#Food Stability

[etakeh]

And news that will shock no one, people had better housing stability, ate better, worked towards better in their own future.

Also unsurprising, any mental health improvements that came with this stability diminished towards the end of the project.

[this-is-my-main-i-follow-from]

Chef WK, lead charcuterie specialist in Alberta Canada

Table of contents

1. Control Program Requirements for Fermented Meat Products

2. Facility and Equipment Requirements

3. Starter Culture

4. Chemical Acidification

5. Water Activity Critical Limits

6. Time and Temperature for Fermented Products

7. Fermentation Done at a Constant Temperature

8. Examples of Degree-hours at constant room temperatures

9. Fermentation Done at Different Temperatures

10. Fermentation done at Different temperatures

11. What happens if fermentation fails to hit critical limit?

12. E. coli and Salmonella Control in Fermented Sausages

13. Options for E. coli validation

14. Option1; Heating

15. Option 2; pH, heating, holding, diameter

16. Safety and consistency

Control Program Requirements for Fermented Meat Products

The producer must have a program in place to assess the incoming product. This program should outline specifications for the incoming ingredients. This may include criteria including receiving temperature, farm/ supplier, lot code or packed on date, species/cut etc.

2. Facility and Equipment Requirements

Equipment used in the fermentation process must be included in the operator's prerequisite control programs. These must include the following elements:

Temperature in the fermentation, drying and smoking chambers must be uniform and controlled to prevent any fluctuation that could impact on the safety of the final product.

Fermentation, drying and smoking chambers must be equipped with a shatter resistant indicating thermometer, (or equivalent), with graduations of 1°C or less. If mercury thermometers are used, their mercury columns must be free from separations. All thermometers must be located such that they can be easily read.

Fermentation and smoking chambers must be equipped with a recording thermometer for determining degree-hours calculations in a reliable manner. Recording thermometers are also preferable in drying and aging rooms but, in these rooms, it may be sufficient to read and record the temperatures 2 times a day.

Drying and aging rooms must be equipped with humidity recorders in order to prevent uncontrolled fluctuations of the relative humidity. The only alternative to an automatic humidity recorder in these rooms would be for the company to manually monitor and record ambient humidity twice a day (morning and afternoon) every day with a properly calibrated portable humidity recorder.

For routine monitoring, accurate measurement electronic pH meters (± 0.05 units) should be employed. It is important that the manufacturer's instructions for use, maintenance and calibration of the instrument as well as recommended sample preparation and testing be followed.

When the aw of a product is a critical limit set out in the HACCP plan for a meat product, accurate measurement devices must be employed. It is important that the manufacturer's instructions for use, maintenance and calibration of the instrument be followed.

3. Starter Culture

The operator must use a CFIA approved starter culture. This includes Freeze-dried commercially available culture as well as back-slopping (use of previously successful fermented meat used to inoculate a new batch). When performing back-slopping, the operator must have a control program in place to prevent the transmission of pathogens from when using the inoculum from a previous batch to initiate the fermentation process of a new batch. These must include:

The storage temperature must be maintained at 4°C or less and a pH of 5.3 or less.

Samples for microbiological analysis must be taken to ensure that the process is in line with the specifications.

The frequency of sampling is to be adjusted according to compliance to specifications.

Any batch of inoculum which has a pH greater than 5.3 must be analysed to detect at least Staphylococcus aureus. Only upon satisfactory results will this inoculum be permitted for use in back slopping.

This can be an expensive and a time exhaustive process and is generally avoided due to food safety concerns. AHS does not allow back-slopping.

[Chef WK was in communication with the U of A to get his method, a starter mix, studied.]

4. Chemical Acidification

If product is chemically acidified by addition of citric acid, glucono-delta-lactone or another chemical agent approved for this purpose, controls must be in place and records kept to ensure that a pH of 5.3 or lower is achieved by the end of the fermentation process. These acids are encapsulated in different coatings that melt at specific temperatures, which then release the powdered acids into the meat batter and directly chemically acidulate the protein.

