Fermented Meats

Preservation by fermentation is one of the oldest food technologies, and yet it continues to play an important role in meat preservation in many parts of the world. These processes can be relatively simple, with minimal microbial involvement, or more complex, involving defined ingredients and starter cultures with controlled environmental conditions. Most meat fermentations rely on the use of salt as an ingredient, sometimes with the addition of nitrate, nitrite and spices. In some cases the meat may be smoked and, as with some cheese fermentations, fermented meats may be ripened by moulds and yeasts. The preservation of meats by fermentation depends on the interaction of a number of environmental and microbio­ logical factors including the pH, water activity, redox potential and the presence of preservatives and a competitive microftora. The subject of fermented meats is an important but relatively specialised area of microbiology and food technology. Few books have specifically addressed this subject and the topic has usually been dealt with in reviews and research papers with a significant proportion of these being published in languages other than English. As far as we are aware, this volume is the first to bring together a selection of key topics relating to the production of fermented meats and their chemical and microbiological properties. The book begins with a general chapter on the properties of meat. Front Matter....Pages i-xii The structure, composition and preservation of meat....Pages 1-38 Fermented meats — A world perspective....Pages 39-52 Historical aspects of meat fermentations....Pages 53-68 Bacterial fermentation of meats....Pages 69-109 Fungal ripened meats and meat products....Pages 110-129 Starter cultures for meat fermentations....Pages 130-159 Stable and safe fermented sausages world-wide....Pages 160-175 Flavour chemistry of fermented sausages....Pages 176-193 Fungal toxins in raw and fermented meats....Pages 194-216 Fermented meat production and consumption in the European Union....Pages 217-233 Back Matter....Pages 235-242