Efeito Da Maturação Da Carne Na Qualidade Sanitária Do Jerked Beef

Abstract

Jerked beef is a salt preserved product produced mainly with beef. The process comprehends wet salting, dried salting, sun drying, smothering and vacuum packing. This work evaluated the sanitary-hygienic quality of Jerked beef processing by total counting of aerobic mesophila bacteria, Staphylococcus spp, mould and yeast and probable number of fecal as well as total coliform. Total counting of mesophylla microorganisms varied from 5x10 4 UFC/g in the beginning to total absence after salt addition and drying process. The count for Staphylococcus spp varied from 6x 10 3 UFC/g in the beginning to total absence after salting and drying. The mould and yeast counting showed figures from 7.5x10 3 UFC/g to 1x10 3 UFC/g during the processing. The most probable number of total coliform goes from 30 NMP/g up to 24,000 NMP/g after salt addition but it disappeared after the drying process. The microorganims related to meat has a close relation to the deterioration, infection and food poisoning .The results confirm contamination during the Jerked beef processing, but the preservative addition and the kind of processing reduced significantly this contamination. Furthermore, mould and yeast were found in amounts accepted by the specific legislation.