Post-mortem processing treatments on selected characteristics of whole hog pork sausage

The processing of pork sausage to a finished form prior to initial chilling has been an area of considerable recent study and experimentation. The conventional technique of production required the porcine materials to be chilled 20-24 hours at 30-34°F and then boned, ground,seasoned and packaged. The completion of all or some of the fabrication steps prior to initial chilling of the pork product was described as "hot processing". This study was undertaken to evaluate scientifically the relative merits of the two techniques of production by calculating yields and costs, and by studying selected quality attributes.

Proximate analyses, physical tests (color, gassiness development,and cooking losses), bacteriological counts, and sensory evaluations were chosen for the study of quality attributes. The moisture, protein(N X 6.25) and NaCl determinations were made. Hydrogen ion concentration(pH) was determined with a Bechman pH Meter. Of the physical tests,color was determined by taking cross section readings of the packaged pork sausage by the Color Eye Reflectometer and calculating CIE color notations. Gassiness development was determined by observing stored packages of pork sausage and recording the day at which a disagreeable odor was detected. The Analysis of Variance was used for the statistical analysis of the data obtained from the study of quality attributes.

A net yield of only 0.04 percent for the cold process was found in favor of the conventional processing technique. A net advantage of only 0.4 of a cent per hundred weight of saleable pork sausage for the hot processing technique was found. None of the quality attributes studied showed statistically significant differences.