SALTING/CURING MIXTURES AND SOLUTIONS

DRY SALTING-ALSO CALLED CORNING, IS A PROCESS WHERE MEAT OR FISH

IS DRY-CURED WITH COARSE ‘CORNS’ OR PELLETS OF SALT.

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 Common ingredients in processing food by curing

1. Salt or sodium chloride (NACL) is the world’s oldest food preservative. Salt
has several qualities which makes it a staple ingredient in food processing:
-enhances flavor;
-improves texture;
-reduces water activity;
-causes microbial cells to undergo osmotic shock and lose water, resulting to
retardation of growth;
it causes electrolyte imbalance within microbial cell walls which cause bacterial
death.
However, salt as an ingredient must be monitored because too much salt in the
diet of consumers can lead to a number of health conditions including increased
blood pressure linked to cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney diseases,
osteoporosis, and stomach cancer.
2. Sugar is a carbohydrate primarily used in curing for its
characteristic flavor. Sugar can be added to:
counteract the harshness of salt;
provide energy for bacteria that changes nitrate into nitrite;
reduce water activity
3. Water is a tasteless and odorless liquid that dissolves
curing agents and acts as a dispersing agent for nitrites.
4. Curing agents – sodium or potassium nitrate and sodium
or potassium nitrite – gives meat products the unique and
distinctive properties of cured meat products
 A)Nitrites are responsible for cured meat color, flavor, flavor
protection, and bacterial inhibition.
B)nitrates are used for meat that undergo longer curing processes
such as dry sausage and dry-cured hams. Nitrate acts as a reservoir
of nitrite during the extended curing time.
C)Phosphates are the salts of phosphoric acid used in food
processing for its properties such as – emulsification, stabilization,
water retention.

5. Seasoning such as herbs and spices are added to enhance the flavor
of meat. Herbs come from leaves of plants meanwhile spices can come
from the root, stem, bark, seed, fruit, or flower of a plant. Herbs are
often consumed in their fresh form while spices are consumed in dried
form.
 A) herbs: parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary, thyme, dill, bay leaf
B) spices: pepper, cinnamon bark, turmeric, cumin, paprika, garlic powder,
anise
some herbs and spices have antioxidant and bacteriostatic properties.

6. Extenders are optional high-protein sources added to cured meat to reduce cost.
Examples:
soy protein isolate

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7. Food-grade colorants are added to cured meat to make it
more attractive and appealing. It compensates color loss due
to moisture and storage conditions. However, there are only a
few that are suitable for meat products.
Categories of food colorants
A. Colors derived from plants or animals
-Carotene from orange and yellow vegetables

-Beet red from beet plant

Carmine from cochineal insect

B. Colors derived from other natural sources

Caramel from sugar

Titanium white from titanium dioxide

 Tartrazine

• ponceau 4r • Red 2g
8. Other ingredients
ascorbic acid (vitamin C), erythorbic acid and their respective salts,
sodium ascorbate and sodium erythorbate, are especially useful in
improving and maintaining the color of processed meat. These
compounds have been shown to inhibit formation of nitrosamines in
cured meat.

A variety of compounds are added to fresh and dry sausage in

regulated amounts to combat oxidative rancidity the most common
of these antioxidants are BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT
(butylated hydroxytoluene) and propyl gallate.