MOULDSGOOD VERSUS BAD IN SAUSAGE

MANUFACTURING

MOULDS GOOD VERSUS BAD IN SAUSAGE MANUFACTURING

INTRODUCTIONS

WELCOME TO OUR SESSION – TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT GOOD AND BAD MOULD.

MY NAME IS (INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND A BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO – HOW LONG AT DEVRO, BACKGROUND ETC)

CAN I ALSO INTRODUCE MY COLLEAGUE KAREN (KAREN INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR JOB)

SO IN TODAYS TALK WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT GOOD MOULD, GOOD AND BAD BACTERIA, HOW MOULD GROWS, HOW IT WORKS AND BAD MOULD.

WHEN WE’VE FINISHED WE HAVE A FEW THINGS TO SHOW YOU AND A FEW TASTE TESTS FOR YOU.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE SHOUT UP AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO ANSWER YOU – IF WE DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER TO ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS, WE WILL TAKE THEM AWAY AND ASK SOME OF THE SCIENTISTS THAT WE WORK WITH AND GET THE ANSWERS BACK .

GOOD MOULD

IN SOME OF YOUR LESSONS YOU MAY HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT HOW SOME MOULDS ARE DESIRABLE AND OTHERS NOT.

TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT HOW MOULD IS BAD FOR DEVRO AS A SAUSAGE CASING MANUFACTURER BUT GOOD FOR SOME SAUSAGE MANUFACTURERS.

Q: SO WHAT IS MOULD (ASK THE GROUP – WHERE DO YOU SEE IT, DOES IT LOOK NICE, WOULD YOU EAT IT …?????)

MOULDS ARE MICROSCOPIC FUNGI THAT GROW IN THE FORM OF MULTI CELLULAR FILAMENTS CALLED HYPHAE.

Q: WHEN SOMONE SAYS THE WORD FUNGI, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF? ITS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH MUSHROOMS AND ATHLETES FOOT !!!

MOULDS ARE WHATS KNOWN AS AEROBIC AND CAN GROW ON THE SURFACE OF SAUSAGES. WE WILL LOOK AT WHAT THIS MEANS SHORTLY.

WITH REGARDS SAUSAGE MAKING, BACTERIA CAN BE DIVIDED INTO 3 DIFFERENT TYPES – SPOILAGE, DANGEROUS AND BENEFICIAL.

Q: WHICH ONE OF THESE DO YOU THINK SOUNDS GOOD? A: BENEFICIAL BACTERIA OF COURSE – SO FIRST LET’S LOOK AT THE BAD BACTERIAS

1. SPOILAGE BACTERIA

THESE BACTERIA CAUSE FOOD TO DETERIORATE AND DEVELOP UNPLEASANT ODOURS, TASTES AND TEXTURES. THEY CAN CAUSE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES TO GO MUSHY AND SLIMY OR MEAT TO SMELL BAD. MOST PEOPLE WOULD NOT EAT THIS FOOD BUT IF THEY DID WOULD PROBABLY NOT GET SICK.

Q: SHOULD WE TRY ? PRETEND TO LIFE THE COVER OFF ONE OF THE TABLES – JUST KIDDING !!

2. DANGEROUS BACTERIA

KNOWN AS PATHOGENIC BACTERIA AND CAN CAUSE ILLNESS. THEY GROW RAPIDLY IN TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 4 – 60OC (KNOWN AS THE DANGER ZONE). THEY DO NOT AFFECT THE TASTE, SMELL OR TEXTURE OF FOOD.

Q: CAN ANYONE THINK OF AN EXAMPLE OF THIS? ONE EXAMPLE IS SALMONELLA. THIS COMES FROM DAIRY, MEAT AND CHICKEN PRODUCTS WHICH IS WHY CARE MUST BE TAKEN WHEN PREPARING SUCH FOODS AND EATING THEM WELL WITHIN DATE ETC

3. BENEFICIAL BACTERIA

THIS IS WHAT WE ARE INTERESTED IN!!

BENEFICIAL BACTERIA CAN BE USED TO OUR ADVANTAGE TO PRODUCE FERMENTED SAUSAGE.

