How to choose meat products. Requirements and factors that shape the quality of meat

Meat- a carcass or part of a carcass obtained from the slaughter of livestock, representing a collection of tissues - muscle, connective (loose and dense), fat, and bone (or without it).

Slaughter animals include: cattle, pigs, small cattle, horses, buffaloes, camels, reindeer, yaks. Poultry meat occupies a significant share in the total volume of meat production. The meat of other domestic and wild animals is sold: rabbits, wild boars, wild ungulates, bears, wild reindeer, as well as game birds. Frog legs are imported from European countries.

Meat belongs to the sources of protein of the first class, i.e., containing all the essential amino acids in significant quantities and with a ratio that is favorable for the needs of the body. According to the amino acid composition of proteins, the muscle tissue of various types of meat differs little.

At the same time, rabbit meat, for example, in terms of the content of essential amino acids: lysine, tryptophan, threonine, is superior to beef muscle tissue.

The biological value of meat proteins, determined by biological methods (based on the assessment of the growth rate of experimental animals), is very high. It is significantly higher than the biological value of milk casein, taken as a standard.

In terms of the rate of digestion by proteolytic enzymes, meats take the second place (after fish and dairy).

The main ones, the source of which is meat, are in muscle tissue. These are B vitamins. Thiamine (vitamin B 1) is found in various types of meat in an amount of 0.1-0.2 mg /%. Low-fat pork in terms of the content of this vitamin occupies one of the first places among all food products (0.6-0.8 mg%). However, meat and meat products are not the main source of thiamine for humans. During heat treatment of meat, 25-30% of this vitamin is lost. Losses are especially great in the production of canned food.

Relatively high content of niacin (vitamin PP) in meat (4.8 mg/%). This vitamin in the human body can be synthesized from tryptophan, an essential amino acid that is found in sufficient quantities in meat. Meat and other products of animal origin, along with grain flour products, are a source of vitamin PP for humans.

Pyridoxine (vitamin B 6) is found in meat in a significant amount and, along with grain flour products, fish, is a source of this vitamin for humans.

Meat products (together with fish) are the main source of vitamin B 12 (cyanocobalamin) for humans. It is not found in plant products, and it is low in milk. The content of this vitamin in the liver and kidneys is very high. Meat contains significant amounts of pantothenic acid, biotin, and choline.

The muscle tissue of meat contains an average of 1.1% of minerals. Meat is relatively low in macronutrients such as calcium and magnesium and relatively high in phosphorus. The ratio of calcium and phosphorus is 1:18, which is far from optimal (1:1.5). The potassium content in meat is on average 250-350 mg%. Despite the relatively high content of potassium in meat, it is not the main source of this important macronutrient, since, for example, in potatoes, legumes, the potassium content is much higher.

Meat and meat products are the main source of iron for humans. The heme iron of meat products is well absorbed, which makes it advisable to use meat and meat products for anemia. Meat is the main source of the trace element zinc, the deficiency of which delays growth and sexual development in children.

The content of polyunsaturated fatty acids with high biological activity (linoleic and arachidonic) in beef and mutton fat is relatively low - 3-5% of all fatty acids, in pork - 4-13%, rabbit and horse - 18-25%. Beef fat contains vitamin A and b-carotene, pork fat contains 10 times less vitamin A, and pork and mutton fat practically do not contain carotene, which has antioxidant properties. This explains the lower storage stability of frozen lamb compared to beef. All animal fats are low in vitamin E compared to vegetable fats. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, so vegetable fats are more resistant to oxidative damage than animal fats.

The melting temperature of meat fat depends on the fatty acid composition and is for the outside: mutton - 44-55 ° C, beef - 40-52 ° C, pork - 33-46 ° C, rabbit and horse on average 22 ° C.

Cholesterol in the adipose tissue of meat and in meat as a whole is contained in a relatively small amount. A high cholesterol content is noted in offal (brains - 2%, liver and kidneys - 0.3%). Meat can be attributed to the sources of phospholipids. A high content of phospholipids was found in certain types of poultry, rabbit meat, offal, especially poultry.

The nutritional value of different types of meat is largely due to the ratio of its constituent tissues (muscle, connective: loose and dense, fatty, bone). The composition of tissues also differs depending on the type of meat.

In terms of vitamin content, beef and lamb differ little, in pork there is 6-8 times more vitamin B 1, less vitamin B 12. Rabbit meat has a high content of vitamin B 12 (1.5 times higher than in beef). The content of iron is higher in camel meat, rabbit meat, veal, and beef. Lamb contains on average 1.5 times less purine substances compared to beef and pork and can be used in clinical nutrition.

The ratio of tissues in the main types of meat. Fabric characteristics

The approximate relative content of tissues in various types of meat is presented in Table. 16.

Muscle. The muscle tissue of meat, which forms the basis of muscles, is the most valuable. It contains almost all the complete meat proteins. Muscle tissue contains about 70% water, 18-20% proteins, 1.5-2.5% extractives (nitrogenous and nitrogen-free), 1.1% minerals.

Extractive substances stimulate gastric secretion, have a stimulating effect on the central nervous system. Among them are purine bases, undesirable in some diseases. Extractive substances are involved in the formation of flavor and aroma properties of meat dishes.

Table 16

The ratio of tissues in different types of meat
(% to the weight of the butchered carcass)

Connective tissue meat forms ligaments, tendons, sheaths of bundles of fibers and muscles (dense) or is located between muscles, organs (loose). Connective tissue increases the rigidity of the meat. The basis of connective tissue is defective proteins collagen and elastin.

Raw meat collagen is difficult to attack by digestive enzymes. During heat treatment, it undergoes welding, while losing mechanical strength and better absorbed. With prolonged heating in the presence of water, collagen turns into gelatin, soluble in warm and hot water. When cooled, the gelatin solution forms a gel (jelly). The resistance of collagen to hydrothermal degradation depends on the type of meat, the age of the animal, the part of the carcass and the degree of mincing of the meat. Elastin does not change during the heat treatment of meat, its nutritional value is 0. Although the biological value of collagen is low, it is cooked, as well as gelatin, which have many useful properties: they actively affect digestion, stimulate intestinal motility, and promote wound healing; recommended in the nutrition of patients with hypertension and with internal hemorrhages.

After the slaughter of an animal, the properties of tissues, especially muscle and connective tissue, change, which affects its nutritional value and technological properties. Changes under the influence of tissue's own enzymes are called autolytic.

The change in the properties of meat can be traced on the example of beef stored at 0°C. The first 2-3 hours after slaughter, the temperature of the meat is in the range of 36-38°C. During this period, the meat is called steam and it has the following properties: the muscles are relaxed, the moisture-binding ability and tenderness are the highest. When cooking meat, the broth is cloudy, non-aromatic.

5-6 hours after slaughter, the first signs of rigor mortis begin to appear in the muscles of the neck, which become tense and hard. After 12-24 hours, complete stiffness occurs and it lasts up to 2-3 days if the meat is obtained from a healthy, well-fed animal. Meat at this stage of autolytic changes is characterized by the following indicators: the highest rigidity, both in raw and thermally processed meat; moisture-binding ability is low - when cutting such meat, meat juice can be released; meat proteins are difficult to digest by digestive enzymes; broth when cooking meat is transparent, non-aromatic.

After 2-3 days after slaughter, rigor mortis resolves, the muscles relax, and the stiffness of the meat decreases sharply. With further storage of meat up to 7-12 days, there is a gradual increase in tenderness and an increase in the moisture-binding ability of meat, an improvement in the taste and aromatic properties of meat dishes - the meat passes into a ripened state.

