A. A. Nesterenko
Kuban
State Agrarian University, Krasnodar, Russia
Electromagnetic processing by low frequencies in the production
technology smoked sausages
Introduction.
Production technology of cold smoked sausage has been
known to mankind for ages mostly used for long-term home conservation of meat
collected during seasonal slaughter. The first domestic industries of these
meat products emerged in Europe at the end of the XVIII century. Consumers have
always been, and are still very much appreciating cold smoked sausage without
the second thought of how complicated microbiological and biochemical processes
are, ensuring food safety and organoleptic characteristics of a product [1].
Scientists and professionals are well aware of the
problems of this technology. “No microbiologist could have invented cold smoked
sausage, since its production process is truly monstrous: meat products and fat
are stuffed in a casing and stored until the moment of consumption”. These are
the words by the German scientist, Professor Lothar Leistner, who developed
theoretical and practical bases of ensuring microbiological safety and
stability of many food products [2].
The goal of the research is to improve technological
process of production of cold smoked sausage with the use of raw materials and
starter cultures induced by electromagnetic treatment.
Materials and methods.
For running the experiment three parallel kinds of
cold smoked sausage (the first including GDL; the second – starter cultures
“Almi 2”; the third – starter cultures “Almi 2” induced by electromagnetic
treatment) were produced at the sausage department of CJSC “Meat-packing plant
“Tihoretsky” in accordance with TI 006-00422020-2002 of semi-dry cold smoked
sausage production to TS 9213-006-00422020-2002 “Semi-dry cold smoked sausage”.
Results.
During histological examination of treated striated
muscle tissue all samples showed structural changes in muscle fibers
characterized by lysis of myofibrils. In addition, muscle fibers themselves
were fragmented. Connective tissue between muscle fibers and muscle bundles was
also in a state of decay being a homogenous protein structure with no distinct
color. While measuring pH level in accordance with GOST 26188-84, the readings
decreased from 5.6 to 5.4 for pork and from 6.2 to 6.0 for beef.
While performing microbiological
studies of treated meat products in accordance with GOST 10.444.15-94,
bacterial content readings also decreased; the results are presented in table
1.
Table 1.
Number of colony-forming units depending on the parameters of electromagnetic
treatment
|
¹ Of sample |
Treatment time, min |
Frequency (f), Hz |
TVCCFU per g (-3) |
Coliforms in 0.001 g |
|
ê |
- |
- |
5,9õ104 |
Not
found |
|
1 |
30 |
10 |
1,6
õ105 |
Not
found |
|
2 |
30 |
100 |
1,1
õ102 |
Not
found |
|
3 |
30 |
200 |
4,0
õ104 |
Not
found |
During production three basic readings of pH, moisture
content and total viable bacterial count (TVC) were measured. First readings
for all samples were taken after cutting; the results are presented in table 2.
Table 2. PH readings, moisture
content and total viable bacterial count (TVC) measured in forcemeat.
|
Sample |
ðÍ |
Moisture content |
TVC |
|
control |
5,7 |
53,7 |
2,8×106 |
|
¹1 |
5,6 |
53,75 |
2,8×106 |
|
¹2 |
5,6 |
53,7 |
3,7×106 |
|
¹3 |
5,5 |
51,05 |
2,1×106 |
Examination of obtained results reveals the changes in
pH value of initial forcemeat. These changes occur due to the alterations in
activity of microflora activated by electromagnetic treatment.
Magnetic field influences some physical and chemical
properties of water in cells: surface tension, viscosity, conductivity,
inductivity, light absorption. Water properties changes lead to the changes in
integrated water system with protein molecules, nucleic acids, polysaccharides,
lipids. It’s determined that magnetic field, changing the energy of the weak
interactions, influences supramolecular structural organization of living
things. It results in quantitative changes in chemical reactions certain of which
proceed with enzymes. There are several types of magnetic fields, thus some of
them activate biological objects. Their basis is rotating electromagnetic field
[1].
Decrease in moisture content occurs due to the above
mentioned destruction of muscle fibers.
Owing to initial electromagnetic treatment at the
stage of preliminary preparation of materials, we managed to reduce total
bacterial content of meat products and also, owing to application of activated
starter cultures, we obtained forcemeat containing the highest number of
desirable microflora against the undesirable. Such results can’t be achieved by
usual application of starter cultures. This can be seen when comparing TVC
readings of control and sample 2. In this regard, microflora of sample 2 will
be less controllable that under the conditions of wrong realization of
maturation increases the risk of microbiological defect.
The next measurements were taken after sagging, before
smoking, after smoking before drying and on days 3, 5, 11, 15 of drying; the
results are presented in table 3.
Table 3.
The results of microbiological and physicochemical analysis
|
Sample |
ðÍ |
Moisture
content |
TVC |
|
Before smoking (after sagging) |
|||
|
¹1 |
5,4 |
53,25 |
2,7×106 |
|
¹2 |
5,5 |
53,50 |
4,3×106 |
|
¹3 |
5,3 |
51,00 |
2,4×106 |
|
After smoking (before drying) |
|||
|
¹1 |
4,9 |
50,28 |
5,0×105 |
|
¹2 |
5,3 |
52,91 |
1,6×106 |
|
¹3 |
5,1 |
48,99 |
9,0×105 |
|
Drying day 3 |
|||
|
¹1 |
4,8 |
47,38 |
2,9×105 |
|
¹2 |
5,1 |
50,10 |
8,7×105 |
|
¹3 |
5,1 |
45,41 |
1,0×105 |
|
Drying day 5 |
|||
|
¹1 |
4,7 |
44,83 |
5,7×104 |
|
¹2 |
4,9 |
44,98 |
6,9×105 |
|
¹3 |
5,0 |
42,30 |
2,0×104 |
|
Drying day 11 |
|||
|
¹1 |
4,8 |
42,59 |
6,3×103 |
|
¹2 |
4,8 |
43,10 |
9,7×104 |
|
¹3 |
4,9 |
39,13 |
4,0×102 |
|
Drying day 15 |
|||
|
¹1 |
4,8 |
40,23 |
1,5×103 |
|
¹2 |
4,7 |
41,83 |
2,7×104 |
|
¹3 |
4,9 |
37,81 |
3,0×102 |
As you can see in table 3, moisture
content of sample 3 reached target value in no more than 40% of cases on drying
day 11 or production day 15. The samples 1 and 2 did not reach this value on
drying day 15.
Conclusions.
The advantages of production technology of cold smoked
sausage with the use of bacterial starter cultures induced by electromagnetic
treatment are optimal for accelerating technological process. When using the
given technology, requirements to biochemical properties and microbiological readings
of a product are lowered. A possibility emerges to adjust the initial pH of
meat. It is possible to use fresh, ripe, mature or frozen meat. The upside of
using activated bacterial cultures is their activity, which allows obtaining
the same meat products with different initial biochemical parameters under
certain conditions of production.
PH level in the range close to isoelectric point of
meat proteins (5.1-5.5) creates better conditions for lowering water-binding
capacity and, consequently, is optimal for producing nitric oxide pigment
responsible for fresh sausage color.
Literature:
1. Timoshenko, N.V. Significance
of electromagnetic treatment in production technology of cold smoked sausage / N. V. Timoshenko, À. A. Nesterenko, A.I. Reshetnyak // European
Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences 2013. – vo2, No.2, Ñ 248-252.
2. Nesterenko, À. À Activation of starter cultures
induced by electromagnetic treatment [Text] / A. A. Nesterenko, A. I.
Reshetnyak // European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences. – 2012. –
Vol.1, ¹ 3. – Ð. 45-48.