FERMENTED SAUSAGES ARE CURED UNCOOKED SAUSAGES THAT RELY ON ACID PRODUCTION AND FERMENTATION TO PREVENT AGAINST SPOILAGE BACTERIA

THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR:

SHOW EACH CARD WITH THE PICTURES ON (CAN YOU GIVE MORE DETAIL ON THESE?):

IMPROVING FLAVOUR

CONVERTING NITRATE TO NITRITE

INCREASING ACIDITY ( BY LOWERING PH)

MOULD GROWTH

WE ALL KNOW THAT MEAT LEFT AT ROOM TEMPERATURE WILL SPOIL IN TIME AND THAT IS WHY IT IS KEPT IN A FRIDGE/FREEZER. YET FERMENTED OR AIR DRIED SAUSAGES ARE NOT COOKED AND DO NOT NEED TO BE STORED IN A FRIDGE. WHY IS THIS?

FERMENTED SAUSAGES ARE MADE BY USE OF ‘BENEFICIAL OR FRIENDLY’ BACTERIA THAT WE MANIPULATE TO OUR ADVANTAGE AND THEY BECOME MICROSCOPIC LABOURERS PERFORMING TASKS THAT WE CANNOT DO OURSELVES.

REQUIREMENTS FOR MOULD GROWTH

Q: SO WHAT DO YOU THINK WE NEED TO MAKE MOULD GROW?

THERE ARE 4 MAIN REQUIREMENTS TO ALLOW MOULD TO GROW:

1. AVAILABLE MOULD SPORES

MOULD SPORES ARE EVERYWHERE. THERE IS NO REASONABLE, RELIABLE AND COST EFFECTIVE WAY OF ELIMINATING THEM FROM THE ENVIRONMENT THAT HUMANS INHIBIT.

2. APPROPRIATE TEMPERATURE

Acidity

pH

THE MAJORITY OF MOULDS ARE MESOPHILLIC.

Q: THAT’S A BIG WORD EH – CAN ANYONE TELL ME OR GUESS WHAT THEY THINK IT MEANS?THEY CAN GROW IN TEMPERATURES IN THE RANGE OF 10-35OC (ROOM TEMPERATURE)

3. MOISTURE MOLD CAN ONLY GROW WHEN SUFFICIENT MOISTURE IS PRESENT. THE MOISTURE REQUIREMENTS DEPEND ON THE SPECIES. IF A FOOD ITEM HAS ENOUGH MOISTURE, MOLD SPORES WILL LAND ON IT AND GROW EVENTUALLY.BREAD IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS – HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO SQUISH BREAD UP IN A BALL – WELL YOU CAN DO IT QUITE EASILY BECAUSE IT HAS ENOUGH MOISTURE IN IT FOR IT TO STICK TOGETHER AND THIS IS WHY BREAD CAN GO MOULDY QUITE EASILY.

WHILE MOLDS LIKE MOISTURE AND NEED IT TO GROW, TOO MUCH MOISTURE IS ALSO COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. MOLDS GENERALLY DON'T LIKE SURFACES THAT ARE WET; THEY PREFER SURFACES THAT ARE MOIST BUT NOT COMPLETELY SOGGY. THERE ARE ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULEQ: HAVE YOU EVER LEFT A DRINK IN A CUP AND FORGOTTEN IN – UNDER YOUR BED ETC. – IT GOES REALLY MOULDY

4. AVAILABLE FOOD

IF ALL THE OTHER 3 REQUIREMENTS ARE MET ALMOST ANY SUBSTANCE WILL PROVIDE THE FOOD REQUIRED FOR MOULD TO GROW.

EVEN THE OIL FROM OUR SKIN WHICH IS LEFT IF WE TOUCHED A PIECE OF STAINLESS STEEL WOULD PROVIDE THE NUTRIENTS FOR MOULD GROWTH.

HOW DOES THE MOULD WORK?

A BASIC SALAMI WOULD BE PRODUCED IN THE FOLLOWING WAY:

SAUSAGE MIX MADE UP A BASIC SALAMI MIX CONSISTS OF MEAT SUCH AS BEEF SHOULDER AND PORK

HAND AND SOME BACKFAT.

NITRITE SALT, FLAVOURS SUCH AS WHITE PEPPER, BLACK PEPPER, ONION POWDER, GARLIC POWDER AND PAPRIKA

WATER TO BIND IT ALL TOGETHERSUGARS (USUALLY DEXTROSE ARE ALSO ADDED AS A FOOD SOURCE FOR THE

BACTERIA DURING THE CURING PROCESSAND A STARTER CULTURE

SAUSAGE MEAT FILLED INTO SAUSAGE CASINGS AND ONTO DRYING STICKS

FERMENTATIONSALAMIS HUNG JUST ABOVE ROOM TEMPERATURE AT 85-95% HUMIDITY FOR 35 HOURS. DURING THIS TIME THE LACTIC ACID BACTERIA AND STARTER CULTURE

BEGIN MULTIPLYING AND PRODUCING LACTIC ACID.