Classification of meat of slaughtered animals. Cutting carcasses for retail

The nutritional value, technological properties, commercial quality of meat depend on the type of animal, its breed, sex, age, fatness, pre-slaughter condition, origin - the anatomical part of the carcass, thermal condition, etc. The main types of meat are cattle meat (beef), pork, lamb.

Cattle meat subdivided according to the age of the animals into: veal (from 14 days to 3 months GOST 16867-71 "Meat-veal in carcasses and half carcasses"); beef from young animals (from 3 months to 3 years) and beef from adult animals older than 3 years (GOST 779-55 "Meat and beef in half carcasses and quarters. Specifications"). The meat of adult animals is divided by sex: beef from cows and oxen and beef from bulls (uncastrated males). Beef fatness is divided into two categories. Fatness is determined by the degree of development of muscle tissue (protrusion of bones) and the presence of body fat. Veal according to fatness is divided into two categories: the first (milk) and the second. Veal of the first category is obtained from dairy calves who did not receive additional feeding (drinking milk).

beef from young animals in half-carcasses and quarters from the meat of adult animals can be distinguished by the following features: the fat of young animals is white, in adult animals from yellowish to yellow; muscle granularity in adult animals becomes distinct; the color of muscle tissue is darker. More precisely, the age of the animal in the carcass is determined by the degree of ossification of the cartilage in it on the spinous processes of the thoracic vertebrae, scapular cartilage, cartilaginous layers between the segments of the thoracic and sacral bones.

Meat that has fatness indicators below the requirements for the 2nd category of fatness is lean.

Beef is released for sale in the form of longitudinal carcasses or quarters, without tenderloin (internal lumbar-iliac muscles). The division of the half-carcass into quarters is carried out between the 11th and 12th ribs. The mass of a half carcass from young animals must be at least 100 kg. For retail trade, beef is cut into separate cuts according to the schemes shown in fig. 12. Cuts are subdivided into grades I, II, III.

Rice. 12. Scheme for cutting beef for retail:

Grade I: 1 - hip; 2 - lumbar; 3 - dorsal; 4 - scapular (shoulder blade, shoulder edge); 5 - shoulder (shoulder part and part of the forearm); 6 - chest;

II grade: 7 - cervical; 8 - flank;

Grade III: 9 - cut; 10 - front shank; 11 - back shank.

Pork has distinctive features: the muscles are light pink, fine granularity, marbling is pronounced. In raw meat, the smell of decomposing urine is present only in boars; when cooked, it is more pronounced. Boar fat also has a specific unpleasant odor, which is enhanced by heat treatment.

Pork (GOST 7724-77 "Meat. Pork in carcasses and half carcasses. Specifications") according to the age of the animals is divided into meat of piglets, gilts, meat of adult animals. According to the sex of animals, pork is divided into meat from pigs and hogs and meat from boars (uncastrated males with a live weight of more than 20 kg). Pork is divided into five categories (mainly according to the mass of carcasses in a paired state and the thickness of the fat above the spinous processes between the 6th and 7th dorsal vertebrae).

Categories of pork: the first (bacon), the second (young meat), the third (fatty), the fourth (industrial processing), the fifth (meat of pigs). Bacon pork is obtained by special fattening of bacon pig breeds. Carcass weight from 53 to 72 kg in the skin, fat thickness from 1.5 to 3.5 cm. There are strict requirements for the development of muscle tissue, the condition of the skin and some other indicators. Bacon pork is the best raw material for delicacy salted and smoked products. In the second category, the thickness of the fat is from 1.5 to 4 cm. This meat is from young animals: the weight of the carcass in the skin is from 39 to 98 kg, without the skin - from 34 to 90 kg inclusive. Carcasses of the fatty (third) category have an unlimited mass, the thickness of the fat is from 4.1 cm or more. The mass of carcasses of pigs of the fourth category is over 90 kg without skin and over 98 kg in the skin, the thickness of the fat is from 1.5 to 4 cm. Pork of the fourth category is not sold in retail trade, it is used for industrial processing, as the meat is more rigid The meat of dairy pigs has a mass of carcasses from 3 to 6 kg in the skin with a head and legs (without internal organs). There are strict requirements for the skin.

Pork is produced in the form of longitudinal half-carcasses. Without division into half carcasses, it is allowed to produce pork with a carcass weight in the skin - less than 39 kg and without the skin - less than 34 kg. Pork of the fifth category is produced in whole carcasses, with a head and legs, without internal organs.

The scheme for cutting pork for retail is shown in fig. 13. Cuts are divided into grades I and II.

Rice. 13. Scheme for cutting pork for retail:

I grade: 1 - scapular part, 2 - dorsal part (loin), 3 - brisket, 4 - lumbar part with flank, 5 - ham;

Grade II: 6 - forearm (knuckle), 7 - shank.

Lamb and goat meat(GOST 1935-55 "Lamb and goat meat in carcasses") is divided into two categories according to fatness. Fatness is determined by the degree of development of muscle tissue and subcutaneous fat. By sex and age, the meat of small ruminants is not subdivided. But in practice, lamb is isolated (from animals aged from 14 days to three months).

Lamb and goat meat are released for sale in whole carcasses with tails (with the exception of fat-tailed sheep) and separated legs.

Lamb and goat carcasses are released for sale with the presence of kidneys and perirenal fat. It is allowed to release carcasses for sale without tails, kidneys and perirenal fat.

The scheme for cutting mutton and goat meat for retail is shown in fig. 14. Cuts are divided into grades I and II.

Rice. 14. Lamb cutting scheme for retail trade:

Grade I: 1 - hip, 2 - lumbar, 3 - scapular-dorsal (including brisket
and neck);

Grade II: 4 - notch, 5 - forearm, 6 - upper shank.

According to the thermal state, meat of all types is divided into chilled, subjected to cooling to a temperature in the thickness of the muscles from 0 to plus 4 ° C; frozen, subjected to freezing to a temperature in the thickness of the muscles not higher than minus 8 ° C; cooled - chilled after cutting carcasses to a temperature not higher than plus 12 ° C (for rabbits not higher than plus 25 ° C). Beef and pork are produced in a frozen state - after freezing, the temperature in the thigh at a depth of 1 cm is minus 3 - minus 5 ° C, and in the thickness of the thigh muscles 0 - plus 2 ° C. During storage, the temperature throughout the volume of the half carcass should be minus 2 - minus 3 ° C.

It does not enter the sale, but is used for industrial processing for food purposes: meat of uncastrated males (bulls, boars, stallions, etc.); lean meat (having a fatness index below the requirements of the standards), frostbitten and frozen more than once.

meat quality requirements

Processing performance requirements. Remains of internal organs, bruises, blood clots, fringes, bruises, dirt are not allowed on carcasses, half carcasses, quarters of meat, as well as in meat frozen in blocks, released for sale, industrial processing and storage. Pork in the skin should not have bristle residue. Ice and snow are not allowed on frozen and sub-frozen meat.

The meat should be well bled. Poorly bled meat has a dark color; during test cooking, a cloudy broth is obtained with an abundance of small brown flakes, which then form a precipitate. Poorly bled meat that has been stored frozen for a long time during test cooking gives a cloudy broth of a dark gray color. Poorly bled meat quickly undergoes microbial spoilage, since blood is a favorable environment for the development of microorganisms.

Meat that has been frozen more than once has a darkened surface color, as well as a change in the color of the connective and adipose tissue due to the meat juice flowing out. The cut surface of re-frozen meat is dark red, while that of once frozen meat is pinkish red. When a finger or a warm knife touches this surface, re-frozen meat does not noticeably change color, and frozen once, a spot of bright red color appears at the point of contact.

