Cured ham

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1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION:


1. General Flowsheet of cooked ham production
(BAT in the Food, Drink and Milk Industries, June 2005)

Cured ham products, such as Parma from Italy or Serrano from Spain, have a good reputation because of their high quality. They are normally made of special and standard quality raw meat. A similar process is used for other products, such as salami, dry sausages and brawn. The general process is presented below:


General Flowsheet of cooked ham production.jpg

Figure 1: Cured ham production.

Literature: BAT in Food, Drink and Milk Industries, June 2005


2. Description of techniques, methods and equipment
(BAT in the Food, Drink and Milk Industries, June 2005)

Sorting, thawing, cutting and trimming are all similar to the above described processes. Curing with dry salt is specific to the production of ham and bacon and it can be carried out in the churn. The main component of the curing salt is normally NaCl. Ham spends long periods of time under curing under strictly controlled conditions, e.g. temperature and air humidity. Today, with improved technology and modern processing installations, a fully cured country ham can be produced within 6-12 months. After that, the material is being aged and washed. Before drying, hams are checked and then coated and transported to the drying chambers. Coating comprises covering the mascular part of the pig legs with pork fat or a mixture of fat and salt, pepper and flour, which has been previously sterilized. The ham then remains in these large rooms for several months, up to one year. The humidity and temperature in the room are controlled.


3. Temperature ranges and other parameters (table)
(BAT in the Food, Drink and Milk Industries, June 2005)


Temperature ranges, cured ham.jpg


4. Benchmark data (from BAT or from other sources) such as
(BAT in the Food, Drink and Milk Industries, June 2005)

The following table summarizes consumption levels expressed per tonne of finished product reported in the italian meat industry for cured ham manufacturing:


Table 3: Consumption levels for cured ham manufacturing in Italy

Consumption levels for cured ham manufacturing in Italy.jpg


2. NEW TECHNOLOGIES:


a) Changes in the process

No information is available.


b) Changes in the energy distribution system

No information is available.


c) Changes in the heat supply system

No information is available.



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