Effects of Different Smoking Materials and Methods on the Quality of Chinese Traditional Bacon (Larou)

Larou is a traditional smoked meat product in China. In this experiment, larou was processed with different smoking materials and methods to determine whether differences in processing methods would affect the quality of the larou and the concentrations of carcinogens. Pork bellies were marinated, dried, and divided into four groups and then directly smoked with four different smoking materials for 40 min. The smoking material for larou that was most effective was then used with an indirect smoking device with an nano-activated carbon fiber filter and evaluated as a single-factor variable. The surface area of the nano-activated carbon filter was 978.00 m2/g, and this filter effectively adsorbed the ash particles from the smoke. For the group smoked with pomelo skins (PS), the highest concentrations and number of phenols were 4.48% and 11, respectively, which increased the smoke flavor significantly. The moisture was 32.64%, and the Staphylococcus, lactic acid bacteria, and yeast and mold levels were 0.98, 1.10, and 0.59 log CFU/g, indicating inhibition of harmful bacteria and a beneficial microbial environment for larou fermentation. The benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) concentration in PS smoke determined with the indirect smoking device was 1.82 μg/kg, whereas that determined with the direct smoking device was 36.1 μg/kg, a significant difference (P < 0.01). These findings suggested that indirect smoking with PS could effectively maintain microbial quality and reduce the B[a]P[mc] concentrations in larou. This processing method can be used for the production of this meat product.