Summer sausage is a very common chemically acidified product. The flavor profile tends to be monotone and lacking depth. 

5. Water Activity Critical Limits

The aw may be reduced by adding solutes (salt, sugar) or removing moisture.

Approximate minimum levels of aw (if considered alone) for the growth of:

molds: 0.61 to 0.96

yeasts: 0.62 to 0.90

bacteria: 0.86 to 0.97

Clostridium botulinum: 0.95 to 0.97

Clostridium perfringens: 0.95

Enterobacteriaceae: 0.94 to 0.97

Pseudomonas fluorescens: 0.97

Salmonella: 0.92 - 0.95

Staphylococcus aureus: 0.86

parasites: Trichinella spiralis will survive at an aw of 0.93 but is destroyed at an aw of 0.85 or less.

The above levels are based on the absence of other inhibitory effects such as nitrite, competitive growth, sub-optimum temperatures, etc., which may be present in meat products. In normal conditions, Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins are not produced below aw 0.86, although in vacuum packed products this is unlikely below aw 0.89.

6. Time and Temperature for Fermented Products

Certain strains of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus are capable of producing a highly heat stable toxin that causes illness in humans. Above a critical temperature of 15.6°C, Staphylococcus aureus multiplication and toxin production can take place. Once a pH of 5.3 is reached, Staphylococcus aureus multiplication and toxin production are stopped.

Degree-hours are the product of time as measured in hours at a particular temperature multiplied by the "degrees" measured in excess of 15.6°C (the critical temperature for growth of Staphylococcus aureus). Degree-hours are calculated for each temperature used in the process. The limitation of the number of degree-hours depends upon the highest temperature in the fermentation process prior to the time that a pH of 5.3 or less is attained.

The operator is encouraged to measure temperatures at the surface of the product. Where this is not possible, the operator should utilize fermentation room temperatures. The degree hour calculations are based on fermentation room temperatures. Temperature and humidity should be uniform throughout the fermentation room.

A process can be judged as acceptable provided the product consistently reaches a pH of 5.3 using:

fewer than 665 degree-hours when the highest fermentation temperature is less than 33°C;

fewer than 555 degree-hours when the highest fermentation temperature is between 33° and 37°C; and

fewer than 500 degree-hours when the highest fermentation temperature is greater than 37°C.

This means that as the temperature increases, the amount of time that you have available to reach 5.3 or under is shorter. The warmer the temperature, the sharper the log growth phase of bacteria, which equates to more overshoot in lactic acid production, faster.

8. Examples of Degree-hours at constant room temperatures

Example 1:

Fermentation room temperature is a constant 26°C. It takes 55 hours for the pH to reach 5.3.

Degrees above 15.6°C: 26°C - 15.6°C = 10.4°C Hours to reach pH of 5.3: 55 Degree-hours calculation: (10.4°C) x (55) = 572 degree-hours

The corresponding degree-hours limit (less than 33°C) is 665 degree-hours.

Conclusion: Example 1 meets the guideline because its degree-hours are less than the limit.

Example 2:

Fermentation room temperature is a constant 35°C. It takes 40 hours for the pH to reach 5.3.

Degrees above 15.6°C: 35°C - 15.6°C = 19.4°C Hours to reach pH of 5.3: 40 Degree-hours calculation: (19.4°C) x (40) = 776 degree-hours

The corresponding degree-hours limit (between 33 and 37°C) is 555 degree-hours.

Conclusion: Example 2 does not meet the guideline because its degree-hours exceed the limit

9. Fermentation Done at Different Temperatures

When the fermentation takes place at various temperatures, each temperature step in the process is analyzed for the number of degree-hours it contributes. The degree-hours limit for the entire fermentation process is based on the highest temperature reached during fermentation.

Example 1:

It takes 35 hours for product to reach a pH of 5.3 or less. Fermentation room temperature is 24°C for the first 10 hours, 30°C for second 10 hours and 35°C for the final 15 hours.

