Chicken fat was processed by dry fractionation to obtain a solid fraction at ambient temperature. Crystallisation and separation were performed using industrial-type procedures. Crystal formation and changes were monitored, while determining the composition, physical characteristics and thermal behaviour of the initial fat and resulting fractions. Dry fractionation, under the described conditions, produced stearin that resembled other animal fats such as lard and tallow and with better physical features than the initial fat stock. The results of this study also highlighted the mechanisms involved during the dry fractionation process.
South Africa has been producing biltong for many years and its popularity is increasing locally and internationally. Biltong is commonly grouped with other dried meat products from around the world, but with its unique production method and expanding economic value, an increase in knowledge on the subject is in high demand. In this paper, biltong processing and quality are reviewed to highlight areas in which knowledge is still lacking. It shows that biltong processing varies resulting in the wide physico-chemical characteristics reported in the literature. However, consumer preference is still an area that lacks scientific data/evidence. Previous research on biltong has focused on the pathogenic microorganisms and not on its spoilage and shelf-life. Moreover, the effects of the various processing methods on the physico-chemical characteristics and resulting microbial stability has not been investigated. Knowledge of these could enable an increase in the quality of biltong.
Droëwors are traditional South African salted and dried sausages, made without nitrites/nitrates and nonfermented. Different meat sources (beef, game and ostrich) are traditionally used in droëwors processing, while the use of pork is uncommon, as it is said to lead to rancidity. The first part of the study analysed the physico-chemical composition of commercially available beef, game and ostrich meat droëwors (n = 20). On average, they were composed of 26.3-29.2 g/100 g moisture, 41.3-44.0 g/ 100 g protein, 26.2-33.1 g/100 g fat and 5.9-6.5 g/100 g ash and 5.0-5.4 pH. Water activity (0.76-0.82) was sufficiently low to ensure shelf stability at ambient temperatures. In the second part beef and pork droëwors were formulated in accordance with these results and with similar fat content, dried for 2 days (30°C, 40% relative humidity) and stored for 26 days (25°C, 50% relative humidity); measuring moisture, water activity, pH and lipid oxidative stability (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)) weekly. At day 5, moisture and thus water activity of pork droëwors was slightly higher compared to beef ones and fat and ash content slightly lower (P B 0.05) despite similar weight loss. Even with slightly less fat, TBARS in pork droëwors were significantly higher after drying and throughout storage (3.83 vs 0.99 mg MDA equivalents/kg dry matter at a maximum).
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