There are many packaging products of low-temperature meat products in the market. There are hams, sausages, roasted meats, and poultry products such as smoked barbecues. Low-temperature meat products are products whose sterilization temperature is within 100°C.

The problem encountered by many manufacturers is: during the normal shelf life of packaged low-temperature meat products, a small amount of water begins to appear on the surface of the product, and then white mucus gradually appears. In the end, it will lead to gas production, rancidity, and deterioration of the product.

Since the packaged products are in a vacuum state, the products are prone to water seepage under negative pressure. If through correct technical means, reasonable production technology, processing formula, and strict production site management, it is possible to prevent or slow down the phenomenon of product water effusion. The specific reasons and solutions are as follows.

1. During the processing, the temperature of raw meat, minced meat and finished products is too high for cooling, storage, transportation and sales.

The temperature of low-temperature meat products must be strictly controlled from raw material processing to packaging.If the temperature of the environment, raw materials, and minced meat is not well controlled during the processing, the production cycle is prolonged, and the cooling temperature before the product is packaged is too high, which will lead to an excessively high total number of product colonies. After the product is packaged, the residual microorganisms will continue to decompose the product protein after the reproduction reaches a certain value. The water in the protein is gradually precipitated, and the water retention function is weakened. The precipitation of water provides a nutritional basis for the survival and reproduction of microorganisms, so that the surface of the product changes from a small amount of water to mucus, which eventually leads to deterioration and damage. Among them, microorganisms play a major role in anaerobic bacteria or facultative anaerobic bacteria, such as lactic acid bacteria, leuconostoc, and so on.

Strictly control the temperature throughout the processing. The meat temperature should be within 6°C during the process of thawing, trimming, mincing, and marinating raw meat. It is extremely important to add ice flake to the emulsified meat filling and tumbled Western-style ham to prevent the temperature from exceeding 10°C. The addition of ice water can increase the water retention of the meat, and the second is to control the growth of microorganisms and reduce the residual number of microorganisms in the meat filling, which has a great effect on prolonging the shelf life of the product.

Solution:

The temperature of the center of the product before packaging is preferably within 15°C. The secondary sterilization cooling of packaging should be reduced to within 20℃. Then store it in the warehouse at 0 ~ 4 ℃ to inhibit the growth of microorganisms, which is beneficial to reduce the surface water of the product.

2. Poor Drying of the Product

Products using animal casings, protein casings, or cellulose casings must have a drying process. The purpose is to further develop the color of the minced meat, extract part of the moisture in it, increase the elasticity and crispness of the product, and prevent it from bursting during the subsequent cooking process. If the drying process design is unreasonable, especially the steam pressure, wind speed, temperature, and time, it will affect the drying effect of the product, resulting in insufficient water extraction of the product.

Solution:

Reasonable design of drying process. Ensure that the steam pressure is above 0.5map, and the wind speed is set at medium or high speed according to the product characteristics. The temperature is generally above 68 ℃, too low will affect the effect. Temperature and time settings are closely related to product diameter and formulation. It is required to be dry to achieve hardness when the product surface touches, and there will be a rustling sound when the product is rubbed. The sausage casing and the minced meat are adhered reliably, and the surface protein coagulation is generally about 3mm. After the product is cooked, it should also undergo a drying process to remove the surface moisture of the product. At this time, the drying time is shorter and the temperature will be lower.

3. Unreasonable Formula Design

The product yield is high and the moisture is too large. Simply pursuing high yield and adding too much water, that is, the Aw value is too large, will cause the product to be soft and the structure is not tight.

Solution:

The water added to the formula should be designed reasonably. According to the water content in the raw material and the requirements of the formula, it should be added reasonably. The ratio of water to minced meat should generally not exceed 35%. If it is in the high-temperature season in summer, special attention should be paid to the ratio of added water to carrageenan and soybean protein isolate. , It is necessary to have good water retention without affecting the taste and crispness of the product.

4. The phosphate used in the product cannot extract meat protein well, which affects the water retention.

The biggest function of phosphate is to extract salt-soluble protein in meat under the action of table salt. If the phosphate used is easy to agglomerate, has poor solubility and uneven dispersion, the meat protein will not be fully extracted, thus affecting the water retention of the product.

