Aging pork bacon

Wet aging experiment to test the preservation effect of different salt inclusion level on cured pork bacon process
 

• King Son Convertible IFP Aging Chiller is incorporated with King Son Constancy IFP Chilling Technology that process and preserve food between (0°C/32.00°F – above Initial Freezing Point of food) in uniform conditions and environments, with temperature fluctuations ± 0.3°C/ 0.54°F and humidity fluctuations ±5%.
• Because King Son Convertible IFP Aging Chiller has superior food preservation capability, therefore, carry out the experiment to validate the preservation effect of salt inclusion level on aging pork bacon cured process in King Son Convertible IFP Aging Chiller and to taste the aging and cured flavor of bacon.
• Currently, there are no preservative contained bacon available in the market, that the salt contents are at least 2%. Therefore, the salt level contents of experimental samples are up to 2%, followed by 1% and minimum 0.5%, and wet aging in the Ziploc bags for 10 days.

• Aging temperature: -0.8℃±0.3°C/ 30.56°F±0.54°F
• Aging days:10 days
• Aging method: wet aging in the Ziploc bag
• Test material: Pork Belly
• Salt contents level: 0.5%,1%,2%
• Spice: Kuscat Unsual Mix of Spices

  
The pictures of pork bacon profile, that aged and curing by different salt level contents for 10 days

0.5% salt contents: pH6.06
1% salt contents: pH5.81
2% salt contents: pH 5.93
 
Measures the pH value of 10-day aging pork bacon that curing by different salt level

• Pork meat pH range
  • live: pH7.1～7.2
  • One hour after postmortem: pH6.2～6.3
  • 24 hours after postmortem: pH5.6～6.0
  • Fresh pork: pH5.8～6.8
  • Secondary fresh pork: pH6.3～6.6
  • Corrupted meat: above pH 6.7
• The pH value of 10-day aging pork bacon that curing by different salt level.
  • 2% salt contents: pH 5.93
  • 1% salt contents: pH5.81
  • 0.5% salt contents: pH6.06
• The pH value of three different salt contents on curing pork bacon are below pH<6.7, that are within food safety level.

• 0.5% salt contents are too low to produce good bacon taste and the skin of bacon is hard, that are not for eating.
• 2% salt contents are too salty.
• The best salt contents are 1%.
• The bacons, with 1% and 2% salt contents, aged for 10 days that the skin of bacon will not be too hard when eating.

Conclusions

1. King Son Convertible IFP Aging Chiller process food between (0°C/32.00°F – above Initial Freezing Point of food) in uniform conditions and environments, with temperature fluctuations ± 0.3°C/ 0.54°F and humidity fluctuations ±5% that benefits to preserves food fresh in superior quality.
2. Even if only 0.5% of the salt contents on bacon aged for 10 days, the pH value 6.06 is below pH<6.7 (maximum), that is still within food safety level. This is completely beyond the capability that refrigerator can does for food storage.
3. When bacon is with only 0.5% salt contents, although it satisfies food safety requirement, but because the salt contents are too low to eating, therefore, the best salt contents is recommended to use 1%.
4. The follow-up experiments will be done at 1% and 0.8% salt contents to check maximum how long the bacon can be preserved freshness by King Son Convertible IFP Aging Chiller.