The microorganisms present determine to a great extent the quality of cured meat. Some of them may have unfavorable effects on the color and flavor, whereas others are known to have beneficial effects on these quality factors.
Yeasts, bacilli, and streptococci were found to be predominately present in a cover pickle which had been recently used for curing hams in a commercial meat packing plant. They were isolated and their characteristics studied. All three organisms rapidly reduced resazurin and litmus milk, but failed to reduce nitrates. They were salt-tolerant and grew best at about 21°C. The yeasts did not produce carbon dioxide when grown in lactose or glucose fermentation tubes.
The effect of these organisms on the rate of color development during curing of pork was studied. Ham from a freshly slaughtered hog was cut aseptically and ground. It was blended with a sterile curing solution and inoculated with each of the test organisms. It was then incubated at 60°F. for 24 hours and finally heated at 120°F. The color development throughout curing was studied with the Photovolt Spectrophotometer with a reflectance attachment. The pH, oxidation-reduction potentials, and plate counts were determined during curing at 60°F.
The results indicated that the organisms tested improved the color of cured meats by reducing the oxidation-reduction potential of the meat during curing. / Graduation date: 1955
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/26464 |
| Date | 27 December 1954 |
| Creators | Kalle, Gurudutt Pandurang |
| Contributors | Schultz, Harold W. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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