BE1021260B1 - CLEAN LABEL SALAMI - Google Patents

Abstract

CLEAN LABEL SALAMI. The invention includes a salami product that is free from unnatural adjuvants or additives such as flavor enhancers, colorants, anti-oxidants, etc., and yet has an acceptable taste, color, and shelf life and meets the requirements of food safety.

Description

CLEAN LABEL SALAMI

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a salami product that is free from gluten and other added products containing allergens such as preservatives and colorants, etc., as well as the process to produce such a salami.

TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Salami is a fermented product, to which a number of auxiliaries are traditionally added with the intention of obtaining acceptable red color and maintaining it during the life of the product, and also to extend the shelf life. Artificial flavorings are also often added.

Typically antioxidants are added to a salami such as, for example, ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Non-natural colorants are also often used. Salt is usually added in the form of nitrite salt, as this promotes both taste and shelf life. However, nitrite is very harmful to health and its use must be limited as much as possible. Optionally, phosphates are also added to emulsify the water with the meat protein, which is also not desirable. Flavor enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (MSG, E621) are sometimes used, but these are increasingly seen as harmful to health. In addition to nitrite salt, (synthetic) nitrate is sometimes added to pathological bacteria such as Clostridium spp. to fight. This is also not desirable, since nitrate in the body can be converted into harmful nitrite or into carcinogenic nitrosamines.

Although the use of such excipients in limited quantities is permitted in the food industry, it is desirable to produce a salami that has an acceptable color, taste, and shelf life without adding these harmful excipients. The invention described herein meets this requirement.

SUMMARY

The invention comprises in a first aspect a salami or a salami product that is free from non-natural excipients. It is therefore a so-called "clean-label" salami, to which no "non-natural" antioxidants, flavors, colors, or preservatives have been added.

After thorough research, the usual additives could be replaced by a number of natural extracts and aromas, which in combination with an adapted fermentation process lead to a salami that meets all qualitative requirements with regard to taste and color stability and storage time, as well as all requirements on food safety.

The invention also encompasses in a second aspect a process for preparing a clean-label salami comprising the following steps: a) Making salamid dough by reducing the frozen pork and / or beef and pork fat and adding to this mixture the herbs and add natural extracts, aromas and necessary ferments as shown in aspect 1 and mix and reduce the whole to the desired grain; b) Filling the salamid harrow at a temperature between -6 and -3 ° C in strings or intestines. c) Optional smoking of the salami in a smoke chimney, at a temperature of around 15 ° C to 23 ° C. d) Ripening the salami in a ripening room at: d1) a temperature between 20 and 25 ° C and a relative humidity between 90 and 95%, for a period of 1 to 3 days; d2) a T that is between 20 and 25 ° C, and RV that is between 80-85%, combined with ventilation for 1 to 2 days; d3) a T that is between 16-18 ° C and an RV that is between 75-80% for 1 to 2 days; d4) a T that is between 10 and 14 ° C and an RV that is between 70-75% to the desired drying-in; and e) Packing the salami after desired drying.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used further in this text, the singular forms "one," "the," "the," include both the singular and the plural unless the context is clearly different.

The terms "include", and "include" as used further, are synonymous with "inclusive," include "or" contain, and "contain" and are open and in other words do not include additional, unnamed members, elements or method steps from.

The enumeration of numerical values based on numerical ranges includes all values and fractions in these ranges, as well as the cited endpoints.

The term "about", as used when referring to a measurable value such as a parameter, a quantity, a duration, and so on, is intended to encompass variations of +/- 10% or less, preferably +/- 5% or less, more preferably +/- 1% or less, and even more preferably +/- 0.1% or less, from and from the specified value, insofar as the variations apply to function in the disclosed invention . It is to be understood that the value to which the term "approximately" refers per se has also been disclosed.

All documents quoted in the current specification are fully incorporated herein by reference.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms disclosed in the invention, including technical and scientific terms, have the meaning that those skilled in the art usually understand. As a further guide, definitions are included for further explanation of terms used in the description of the invention.

A typical composition for a salami of about 60-80 kg of meat (can be a combination of beef and pork) and about 20-40 kg of band fat (back fat) of the pig contains excipients and additives as shown in Table 1. The 3rd column of the table shows the alternatives used in the salami according to the present invention.