A significant part of imported meat comes in the form of boneless cuts packed in plastic film and cardboard boxes. In such meat and meat frozen in blocks, additional signs of repeated freezing are: the presence of frost on the surface of the meat under the polymer film and frozen meat juice on the underside of the cut or block.

For sale in trade and public catering, deformed carcasses and half carcasses of pork, pork of the fourth category with yellowed bacon, gilts without skins are not allowed.

Meat with trimmings and breakdowns of subcutaneous fat exceeding 15% of the surface of a beef half carcass or quarter, 10% of the surface of a lamb carcass is sent for industrial processing and public catering. Pork with trimmings from bruises and bruises exceeding 10% of the surface or with breakdowns of subcutaneous fat on an area of ​​​​more than 15% of the surface of a half carcass or quarter has the same direction of use.

For industrial processing and public catering, meat is sent in half carcasses with an incorrect division along the spine (with the whole vertebral bodies left or crushed); beef and lamb fresh, but with darkening in the neck. The muscles of the neck are dark in color due to the increased content of myoglobin in the muscle tissue of the working muscles. In addition, when cattle are slaughtered, the capillaries of the neck are filled with blood, which is not removed during bleeding. When the pigments are oxidized, the muscles darken even more.

Requirements for the quality of meat in terms of freshness. In the post-slaughter period, autolytic, microbial and chemical processes can occur in the meat, which lead to a deterioration in the quality of the meat or its deterioration. In terms of freshness, meat is distinguished fresh, questionable freshness and stale. Fresh meat is sent for sale and used for industrial processing. Meat of dubious freshness is not accepted for sale in trade and public catering. By decision of the veterinary and sanitary service, it can be sent for industrial processing. Stale meat is destroyed or disposed of.

Meat of dubious freshness can be classified as meat with signs of mucus on the surface without foreign smell; with signs of mold at the initial stage (focal mold colonies); with a slightly sour smell or with a hint of mustiness. In the presence of these changes, other signs of quality deterioration are also detected. A detailed description of organoleptic indicators for fresh, questionable freshness and stale meat is presented in GOST.

Requirements for the quality of meat in terms of safety. For chilled and frozen meat of slaughter and wild animals, uniform standards for the content of toxic elements (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, copper, zinc) are established; antibiotics (except meat of wild animals); nitrosamines (the sum of nitrosdimethylamine and nitros-diethylamine); pesticides (hexachlorocyclohexane - a-, b-, g-isomers, DDT and its metabolites). The standards for the content of radionuclides (cesium-137 and strontium-90) differ for the fleshy tissues of meat, bones, as well as for the meat of agricultural and wild animals.

Assessment of the quality of any type of meat is also carried out according to microbiological indicators: QMAFAnM - the number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms; BGKP - bacteria of the Escherichia coli group. The presence of pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic, including salmonella, is revealed.

Storage and transportation of meat

When storing chilled meat, the main condition that determines its timing is to prevent the development of microorganisms in the meat, which, depending on various factors, can cause profound changes in the chemical composition, organoleptic properties, and microstructure of meat - various types of spoilage occur.

Due to the short shelf life of chilled meat, chemical processes (mainly transformations in pigments and lipids) do not lead to a significant decrease in its quality. The processes underlying the transformation of meat color are of great practical importance during its storage and sale, as well as when choosing a method for packaging meat and selecting modified gaseous media used during storage to extend its shelf life.

Evaporation of moisture from meat during cooling and subsequent storage leads to a loss in the mass of a valuable product. The norms of natural loss during cooling of beef of the first category are 1.16-1.65%. During its subsequent storage in half-carcasses and quarters, the shrinkage is also very significant and amounts to 0.58% (when stored in refrigerators for 3 days). When selling chilled beef in retail trade, the rate of natural loss is from 0.58 to 0.7%, depending on the climatic zone and the group of the retail enterprise. The actual shrinkage often exceeds the established norms.

Chilled meat is stored in industrial and commercial refrigerators in accordance with the requirements of the current technological instructions. The meat is stored suspended in chambers with moderate air movement (0.2-0.3 m/s). Half carcasses and quarters are placed on the overhead rails of storage chambers without contact between them. Relative air humidity 85-90%. Beef is stored at temperatures from 0 to minus 1.5 ° C - 10-16 days; lamb and goat meat - at a temperature of minus 1 ° C - up to 12 days; pork at a temperature from 0 to minus 2 ° C - 7-14 days; veal - at a temperature of 0 to 2 ° C - up to 12 days; horse meat at minus 1°C - up to 16 days; foal at 0°C - up to 12 days. Chilled rabbit meat is stored at a temperature of 0 to plus 2°C and a relative humidity of 80-85% for no more than 5 days. Frozen meat (all types) in refrigerators is stored in a stack or in a suspended state at minus 2°C and relative humidity of at least 90% for up to 20 days.

The shelf life of all types of chilled meat is set taking into account transportation. Depending on the general condition of the meat, the shelf life can be changed.

In stores, chilled meat in carcasses and half carcasses is stored suspended on hooks so that the carcasses do not come into contact with each other, with the walls and floor of the room.

Chilled meat with a one-way communication is transported by isothermal and refrigerated transport; for long-distance communication - by refrigerated transport (rail, road). The air temperature in the cargo space of refrigerated vehicles before loading should be plus 2-0°С; on the way from 0 to minus 3°С. Chilled meat is loaded into wagons and refrigerated trucks only by hanging on hooks. Carcasses, half carcasses and quarters must not come into contact with each other, with the floor and with the walls of the car. The suspension of half-carcasses must be carried out in such a way that their inner sides face the end walls of the car or refrigerated truck body. Hanging on hooks of half-carcasses or quarters of beef of a large mass is made in a checkerboard pattern.

During freezing and prolonged low-temperature storage of meat, the development of microorganisms is suppressed in it and biochemical, physical and chemical processes are slowed down. The death of some microorganisms occurs both during freezing and during further storage of frozen meat. It should be borne in mind that the activity of the enzymes of the dead microflora is preserved. The main process that causes a decrease in the quality of frozen meat during storage is lipid oxidation. As a result of chemical and biochemical processes, there is a loss of vitamins, coagulation changes in proteins, the formation of protein-lipid complexes, and the hydrolytic breakdown of proteins and fats. As a result, the nutritional value of meat decreases, organoleptic indicators and technological properties deteriorate. Physical processes have a negative impact on the quality of meat: recrystallization (change in the structure of ice) with temperature fluctuations and sublimation of ice. As a result of the sublimation of ice, there is a decrease in mass and a decrease in the quality of meat in the surface layer that is not covered with fat. This layer gradually becomes partially dehydrated, spongy, due to the sublimation of ice, with a large contact surface, which leads to a high activity of oxidative processes in it and a sharp decrease in quality. Packing meat in polymer films, including inexpensive polyethylene, can significantly reduce the sublimation of ice, provided that the film adheres tightly to the surface of the product. Most often, such packaging is used for meat and offal in blocks.

Meat frozen by a single-phase or two-phase method and stored for storage should have a temperature in the thickness of the thigh no higher than minus 8 ° C, and on the surface - close to the air temperature in the freezer.

The air temperature in the storage rooms for frozen meat should be no higher than minus 12°C (normally minus 18 and minus 20°C), and the relative humidity should be 95-98%. Air circulation is moderate (0.2-0.3m/s).

To maintain a high relative humidity of the air, it is recommended to cover the stacks of meat with fabrics with a layer of ice glaze applied or to shield the cooling devices of the storage chambers with ice screens, or to pour snow on the floor of the chamber under the stack and other measures.

