General information
The project was conceived with the aim of developing a preservative-free production process for bacon, guaranteeing the health safety and technological stability of the product.
Preservatives (nitrites and nitrates) affect not only preservation, but also the colour, stability and yield of the product.
From a health and hygiene point of view, preservatives act as antimicrobials and antiseptics, defending meat from the danger of botulism. Only a few delicatessen products (PDO raw ham with a long maturation period) do not use them, as they are obtained in a way that guarantees their safety and quality even in their absence.
An innovative project for the production of speck focused on the elimination of preservatives, obtained starting from a selection of the raw material combined with a careful revision of the formulation and optimisation of the processing parameters under the scientific guidance of SSICA - Stazione Sperimentale per l'Industria delle Conserve Alimentari di Parma.
Through the preparation of several replicas and continuous monitoring, parameters were delineated that partially met the quality standards required for the finished product, but partly overcame the sanitary problems associated with the removal of preservatives.
Despite the progress made, the full usability of the results in the short term is still limited by the achievement of operating conditions capable of standardising and stabilising the critical parameters, in order to obtain replicable results on an industrial scale, especially in the most delicate phases of the production process.
A number of other factors relating to the preservation and stability of the product once sliced have also emerged, which will have to be further investigated through new studies.
Overall, the research activity has enabled Bomè spa to develop technical and operational skills, paving the way for a completely new approach to the future production of preservative-free speck.
Goals
The health safety of cured meat products is guaranteed by the synergetic action of various obstacles (temperature, preservatives, aw, pH..) that act during the production process to inactivate or control the development of pathogenic microorganisms.
The elimination of even one of these obstacles leads to the need for a re-evaluation and redefinition of the individual production steps in order to maintain the requirements for a stable and safe product.
The aim of the project is to review the entire production process of Bomé, in order to put in place the right conditions to guarantee the safety and quality of a Clean label speck.
Start date
18/10/2021
End date
18/09/2024