Step 1

Degrees above 15.6°C: 24°C - 15.6°C = 8.4°C Hours to reach pH of 5.3: 10 Degree-hours calculation: (8.4°C) x (10) = 84 degree-hours

Step 2

Degrees above 15.6°C: 30°C - 15.6°C = 14.4°C Hours to reach pH of 5.3: 10 Degree-hours calculation: (14.4°C) x (10) = 144 degree-hours

Step 3

Degrees above 15.6°C: 35°C - 15.6°C = 19.4°C Hours to reach pH of 5.3: 15 Degree-hours calculation: (19.4°C) x (15) = 291 degree-hours

Degree-hours calculation for the entire fermentation process = 84 + 144 + 291 = 519

The highest temperature reached = 35°C

The corresponding degree-hour limit = 555 (between 33°C and 37°C)Conclusion: Example 1 meets the guideline because its degree-hours are less than the limit.

10. Fermentation done at Different temperatures

Example 2:

It takes 38 hours for product to reach a pH of 5.3 or less. Fermentation room temperature is 24°C for the first 10 hours, 30°C for the second 10 hours and 37°C for the final 18 hours.

Step 1

Degrees above 15.6°C: 24°C - 15.6°C = 8.4°C Hours to reach pH of 5.3: 10 Degree-hours calculation: (8.4°C) x (10) = 84 degree-hours

Step 2

Degrees above 15.6°C: 30°C - 15.6°C = 14.4°C Hours to reach pH of 5.3: 10 Degree-hours calculation: (14.4°C) x (10) = 144 degree-hours

Step 3

Degrees above 15.6°C: 37°C - 15.6°C = 21.4°C Hours to reach pH of 5.3: 18 Degree-hours calculation: (21.4°C) x (18) = 385.2 degree-hours

Degree-hours calculation for the entire fermentation process = 84 + 144 + 385.2 = 613.2

The highest temperature reached = 37°C

The corresponding degree-hour limit = 555 (between 33°C and 37°C)

Conclusion: Example 2 does not meet the guidelines because its degree-hours exceed the limit.

11. What happens if fermentation fails to hit critical limit?

What happens if the batch takes longer than degree-hours allows? For restaurant level production, it's always safer to discard the product. The toxin that Staph. Aureus produces is heat stable and cannot be cooked to deactivate. In large facilities that produce substantial batches, the operator must notify the CFIA of each case where degree-hours limits have been exceeded. Such lots must be held and samples of product submitted for microbiological laboratory examination after the drying period has been completed. Analyses should be done for Staphylococcus aureus and its enterotoxin, and for principal pathogens, such as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Clostridium botulinum and Listeria monocytogenes.

If the bacteriological evaluation proves that there are fewer than 104 Staphylococcus aureus per gram and that no enterotoxin or other pathogens are detected, then the product may be sold provided that it is labelled as requiring refrigeration.

In the case of a Staphylococcus aureus level higher than 104 per gram with no enterotoxin present the product may be used in the production of a cooked product but only if the heating process achieves full lethality applicable to the meat product.

In the case where Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin is detected in the product the product must be destroyed.

12. E. coli and Salmonella Control in Fermented Sausages

Business' that manufacture fermented sausages are required to control for verotoxinogenic E. coli including E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella when they make this type of product. This includes:

establishments which use beef as an ingredient in a dry or semi-dry fermented meat sausage;

establishments which store or handle uncooked beef on site;

Establishments which do not use beef and do not obtain meat ingredients from establishments which handle beef are not currently required to use one of the five options for the control of E. coli O157:H7 in dry/semi-dry fermented sausages. 

Any processed RTE product containing beef or processed in a facility that also processed beef, must be subjected to a heat treatment step to control E. coli O157:H7. Heating to an internal temperature of 71°C for 15 seconds or other treatment to achieve a 5D reduction is necessary. This is a CFIA requirement and is not negotiable.

