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EP-3681297-B1 - PROCESS OF MAKING CURED MEAT PRODUCTS BASED ON NON-MINCED COOKED MEAT AND NON-MINCED COOKED MEAT MADE WITH SUCH PROCESS

EP3681297B1EP 3681297 B1EP3681297 B1EP 3681297B1EP-3681297-B1

Inventors

  • LIMONTA, Claudia Antonia Maria

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20180222

Claims (14)

  1. A process of making a cured meat product based on non-minced cooked meat comprising the steps of: - providing at least a whole piece of raw meat; - injecting an essentially nitrite-free mixture comprising water and salt and at least a polyphenol, into at least a whole piece of raw meat, thereby obtaining a whole piece of raw meat containing said mixture and at least a polyphenol, - massaging said at least a whole piece of raw meat containing said mixture and at least a polyphenol, to distribute said mixture and said at least a polyphenol therein in a substantially homogeneous manner, - molding said at least a piece of raw meat obtained from the step of massaging to obtain a single compact piece of raw meat, - cooking said single compact piece of raw meat thereby obtaining said cured meat product and wherein the weight of said at least a polyphenol injected through said mixture based on the weight of said at least a whole piece of raw meat and injected mix is such that the content of said at least a polyphenol will range from 0.4% to 2%, and wherein the cured meat product is essentially free of nitrite.
  2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of injecting includes also injecting a food-grade acidifier into said at least a whole piece of raw meat.
  3. A process as claimed in claim 2, wherein said at least a polyphenol is in the form of a polyphenol containing plant extract and said acidifier comprises at least an organic acid, the acidifier being preferably a vinegar extract.
  4. A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the weight of said at least a polyphenol injected through said mixture based on the weight of said at least a whole piece of raw meat is such that the content of said at least a polyphenol will range from 0.5% to 1.5% by weight based on the total weight of said at least a whole piece of raw meat and the injected mixture.
  5. A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the weight of salt injected through said mixture based on the weight of said at least a whole piece of raw meat is such that the content of salt will range from 1.5% to 1.9%, preferably from 1.3% to 2.0% by weight based on the total weight of said at least a whole piece of raw meat and the injected mixture.
  6. A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims 2 to 5, wherein the weight of said acidifier injected through said mixture based on the weight of said at least a whole piece of raw meat is such that the content of acidifier will range from 0.4% to 2.0%, preferably from 0.4% to 1.0% by weight based on the total weight of the said at least a whole piece of raw meat and the injected mixture.
  7. A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said at least a whole piece of raw meat containing said mixture, at least a polyphenol and, optionally, an acidifier, obtained from the step of injecting undergoes tenderization before massaging.
  8. A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said messaging is carried out by churning, preferably at a temperature ranging from 4°C to 10°C, for a time ranging from 10 to 20 hours, with application of vacuum of not less than 15 mbar and with the churn rotating at a speed ranging from 2 revolutions/minute to 10 revolutions/minute.
  9. A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said whole piece of raw meat is cooked at a temperature ranging from 40°C to 70°C for a time ranging from 12 to 16 hours.
  10. A process as claimed in claim 9, wherein said cooking is carried out with an increasing temperature gradient, preferably with a product core temperature ranging from 40°C to less than 50°C for a time of 4-8 hours, followed by cooking at a temperature ranging from 50°C to less than 60°C for a time of 1-2 hours and finally at a temperature ranging from 60°C to 70°C for a time of 2-4 hours.
  11. A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said at least a whole piece of raw meat is obtained from hind leg/s of swine and said cured meat product is ham.
  12. A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said whole piece of raw meat is an anatomical cut or a piece or slice of raw meat obtained by cutting without mincing appropriate anatomical parts of an animal that is suitable or accepted for human consumption.
  13. A cured meat product, preferably ham, based on non-minced cooked meat obtained by the process as claimed in any of the preceding claims and characterized in that : - it is essentially free of nitrites and - the content of said at least a polyphenol therein ranges from 0.4% to 2% by weight based on the weight of the cured meat product.
  14. A cured meat product as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that it comprises at least an organic acid, preferably acetic acid, more preferably vinegar extract, preferably from 0.4% to 2.0%, preferably from 0.4% to 1.0% by weight based on the total weight of said at least a whole piece of raw meat and the injected mixture.