THE MORE GOOD BACTERIA MEANS THE LESS BAD BACTERIA GROWING BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH FOOD FOR THE BAD BACTERIA TO EAT. THIS THEN LOWERS THE PH MAKING IT MORE ACIDIC (PH 5.0-5.3) ACIDIC CONDITIONS ARE NOT FAVOURABLE TO SPOILAGE AND ILLNESS CAUSING BACTERIA WHICH IS OF COURSE A GOOD THING.

DRYINGAFTER THE PH REACHES 5.0 IT IS TIME FOR THE DRYING STAGE. BEFORE THIS THE SAUSAGE IS SPRAYED IN STARTER CULTURE. THIS HELPS SLOW DOWN THE

MOISTURE REMOVAL FROM THE SAUSAGE WHICH STOPS THE FATS IN THE SAUSAGE GOING RANCID AND ALSO HELPS PREVENT THE GROWTH OF ‘BAD

MOULD’ ON THE SALAMI. THE STARTER CULTURE ALSO PROVIDES FLAVOUR

SAUSAGE MAKERS FAVOURITES INCLUDE: PENICILLIUM CHRYSANGENUM FROM WHICH IS WHERE FLEMINGS ANTIBIOTIC PENICILLIN WAS DEVELOPED .

ALTHOUGH IT IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED THAT WHITE MOULD IS SAFE, THOSE OF ANY OTHER COLOUR ARE NOT CONSIDERED EDIBLE SO DON’T TRY EATING THEM.

FOR THIS REASON STARTER CULTURES SHOULD ONLY BE USED FROM A REPUTABLE COMPANY – YOU CANT JUST SPRAY ANY OLD TYPE OF MOULD ONTO

THE SAUSAGES – IT IS CAREFULLY SELECTED.

SO, FINALLY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT BAD MOULD

BAD MOULD

IN DEVRO MOULD ON CASING IS A VERY UNWANTED QUALITY ISSUE THAT DEVRO TAKE MANY PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT.

DEVRO RECOMMEND STORAGE TEMPERATURE ON THEIR PACKAGING OF BETWEEN 5 – 25OC

OXYGEN ABSORBERS ARE PUT IN ALL BOXES WHICH USE UP AVAILABLE OXYGEN TO PREVENT MOULD GROWTH (WE WILL LOOK AT SOME OF THESE IN A MOMENT). BECAUSE AS WE SAID EARLIER MOULDS ARE AEROBIC AND THEREFORE BY TAKING AWAY THEIR OXYGEN SUPPLY WE ARE MAKING IT HARDER FOR THEM TO GROW.

NO MOULDY RETURNS ALLOWED INTO DEVRO MANUFACTURING ETC – PREVENTATIVE METHOD

MOULDY CASING COULD CAUSE POTENTIAL RUNNING ISSUES, BREAKS ETC AT A SAUSAGE MANUFACTURING PLANT.

OK SO THAT’S THE TALKING PART – ITS NOW YOUR TURN TO GET ON YOUR FEET AND KAREN WILL TALK YOU THROUGH THE MYSTERIES OF THE FRONT DESK.

VISUALS

TABLE 1 - SET UP WITH DISPLAY SAUSAGES (MOULDY SAUSAGE EXAMPLES) & LAMINATED PHOTOS OF SALAMIS BEING MADE. ALSO AN EXAMPLE OF A GOOD MOULD AND BAD MOULDY SAUSAGE

TABLE 2 - SET UP WITH VARIOUS SIZED DEVRO CASINGS, OXYGEN ABSORBERS, AND FOIL PACKAGING. TO DEMONSTRATE HOW DEVRO PREVENT MOULD ON THERE CASINGS

TABLE 3 - (THE TASTE TABLE) SET UP WITH VARIOUS MOULDY SALAMIS WHICH WE WILL BUY FROM THE SHOPS AND ALSO A BATCH OF SALAMIS MADE IN THE DEVRO TEST KITCHEN. SAUSAGES FROM AROUND THE WORLD ON THE TABLE. UK, FRANCE, GERMANY, SPAIN, POLAND, SWITZERLAND?? WHICH ONE IS THE NICEST

OK – THAT’S THE END OF OUR TOPIC TODAYI HOPE YOU’VE FOUND IT INTERESTING – ANY FINAL QUESTIONS BEFORE WE FINISH OFF?

THANKS FOR LISTENING