Uncooked air dried products produced as RTE, must meet shelf stable requirements as detailed for Fermented-Dry products.

13. Options for E. coli validation

Without lab testing, the two main methods of validation are with heat treating by either low temp and a long duration, or various hotter processing temperatures for a shorter timeframe.

A challenge study to validate a process can take 1 year and over $100,000!

14. Option1; Heating

15. Option 2; pH, heating, holding, diameter

16. Safety and consistency

The aw and pH values are critical in the control of pathogens as well as to ensure shelf-stability in all semi-dry and dry fermented meat products. Each batch must be tested for aw and/or pH in order to verify that the critical limits are met.

Although aw measurement is mandatory only for shelf stable products, it is strongly recommended that the producer determine the aw values achieved for each product type they manufacture and for each product. Once this has been established, frequent regular checks should be made to ensure consistency. In the U.S., they rely on moisture to protein ratio and have set targets. This lab-tested value is a direct correlation of the % water to % meat protein and not aw. This gives more consistency to common names. For example, to legally call a product "jerky" it must have a MPR of 0.75:1 or lower. Remember your ABCs:

Always be compliant. 

-AND-

Documentation or it didn't happen.

(tags)

Charcuterie,Fermented Meat,Food Safety,Starter Culture,Chemical Acidification,Water Activity,Fermentation Process,Degree-Hours Method,Foodborne Pathogens,Meat Processing Guidelines,Chef WK Alberta Canada,Food Industry Standards,pH Critical Limits,Thermal Processing,Food Preservation,Food Microbiology,Sausage Fermentation,Charcuterie Expertise,Fermented Meats ,Food Safety Standards,Food Processing Guidelines,Starter Cultures,Chemical Acidification,Water Activity (a_w),Critical Limits,Degree-Hours Method,Foodborne Pathogens,Meat Processing Equipment,Processing Facility Requirements,Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP),Food Preservation Techniques,Temperature Control,Pathogen Reduction,Food Industry Compliance,Documentation Practices,Heat Treatment,pH Control,Food Stability,Consistency in Production,Microbial Testing,Real-time Monitoring,Process Validation,Regulatory Requirements,Verotoxigenic E. coli,Lethality Standards,Product Labelling,Spoilage Prevention,Enterotoxin Detection,Shelf-Stable Products,Moisture to Protein Ratio (MPR)

[jinglingeyes]

Am Rose. I am writing to seek your support in the form of a donation to alleviate the pressing challenges I am facing. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I find myself struggling to meet basic needs, particularly in terms of financial stability, access to food, and secure shelter.Your generous contribution would not only provide immediate relief but also contribute to rebuilding a stable foundation for a brighter future. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a meaningful impact on my journey towards stability.I sincerely appreciate your consideration and am grateful for any support you can extend during this challenging time.

[sudiptaam]

Food Texture Market Global Market Size 2025–2035

Market Overview

The food texture market was valued at USD 15.4 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 29.85 Billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2025 to 2035. This market encompasses ingredients like emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners, and gelling agents used to enhance and modify the texture and consistency of foods across dairy, bakery, beverage, and convenience segments. Request Sample- https://www.metatechinsights.com/request-sample/1821

Market growth is driven by rising consumer demand for plant-based, clean-label, and functionally enhanced foods. The popularity of processed and ready-to-eat foods has increased the need for innovative texturizing agents that improve sensory appeal, shelf life, and product stability. However, the high cost of natural alternatives and regulatory barriers may hinder growth in emerging markets.

Key Market Drivers

Increased preference for indulgent textures in convenience and packaged foods.

Rising demand for clean-label, natural, and plant-based food solutions.

Growing usage of hydrocolloids, emulsifiers, and gelling agents in new food formulations.

Advancements in food biotechnology enhancing texturizer sustainability and functionality.

Full Report - https://www.metatechinsights.com/industry-insights/food-texture-market-1821

Key Challenges

High production cost and limited availability of natural texturizing agents like pectin and xanthan gum.

