Effects of pork/beef levels and various casings on quality properties of semi-dried jerky

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pork/beef levels and the casings on the quality properties of semi-dried jerky. The pork/beef levels in the four test formulations were as follows: T-1 (pork: beef = 100:0), T-2 (95:5), T-3 (90:10), and T-4 (80:20). After tumbling for 30 min with curing solution, the cured meats were stuffed into natural sheep casings, collagen casings, or cellulose casings, and then dried. The restructured jerky with cellulose casing had the lowest water content and the highest protein content, with no significant differences between various formulations. There were no significant differences among all formulations with regard to pH and total microbial counts, and jerky with cellulose casing had the lowest value of water activity. The processing yields of jerky made from the T-3 formulation were not significantly different with the various casings. The shear force of jerky with cellulose casing was lower than with other casings, and the metmyoglobin contents were more than 85% in all formulations. With regard to sensory properties, jerky made with the T-3 formulation and cellulose casings rated most favorable in evaluations than other treatments. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.