Cured sausages and hams are one of the most commercially available products on the food market. Concentrol has been working for some time on researching specific chemical solutions for this sector. With their product lines, they provide a range of possibilities that guarantee optimal processing, packaging and transport, as well as a range of products related to the safety, hygiene, quality and useful life of the items.

On a global scale, of all the production done in the pork sector, only approximately 9 or 10% is destined for curing. This is a process that requires processing time and added costs, one of the reasons why not all societies choose to make processed cured meats. There is almost no long-term meat preservation culture outside of Europe. The potential customer of this range of products by Concentrol is located in Europe and, especially, in Spain, where mainly those related to cured ham are used, and in Catalonia, where there are also those related to the addition of spices and others.

Most of Concentrol’s production focuses on cured meat products, which is where they have the most variety of lines. 

 

CURED PRODUCTS: WHAT DEFINES THEM?

There are a number of key concepts that determine the characteristics of the final product.

The first defining characteristic is the type of raw material with which the product is obtained, which can be lean meats, fatty meats or offal. The second question concerns the type of animal from which the meat comes. The most common are pigs, turkeys, cows, and sheep. We must also take into account the previous process that the animal goes through: slaughter, cutting, gutting, selection of meat and the final destination, which can be fresh, frozen, or processed. Finally, we must consider processed meats, which can be fresh, cooked or cured.



THE PROCESS OF MAKING CURED PRODUCTS: SALTING AND DRYING

The meat that will later be used to make cured products is usually subjected to a salting and/or drying process, depending on whether they are whole pieces or chopped product, in order to reduce the activity of water (aW), which reduces the risk of bacterial growth and proliferation.

Finally, it should be noted that the maturation process required for these foods makes the manufacturing process of these products longer than some others with the same characteristics.

After these processes, these types of products are not stored in chillers to prevent moisture. The shelf life of finished products can be several weeks or months.

The drying process of these foods is different depending on whether they are whole pieces such as ham, shoulder or loin, or chopped sausages such as “fuet”, salami or chorizo. We will differentiate the two modalities:

 

WHOLE PIECES

In the case of whole pieces of cured ham, the production process would be as follows:

  1. Obtaining a good raw material that has undergone a good process of slaughter, maturation and bleeding, in order to avoid contamination.
  2. The lean part is treated with animal fats to ensure the absence of water and prevent the proliferation of bacteria.
  3. Salting process. A layer of curing salts is applied to the hams so that they penetrate the meat for 8 or 10 days, during which time the product is kept in a chiller.
  4. Surface washing of the ham: The surface salt is removed with cold water and the pieces are transferred to a drying process at a temperature of no more than 6 degrees for at least 6 weeks, while losing moisture.
  5. Drying and stewing process: The hams are brought to a temperature of between 10 and 15 degrees, during which time the aromas and flavors develop. Afterwards, a stew is made by raising the temperature to about 25 or 30 degrees, which would result in an increase in the sensory effects of the pieces.

During all these processes, the pieces will have suffered several water losses (shrinkage), which could exceed 35% of the initial weight.

 

CURED SAUSAGES

In order to make a good selection of cured sausages, a number of basic requirements must be taken into account, such as:

  • The raw material: It must be healthy, with the fat in good condition and with a pH of approximately 6.
  • Chopping: This is a process that is usually done at very low temperatures with a food processor or cutter, preventing the fat from covering the lean part.
  • Additives, kneading and maceration: In this phase, preservatives, spices, sugars or polyphosphates are added, the dough is homogenized and macerated for one day at refrigeration temperature.

The stuffing process is a fundamental part of the process of making cured sausages, and can be done with:

  • Natural casings, which usually come from the intestines of pigs or cows and are edible. They are often used in products such as fuet, salami, chorizo or “peltruc”.
  • Collagen gut, which often comes from natural cow collagen transformed into protein and is usually edible. It is mostly used in products such as fresh sausages and short-process aired sausages.
  • Cellulose casing. It is inedible and is used to make foods such as large salamis or chorizos. 

The different types of casings that exist for stuffing meat must meet certain requirements: they must have good permeability, elasticity, a regular caliber and mechanical resistance to stuffing.

Once the meat has been stuffed, the final product is taken to the curing room, where it will be dried and stewed.

 

CONCENTROL’S RANGE

Concentrol offers a range of external sausage treatment products that aim to improve the preservation of the pieces.

Concentrol’s current product range has several goals: to eliminate surface mold, to simulate mold, to adhere to molding species, and / or to prevent the appearance of tyrosine (white spots that sometimes appear on the surface of the ham). The products can be divided into five groups:

  1. Protective treatment products
  • Plastic treatment: VIPLAST family. Designed to apply on artificial guts, made of cellulose.
  • Edible natural treatment: VIPLAST R and PROTILAT families. Designed to be applied on natural or collagen casings.

The purpose of these lines is to protect the products from mold and yeast, to prevent the sausage coating from peeling off, and to make it look as natural as possible.

  1. Products for fixing spices, pepper, and fine herbs

As with protective treatment products, natural edible products are offered. For this process, Concentrol recommends the use of the products in two different phases, which are:

  • Gluing. Application of a gluing product on artificial or natural guts. The aim is to facilitate the adhesion of the desired spices.
  • Fixation. Application of a fixative product on the spices once the gluing product is dry. This process is used to fix spices, give a natural finish without altering the maturation process and protect the product from mold and yeast.
  1. Products for a mold simulator treatment

These are a range of natural edible coatings that are formulated with food additives that meet the requirements of current regulations and are free of allergens.

The aim of this product is to give the pieces a white surface, imitating natural Penicillium, being able to regulate their final appearance.

  1. Products for ham curing

Cured ham is marketed in many forms, either with the whole piece with bone or without bone, chopped or sliced. In all these forms, the ham goes through a common process that is motivated by its implicit curing process: the appearance of tyrosine. This element is a natural amino acid that does not pose any health risk, but which improves the image of the ham, as it appears in the form of a white veil or white dots.

To maintain the natural appearance of the ham over time, Concentrol has worked to develop a product focused on preventing the concentration of tyrosine: VIPLAST C-900 ACG.

  1. Complementary products

Concentrol also has a series of complementary products that can be very useful for all those professionals who work in the sausage and ham sector, which are:

  • The NETMELT range of hot melt adhesives for closing boxes.
  • The TACKTROL range, of white glues for labelling.
  • The EMULTROL range of antifoaming agents for water treatment.
  • The AMPHONIL range of cleaning and disinfecting agents for food contact metal surfaces.

You can consult all the product lines that Concentrol has on its website, and find the one that is most suitable according to your business needs.