Practical advice for maintaining quality By Dr. Bruce Armstrong meat&poultry@sosland.com T here is a meat industry axiom that says "keep it cold, keep it moving and keep it clean." The sentiment, while related mostly to fresh meat operations, is still valid today. The axiom for processed meats, on the other hand, could likewise be "cut it properly, maintain (attain) the proper temperature and use the correct ingredients." It sounds straightforward, but if processors don't devote enough attention to detail they can face numerous product quality problems. The first step in processing a quality product is proper cutting by using sharp equipment such as grinders, bowl-cutters and emulsifiers. Meat must be cut - rather than beaten or crushed - in all processed-meat operations to prevent inferior results. Meat cutting equipment in most operations is very powerful - meat will The first step in processing a quality product is proper cutting using sharp equipment such as grinders, bowl-cutters and emulsifiers. Photo courtesy of Convenience Food Systems (CFS). 46 I MEAT&POULTRY I February 2005 I www.MEATPOULTRY.comhttp://www.MEATPOULTRY.com