Veterinary branding and commodity marking of meat

Meat and offal of all types of agricultural and wild animals are subject to mandatory branding with veterinary brands and stamps. Meat is allowed for acceptance only if there is a veterinary brand and a veterinary certificate (form 2). An oval-shaped veterinary stamp confirms that the veterinary and sanitary examination of meat and meat products has been carried out in full and the product is produced for food purposes without restrictions. The oval-shaped veterinary stamp has three pairs of numbers in the center: the first of them indicates the serial number of the republic within the Russian Federation, territory, region, cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg; the second is the serial number of the district (city) and the third is the serial number of the institution, organization, enterprise. At the top of the stamp is the inscription "Russian Federation", at the bottom - "Gosvetnadzor". Smaller oval veterinary stamps are placed on carcasses of rabbits and nutria. Branding of meat and meat products with an oval brand is carried out by veterinarians and veterinary paramedics who are in the states of organizations and institutions of the state veterinary network, who have passed certification and received official permission from the state veterinary inspector of the district (city).

Meat obtained from animals that have passed ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection and slaughtered on farms free of quarantine diseases is branded with a rectangular veterinary brand, which does not give the right to sell meat without a full veterinary sanitary examination. The rectangular veterinary stamp has the inscription "Veterinary Service" at the top, "Preliminary examination" in the center, and three pairs of numbers below (as in an oval stamp). Carcasses and half-carcasses with a rectangular stamp "Preliminary inspection" are sent for veterinary sanitary examination in full.

Conditionally suitable meat (the use of which for food purposes is allowed after neutralization) is branded with stamps, in the center of which the type of meat neutralization is indicated, at the top - the inscription "Veterinary Service", at the bottom there are three pairs of numbers. Conditionally suitable meat is not sold. On such meat, an oval veterinary stamp is not put. Additional stamps (next to the veterinary brand) mark such types of meat as horse meat, camel meat, venison, bear meat, etc. These stamps are rectangular in shape and only the type of meat is indicated in them.

Impressions of veterinary brands and stamps are placed in the following order: on meat carcasses and half carcasses - one in the region of each shoulder blade and thigh; for quarters - one stamp each; two brands are put on the carcasses of rabbits and nutria (on the shoulder blade and the outer side of the thigh); in the laboratories of veterinary sanitary examination on the heart, head, tongue, liver, lungs, kidneys - one brand each.

Meat that has changed its veterinary and sanitary characteristics as a result of a violation of storage or transportation conditions is subject to repeated veterinary examination and re-branding with the application of appropriate stamps with preliminary removal of oval-shaped stamp marks.

Commodity marking of meat is carried out in the presence of a brand or stamp of the State Veterinary Service.

Beef, young beef, veal, lamb, goat meat of the first category are marked with a round mark, the second category with a square mark, and skinny with a triangular mark. On the half-carcasses of bulls, an imprint of the letter "B" is placed inside the stigma, on boars - on the shoulder part they are stamped "Boar-PP". On carcasses (half-carcasses) of calves, an imprint of the letter "T" is placed inside the brand; on the carcasses of lambs - the letters "I".

The stamp of the letter "M" is placed to the right of the stigma of fatness (beef from young animals), goat meat is stamped with the letter "K". On half-carcasses (carcasses) of all types of meat (except rabbits) with processing defects, a stamp of the letters "PP" is put to the right of the stamp.

Pork, depending on the category, is marked: the first category - with a round mark, the second - with a square mark, the third - with an oval mark, the fourth - with a triangular mark, which does not meet the requirements for fatness - with a diamond-shaped mark. A plywood tag with a round brand with a stamp of the letter "M" inside is tied with twine to the carcasses of piglets (to the back leg).

The stamps are placed in the following order: on half-carcasses of beef of the first and second categories, two stamps are placed - on the scapular and femoral parts. On carcasses of veal, lamb, goat meat, lamb, gilts in the skin, the brand is put on the shoulder part on one side of the carcass. On half-carcasses of veal, pork (except for gilts in the skin and piglets), fatness marks are placed on the shoulder part.

Classification of meat products

Meat products include:

• meat of slaughter animals (clause 11.1);
• by-products - secondary products of slaughter of cattle (liver, heart, kidneys, tongue, lung, brains, stomach, head, tails, etc.);
• poultry meat (broilers, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, etc.);
• semi-finished meat products (natural - schnitzel, stew, azu, entrecote, goulash, etc.; chopped - steaks, meatballs, meatballs; breaded - chops, schnitzels, rump steaks; dumplings; minced meat);
• culinary meat products - meat products subjected to various types of culinary processing (boiled, baked, fried, smoked, etc.);
• quick-frozen ready meals - meat products made from natural or minced meat in combination with side dishes (cereals, vegetables, potatoes) or without them;
• smoked meats - large-sized meat products subjected to salting and heat treatment until ready for use (hams, rolls, various smoked meats - brisket, bacon, boiled pork, carbonate, loin, etc.);
• sausages - meat products from minced meat with or without a casing, subjected to heat treatment or fermentation until ready for use (sausages - boiled, semi-smoked, boiled-smoked, raw-smoked, stuffed, liver, blood; sausages and sausages; brawns; meat loaves; pastes; jellies);
• canned meat - products made from meat and meat products or in combination with other food products (cereals, vegetables), hermetically sealed and sterilized.

After post-slaughter carcass processing, half-carcasses and quarters must enter the sale without contamination, fringes, bruises, bruises, blood clots and remnants of internal organs.

The exception is carcasses of veal, lamb and goat meat, which leave the kidneys and perirenal fat. Frozen meat must also be free of snow and ice.

On beef carcasses, trimmings and breakdowns of subcutaneous fat are allowed, not exceeding 15% of the surface area of ​​a half carcass or quarter; veal, lamb and goat meat - 10% of the entire surface of the carcass. For pork, the number of strippings should not exceed 10%, and the breakdown of subcutaneous fat - 15% of the surface area of ​​the carcass or half carcass. Meat, depending on the good quality, can be fresh, questionable freshness and stale. Only fresh meat should be sold.

Meat is fresh characterized by the following features.

Fresh chilled meat- beef, lamb, pork - should have a dry superficial drying crust from pale pink to pale red. The surface of a fresh cut is slightly moist, but not sticky, of a specific color for each type of meat. Meat juice is clear. The consistency is elastic, i.e. the dimple formed after pressing a finger on the meat quickly disappears. The smell is characteristic of the type of meat, without signs of spoilage. The smell is determined on the surface of the carcasses, in the area of ​​​​the cut and in the thickness of the muscles near the bones, since spoilage occurs faster in this place. Beef fat is hard, crumbles when crushed, from white to yellow; lamb fat is quite dense, white; pork fat is soft, elastic, from white to pale pink. The smell of fat is not salty and not rancid. The bone marrow is elastic, yellow, shiny at the break, fills the entire cavity of the tubular bones and does not lag behind their edges. The tendons are smooth, dense, elastic. The surface of the joints is smooth and shiny. Interarticular synovial fluid is transparent. The broth obtained by boiling chilled meat is transparent, fragrant, with a large amount of fat on the surface.