In the salami according to the present invention, all the above auxiliary substances are omitted and replaced by natural ingredients.

The nitrite salt is, for example, replaced by sea salt without anti-caking agent.

The milk protein is replaced by a vegetable protein such as, for example, pea protein.

As a colorant, for example, replacing beet red (E162) and Cochenille (E120), a natural colorant based on grapes and / or berries is used in the salami according to the present invention. An example of the colorant is the product available under the commercial name CURRANT 8 LIQUID from ALAVI Koksijde Belgium, which contains water and natural aroma as ingredients. This commercial product has a target dosage of 2-4 g / kg of end product. The main ingredient of Current Liquid 8 is Red Current (= trade name) and is a concentrate derived from the following grapes or berries: Hibiscus Saddarifa, Black Carrot, Peach. The dye is obtained by thickening the pressed juice of the berries and fruits. The 3 different ingredients are then spray dried. Finally, the 3 powders are mixed. The whole is then dissolved in water.

To replace the antioxidants such as sodium ascorbate (E301) and acsorbic acid (E300), a natural herbal extract rich in vitamin C, obtained from Acerola, is used in the salami according to the present invention. The Acerola (Malpighia emarginata, synonyms: Malpighia punicifolia, Malpighia glabra), West Indian cherry or Barbados cherry is a plant from the Malpighiaceae family, whose fruit extract is very rich in vitamin C. An example of such a herbal extract is the product available under the commercial name ACEROLA BIO from ALAVI Koksijde Belgium, which contains a natural aroma of Acerola as ingredients. It is a (gold) yellow hygroscopic powder that is given 2-5 g / kg of meat as a target dose.

In addition, a specific combination of ferments is used that have been chosen so that they can use and convert the natural aromas and / or extracts super efficiently.

The term "modified ferments" means ferments that have been specially selected to make the salami composition into a fermented product, in which the taste and color requirements, protein gelling and food safety of a traditional salami are met. Examples of ferments that can be used are lactic acid bacteria selected from the following genera: Staphylococcus spp., Kocuria spp., Streptococcus spp., Lactobacillus spp., Lactococcus spp., Leuconostoc spp., And Bifidobacterium spp. Kocunia varians, and Lactobacillus sakei.

The term "vegetable protein" means a protein source derived from plant material. Examples are: protein preparations from legumes such as peas and beans, or from, lentils, nuts, rice, etc. In a preferred embodiment of the salami according to the invention, the protein comes from pea.

A typical production scheme for the clean label salami according to the present invention is described below: 1. Making dough:

Salami is typically made in a frozen state and only reduced and traded during production.

The frozen meat and fat is weighed and reduced completely. All herbs and additives are added to this mixture and the whole is mixed. In addition, possibly also proteins and ferments are added. Then fat is added and after mixing brought to the desired grain (fineness). This mixture is called the salami dough. 2. Filling:

The dough is filled in strings or intestines at a temperature between -6 and -3 ° C. 2b. Optional smoking:

Optionally, the salami is smoked in a smoke chimney, at a temperature of around 15 ° C to 23 ° C. 3. Maturation: 3a. Thereafter, the maturation takes place in a ripening chamber at a temperature (T) that is between approximately 20 ° C and approximately 28 ° C and a relative humidity (RH) that is between approximately 90 and approximately 95%, for a period of 1 to 3 days , depending on the thickness of the salami, until the salami is "learned", in other words fixed or can be cut). 3b. The T is then set between approximately 20 ° C and approximately 25 ° C, but the RH drops to around 80-85% and the wind circulation is increased for a few days (depending on the thickness of the salami), typical for 1 to 2 , up to 3 to 4 days; 3c. Then the T goes to about 16-18 ° C and the RH to about 75-80% for a few days, typically for 1 to 2, to 3 to 4 days; 3d. Then the T goes to 10-14 ° C, preferably about 12 ° C and the RH to about 70-75% during the desired drying (they call this the after-drying). 4. Packing:

After desired drying, the salamis can be packed.

