Thawing and tempering of cartoned meat and meat cuts
1991
Pham, Q.T. | Lowry, P.D. | Fleming, A.K. | Willix, J. | Reid, C.M. (Meat Industry Research Institute of New Zealand, Hamilton (New Zealand))
The thawing and tempering of cartoned meat and meat cuts in air, water or with microwave energy were investigated. For air thawing, heating rates and microbial growth under various thawing regimes were measured and compared with calculated values. Thin or small products thawed much faster than thicker products, and could be subjected to higher temperatures without microbial risk. Multistep air thawing regimes are unlikely to lead to significant reductions in process times without deleterious effect on the product. Tempering is a much easier process to design than full thawing. For tempering, a two-step process (heating followed by equilibration) can save time. Water thawing was much faster than air thawing but caused a bleached product appearance. With blocks of trimmings, bubbling air through the water or standing the product on its side reduced the thawing time by causing the product to break up. Microwave power at 915 MHz can be used to temper lean meat in 160 mm thick blocks. The process is fast, clean and convenient but does not work well with fatty meat (below 80% lean) and the capital cost is high. Microwave is not recommended for full thawing
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