Fresh frozen meat has a surface of normal color, but with a brighter shade than chilled meat. The surface of the cut is pinkish-gray due to the presence of ice crystals; a spot of bright red color appears at the point of contact with fingers or a warm knife. The consistency is firm, the sound when tapped with a solid object is clear. The color of beef fat is white to light yellow, while that of pork and lamb is white. Frozen meat has no smell. When thawed, a smell characteristic of this type of meat appears, but without the characteristic aroma of ripe meat. To determine the smell, a heated knife blade is inserted deep into the muscle tissue towards the bones. The tendons are dense, white with a grayish-yellowish tinge. The broth from frozen meat is cloudy, with a large amount of gray-red foam and without the characteristic aroma characteristic of chilled meat broth.

doubtful meatbnoah freshness has a windy or sticky surface, moistened in places, dark in color. On section, the muscle tissue is dark red, moist, and slightly sticky. The consistency is not sufficiently dense and elastic, the fossa after pressing is restored slowly and not always completely. Meat juice is cloudy. The smell is slightly sour or with a hint of mustiness (in the area of ​​the cut, along the edges of the flank and near the bones of the cuts). The fat is of a grayish-matte hue, with a slight smell of salting; in beef and lamb, the fat is smeared and sticks to the hands. The bone marrow is softer than that of fresh meat, somewhat behind the edges of the bone, dull white or gray, without shine on the break. The tendons are slightly softened, white or gray in color and without shine. The surface of the joints is slightly mucous. The interarticular fluid is cloudy. The broth from such meat is cloudy, non-aromatic, sometimes even with a musty smell, the drops of fat are very small, with a greasy smell and taste. Meat of dubious freshness is not allowed for sale.

The meat is stale has a very dry surface, gray or greenish in color, often with mucus or mold. On the cut, it is wet and sticky, dark in color with a greenish or grayish tinge. The consistency is flabby, the fossa is not restored after pressing. A putrid smell is felt in the thickness of the muscle tissue. The fat is gray in color, with a strongly greasy or rancid odor. Bone marrow of a smearing consistency, dirty gray color. The tendons are soft, grayish in color. Articular surfaces are covered with mucus. The broth is cloudy, with a lot of foam flakes, with an unpleasant odor. Meat that is stale cannot be sold and used for food.

Influence of the main intravital factors on the quality of carcasses and meat.

One of the vital factors affecting the quality of carcasses and meat is animal age. Significant changes occur in the body of animals with age, which subsequently have a significant impact on the quantity and quality of meat products. The relative proportion of bone tissue decreases, the absolute and relative content of meat, subcutaneous, intermuscular and intramuscular fat increases.

The mass of nutritionally valuable muscles increases most intensively during the first year of the animal's life, and then the rate of their growth slows down. If the mass of bone tissue in the carcasses of newborn calves is 34 - 36%, then at the age of 18 - 20 months - 17 - 19%. The meat of 6-month-old bulls contains 20-21% protein, 4-5% fat, and at the age of 18-20 months, respectively, 18-19 and 10-14%.

The meat of young animals is characterized by tender muscle tissue, a higher glycogen content, and a low fat content. Connective tissue breaks down easily. The meat of adult animals is characterized by a large deposition of fat under the skin, between the muscles, in the abdominal cavity, denser muscles and connective tissue, the number of elastic fibers increases, collagen fractions change, and it undergoes cooking for a longer time.

Animal gender. Sex differences in meat quality at an early age are less significant compared to adult animals. The meat of females is more fine-fibered, tender, juicy, tasty, fragrant, with a high fat content and pronounced marbling. Castrates most often occupy an intermediate position in these indicators. For example, the fat content in an average sample of black-and-white cattle meat at the age of 16-20 months is 10-14%, castrates - 16-20% and in the meat of heifers - 20-26%, intramuscular fat, respectively, 1.5 - 1.9%, 3.0 - 4.0 and 3.2 - 4.6%.

The meat of heifers contains less defective proteins, and their connective tissue is much more tender than in the meat of bulls. In the muscles of 16-20-month-old bulls, defective proteins contain 20-21%, castrates - 15-16%, heifers - 5.4-5.8%, and moisture retention, respectively, 63-70%, 58-62 and 55-60%. The meat of gobies does not ripen and store well, but it is a good raw material for sausage production.

In terms of quality of carcasses, pigs are superior to hogs. When slaughtering animals with the same live weight, as a rule, the yield of meat in gilts is higher, and fat is lower than that of hogs. The chemical composition of the meat of pigs and hogs is almost the same.

animal breed. Many indicators of the quality of carcasses and meat depend on the breed of animals. From animals of most beef cattle breeds, more tender, juicy and tasty meat is obtained. They have well-developed muscle tissue, especially in parts of the body from which the most valuable meat is obtained - in the hip, lumbar and spinal parts.

Meat breeds also differ significantly from each other in terms of fat content in meat and intramuscular fat. It is especially deposited in the meat and muscles of British breeds (Hereford, Aberdeen Angus and Shorthorn) and much less in French breeds (Charolais, Light Aquitaine and Limousin). Meat from dairy cattle is of lower quality, has more connective tissue and less intramuscular fat.

Animal fatness. With an increase in fatness, the morphological composition of carcasses and the chemical composition of meat change. In carcasses, the relative content of bones decreases, the amount of muscle and adipose tissue increases. The meat of well-fed animals is characterized by a higher fat content, a reduced amount of water, collagen and elastin. It has a more delicate texture. The meat of well-fed animals has a less intense color and is better stored. In very fatty meat, the protein content is reduced and it is less digestible. In the meat of poorly fed animals, the content of connective tissue increases and it is more rigid. The meat of fatty fat pigs contains more sarcoplasmic proteins, and the carcasses of lean pigs contain more myofibrillar proteins.

Feeding conditions- one of the most important factors determining the quality of meat. The amount of feed, composition and nutritional value of the diet can regulate the morphological composition of carcasses and the chemical composition of meat. With an increase in the level of protein in the diet, the deposition of fat in meat slows down, and an increase in metabolic energy in the diet, on the contrary, stimulates the process of fat formation.

These techniques are widely used in the rearing of young birds. At the end of fattening, for broilers and turkeys, an increased level of energy nutrition is used, which allows to increase the yield of carcasses of the 1st category, and for ducks, on the contrary, they reduce the level of nutrition, since they have increased fat formation. When young birds are fed feed mixtures with a high content of corn, the proportion of high-grade fatty acids in meat increases, including linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acids.

All feeds are divided into 3 groups according to their effect on the quality of pork:

- feeds that improve the quality of pork: barley, wheat, rye, broad beans, peas, carrots, sugar, semi-sugar and fodder beets, potatoes, clover grass, alfalfa, vetch and pea-oat mixtures, reverse, whey. When these feeds are included in the diet, the quality of pork increases;

- feed, when fed, soft lard and loose, tasteless pork are obtained. These include: corn, oats, bran, beet molasses, potato pulp. Pork of high quality is obtained if the diet consists of no more than 50% nutritionally from these feeds;

- feed, sharply deteriorating the quality of fat and meat due to the content of vegetable fats or a specific smell. These include cakes, fish, fishmeal, soybeans. These feeds can make up no more than 25% in nutritional value in the diet of fatteners, and one and a half months before slaughter, it is necessary to completely stop giving feed that worsens the quality of pork.

With the widespread use of various chemicals in crop production, they can accumulate in animal tissues from feed and pose a certain danger to humans. The source of accumulation of salts of heavy metals can be feed and water.

Meat defects P SE And DFD .

Ante-mortem content at cattle bases of meat processing enterprises significantly affect the quantity and quality of meat, especially its technological properties. The high content of glycogen in the body of animals before slaughter contributes to the formation of lactic acid, low pH of meat, which is associated with water-holding capacity, tenderness, juiciness, losses during heat treatment, safety, bacterial contamination, color and other indicators of meat quality.

The breakdown of glycogen is called glycolysis. The intensity of glycolysis depends on many conditions, but mainly on the amount of glycogen in the muscles and the activity of tissue enzymes. Animal muscles contain 0.3 - 0.9% glycogen. It is more contained in the muscles of well-fed and tireless animals grown in grazing conditions, less - in the muscles of malnourished, hungry, excited and tired animals grown in complexes or tethered conditions.

With fatigue, overheating, hypothermia, prolonged pre-slaughter exposure and in sick animals, the amount of glycogen and the activity of tissue enzymes decrease. Therefore, lactic and other acids accumulate in smaller quantities and the quality of the meat deteriorates. A slight accumulation of acids in the muscles creates favorable conditions for the development of microflora and a reduction in the shelf life of meat.

