1. Final Project Dissemination Meeting
Meat processing technologies
G. Parolari
SSICA- Italy
Brussels, 16 November 2015

2. At the origin of the Phytome project
The rationale
Being unaware of what could intrinsically harm in meat products, three issues were addressed:
Remove/reduce nitrite
Use plant extracts as sources of beneficial ingredients
Target broadly familiar meat products

3. Products: N. 6 meat items Class Items Dry sausage Southern style
Northern style
Cooked sausage
Bologna
Dried ham
Brine injection
Vacuum brine immersion
Cooked ham

4. Aims of adapted or newly developed technologies
Objectives
Aims of adapted or newly developed technologies
To meet expected sensory requirements
To address microbial safety
To be cost effective

5. Technologies in their developmental stages
Methodology
Technologies in their developmental stages
Tested at pilot plants (WP2)
Scaled up at processing factories (WP3)

6. Outcome
Results, by meat class

7. Dry sausage, Southern style
Control,
no Phyto,
80 ppm nitrite
150 ppm nitrate
Phytochemicals +
80 ppm nitrite
150 ppm nitrate
colour, acceptable
no nitrite/nitrate
large amounts of added polyphenols
no pathogens found
Phyto,
no nitrite
no nitrate
Red beet, curcumin
pale colour, even with natural colourants
large weight loss

8. Dry sausage, Northern style
Control,
no Phyto,
150 ppm nitrite
Phyto +
150 ppm nitrite
colour, pale
large amounts of added polyphenols
no pathogens found
colour, red and stable
Phyto +
25 ppm nitrite,
Carmine
nitrite-free option unfeasible (colour)
carmine needed for colour (200 ppm)

9. Hints for manufacturing
Dry sausages
Hints for manufacturing
Red colour in nitrite-free sausages forms by synthesis of Zn-protoporphyrin. Avoid myoglobin oxydation allowing an adequate cold resting phase of the mince.
North dry sausages being ripened need nitrite to form NO-Mb. To get the most of added nitrite, prevent it from reacting with ascorbate in the salting mix.
Encourage meat protein extraction by adequate mixing

10. Cooked sausage colour unpleasant, brownish
Control,
no Phyto,
150 ppm nitrite
Phyto +
150 ppm nitrite
colour unpleasant, brownish
large amounts of added polyphenols
no pathogens found
colour acceptable
Phyto +
ppm nitrite,
carmine, curcumin
nitrite-free option unfeasible (colour)
carmine (100 ppm) and curcumin (10ppm) needed

11. Hints for manufacturing
Cooked sausages
Hints for manufacturing
In order to pursue the nitrite-free option, try specified carmine-curcumin ratios in a colour optimization study

12. Plant extracts added in minced meat products
Dried sausage,
South
North
Cooked sausage
Resveratrol from Polygonum (95%)
0.051
0.05
0.10
Quercetin from Sophora (95%)
0.25
0.50
EGCG from green tea (70%)
White grape (95%)
0.65
Aquarox (15%)
Origanox (30%)
0.20
Ascorbic acid from Acerola (20%)
1Amounts in grams per kg of meat
Addition resulted in a final content of 2 grams polyphenols/kg meat

13. Dried ham, brine injection
Control,
no Phyto,
150 ppm nitrite
Phyto +
150 ppm nitrite
no pathogens found
Phyto +
75 ppm nitrite
at least 75 ppm nitrite needed (colour)
low polyphenol uptake (<0.4 g/kg meat)
foreign plant aftertaste

14. Hints for manufacturing
Dried ham, brine injection
Hints for manufacturing
Try multi-needle injection, to prevent polyphenol spot precipitation (‘clotting’)
Try more soluble, polyphenol-rich, plant extracts

15. Dried ham, brine impregnation
Control,
no Phyto,
150 ppm nitrate
Phyto +
75 ppm nitrite
75 ppm nitrate
no nitrite/nitrate
no pathogens found
large polyphenol uptake (>1 g/kg)
Phyto,
no nitrite,
no nitrate
colour less red, pale
foreign plant aftertaste
uneven or inconsistent polyphenol uptake

16. Hints for manufacturing
Dried ham, brine impregnation
Hints for manufacturing
In the nitrite-free option, target a final polyphenol content of <1 g/kg to contrast plant aftertastes
Use standardized meat cuts (similar weight, fat-to-lean ratio) to avoid inconsistent polyphenol absorption
Prolong the cold resting stage to stabilize Zn-protoporphyrin

17. Cooked ham no pathogens found nitrite-free option unfeasible (colour)
Control,
no Phyto,
100 ppm nitrite
Phyto +
100 ppm nitrite
no pathogens found
Phyto +
25 ppm nitrite,
Red beet
nitrite-free option unfeasible (colour)
red beet needed (colour)
low overall polyphenol content (<0.5 g/kg)
uneven colour

18. Additional features of ‘Phytome’ meats
Polyphenols
Upsides
Stable throughout the product’s shelf life
Large contents (>2 g/kg) in minced meats
Broad range of polyphenol classes
Downsides
Poor solubility in brine/muscle
Plant taste, with large plant extract addition
Spot discoloration in whole cuts
Low polyphenol content with brine injection

19. Additional features of ‘Phytome’ meats
Nitrite
Elimination
Affordable only in selected dry sausages and dry hams
Reduction
Generally possible, provided that colourants are used

20. Additional features of ‘Phytome’ meats
The safety issue
No pathogenic bacteria found in finished products, regardless of nitrite and polyphenol addition.

21. Additional features of ‘Phytome’ meats
About technologies
No major changes from currently used processing methods
Guidelines given to manufacturers for selection and addition of plant extracts
Plant extracts easily available on market

22. Conclusion What’s left to do
Refine formulations proving effective in toxicological studies
Improve key properties (sensory, cost management, etc.)
Validate each manufacturing technique by microbial testing against relevant microorganisms
Investigate new ways to incorporate plant extracts in whole cuts, using extracts high in polyphenols

23. Dried hams, no additives, impregnated
Ongoing trials are promising
Dried hams, no additives, impregnated
Former recipe
Polygonum, Sophora, Green tea, White grape, Aquarox, Origanox, Acerola
Refined recipe
Polygonum, Sophora, Green tea