Course Code : EC-8

Course Title : FOOD PROCESSING

Topic : Salting and Curing
Time Frame : 9 hours

Introduction:

This module deals with salting and curing. It gives some information about the
salting process, salt and salt impurities, spoilage of salted fish, meat curing, other
optional ingredients in cured meats and meat curing methods.

Objectives:

At the end of this module, students will be able to:

1. Differentiate salting from curing.

2. Recall the various methods of salting.
3. Demonstrate how to cure meat.

Pre-Test: (Pre-Test is indicated in a separate sheet)

Learning Activities:

A. Content/Discussion

Curing

Curing when applied to preservation of meat or fish means preserving with salt
followed by drying and or smoking. Salt was used for preserving fish probably as far back
as 20,000 years ago as evidenced by archeological studies of marine fish bones found in
cave dwellings. Salting, smoking and drying have all continued as preservations
techniques since. Soon after salting of vegetables followed. Such salted/cured fish and
met were standard during the long voyages of exploration.

Preservation of Fish by Salting

Salt is an effective osmotic agent that can draw water from food materials, such as
fish, thus lowering its water activity and effecting preservation. However, longer product
shelf life can only be achieved when the salt concentration approaches the saturation
concentration of over 25% salt. The objective of salting is to insure that salt penetration
is rapid enough to lower the water acidity in the deepest part of the fish followed by the
equilibration of the salt in the fish (especially in the water portion of the fish) and the
surrounding salt solution (brine).

The Salting Process

 The salting method applied depends on the size and composition of the fish. The
common methods are dry salting, brine salting and a combination of hybrid method.

In the first method, dry salt is rubbed on the fish while in brine salting, the fish immersed
in a concentrated brine. And the hybrid method an initial dry rub followed by immerse
ion in the brine that subsequently form a water is drawn by the salt from the fish body.

Various methods of salting is applied depending on the objective of the salting process:

1. In products like tinapa the objective of salting is mainly for flavoring with
preservation being achieved by smoking and chilling or freezing.
2. Immersion in concentrated brine is also called pickling. This is done for longer
term preservation and is advantageous for fatty fishes regarding rancidity.
3. Some fish, usually bigger non-fatty fishes, are split, opened out flat and salted.
The salted split fishes are layered and the brine that forms are allowed to drain
off. This is called kench curing. We Filipinos call it daing.
4. The other method is a modification of the kench curing where the brine that forms
is allowed to collect and the fish kept immersed in this brine.

Salt and Salt Impurities

Various places in the Philippines produce solar salt which is prepared by

evaporating seawater from salt beds where sea water collects. As the water evaporates
and saturation concentrations are achieved, coarse sodium chloride crystals form. This is
commonly referred to as rock salt which is misnomer because in the salt industry, rock
salt is salt that is mined from rock deposit formed from seas that have dried up eons ago.
However the term rock salt for coarse solar salt remains in common usage. In some other
places notably in some Ilocos towns, seawater is boiled off until only the salt remains. In
this case the salt crystals are much finer. Whether the water was boiled off or evaporated,
solar salts usually contains a lot of impurities mostly chlorides and sulphates of calcium
and magnesium. Purified 99.99% sodium chloride is processed from solar or minced rock
salt to attain the purity. The calcium and magnesium impurities are actually desirable in
fish curing as it promotes whiter dried fish. Excess of magnesium and calcium salts
however imparts bitterness.

Nitrate/nitrite, now used as a preservative and an essential in meat curing was first
discovered as an impurity in salt. Such impurity was in abundance in the salt deposit of
Prague in the Czech Republic. This is the origin of the name Prague powder for nitrite
salt.

Spoilage of Salted Fish

The most significant spoilage microorganisms are halophiles which require 10%
salt growth and exhibit pink discoloration in the fish. Cases of food poisoning have been
associated with pink spoiled fish because the toxin-producing, Staphyloccus aureus, may
sometimes be associated with microorganisms that cause pink spoilage.

Meat Curing

Meat curing was used originally as a means of preserving meat during times of
plenty to carry over to times of scarcity. Cured meat was meant to be shelf stable, so
these were heavily salted. Today many cured meat products are only mildly salted and
require chilling storage.

Meat Curing Ingredients

The basic curing ingredients are salt, sugar (or other sweetener) and nitrite.
Other ingredients used include: phosphates, spices, sodium erythorbate, hydrolyzed
vegetable proteins, monosodium glutamate and carrageenan.

1. Salt. Salt is basic to all curing mixtures. It preservative action is due its effect of
lowering water activity and inhibition of microbial growth. It is a flavoring material
and also increases the gel strength of sausage mixtures. However, using salt alone
in curing results in a rather dry and dark product.

Only food grade salt should be used in curing. Salt is added either as a
dry cure or a pickle cure. The pickle cure can either be a soaking solution
or an injecting solution.

2. Sugar. Sugar is added to the curing mixture to balance flavor. Sugar counters the
harshness of salt. It also has a softening effect on the cured product by preventing
the removal of some moisture on the surface. Sugar combines with amino groups
to form browning products that also enhances the flavor of cured meat.