Before slaughter, with intense muscle load, stress, excitement, especially in bulls, glycogen undergoes glycolytic breakdown. Therefore, after slaughter, a small amount of glycogen remains in the muscles, little lactic acid is formed, and the pH value is very high.

As you know, during the life of the body, the conversion of glycogen is carried out in the following sequence: glycogen + oxygen = energy + CO 2 + H 2 ABOUT . After the slaughter of the animal with the cessation of breathing and, as a result, the cessation of oxygen access to the muscles, the reaction proceeds under anaerobic conditions in the following form: glycogen = energy + lactic acid . If the rate of post-slaughter glycogen conversion is normal, then its breakdown and conversion into lactic acid mainly occurs within 12 to 24 hours, and the meat becomes elastic and has a light pink color. It acquires the ability to long-term storage.

If there is little glycogen in the body of animals, then after slaughter, the development of glycolysis in carcasses is inhibited, and sometimes it is almost or completely absent. Meat maintains a high pH value. In this case, the pH value of the meat, measured during the first hour after slaughter, practically does not differ from the pH after 24 hours. The final pH value of the meat remains at 6.3 and above. Such meat becomes dark, dense, dry, creating a favorable environment for the development of unwanted microflora.

Excessively high acidity of meat entails partial denaturation of proteins, which adversely affects its water-holding capacity and color. It becomes pale, soft, quickly loses juice and is not able to absorb water. When pigs are stressed after slaughter, there is a high rate of glycolysis at a relatively high temperature in carcasses (from 42 to 45 0 C), which leads to significant chemical changes and a sharp decrease in pH. During the first hour after slaughter, the pH may drop to 5.5 - 5.9.

Increased acidity in still functioning cells causes protein breakdown or denaturation, leading to low water-holding capacity and pale pigmentation. Such meat is pale, soft, not tender enough in texture, poorly stored, with reduced technological properties and increased losses during cooking and processing.

Violation of glycolysis entails the formation of meat defects, which are indicated symbols PSE (pale, soft, watery) and DFD (dark, dense, dry).

PSE and DFD meat malformations result from an abnormal rate of post-mortem glycolysis in the muscle. If meat PSE is formed as a result of excess lactic acid content, then DFD is a consequence of its insufficient amount. With DFD, due to the reduced content of lactic acid as a preservative, the meat quickly darkens, becomes tough, dry, prone to accelerated deterioration under the action of microflora and is poorly stored. The DFD defect most often covers only individual parts of the carcass. For example, the pH value of the longissimus dorsi muscle of bulls was 6.6, and the triceps muscle of the shoulder was 5.8.

With the intensification of pig breeding in the meat direction, meat defects are more common. German experts believe that eating meat with such defects causes various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in humans.

PSE meat defect most often occurs in pigs, DFD defect - in bulls grown in industrial complexes. The main reasons for their appearance are the intensive growth of animals, the same type of feeding, limited movement and increased susceptibility to stress.

The carcasses of industrial fattening bulls can be divided into 3 groups according to the pH value measured 45-60 minutes after slaughter: meat with a defect - pH up to 6.2, normal meat - 6.3 - 6.6 and meat with a defect - pH 6.7 and more. After daily storage - meat with a defect of 5.4 - 5.6, normal meat - 5.7 - 6.2 and meat with a defect - pH 6.3 and above.

Thus , ante-mortem losses associated with the quality of meat, no less significant than quantitative ones. Therefore, in the muscles of animals, especially during transportation, pre-slaughter and during slaughter, it is necessary to maintain the maximum amount glycogen, which will contribute to the intensive processes in the meat with the formation of a significant amount of lactic acid.

Influence of primary processing of animals on the presentation, quality of carcasses and meat.

When driving animals to the place of slaughter, additional stresses arise, a significant number of injuries are noted and the quality of meat decreases. In addition, areas of carcasses with bruises and wounds are removed, which leads to loss of meat and deterioration of the presentation of carcasses. To adjust animals, it is necessary to use means that do not injure their skin and subcutaneous tissue.

Animal Stunning has significant drawbacks, since at the moment the current is connected, a sharp contraction of muscle tissue occurs, which leads to rupture of tendons, ligaments, fractures of the spine and limbs, rupture of small vessels and petechial hemorrhage. Because of this, the ability of meat to store is reduced. An overdose of current leads to severe disturbances in cardiac activity and often ends in the death of the animal. With incomplete stunning, pain persists and the animals are not completely immobilized.

Complete and high-quality exsanguination allows you to get a marketable appearance of carcasses and increases the shelf life. In poorly bled carcasses, the blood remaining in the blood vessels is a good medium for the development of microorganisms. Animal fatigue during transportation, stress, physical activity before slaughter and illness increase blood flow to the muscles, which makes it difficult to bleed the carcasses. In a vertical position, carcasses are bled 35-40% better than in a horizontal position.

It is necessary to perform skinning in such a way as not to allow breakdowns of meat and fat from carcasses, cuts into which putrefactive microorganisms penetrate and cause damage to meat, and also worsen the marketable appearance of the carcass. With a belated (more than 45 minutes after exsanguination of animals) extraction of internal organs, the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract begins to penetrate into the meat and leads to spoilage.

The presentation of the carcasses is given during its stripping. But when abscesses, traumatic injuries, remaining pieces of internal organs and skin, bruises on the surface of the half carcass are removed, the quality of the meat and its stability during storage decrease. Carcasses are washed only from the inside and only if they are dirty. In case of surface contamination, only the contaminated areas are washed with subsequent removal of moisture. When the outer surface is moistened, the meat is poorly stored.

Effect of heat treatment on meat quality.

Character heat treatment of meat has a great influence on the degree of digestibility of its nutrients by the human body. Applying certain methods of culinary processing of meat, you can increase or decrease the degree of its digestibility. During the culinary processing of products, the maximum preservation of the full-fledged proteins, fats, vitamins, and mineral salts contained in them should be ensured. Under the influence of various physical and chemical factors, a number of initial properties are lost, primarily the solubility of proteins, since denaturation of protein molecules occurs. Protein denaturation occurs in the presence of water.

At a temperature of 60 - 100 0 C, proteins lose their ability to dissolve in water, salt solutions and organic solvents, their ability to swell decreases. The change in proteins during thermal denaturation is the greater, the higher the temperature and duration of heating, and the protein in an aqueous solution denatures faster than in the dried state. Changes in meat proteins during heat treatment affect the quality of the finished product.

During normal cooking in meat, the content of lysine, methionine and tryptophan . When meat products are sterilized, their digestibility decreases somewhat, stiffness increases and the biological value of proteins decreases. Prolonged autoclaving leads to significant losses of amino acids. Losses of vitamins B 1 and B 2 during cooking reach 15 - 40%, during frying - 40 - 50% and during stewing - 30 - 60%. Excessively long cooking or frying foods increases the loss of nutrients. Therefore, in order to better preserve them products when cooking should be laid into boiling water.

The initial composition of fats during the heat treatment also undergoes certain changes. When cooking meat products, fat melts and most of it is collected on the surface in the form of tiny balls. In contact with boiling water, conditions are created for its hydrolysis. In the process of heating to high temperatures, the content of biologically active substances in fat decreases. Oxidation is influenced by the material from which the equipment is made, for example, cast iron is more active than stainless steel.

Requirements for the quality of chilled meat

Chilled meat is called, the temperature in the thickness of the muscle tissue of which at a depth of 6 cm is from 0 to +4 o C.

