Processed Meats

Book excerpt: This book has been updated and expanded to give more complete coverage than the earlier edition. Like the earlier edition, it emphasizes basic scientific principles in volved in production of processed meat and poultry products. In addi tion, many product formulations and processing procedures that have been tested under commercial conditions are included. Intended as a university text for advanced undergraduate and grad uate students enrolled in the meat processing course, it is hoped that this book will also prove useful as a reference book to industry and government scientists and researchers engaged in or associated with meat and poultry processing. A. M. Pearson F. W. Taubert tDeceased 1 Introduction to Meat Processing Meat processing as discussed in this text includes all processes uti lized in altering fresh meat except for simple grinding, cutting, and mixing. In the broadest sense, this includes curing, smoking, canning, cooking, freezing, dehydration, production of intermediate-moisture products, and the use of certain additives such as chemicals and en zymes. However, the definition excludes cutting, grinding, and pack aging of fresh meats in retail stores and in homes. In this way, the definition differentiates between (1) those processes that enter into the preservation and manufacturing of meat products, and (2) those that alter the form of fresh meat in preparation for consumption.