Preparation and storage stability of dried salted mutton

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Meat Science
• Food Preservation

Background:

• Traditional preservation methods are crucial for extending meat shelf-life, especially in tropical climates.
• Developing shelf-stable meat products requires understanding the impact of processing and packaging on quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the shelf-life and quality of partially dried, salted mutton cakes.
• To determine the optimal storage conditions and packaging methods for preserving mutton quality.

Main Methods:

• Mutton was minced, mixed with salt (25%) and sorbate (0.4%), formed into cakes, and partially dried at 40°C to a water activity of 0.75.
• Cakes were packaged in vacuum or air and stored at 30°C or 2°C for up to 60 days.
• Objective quality assessments focused on texture, nutritional value, and color changes.

Main Results:

• Dried salted mutton cakes retained textural and nutritional quality for 60 days at 30°C.
• Some color fading occurred due to haemoprotein breakdown.
• Vacuum packaging significantly minimized color loss compared to air packaging.

Conclusions:

• Partially dried, salted mutton cakes offer a viable preserved meat product with good shelf-stability.
• Vacuum packaging is recommended to maintain color integrity during storage.
• This method is suitable for centralized meat product manufacturing for distribution in developing, tropical countries.