• Pale pink to pale red color;
• Dry, superficial crust of drying;
• The consistency is elastic, the dimple from pressure quickly disappears;
• The smell is typical of the type of meat, without signs of spoilage. The smell is determined on the surface, in the place of the cervical incision, in the thickness of the muscles near the bones, on a fresh incision;
• The surface of a fresh cut should be slightly moist, but not sticky, of a certain uniform color for each type of meat;
• Meat juice should be clear;
• Beef and lamb fat is solid. Pork fat - soft, elastic. The smell of fat - without salting and rancidity.

Requirements for the quality of frozen meat

Ice cream is called meat, the temperature in the thickness of the muscle tissue of which at a depth of 6 cm is below minus 8 ° C

• The color is brighter than chilled meat;
• The surface of the cut is pinkish-gray, due to the presence of ice crystals, a spot of bright red color appears at the point of touch with a finger or a warm knife;
• Solid consistency;
• The color of beef fat is from white to light yellow, lamb and pork fat is white;
• Frozen meat has no smell. When thawed, a smell characteristic of this species appears, but without the aroma of ripe meat. To determine the smell of frozen meat, it is necessary to insert the blade of a heated knife into the depths of the muscles, towards the bones.

Meat according to freshness is divided into: fresh, dubious freshness, stale.

Fresh meat

If the meat does not fall into the category of fresh according to its characteristics, it is classified as questionable freshness or stale (depending on the degree of changes that have occurred).

Meat of dubious freshness

The smell is sour on the surface, specific in the thickness;

Appearance: the surface is moistened in places, slightly sticky, the muscles are moist on the cut;

Color on the surface and at a depth of 2-3mm, gray or dark;

Consistency - when pressed, the fossa is leveled slowly, in 1-2 minutes;

Adipose tissue is softer in consistency than in fresh meat, slightly sticky, has a slight smell of salting, a specific color;

Meat of dubious freshness is not allowed for sale.

The meat is not fresh.

The smell on the surface and in the thickness of the meat is sour, musty or putrid;

Appearance: the surface is dried up, covered with gray mucus, on the cut the muscles are moist, sticky;

The color on the surface and at a depth of 2-3 mm is gray, greenish, dark, in the thickness of the muscles with foci of gray or dark green;

Consistency - flabby, the fossa from pressure is not aligned;

Adipose tissue is gray-matte, ointment-like consistency, sticky, the smell is rancid, putrid or salting;

Meat that is not fresh is not allowed for sale.

Changes in chilled meat during storage

During storage, meat can undergo various changes. Some of them occur due to physicochemical factors, others are due to the decomposition of meat due to the development of microflora. The speed of the onset of changes, their nature and depth depend on a number of factors, namely, the condition of the animals before slaughter, the sanitary and hygienic conditions for their processing and storage of meat, and the composition of the microflora.

TANN MEAT. This is a type of meat spoilage that appears on the first day after the slaughter of the animal. The factors contributing to this deterioration are as follows: high temperature in the room where the meat is stored, lack of ventilation, high humidity, dense suspension of carcasses and their significant moisture. All this does not ensure rapid heat removal from the steam carcass or half carcass. Especially often sunburn appears in large and fat carcasses (fat pigs), which cool more slowly, since fat is a poor conductor of heat. Especially often sunburn occurs in fresh meat when transporting it in a closed container. Deep layers of meat do not cool for a long time. Insufficient aeration reduces oxidative processes in meat, accelerating the anaerobic breakdown of carbohydrates with the accumulation of acidic products of glycolysis, hydrogen sulfide, butyric acid and other unpleasant odors. Myoglobin undergoes significant changes, with the formation of pigments that change the color of the meat. In this case, there is a sharp increase in the concentration of hydrogen ions. When tanning, the pH decreases to 5.1-5.2, its organoleptic parameters change. Poultry carcasses are painted in a copper-bronze color, the smell of meat is suffocatingly sour with an admixture of hydrogen sulfide, the consistency of muscle tissue is flabby. There is no microflora in meat. It is generally accepted that the process in meat proceeds due to tissue enzymes. If deep autolytic changes have not passed (the initial stage of sunburn), then you can try to eliminate the defect. To do this, the meat is cut into small pieces and ventilated in a well-ventilated area.

SANITARY ASSESSMENT . If the unpleasant smell disappears and the normal color is restored, then the meat is used for industrial processing. If this does not happen, then the meat is sent for technical disposal. In culinary production, the use of such meat is prohibited.

MEAT COLOR CHANGE . With long-term storage of meat, even at a low positive temperature, its darkening is noted. The process begins in the incision area and extends to the humeroscapular region. These processes can proceed due to physicochemical factors, due to the breakdown of hemoglobin. Sometimes the meat turns bright scarlet. This is due to increased activity of enzymes that lead to the oxidation of hemoglobin and myoglobin.

SANITARY ASSESSMENT . In the presence of these changes, the meat is used for food purposes in the catering network.

GLOW MEAT.(phosphorescence) This is due to the development of photobacteria on meat, semi-finished products, finished meat products. The most common are Photobacterium fischeri, Ph. pontikum, Ph. cyanophosphoreszens and other species. They are obligate aerobes. In the presence of colonies, the meat in the dark emits a bluish, greenish-yellow or bluish light. The glow can be point, focal or continuous. Photobacteria get on meat in storage chambers. Their development is facilitated by increased humidity, storage temperature above 5 ° C. The glow is most often observed on the joints, intervertebral cartilage. No toxic products are formed in the carcasses. It should be noted that putrefactive microflora is an antagonist of photobacteria. Therefore, when putrefactive microflora appears, the glow of meat stops.

SANITARY ASSESSMENT. The meat is washed with a weak solution of acetic acid, dried and released for free sale.

SLICKING MEAT. This spoilage process is associated with the development of mucus-forming microorganisms. These include various types of lactic acid bacteria, yeast. Sliming is facilitated by storage of carcasses at high temperatures, high humidity, suspension of carcasses without gaps between them. The microflora that causes mucus does not penetrate into the depth of the meat, so the mucus is only on the surface of the carcass. The meat is sticky, grayish in color, with a sour smell from the surface. In the deep layers, the meat has no deviations from the norm.

SANITARY ASSESSMENT. In the presence of mucus, cleaning is carried out by cutting off a thin surface layer. Carcasses after sanitization are sent for industrial processing. In culinary production, the use of such meat is prohibited.

MOLDING MEAT. Contamination of meat with mold spores occurs from the walls of storage chambers. Molds are aerobes and grow on the surface of meat in an acidic environment, low humidity and temperature. Some types of mold stop growing only at a temperature of minus 12C. Mold takes a relatively long time to develop.

Most often, 4 types of molds are found on meat:

1. Round, white, velvety colonies of mucor and tamnidium, grow on the surface and are easily removed.

2. Colonies are dark gray, brown or greenish-bluish - penicillum, germinate to a depth of 4 mm.

3. Green or black mold coloniesAspergillus glaucus, asp. Nigeria.

4.Large black colonies-spotsCladosporium herbarumpenetrating into the thickness of the meat up to 1 cm.

Many of them form mycotoxins that are dangerous to humans and animals. They have a very strong toxic effectCladosporium herbarum.

With the growth of molds, the pH of the meat shifts to the neutral side, fat breaks down, which leads not only to a change in the presentation, but also a musty smell.

SANITARY ASSESSMENT. It is carried out depending on the type of mold. If the meat is affected only by white mold growing on the surface, then it is wiped with a solution of acetic acid or brine and sent for sale. If the meat is damaged by green or black mold, the muscle tissue is stripped to a depth of 15 cm, after which a cooking test is carried out. If there is no foreign smell, then the carcass is sent for industrial processing, in the presence of a musty smell, the carcass goes to technical disposal.

