MODERN TRENDS IN THE PRODUCTION OF FERMENTED MEAT PRODUCTS

The work generalises and analyses the main problems of manufacturing fermented meat products. These problems are dealt with in scientific papers by experts in meat processing. Today's studies by scientists all over the world are dedicated to the achievement of biological and microbiological safety, structure formation, the use of new kinds of raw materials, the specific features of colour formation, the formation of sensory properties, the improvement of the biological value of raw-smoked and dry-cured products. The work emphasises that the quality of finished products and the stability of the technological process depend on the quality of the raw materials, on the properties of their microbiota, and/or on the starter cultures of microorganisms introduced. It has been shown that the sanitary condition of raw materials can be improved and the impact of pathogenic microorganisms can be reduced by using ultrasound, hydrostatic high pressure, high-intensity pulsating electric field, cold plasma. Also, besides physical methods of processing, it is effective to use competitive microflora, extracts of spicy aromatic plants, different combinations of salting mixtures, packaging. It has been stated that the formation of the finished product structure depends on the parameters of the technological process, on the activity of exo- and endoenzymes, and on the composition according to the recipe. It has been shown that the colour of fermented meat products and its stability depend on the content of natural pigments and on the conditions of their interaction with nitrites under the action of microorganisms with nitrite reductase activity and of the pH of the environment. The possibility of obtaining a characteristic pink-red colour of meat products without using nitrites has been noted. The article presents the results of studying whether the organoleptic parameters of the finished product can be varied by modelling the ingredient composition and fermentation conditions. It has been described how new types of functional-purpose fermented meat products can be created by introducing omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, macro and microelements, etc. into their composition.