CULINARY CURING. Under the US FDA model Food Code Dr. Brian A. Nummer, PhD. March 2015 Las Vegas safety.guru

Transcription

1 CULINARY CURING Under the US FDA model Food Code Dr. Brian A. Nummer, PhD. March 2015 Las Vegas safety.guru

2 CHARCUTERIE: MORE THAN JUST SAUSAGE

3 CULINARY curing Culinary curing is my definition of any meat (seafood) process that includes curing salts (nitrite) for the sole purpose of achieving a culinary goal and NOT a food safety goal Refrigerator bacon Sausage (fresh) Terrines Galantines (colors the forcemeat stuffing) Pâtés (develops pink duck pate, used for their antioxidant properties in pates as well) Confit (meats in fat with e.g. spices, curing salt, wine or cognac) Meat bloom Fish bloom (Tuna) Cured smoke cooked salmon (fish)

4 NITRITE IN MEATS Hydrogen ions and reductants for chemical reactions Meat pigments (red color) Salt effect Protein alterations / texture Antioxidant effect (limits lipolysis) Flavor precursors (enhances cooked meat flavors) ham flavor, umami flavor,

5 NITR I TE SAFETY? A >85 percent ADI (Ave. Daily Intake) nitrite comes from nitrate in green, leafy vegetables or root vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach and carrots, and some drinking water. ADI is 0.7 mg / kg body weight / day (160lb person = 50 mg) ADI recommendation for cured meats mg/ p / day (< 5% total expected) Nitrite is a prescription medicine for cardiovascular health

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8 TUNA BLOOM

9 SODIUM NITRITE LD 50 = mg / kg standard adult at 150 lbs (68 kg) 33 mg x 68 = 2.2 g = LD 50 ( g) Person must consume 2.2 g nitrite in one sitting to get to LD 50 Cure mix is 6.25 g nitrite / 100 g salt Must consume ~ 33 g / cure salt to get 2.2 g nitrite Cured meat portion ave. 226 g 33 g salt in 226 g portion is 14.6% salt Human salt preference is 1 2%. Above 3% is salty. Above 5 8% is inedible.

10 suggested CULINARY CURE STANDARD Guidance for culinary usage of cure mix No. 1 in meat or poultry Cure Mix No % nitrite in 93.75% NaCl Immersion (+12 gal water) Comminuted for 100 lbs meat or poultry Dry Rub Bacon Immersion (+12 gal water) Bacon Dry Rub 1 USDA Nitrite ppm critical limit Suggested Culinary Cure Standard ppm nitrite in cure mix no. 1. Pink Salt usage level ~ 2 oz (56 g) all methods 1 The nitrite critical limit comes from USDA 9 CFR 424. The cure No.1. mix in ounces by weight is only valid for cure mixes of 6.25% nitrite and 93.75% salt. 2 The target level is a suggested Cure Mix No. 1 usage based on the fact that culinary curing requirements are less rigorous than curing for preservation. Should an operator need to use more curing salt, then a variance would be required.

11 RESIDUAL NITRITE 156 ppm in NO 2 + H + HNO 2 2HNO 2 N 2 O 3 + H 2 O N 2 O 3 NO 2 + NO Ascorbic acid NO2 ( ) to NO Meat color reactant ~ 50ppm residual Anti clostridial

12 SOP 1 nitrite 75 ppm (56 g Cure 1 in/on 100 lbs meat with up to 12 gallons water) STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES SOP 2. Safe purchase and storage SOP 3. Safe use with training SOP 4. Nitrite residual annual verification (optional) List of all recipes that have nitrite in them

13 VEGSTABLE 504 Celery salt and sea salt (natural source of nitrate converted to nitrite) Has use instructions no discernable flavors until at upper limits except salt

14 SAFETY BEST PRACTICES Culinary curing is NOT considered a barrier for the purposes of vacuum packaging food safety (e.g. culinary cured VP meats safe at 41 F for 7 days not 30 with an ROP HACCP plan). Clean and sanitize processing area thoroughly Segregate seafood/fish processing area from other foods (always a good practice) Maintain a grinding log for sausage (track source of meat in recipe) Process meats, poultry and seafood quickly less than 1 hr removed from refrigeration is ideal Vegetable sources of nitrite and nitrate should not exceed USDA guidelines even though the source is natural.

15 QUALITY BEST PRACTICES Keep target food thin to permit cure penetration Filet fish removing skin that limits cure penetration if needed Add ascorbic acid first, then reapply cure if cure color disappears (sign that nitrite is exhausted and safe to add ppm more) Add sugar, salt, and spices freely as needed. There are no safety concerns. Smoke flavors may also be added freely direct or in brines Keep meat near frozen to grind better Develop and test all recipes before placing into commerce