Affordability and supply chain limitations in cost-sensitive emerging regions.

Regulatory complexity surrounding the approval of novel texturizing compounds.

Market Dynamics

Rising consumer awareness of texture as a critical element of food quality is pushing innovation.

Texturizing agents are now used not only for mouthfeel but also for stabilizing product structure and extending shelf life.

Clean-label trends are promoting R&D in plant-based, bioengineered, and enzyme-based solutions.

Segment Overview

By Type: Hydrocolloids (e.g., pectin, carrageenan), emulsifiers, starch, gelatin agents, anti-caking agents. Hydrocolloids dominate due to multifunctional use in thickening, gelling, and stabilizing.

By Function: Thickening, gelling, emulsifying, stabilizing, coating, binding, moisture retention, and mouthfeel enhancement. Thickening and gelling are central to soups, sauces, dairy, and desserts.

Buy Now- https://www.metatechinsights.com/checkout/1821

Regional Insights

North America leads due to advanced food processing technologies and consumer demand for premium textures and clean-label products. Significant R&D investments are driving innovation in texturizing solutions.

Asia-Pacific is witnessing rapid growth due to rising income levels, urbanization, and evolving food preferences. Innovations like seaweed-based and fermentation-derived texturizers are gaining ground.

Emerging economies are investing in localized production and cost-effective alternatives to improve accessibility.

Competitive Landscape

Major players like Cargill Inc., Ingredion Incorporated, Kerry Group, and DuPont & Co. dominate the landscape. Key strategies include:

Product innovation in plant-based and bio-derived texturizers.

Strategic mergers and acquisitions to enter new markets and expand portfolios.

Focus on enzymatic and microbial texturizers with enhanced sustainability and performance.

The competitive intensity is high, with players actively pushing the boundaries of biotechnology, clean-label ingredients, and sustainable sourcing to address changing global consumer demands.

[kbanews]

Anies Baswedan's Clarion Call for Food Stability is More Than Just Election Rhetoric

THERE is something potent and urgently relevant when presidential candidate Anies Baswedan, speaking on National Farmers’ Day, declared that the state must prioritize the welfare of farmers. This statement is more than mere rhetoric or platitudes; it’s a pointed critique of a system that has perpetually marginalized one of the most vital sectors of the Indonesian economy. On September 24, Anies…

[legionofpotatoes]

please send good vibes for my Chichi who’s currently on IV fluids at the overnight clinic with possible (hopefully reversible) kidney disease :(

[thestudentfarmer]

Repost with a pic from this mornings feeding

They are loving the lentil sprouts!

Have a great day:)

Hello and Good day!

Today I got to move the chicks from the grow out pen into the run 🐣🐥🐔 thought I'd share their journey so far :)

We chose to purchase chicks, rather than hatch as we don't currently have a rooster. To be perfectly honest, I'd like to test out with eggs from another source to be sure I know how to incubate properly before getting into that venture. (Though selling or trading chicks with the neighbours would be fun someday!)

They get put in a large tub, with a chick waterer on stone and wood shaving bedding. I leave the box they came home in the tub for shade from the heat lamp. They are so stinking small at this time and cuuute!

Later when they got bigger we upgraded to what we call the grow out pen. It used to be a trellis for one of the raised bed but got repurposed along with a few other things. No sense in wasting perfectly good material.

I started switching to grain and seed feed around 6 weeks of age. Mixing 50/50 chicken feed grain till the last bagw as empty. I also started sharing kitchen and garden scraps around this time. Mostly leafy greens and occasional bread slices.