Solution:

The compound phosphate that dissolves quickly, has good dispersibility and does not agglomerate. Especially when the temperature of ice water is about -2℃, it can be quickly dispersed and dissolved. Salt-soluble meat protein can be quickly extracted during emulsification or Western-style ham injection tumbling. Isolate actomyosin to maximize the water retention effect of meat protein. At this time, the meat filling is particularly thick, viscous and bright. The product has good water retention, crispness and good taste.

5. The product does not cool completely after cooking.

The temperature of the cooling room is high and the time is short, which causes the product to not cool completely and the core temperature is too high. After packaging, the water vapor is emitted again during the secondary sterilization to form water vapor and liquid on the surface.

Solution:

Let the product cool to a core temperature of about 15°C to reduce the surface moisture of the product. When packaging, the temperature difference between the warehouse and the packaging should not be too large. Minimize storage time in the packaging room. Reduce the water absorption phenomenon on the surface of the product due to the influence of temperature differences.

6. The secondary sterilization temperature is too high and the time is too long, resulting in loose product structure.

When the packaged product is sterilized for the second time, the product will be in an expanded state. If the temperature is too high and the time is too long, the product will be in a soft state and the structure will be damaged. In the case of negative pressure, the water inside will easily come out and form a liquid.

Solution:

Design a reasonable secondary sterilization process. The sterilization at this time only kills the microorganisms on the surface of the product and the packaging bag. Generally, the temperature is around 90℃, and the time is not more than 30min, and the faster it is from sterilization to cooling, the better.

7. Reasonable use of preservatives and preservatives can effectively inhibit the growth of microorganisms.

Meat products are high in protein and have high water content. It is highly susceptible to the erosion of microorganisms, which is conducive to its growth and reproduction, resulting in the production of water, and then spoiled and rancid.

Solution:

In accordance with the provisions of GB2760, rational use of preservatives and preservatives. The microorganisms of packaged meat products are generally Gram-positive bacteria, including anaerobic bacteria and facultative anaerobic bacteria. It is easy to produce acid and gas, so that the surface of the product will come out of the water, produce odor or expand the bag, and anti-corrosion preservatives should be added in a targeted manner. For example, use nisin, sodium dehydroacetate, sodium diacetate, etc., to increase the shelf life.

8. The microorganisms of the auxiliary materials should be minimized, the storage time should not be too long, and it is required to be dry and hygienic.

The excipients used in meat products have higher bacterial counts. In particular, natural spices generally have more spores, which pollute the product to a great extent. The sterilization temperature of low-temperature products will not kill the spores. This part of the residual bacteria will seriously endanger the shelf life of the product.

Solution:

Use sterilized spices. The auxiliary materials used, such as starch, protein, etc., the total number of colonies should be controlled within a reasonable range. Resolutely do not use contaminated, moldy, odorous spices and other accessories. Eliminate or reduce the auxiliary materials that damage the product due to excessive microorganisms and water on the surface of the product.

9. The barrier properties and air permeability of the packaging film (bag) used are not up to standard.

The packaging materials used in low-temperature meat products have a great impact on shelf life. There are many unqualified packaging materials and manufacturers. If selected, it will cause great risk. Generally, it is a PA/PE composite material, which has better barrier properties. If a poor packaging film (bag) is used, the packaged product will gradually leak air, providing conditions for the growth of microorganisms. The water will be produced on the surface of the product.

Solution:

Use packaging materials with moderate thickness, good barrier properties, tensile strength, puncture strength, cooking breathability, and heat sealing properties. They must be regular manufacturers, which is very important for the shelf life of low-temperature meat products.

There are many reasons for the water out of low-temperature meat products after packaging. It involves on-site sanitation management, formula design, technological process, selection and use of phosphates and preservatives, etc. It’s an integrated system problem. It reflects the quality control of an enterprise’s entire production process. Problems in each process link may cause water on the surface of the product.

The processing of low-temperature meat products has high technical content. Production enterprises should use modern management methods, advanced technical means, scientific and reasonable formulas, and strict management standards. Only by establishing a high degree of quality awareness and continuously improving the quality of employees can we produce high-quality low-temperature meat products.