GENERAL PRACTICES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MEAT-PRODUCTS .2.

It has been possible to draw certain conclusions about the general view of meat products held by the trade, scientists, consumers, etc. from observations made at the German Agricultural Society's quality tests during the past twenty years. Thus the entry quotas indicate the proportion of the market obtained by individual groups or varieties of meat products, whilst the entry district indicates the main emphases, usually traditionally determined, in the manufacture of certain varieties. Trends in presentation (curing, trimming, composition, calibre size, casings, restructured meat, use of truffles) are generally determined, particularly in relation to variety. There has been a retreat from the classical calibres in nearly all sausages and an increase in "farmhouse" cuts for nearly all raw cured products but there is a slight increase in uncured products directed mainly to white brawns, Presswurst and Hausmacher liver sausage and the increased use of natural casings concerns only certain liver sausage varieties or Fleischwurst. 93.1% of meat products are made with reddening agents, 6.6% of raw cured products and 8.5% of dry sausage are ripened in air. Only with Bierschinken do we still find the tendency to use dark sausage mixtures in the north and lighter ones in the south. About 25% of all meat products have geographical indications, and this trend is increasing, these functioning as indications of origin or of quality. The use of nostalgic terms is also increasing and at present amounts to about 10%. Advertisements using the word "beef" are most often found with brawns and cooked, cured products. Data relating to nutritional value aim chiefly at fat reduction in sausages, mainly finely comminuted frankfurter-type sausage. 22.1% of meat products show no deviations from what is expected of quality in sensory terms whilst 49.8% show only slight ones.