3. Nitrite and/or Nitrate. Nitrite is the effective curing agent and nitrate is a source
of nitrite. Nitrite functions as follows:

1. Stabilize the color of the lean tissues.

2. Contribute to the characteristics flavor of cured meat.
3. Inhibit bacteria responsible for spoilage and food poisoning, particularly
Clostridium botulinum.
4. Retards development of rancidity.

Salitre/Potassium nitrate has been disallowed by BFAD to be used in any cured meat
products. The rationale for the prohibition is because it is very easy to overuse. Instead,
curing salts such as Prague Powder which contain more ordinary salt than nitrite is
recommended. The use of salt as a carrier of nitrite and the identification of curing salt as
pink or light orange are safety measures to prevent overuse that can be highly toxic.
Nitrate can combine with oxygen and deprive cells of vital oxygen for cell respiration
causing asphyxiation which can be fatal.

Other Optional Ingredients in Cured Meats

1. Phosphates. Phosphates have wide applications in the meat processing industry.

Phosphates are added to increase water-binding capacity and consequently the
yield of the finished product. Their water retention property id due to 2 actions, the
raising of the pH and the unfolding of the muscle proteins to accommodate more
water binding sites. Phosphates are used in most pumped meats, such as ham,
bacon, roast beef, cooked corned beef, tucino and meat patties and luncheon
meats. Advantages offered include, reduction in cooking losses, improvement in
sliceability, retention of flavor and juiciness. It also retard development of oxidative
rancidity.

2. Sodium Ascorbate and Erythorbate. These reductants react with nitrite to give
nitric oxide, thus fastening development of the pink-red colour in cured sausages.

3. Potassium Sorbate. Potassium sorbate is an anti microbial agent, particularly

effective in inhibiting mold growth.

4. Monosodium Glutamate. Monosodium glutamate is used to enhance the flavor

or meat products although its effect on cured meat flavor is not widely
recognized, it is nevertheless used quite extensively in many Philippine cured
meat products.

5. Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein. Hydrolyzed vegetable proteins is added to

many cured meat products particularly sausages bothe emulsion and non-
emulsion types to increase protein content and yield. It is also used ham
particularly in extended ham formulations.

6. Carrageenan. Carrageenan is a naturally-occurring carbohydrate extracted from

red seaweed. There are three basic types of carrageenan: kappa carrageenan
functions as gelling agents, stabilizers, texturants, thickeners and viscosifiers. It
is added in ham pump solutions and directly in sausage and meat loaf
formulations.

7. Sodium and Potassium Lactate. These additives are used to extend shelf life;
enhance intrinsic product safety by controlling food-borne pathogenic bacteria
such as E.coli, C botulinum, L. monocytogenes, and protects meat flavor.
 8. Spices. Spices includes a wide assemblage of true spices, herbs and vegetable
bulbs. The term “true spices” usually refers to genuine natural spices that include
dried rhizomes, barks, flowers or their parts and fruits or seeds of different plants,
principally grown in tropical and subtropical regions, containing aromatic and
pungent substances and used for seasoning meat products.

Meat Curing Methods

1. Dry Curing. Dry curing involves applying the cure mix directly on the meat.

2. Brine Curing. Brine curing is also popular for curing meat. This method is also
called a sweet pickle cure. Brine curing involves mixing the curing salt with
water to make a pickle solution. The meat is cured with this brine by injecting
the brine using a meat pump or by soaking the meat for a specific time. Curing
takes place in the refrigerator and the meat is cooked after curing.

3. Combination Cure. This method combines the dry rub cure with injection of
brine solution. A combination cure is used for curing hams. This method
shortens the curing time required and reduces the chance of spoilage because
the cure process takes place inside and outside the ham. Curing takes place
in the refrigerator and the ham is cooked after curing.
4. Sausage Method. The method for making cured sausage is different from the
curing methods described above. Curing salt and spices are mixed with ground
meat. Curing takes place in the refrigerator and the sausage is cooked after.

5. Smoking. Three traditionally recognized reasons for smoking meat are: for
preservation, appearance, and flavor. Smoked meat is less likely to spoil than
unsmoked meat. Smoking improves the flavor and appearance, aids in
reducing mold growth, as well as retards rancid flavors.

Self-Evaluation:

Direction: Answer the following questions briefly.

1. Differentiate salting from curing.

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2. What are the basic ingredients of curing meat?
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3. How does monosodium glutamate affect the taste of cured meat?
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Review of Concepts:

Curing

Curing when applied to preservation of meat or fish means preserving with salt
followed by drying and smoking. Salt was used for preserving fish probably as far back
as 20,000 years ago as evidenced by archeological studies of marine fish bones found
in cave dwellings.

The Salting Process

Common methods are:

1. Dry salting
2. Brine salting
3. Combination of hybrid method.

Meat Curing

Meat curing was used originally as a means of preserving meat during times of
plenty to carry over to times of scarcity.

Meat Curing Ingredients.

1. Salt. Salt is basic to all curing mixtures.

2. Sugar. Sugar is added to the curing mixture to balance flavor.

Activities: Online interaction

 - Oral Recitation
- Conducting Post Test
- Project making:
a. poultry meat curing
b. fish curing
c. pork meat curing

Post-Test: (Note: Post-Test is indicated in a separate sheet)

References:

Sonido, Chavez, de Leon (2010), Practical Food Preservation and Processing,

Cacho Hermanos, Inc., Pines corner Union Sts., Mandaluyong