The term "grain" or "fineness" of the salami as used herein refers to the fineness or coarseness of the salami structure and is dependent on the type of salami that is intended. The finer the desired grain in the end product, the finer the dough must be reduced and vice versa. This can be done by means of a meat grinder, or cutter, or a combination thereof.

The term "desired drying-in" of the salami as used herein refers to the percentage of moisture that is still present in the end product and also depends on the type of salami. Stronger drying is achieved by a longer after-drying, and vice versa. The water present in the end product is called the water activity (Aw) and is between 0.88 and 0.94 for a typical Belgian salami. For a Pur-Porc or an Italian, coarse type of salami, an Aw value is between 0.80 and 0.88. For a heavily dried French or Italian salami, an Aw value is between 0.65 and 0.75.

The term "wind circulation is increased" refers to an increase in the ventilation in the maturing chamber or drying chamber. This can be done by the controlled blow-in of air with the desired humidity level. The exact conditions are very much dependent on the thickness of the salami. A thinner salami will typically require less circulation to achieve the desired boost, while a thicker salami will require more circulation. Drying is done, for example, in a drying room or drying cell. Depending on the size, one or more carts or racks in which the salami is hung can be placed in such a cell. The humidity is extracted from the circulating air by, for example, a heat / cold exchanger. Warm humid air is transported from the drying chamber to a cooling element, where the humidity is removed from the air and discharged as a requirement. This cold dry air is heated via a heating element and blown back into the drying room. Alternatively, the humidity can be extracted from the air via a heated lava rock (> 100 ° C), which absorbs the moisture from the air like a sponge. The water is collected when the stone is cooled. The drying chamber in which the lava rock is located is then cooled again by, for example, a compressor.

Claims (10)

CONCLUSIONS 1. Clean label salami containing at least the following ingredients: beef and / or pork, pork fat, sea salt, vegetable protein, sugar, spice mix, ferment, natural aroma based on an acerola extract and natural color based on grapes and / or berries. The clean label salami of claim 1, wherein the acerola extract is a hygroscopic powder of the fruit of the Acerola (Malpighia emarginata). The clean label salami from claim 1 or 2, wherein the extract of the grapes and / or berries is obtained from the following species: Hibiscus saddarifa, Black carot and Peach. The clean-label salami from any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ferment consists of lactic acid bacteria. The clean label salami from any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lactic acid bacteria are selected from the following genera: Staphylococcus spp., Kocuria spp., Streptococcus spp., Lactobacillus spp., Lactococcus spp., Leuconostoc spp. , and Bifidobacterium spp .. The clean-label salami from any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sugars are selected from dextrose, lactose or maltodextrin. The clean-label salami from any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plant protein is pea protein. The clean-label salami from any of claims 1 to 7, comprising at least the following ingredients: about 60-80 kg of beef and / or pork about 20-40 kg of pork band fat 25-30g / kg of sea salt 5-15 g / kg pea protein 2-5 g / kg Acerola herbal extract rich in Vitamin C 4 - 8 g / kg sugars, preferably selected from dextrose, lactose or maltodextrin 2-5 g / kg extract based on grape peel 3 to 6 g / kg spice mix Lactic acid bacteria adapted to the composition of the salami. A process for preparing salami without non-natural additives, which comprises the following steps: a) Making salamid dough by reducing the mixture with composition from any of claims 1 to 7 in frozen condition to the desired grain; b) Filling the salami harrow at a temperature between approximately -6 and -3 ° C in strings or intestines. c) Optional smoking of the salami in a smoke chimney, at a temperature of around 15 ° C to 23 ° C. d) Ripening the salami in a ripening room at: d1) a temperature between approximately 20 ° C and 28 ° C and a relative humidity between approximately 90 and 95% for a period of 1 to 3 days; d2) a T that is between approximately 20 ° C and 25 ° C, and RV that is between approximately 80-85%, combined with ventilation for 1 to 2 days; d3) a T that is between approximately 16-18 ° C and an RV that is between approximately 75-80% for 1 to 2 days; d4) a T that is between approximately 10 and 14 ° C and an RV that is between 70-75% during the desired drying; and e) Packing the salami after desired drying. 10. A clean label salami obtained through the preparation process of claim 9.