Method for rapidly developing a red color in meat using streptococcus lactis subspecies diacetylactis
AssigneeMicrolife Technics, Inc.
InventorsDonald P. Boudreaux, Mark A. Matrozza
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for rapidly developing a red color in fermented meat using Streptococcus lactis subspecies diacetylactis is described. The method allows the red color to rapidly develop at a pH above about 5.3 for at least 10 hours and then optionally a faster lactic acid producing bacteria lowers the pH to below about 4.9. The result is a fermented meat with an appealing red color which rapidly develops during processing.
Claims6
In a method for curing and fermenting meat by inoculating meat containing a food grade nitrite and an assimilable sugar with a lactic acid producing bacterium and fermenting the meat to reduce the pH of the meat the improvement which comprises:
- (a) inoculating the meat with a sufficient number of cells of a Streptococcus lactis subspecies diacetylactis alone or in admixture with another lactic acid producing bacterium so as to maintain the pH above about 5.3 for a period of at least 10 hours at a temperature between about 20.degree. and 40.degree. C. so that the meat rapidly develops a cured red color during the period;
- and
- (b) fermenting the meat to reduce the pH to less than 5.3 after the period of at least 10 hours.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.