Fjölrit RALA - 22.03.1979, Page 130

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Table 4 shows the averages for the chewing numbers. The
difference was small and insignificant but the unboiled meat
had a lower chewing number than the boiled meat.
3.2 Chemical Analyses
Table 5 shows the averages from the analyses of protein,
fat, water, ash, nitrate/nitrite, chloride ions and water ac-
tivity. The smoked meat is much drier than new uncured and
unsmoked meat. The effect of age on water content is also
marked. The mutton was much drier than the lamb.
A high protein content results from the drying process.
The nitrate content was above the legal limit (500 ppm
calculated as KNO^) in S-1 and J-l. The nitrite content was
above the legal limit (100 ppm calculated as NaNO^) in J-l.
Little variation was observed in the salt content but it
was highest in S-1 and lowest in S-2.
The water activity was the same as in new uncured meat.
The drying process does therefore not increase the shelf-life
of the meat. The water activity was 1.05 in J-2 and 0.99 in
S-l. The difference is most likely due to protein breakdown
in J-2 which releases water held by capillary forces.
Table 6 shows the results of the diffusion analysis. They
show that a large concentration gradient of chloride and nitrate/
nitrite ions forms during curing which levels out if the meat is
allowed to hang long enough.
The nitrate content of J-1 is lowest in the outer part of
the leg and highest in the inner part. Bacteria have probably
changed part of the nitrate into nitrite and mostly in the
outer parts of the leg.
The salt content decreases inside the leg. The concentra-
tion gradient is greatest in S-2 and S-1. The averages for salt
content show that the brine is a much more effective curing
agent than dry salt.
The results of the dry matter analysis are somewhat unex-
pected. The dry matter should be greatest in the outer parts
of the leg but the results do not confirm this.