Culinary-Curing-Nummer-2015.Pdf

CULINARY CURING

Under the US FDA model Food Code Dr. Brian A. Nummer, PhD. March 2015 Las Vegas http://food‐safety.guru CHARCUTERIE: MORE THAN JUST SAUSAGE

“Culinary” curing is my definition of any meat (seafood) process that includes curing salts (nitrite) for the sole purpose of achieving a culinary goal and NOT a food safety goal

Refrigerator bacon Sausage (fresh) Terrines Galantines (colors the forcemeat stuffing) Pâtés (develops pink duck pate, used for their antioxidant properties in pates as well) Confit (meats in fat with e.g. spices, curing salt, wine or cognac) Meat bloom Fish bloom (Tuna) Cured smoke cooked salmon (fish)

 Hydrogen ions and reductants for chemical reactions  Meat pigments (red color)  Salt effect  Protein alterations / texture  Antioxidant effect (limits lipolysis)  Flavor precursors (enhances “cooked” meat flavors) ham flavor, umami flavor,

 >85 percent ADI (Ave. Daily Intake) nitrite comes from nitrate in green, leafy vegetables or root vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach and carrots, and some drinking water.  ADI is 0.7 mg / kg body weight / day (160lb person = 50 mg)  ADI recommendation for cured meats 3.6 –4.2 mg/ p / day (< 5% total expected)  Nitrite is a prescription medicine for cardiovascular health

TUNA BLOOM

Cure mix is 6.25 g nitrite / 100 g LD50 = 33‐250 mg / kg salt

standard adult at 150 lbs (68 Must consume ~ 33 g / cure salt to get 2.2 g nitrite kg) Cured meat portion ave. 226 g 33 mg x 68 = 2.2 g = LD50 (2.2 –170 g) 33 g salt in 226 g portion is 14.6% salt

Person must consume 2.2 g Human salt preference is 1‐2%. nitrite in one sitting to get to Above 3% is salty. Above 5‐8% LD50 is inedible. © Nummer 2015 suggested CULINARY CURE STANDARD

Guidance for culinary usage of cure mix No. 1 in meat or poultry Cure Mix No. 1. 6.25% nitrite in 93.75% NaCl for 100 lbs meat or poultry Immersion Bacon Immersion Comminuted Dry Rub Bacon Dry Rub (+12 gal water) (+12 gal water) 1USDA Nitrite ppm critical limit-1 ≤ 200 ≤ 156 ≤ 625 ≤ 120 ≤ 200 2Suggested Culinary Cure Standard ≤ 75 ≤ 75 ≤ 75 ≤ 75 ≤ 75 75 ppm nitrite in cure mix no. 1. Pink all methods Salt – usage level ~ 2 oz (56 g) 1The nitrite critical limit comes from USDA 9 CFR 424. The cure No.1. mix in ounces by weight is only valid for cure mixes of 6.25% nitrite and 93.75% salt. 2The target level is a suggested Cure Mix No. 1 usage based on the fact that culinary curing requirements are less rigorous than curing for preservation. Should an operator need to use more curing salt, then a variance would be required.

156 ppm in

‐ + NO2 + H → HNO2 2HNO2 → N2O3 + H2O N O → NO + NO 2 3 2 Meat color reactant Ascorbic acid →→ NO2 (‐) to NO

~ 50ppm residual Anti‐clostridial © Nummer 2015 SOP 1 ≤ nitrite 75 ppm (56 g Cure 1 in/on 100 lbs meat with up to 12 gallons water) STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES

SOP 2. Safe purchase and storage SOP 3. Safe use with training SOP 4. Nitrite residual annual verification (optional) List of all recipes that have nitrite in them VEGSTABLE™ 504

Celery salt and sea salt (natural source of nitrate converted to nitrite) Has use instructions – no discernable flavors until at

upper limits except salt

 “Culinary” curing is NOT considered a barrier for the purposes of vacuum packaging food safety (e.g. “culinary” cured VP meats safe at ≤ 41°F for 7 days not 30 with an ROP HACCP plan).  Clean and sanitize processing area thoroughly  Segregate seafood/fish processing area from other foods (always a good practice)  Maintain a grinding log for sausage (track source of meat in recipe)  Process meats, poultry and seafood quickly –less than 1 hr removed from refrigeration is ideal  Vegetable sources of nitrite and nitrate should not exceed USDA guidelines even though the source is “natural”.

 Keep target food thin to permit cure penetration  Filet fish removing skin that limits cure penetration if needed  Add ascorbic acid first, then reapply cure if cure color disappears (sign that nitrite is exhausted and safe to add 25‐75 ppm more)  Add sugar, salt, and spices freely as needed. There are no safety concerns.  Smoke flavors may also be added freely direct or in brines  Keep meat near frozen to grind better  Develop and test all recipes before placing into commerce