Description

Field of the invention In its basic aspect, the present invention relates to a process of making a cured meat product based on non-minced cooked meat, particularly but without limitation to ham. Particularly, the present invention relates to a process of making a cured meat product based on a whole piece of non-minced cooked meat, using preservatives other than nitrites. The present invention also relates to a cured meat product based on non-minced cooked meat, particularly a cured meat product based on a whole piece of non-minced cooked meat such as ham, which is essentially free of nitrites and can be obtained with the aforementioned process. Prior art Cured meat products based on non-minced cooked meat, such as ham, bacon and the like, are known to be prepared by a number of production steps. Particularly, a composition comprising water, salt, flavors and preservatives such as a nitrite (e.g. sodium nitrite) is added to said whole pieces of raw meat prior to cooking. The nitrite will impart adequate organoleptic characteristics (namely color) to the final product (cured meat), due to the reaction between the myoglobin complex and the nitrite (NO2), and the nitrite also acts as a preservative by hindering the formation of botulinum toxin. The nitrite is also known to likely react under heat - i.e. under cooking conditions during preparation of the cured meat product and/or later during consumption - with the amines and proteins of meat thereby forming nitrosamines, which are strongly suspected to be carcinogenic. Therefore, particular production techniques have been developed in the art with the purpose of minimizing the formation of nitrosamines in meat, particularly during cooking. These techniques are mostly based on the addition of nitrite to the meat under treatment through plant sources. For example, ham production processes are known in which nitrate-rich plant extracts obtained with particular techniques are introduced into the raw meat, in addition to appropriate enzymes that can reduce nitrates into nitrites. Such reduction activity mainly occurs during later cooking, which is carried out at temperatures that can activate the aforementioned enzymes. Nevertheless, these processes suffer from the drawback that the reduction of a nitrate to a nitrate by enzymes is not complete and strongly relies on cooking conditions, enzymatic activity and other process parameters. Thus, the actual nitrite content introduced into the product is hardly controlled and in many cases the final product will have an unsatisfactory quality. In an attempt to obviate these drawbacks, production techniques have also been developed in which the aforementioned nitrate-rich plant extracts first undergo fermentation with appropriate enzymes to convert most nitrates into nitrites thereby obtaining a nitrite-rich fermentation medium, and then the fermentation medium is concentrated or dried and the nitrite-containing residue containing nitrites is added to the raw meat portions prior to cooking. In any case, with the aforementioned production techniques, the color stabilization functions and the microbiological stability of the final product are always ensured by the presence of nitrite as a preservative, which is added directly or indirectly (by enzymatic conversion from nitrate to nitrite) from organic or inorganic nitrite sources. Document US 2005123653 A1 discloses a process for the production of cooked ham from pork leg, i.e. from a whole piece of raw meat, in which a nitrite-free brine solution containing salt, white wine and an acidifier (ascorbic acid), whose composition is indicated in example 1, is injected into the raw meat. Then follows a phase of impregnation of the injected solution in a rotating device for 14-18 hours, a phase of mould formation and cooking at 65°C for 14-18 hours. As stated into the description (see par. 0017 of the prior art document) the preservative effect for the cooked ham is achieved by replacing a conventional pickling solution with a mixture of table salt and a food-grade alcohol, without any nitrate-based or nitrite-based preservative being present. Nevertheless, the large quantity of food alcohol required to achieve the preservative effect of the cooked ham is disliked as it alters the organoleptic characteristics of the cooked ham. Patent application CN201510474136A discloses a processing method for wild boar meat products. Natural ingredients comprising nitrate, nitrate-reducing bacteria and green tea powder are injected into the meat, so as to avoid the addition of chemical nitrite. Green tea powder is used as source of natural tea polyphenols. It is disclosed that green tea powder has no toxic side effects, can maintain the durability of meat products, inhibit the production of bacteria to ensure the safety of meat products, and tea polyphenols can be strong to remove harmful free radicals, and prevent the formation of nitrosamines. In view of the above discussed problems related to