Pork: Meat Quality and Processed Meat Products

The processing of pork is a common technological practice that modifies the taste, flavor, texture and color of raw pork meat. Due to pork’s accessible price and versatility, the manufacture of pork products to offer a variety of options to consumers is an important strategy of the meat industries in this sector to improve profits and expand into new markets at the local, regional and international levels.
The diversity of pork products reflects the diversity and history of many local cultures around the world, as well as a growing interest in preserving traditional processing practices.
Pork: Meat Quality and Processed Meat Products delves into the variouskinds of pork and the methods used to prepare it for consumption, including fresh meat products, fermented sausages, dry-cured products, blood sausages and cooked sausages. Each category starts with a specific raw material (entire cut vs. minced pork meat) to which is added a unique combination of ingredients (e.g., sodium chloride, starter cultures, blood, seasoning and spices). The method of processing (such as salting, drying, thermal processing and fermenting) takes consumer tastes and storage needs into account, as well as how each product will be consumed (cooked, sliced, spread and as an ingredient in other dishes, for instance). Consequently, a wide range of products made from pork are currently being produced worldwide. Added to this is the increasing importance of ingredients and health factors to consumers; the resulting demand for products that address specific health concerns is having a significant impact on research into and the production of pork meat products.
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