Thermal Food Processing

156 Thermal Food Processing: New Technologies and Quality Issues
6.6 Thermal Processes Commonly Applied to Meat Products.....................174
6.6.1 Pasteurization...............................................................................174
6.6.2 Sterilization..................................................................................174
6.6.3 Postprocess Pasteurization...........................................................175
6.7 Thermal Destruction Kinetics of Microorganisms .................................178
6.8 Predictive Modeling of Thermal Destruction Kinetics of Vegetative
Pathogens.................................................................................................183
6.9 Microbial Safety of Sous Vide Products .................................................185
6.10 Performance Standards for Thermally Processed Meats........................188
6.11 Conclusions..............................................................................................191
References ....................................................................................................... 192
6.1 INTRODUCTION
Thermal processing of meat probably started in prehistoric times, with the discovery
that application of heat increases the palatability and extends the life of such treated
meat. The benefits associated with the heating process include better flavor, palatability
and texture, extended durability, and color modifications. These changes
allowed meat processors to deliver a wide array of products with several degrees
of flavors, colors, and textures, thus increasing the diversity of meat products in
the market while satisfying consumer needs for convenience and value. Key advantages
of heat processing include the extended shelf life of products, desirable
organoleptic characteristics, enhanced economic value, and ensured food safety.
Additional methods have been developed to process meat products and control
the growth of microorganisms. Despite development of nonthermal processing
technologies, such as irradiation and high pressure processing, among others,
heat continues to be the treatment of choice to enhance the characteristics of meat
products, including safety and quality. In fact, heat treatments designed to achieve
a specific lethality for food-borne pathogens are a critical control point in food
processing and are fundamentally important to ensure the shelf life and microbiological
safety of thermally processed foods. 1
Through history, advances have been made on the development of techniques
and technologies to prepare products with specific characteristics based on the
raw materials used (meat species, animal part used, such as pork jowls, picnics,
etc.), ingredients used (spices, smoke application, water addition, other functional
ingredients, such as phosphates, nitrite, erythorbate, etc.), and processing techniques
employed (fermentation/acidification, thermal process application, drying,
refrigeration, etc.). While significant advances have been made in each of the
categories in terms of understanding the behavior of muscles and muscle proteins,
ingredients used in processing, and the processing technologies, meat processing,
especially thermal processing of meat products, still remains an art form.
This chapter summarizes findings in the thermal processing of meat products,
including beef, pork, and related animals. Poultry and seafood developments are
covered elsewhere in this book.