 and 10 kGy, and the emulsion type sausage wasthen manufactured with the irradiated pork meat. The pH value was shown to increase by irradiation of raw material(p<0.05). Samples containing kimchi powder had a lower pH value than other treatments, but no significant differenceswere observed. In a sensory evaluation, the scores of all the criteria were decreased with an increased irradiation dose of rawmaterial, but samples containing kimchi powder had a higher sensory score than other treatments in all irradiation doses ofraw material. The TBARS values were increased by irradiation of raw material and the samples containing kimchi powderhad the highest value (p<0.05). Odor substances analyzed by an electronic nose were increased with increased irradiationdose of raw material in all treatments, and samples containing kimchi powder showed a higher increase of odor substancesthan other treatments. Thus, this study demonstrated that kimchi powder was effective in eliminating the off-odor and flavorof sausages made with irradiated pork meat despite the increase of the TBARS value.Key words: irradiation, sausage, kimchi powder, quality characteristics