Fresh sausage is typically prepared from one or more kinds of meats. It may contain water (not exceeding 3 percent of the total ingredients in the product) and binders and extenders (for example, wheat flour and non-fat dry milk).
Good sausage begins with good meat. Beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, and poultry are all suitable for use in sausage. A majority of sausage products are prepared with pork and beef. Meat should be fresh, high quality, have the proper lean-to-fat ratio and have good binding qualities. The meat should be clean and not contaminated with bacteria or other microorganisms.
Other ingredients such as salt (addition to taste, extract some proteins from meat, enhances flavor, reduce microbiological spoilage and increases water holding), water ice (assist the process of mixing and help salt to solubilize meat proteins), curing agents (inhibit microbial growth, provide pink color and enhance flavor), spices (add flavor to the product) and binder (promote fat and moisture retention) and extender (reduce formulation costs).
The basic steps in sausage making are:
• Weighing/measuring the ingredients
• Grinding
• Stuffing/linking
• Smoking/cooking
Sausage making has become a unique blend of old procedures and new scientific, highly-mech-anized processes. Traditionally, sausage was formed into a symmetrical shape, but it now can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes to meet consumers’ needs.
Manufacturing of meat sausage: Ingredients and processing