ROTTEN MEAT. This is the process of decomposition of protein and other meat substances under the influence of putrefactive and other microflora enzymes, with pronounced proteolytic and peptolytic functions. When meat rots, aerobic and anaerobic processes partially occur simultaneously. Of the aerobes putrefactive bacteria are: Bak. proteus, Bak. mycoides, Bac.subtilis, Bac. Mesentericus Of the anaerobes, the main role is played already in the initial stage of decay: Cl. Putrificus, Cl. Perfringes, Cl. Putrifaciens, Cl. sporogenes.

Putrefactive microflora can penetrate into the meat in an exogenous and endogenous way. The meat of tired and sick animals is not resistant to the action of putrefactive microflora, since its pH is 6.3 and higher. In meat obtained from healthy, rested animals, the development of putrefactive microflora is prevented by an acidic environment (pH 5.8-6.2), which occurs during normal maturation. However, meat can also rot in healthy animals if surface contamination occurs. The microflora penetrates into the depth of the muscle tissue through the connective tissue fascia, where the pH is about 7.0. This explains the appearance of signs of damage in the bones earlier than in the muscles.

One of the initial products of putrefaction are peptones, which cause poisoning when administered parenterally. During the hydrolysis of peptones, free amino acids are formed, which are further subjected to deamination, oxidative or reductive decarboxylation. During deamination, free fatty acids are formed, and during decarboxylation, various amines are formed - ethylenediamine, cadaverine, putrescine, skatole, indole, histamine. From the amino acids - cystine, cysteine, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and mercaptans are formed. From choline, when putrefied, a poisonous compound, neurin, can be formed.

Meat in the initial stage of decay is more dangerous for humans. At the stage of deep decomposition, already final, less toxic or non-toxic decomposition products are formed.

When rotting, the structure of meat changes, the connection between muscle fibers weakens. At different stages of putrefaction, meat has different smells - musty, sour, rancid, putrid.

SANITARY ASSESSMENT. Meat with signs of decay is sent for technical disposal.

Package

Products must be packaged in such a way as to provide maximum protection.

The materials used in packaging must be clean and of a quality that will not damage the product.

There must be nothing foreign inside the packages.

When using a polyethylene film for chilled products, tight packaging is not allowed, especially in warm weather, an air gap is required between the product and the packaging, so that the processes of meat spoilage are not accelerated, and it does not “fade out” when a musty smell is felt when opening a tightly fitting film.

If the meat is delivered in carcasses, half and quarter carcasses, then it should be placed in the vehicle and in the storage rooms on hangers, and not on pallets in bulk.

Marking

Each package must bear the following information, written in indelible ink and legible:

• packer: name, address or official trademark;
• product type: name, class, variety (optional);
• origin: country, region, locality name;
• date of packaging, expiration date and storage conditions of the product;
• if the meat is delivered in carcasses, half and quarter carcasses, then the stamp on the carcass must be legible. At the same time, on the carcasses of large animals, the brand should be on each thigh and shoulder blade, on the carcasses of small animals - on one thigh and one shoulder blade diagonally (* right thigh - left shoulder blade). On the carcasses of all types of animals, except for beef and pork, there must be a stamp indicating the species. Such a stamp is placed next to the hallmark.

Product Requirements

quality requirements

Carcasses, half carcasses and quarters must be sold free of dirt, fringes, bruises, bruises, blood clots and remnants of internal organs. The exception is carcasses of veal and lamb, which leave the kidneys and perirenal fat.

On beef carcasses, stripping and breakdowns of subcutaneous fat are allowed, not exceeding 15% of the surface area, veal and mutton - no more than 10%. For pork, trimmings of no more than 10% are allowed, and breakdowns of subcutaneous fat, not exceeding 15% of the surface area.

Frozen meat must also be free of snow and ice.

Storage temperature

Food products during their manufacture and circulation (production, storage, transportation and circulation) must be stored under conditions that ensure the preservation of their quality and safety throughout the entire shelf life.

Transportation should be carried out using refrigerated or isothermal transport, subject to the required temperatures: chilled products - minus 1 +4 ° C, frozen products - not higher than -18 ° C, unless otherwise indicated on the product labeling.

When storing meat, the temperature regimes should be the same as during transportation.

	Shelf life	(in months)	at temp.
Beef and lamb
Second " "
No skin..
Chickens, chickens, turkeys, game.
Geese, ducks.
By-products…….	No more than 4-6 months

Re-freezing of thawed meat is not allowed.

For vacuum packaging, special packaging materials are used. Ordinary polyethylene is gas permeable and not suitable for vacuum packaging. The most common two-layer films are polyamide - polyethylene and lavsan - polyethylene.

In a gas environment, the shelf life of products is doubled compared to vacuum packaging.

Assessment of the quality of meat and meat products

The quality of meat and meat products is evaluated by food, biological and energy value, organoleptic indicators and sanitary and hygienic (mainly microbiological) safety. The nutritional value of meat products is their ability to satisfy the vital activity of the human body. It is characterized by the content of nutrients in the product, their ratio and degree of assimilation. The content of proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, etc. is determined by conventional methods. The biological value of meat products is determined by the content and ratio of essential amino acids and essential unsaturated fatty acids, biologically active and mineral substances that are absorbed by the human body.

Amino acids and fatty acids are determined by the chromatographic method. Others - by conventional methods. The energy value of meat products is determined by the amount of energy that is released in the human body during metabolism. It is quantitatively determined analytically: the content of proteins, fats, carbohydrates is multiplied by the coefficient of energy value of each component in kcal / g. For fats, the coefficient values ​​are 9 kcal/g, for proteins and carbohydrates - 4 kcal/g each.

The safety of meat products is determined by the absence of substances harmful to the human body: salts of heavy metals, radionuclides, nitrites, preservatives, pathogenic microorganisms, toxic substances that are released by microorganisms, and impurities (glass, metal, etc.). All sausages and salted meat products must be manufactured in accordance with the requirements of state standards and specifications. The quality of the finished product is determined organoleptically and by laboratory studies of physical, chemical and microbiological indicators.

During the organoleptic evaluation of the selected samples, the appearance, texture, taste and aroma, freshness of the product, uniformity of bacon distribution, and color in the cut are evaluated. Physico-chemical and microbiological studies are carried out by the laboratory of the enterprise. In sausages, the mass fraction of moisture, salt, sodium nitrite, starch is regulated. The content of toxic substances, microorganisms, aflotoxin B1, nitrosamines, hormonal drugs, heavy metals and radionuclides, pesticides, etc. should not exceed the levels of current standards. Based on the assessment of the quality of sausages, the commission issues a certificate of their quality and a permit for sale, indicating the date and hour of production from the enterprise and the timing of its sale under appropriate storage conditions.

In a natural casing, boiled sausages, frankfurters and sausages are stored at a temperature of 2 to 6°C. The shelf life of boiled sausages and meat loaves of the highest grade is up to 72 hours, 1st and 2nd grades and liver sausages of the highest grade - up to 48 hours, boiled sausages of the 3rd grade, liver sausages of the 2nd grade - up to 24 hours, liver and blood sausages of the 3rd grade - up to 12 hours. When using polyamide casings, the shelf life increases by 2-3 times. Semi-smoked sausages are stored at a relative air humidity of 75-78% at a temperature of 12°C for up to 10 days. At temperatures from 0 to 6°C - 15 days, at minus 9°C - 3 months. Cooked smoked sausages can be stored at temperatures up to 15°C - up to 15 days, from 0 to 4°C - 1 month. and at minus 9°С - 4 months. Raw-smoked sausages are stored at temperatures up to 12°C for up to 4 months, and at minus 9°C - up to 9 months.