Non-meat ingredients
8. Sweeteners
– primarily for flavor but may have other functions also
a. sucrose (cane sugar)
– 100 on sweetness scale
– permitted at levels “sufficient for purpose”
– generally used at ~ 1 - 2%
– moderates saltiness flavor
– may contribute to microbial spoilage
– glucose + fructose --- with reducing groups utilized in linkage
therefore this is a non-reducing sugar
b. dextrose (corn sugar)
– 70 on sweetness scale
– permitted at “sufficient for purpose”
– reducing sugar
– free aldehyde/ketone group
– will reduce metals
– reacts with amino groups on proteins to give
browning during heating
– useful for grill products
– undesirable for bacon
– may be helpful for fresh sausage color
– common carbohydrate used for fermented
sausage to form lactic acid
bacterial
dextrose  lactic acid
starter culture
~ 100 degrees F
– final product pH is determined by amount of
dextrose used
dextrose
pH
6 oz./100lbs
5.2
8 oz.
4.9
16 oz.
4.6
24 oz.
4.4
– higher levels will begin to give sweetness because
fermentation is stopped by pH i.e. Lebanon Bologna
c. corn syrup/corn syrup solids
– mixture of carbohydrates resulting
from corn starch processing/hydrolysis
– variable in sweetness therefore limited
to 2%
– also variable in reducing sugar content
and D. E. (dextrose equivalent) is used to
indicate reducing sugar content --- most
are D.E. 20 - D.E. 70
– contribute significant water binding
– retain moisture, improve yields, improve
casing peelability for frankfurters
d. sorbitol
– 50 sweetness scale
– natural organic alcohol compound found in
berries and plants
– will not brown
– permitted at 2% only in cooked sausage franks and bologna --- and only if corn
syrups and/or corn syrup solids are not used
– most common use may be roller-grill franks
and sausage products—to prevent excessive
browning on the grill
e. fructose - 150 on sweetness scale
– high fructose corn syrup may be used if:
– DE = 93 or more,
– fructose is 40% or more of the solids
and, sweetness is = sucrose
f. Stevia sweeteners
- 400X as sweet as sucrose, 0
calories
-Rebaudioside A is a compound
derived from Stevia rebaudiana and
responsible for stevia’s sweet taste.
-Approved by FDA on Dec. 17, 2008
as GRAS, available as TRUVIA
Non-Meat Ingredients
Flavor modifiers / potentiators
a. monosodium glutamate (MSG)
– intensifies taste, has no flavor itself, sensitizes taste
buds
– considered to be “umami” – taste (not flavor)
– meat-like component which is the 5th basic component
that humans taste (sweet, sour, saltiness, bitterness,
umami), developed by Ajinomoto (now also promoting
“kokumi” taste (“richness) as another basic taste
component).
– permitted - “sufficient for purpose”
– most often used at 6 -8 oz/100 lbs (0.5%)
– frequently believed to be the source of
“Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”
– warm, tingling feeling, flushed face, etc.
– no scientific evidence
b. nucleotides
– 5' nucleotides
– very potent flavor “potentiators”
– effective at parts per billion levels
– disodium 5' inosinate  commercial forms
disodium 5' guanylate
– permitted at “sufficient for purpose”
– usual use at 1-2 oz/100 lbs
– highly effective/synergistic with salt (NaCl)
c. hydrolized proteins
– whey, yeast, plant proteins
– partially hydrolized proteins contribute meaty flavors
– valuable as water binders at the same time
Non-meat ingredients
10. Starter cultures
– strong flavor contributors with lactic acid “tanginess”,
“tartness”, “sourness”
– but also produce hydrolized fats, hydrolized proteins and
metabolic products like diacetyl, acetoin, etc. which are
flavor compounds
– must have slow release of acid --- otherwise proteins
become quickly denatured and the product will be
mushy and/or crumbly
– permitted use is 0.5% - most is water added to
disperse the starter culture
Traditional fermentations
1. add salt, hold for several days
– allow inherent lactic organisms to predominate --then ferment
problem….
this “wild” population sometimes included
heterofermentative lactics
– produce lactic acid and carbon dioxide
– causing gas pockets and blow-ups
– what is necessary is homofermentative organisms
– produce only lactic acid (no gas)
2. “back slopping”
– using a small amount of meat from successful
batches (before fermentation) to mix with fresh
meat
– serves to inoculate the fresh batch with
homofermetative organisms
However, the most dependable fermentations
come from starter cultures
– concentrated frozen or freeze dried preparation of
bacterial cells
– pure culture of one or sometimes a few selected
organisms
– typically in U.S.
