Meat Curing Process Using Starter Culture and Freezing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for curing animal products using starter cultures fail to efficiently stop the maturation process, maintain organoleptic properties, and achieve sufficient salt concentration without cooking or pasteurization, often resulting in low salt content and vulnerability to pathogen growth.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the application of starter cultures to animal products, followed by controlled parboiling, freezing to stop biological activity, slicing, and rapid drying to increase salt concentration, preventing further microbial activity, and packaging to preserve the product.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If starter culture is applied and maturation is allowed to continue, then organoleptic properties are improved, but pathogen growth risk increases and preservation is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The method applies preliminary action by conducting the maturation process with starter culture first, then immediately freezing the product to stop biological activity before packaging. This sequence ensures the beneficial maturation occurs while preventing subsequent pathogen growth, resolving the contradiction between improving organoleptic properties and ensuring preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The method utilizes phase transition by freezing the product after maturation. The transition from liquid to solid state stops all biological activity including both the starter culture and any potential pathogens, thereby preserving the improved organoleptic properties while eliminating pathogen growth risk.
2Reliability
If drying is performed rapidly to prevent pathogen growth, then preservation is improved, but organoleptic properties may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The method performs preliminary maturation with starter culture under controlled conditions before the rapid drying phase. This ensures that the organoleptic properties are developed to the desired level before the harsh drying process begins, preventing deterioration of sensory qualities while still achieving preservation through subsequent freezing and packaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The process uses periodic action by alternating between controlled maturation phases and rapid drying/freezing phases. This allows the product to undergo beneficial biological changes during maturation periods while preventing pathogen growth during the rapid drying and freezing periods, thus maintaining both organoleptic properties and preservation.
3Reliability
If salt concentration is increased to prevent pathogen growth, then preservation is improved, but the ability to support starter culture development is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The method applies preliminary action by conducting maturation with starter culture at lower salt concentrations first, allowing the culture to develop and improve the product. Only after this beneficial maturation is complete does the process proceed to freezing and packaging, eliminating the need for high salt concentrations to prevent pathogen growth, thus maintaining both preservation and curing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The freezing phase transition replaces the need for high salt concentration as a preservation mechanism. By freezing the product after maturation, pathogen growth is prevented through the solid state rather than through high salt content, allowing the curing process to proceed quickly with optimal salt levels for starter culture development.
4Reliability
If conventional drying is used to preserve the product, then preservation is achieved, but the process duration is excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The method uses phase transition by freezing the product instead of using prolonged conventional drying. The transition to solid state through freezing rapidly preserves the product by stopping all biological activity, reducing the preservation time from dozens of hours to a much shorter period while maintaining effective preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The method performs preliminary maturation with starter culture before the freezing step, ensuring that all beneficial biological processes are completed before preservation begins. This eliminates the need for extended drying times, as the product is already optimally prepared and ready for rapid freezing preservation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively accelerates the curing process, maintains organoleptic properties, and achieves high salt concentration, ensuring product preservation without cooking or pasteurization, thereby preventing pathogen growth and extending shelf life.
Implementation Method 1
subjecting said product of animal origin with starter cultures to a maturation treatment with heat, known as parboiling, with control over the temperature and humidity conditions to favour starter culture growth
Implementation Method 2
transferring the product of animal origin with starter cultures to frozen conditions, determining a sudden stop of the mentioned biological activity process
Implementation Method 3
applying a curing and rapid drying process on said sliced or cut frozen product of animal origin with starter cultures for a second time period comprised between 30 and 120 minutes, reducing the water content and producing an increase in the salt concentration
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for the application and implantation of starter cultures in products of animal origin for curing same, which comprises:a) introducing one or more starter cultures of Staphylococcus and yeasts in a whole muscle product of animal origin by means of sprinkling, tumbling and massaging;b) subjecting said product after step a) to maturation treatment with heat and humidity to favor starter culture growth;d1) freezing the product after step b), stopping the starter culture biological activity; andd2) cutting or slicing the frozen product; andd3) subjecting cutted or sliced product to a rapid drying process for between 30 and 120 minutes; ande) packing the dried product of animal origin.