Lactobacillus plantarum
Pediococcus cerevesiae
– Europeans sometimes use Streptococcus as does dairy
industry
– starters sometimes include Micrococcus (Kocuria),
Staphyloccoccus strains (non-pathogenic)
– does not produce lactic acid but are nitrate reducers
Starter is critical because:
– fermentation is typically done at 90 - 100oF and
95 - 99% relative humidity
– maximizes bacterial growth and can be dangerous
– Staphylococcus aureus is salt-tolerant, probably
present and produces a serious toxin
Staph is controlled by the lactic acid
– must have fast enough decline in pH to prevent
Staph growth
– degree-hours requirement
– must reach pH 5.3 in less than 1200 degree-hours if less
than 90oF, 1000 degree-hours if between 90 - 100oF and 900
degree-hours if over 100oF
– degree-hours is time at temperatures above 60oF
– some fermentations are done at 75 - 80oF (European-style)
and may take several days --- believed to result in a more
“complete” flavor
Chemical acidulation
– alternative to “biological” acidulation from
microorganisms
– lactic, citric acids encapsulated to be released
slowly as the product is heated
– glucono delta lactone slowly forms gluconic
acid in meat to simulate fermentation
Other considerations for fermented sausage
1. meat materials
– must be of good microbial quality and low TBA number
– a high level of free amines/contaminant bacteria may result in
histamines during fermentation
histidine  histamine
tyrosine  tyramine
– must also be free of excessive connective tissue
especially for drying because collagen will become tough
and hard
– Trichinae-free “certified pork”
2. fermentation
– correct temperature for culture
– adequate dextrose
– salt concentration
– over 3% will slow the starters growth
– degree-hours requirement for Staph
– 3. smoking / cooking / drying
– process must achieve equivalent of 5-log reduction of
E. coli O157:H7 and heat is most commonly used to
complete the requirement
Non-meat ingredients
11. Mold inhibitors
– dry sausage easily develops mold
– can be controlled by very careful drying
– dry fast enough to keep the surface too dry for mold but slow
enough to prevent case handling on the outside
– some dry sausage is characterized by a solid white mold cover
– compounds which inhibit mold
a. propyl parabens
– may use 3.5% solution to spray or dip casings
b. potassium sorbate
– 10% solutions for spray or dip
– also quite effective inhibitor of bacteria
i.e. Clostridium botulinum
Non-meat ingredients
12. Spices
– defined as “aromatic vegetative substances used for
seasoning food”
– dried plant products
– “true” spices --- plants of tropical origin
– generally - “herbs” --- dried leaves (mint, sage) and
“vegetables” (onion, garlic) are considered
separately
– no limits on use --- except mustard at 1%
Because spices are plant products:
– they are variable in intensity due to seasons and
environment
– are perishable
– spice flavor depends on volatile compounds which
are lost in time, at warm temperatures and if exposed
to light
– should not be kept longer than ~ 2 months and should be
refrigerated
– are highly contaminated with bacteria
– can be a serious spoilage cause
– pepper is frequently a bacterial problem
– most spices are treated to reduce bacteria
– ethylene oxide
– irradiation
Functions of spices in processed meats
1. flavor
2. color
ex. paprika - pepperoni
3. antioxidants
ex. rosemary
4. affect bacterial growth
– some are inhibitors
– some can stimulate bacterial growth
5. significant protein source
ex. mustard flour - common at 1% in franks and bologna
6. product identity
ex. Italian sausage must include anise or fennel, pepperoni - paprika
for color and pork sausage - typically pepper and sage
Spices may be used as
– natural spices
– whole
– cracked
– ground
– size is important to appearance and to flavor “release”
– small particles give faster quick flavor release
– designate size by “mesh”
= square holes per linear inch (screen) (50 mesh = 50 holes per inch)
ex. 26/50 mesh pepper
95% of particles pass through a 26 screen and
are retained on a 50 screen
– other terms for size by different spice suppliers
– frequent problem with natural spices is contaminating
materials
– i.e. sand, stems, hulls, etc. --- need to be addressed in purchasing
specifications
Spices are also available as
“soluble” spices or spice extracts
– most important quality is flavor
– due to essential oils
– volatile flavor compounds
– true flavor
– may be steam distilled, collected, condensed and used for
flavor
– 100 - 200 x more concentrated than natural spice
– also can extract spices with solvent (ethylene
dichloride), evaporate the solvent and use the
extract = oleoresins
– less concentrated than essential oils but still 50 - 100 x that of
natural spice
– can be used in dry form plated onto salt, sugar or dextrose but
this is more susceptible to oxidation and loss of flavor
– labeled “flavorings” rather than spices
Advantages of essential oils and oleoresins
– easily dispersed
– consistent flavor
– no bacterial contamination
--- but --– appearance (flicks of pepper/sage) and color
may be different