They are always up and going! Even around 2 am lol

Today's moving day! Their a little skittish still when I snapped this photo and I expect they will continue to be for a few days yet as I try to remain fairly hands free for them. I'll probably move the lamp in tonight, but after awhile more, ill be removing it entirely. Tomorrow I'll be giving them a half tray of fresh lentil sprouts as a treat and they'll be getting some garden clean up too :)

That's it for now :)

🐣🐔Happy Homesteading!🐔🐣

12 29 2023

[funkily]

i feel like Manic is a word often used to describe e1 fwhip (for good reason) but i feel like we need to explore this more . his egos already pretty big, you know as soon as he gets a manic episode he feels like a god . someone notices hes chattier and, like . smiling and theyre like alright . should probably keep an eye on that

[coulsonlives]

This dude spitting facts! Please consider listening to this if you have the time, it's just under 3 mins. :)

(Inb4 all the people who claim this video is 'defending boomers' when there's a big difference between explaining something and justifying the outcomes.)

[pyrosomatic-metamorphosis]

Cant sleep so im thinking about ayhalo

I think its like. one sided. qaypierre WOULD smooch that demon and take him on dates. qbad would not recognize anything as a romantic gesture. aypierre could throw a bouquet of chocolate roses at him and bad would just be like ! thank you :}

like they love each other, absolutely. they TRUST each other, to the point where i’d even say it gets in the way of bad seeing aypierre as anything more than a good friend. that’s his guy. The dude always in his corner. Friend resource label: team mate (coparent) (down to help kidnap people). bad doesnt do classic romantic relationships- all of his relationships are INCREDIBLY queer, but the closest he usually gets to what others read as romance is a classic chewtoy4chewtoy dynamic. He LOVES to fuck with people and he loves to get fucked with and if there’s a nice jawline or pretty muscles included?? huge bonus !!

he’s got something- not kinder, with aypierre? not calmer, either, but stable, maybe. pierre has proven, over and over again, that he’s on bad’s side. Spying on tubbo, encouraging bad’s pranks, the kidnapping- i can’t call it a reliable dynamic, not with how paranoid bad is, even when he trusts, but there is still a feeling of understanding that, wherever pierre’s limits are for when he cant support bad (or genuinely turn against him), it hasnt been reached yet

aypierre, on the other hand, i dont know enough about to be absolutely sure but there are some Vibes. ironically, i think hes feeling like his relationships are unreliable. max was going to have their baby, and then he wasnt, and then he left him, then max fucking died. plus whatever is happening with him and ayrobot, which probably leaves him feeling like he cant rely on Himself. like he had, if not a little crush on bad, at least some Interest in him, before. as well as several islanders. i remember the days of the Bed Threat.

but thats part of it, too? because those flings didnt have that emotional connection, and i always got the sense that he started looking for that with maximus, to Love and Be Loved rather than pure lust. To care about someone, genuinely, and be cared about in return. but he didnt get that with the flings, and We know that max was using him, but i dont know if he did, but maybe he had a feeling about it and maybe he also had a feelinf about maximus’ feelings towards bad and maybe- there’s something about that? A little push of not-spite-not-projection onto bad.

because bad IS that reliability, right now. he’s a fucking gremlin. a bastard. a prankster silly guy. he trusts aypierre and aypierre trusts him and they dont share everything but so often, when it comes down to it, it is them against the world. them in the corner, caught, aypierre shouting about kissing as a cover for their crimes while bad runs giggling away from him.

[mildmayfoxe]

i’m watching THE SUBSTANCE (2024) and i just wanna know how she knows what steps to do for all this shit. there were no fucking instructions in that box man. also this lady’s house sucks

[lupismaris]

A living saint has smiled on me today and blessed me like the rays of golden morning sun

Oh, Mrs Doreen I hope you know how loved you are

[achillean-heartbeat]

Hey everyone.

I just wanted to thank all my mutuals and followers for always being so lovely.

My country is very unsafe rn.

War might happen and i can't believe i'm saying i don't know if i'll stay alive.

i don't wanna disclose where i live. That's the one thing i'll never do online. Just gonna say that we are under threat by some pretty huge and dangerous countries.

In case i don't, i just wanna say i have always felt the safest online. And more so especially on tumblr. It's been my safe haven ever since i was a child. I'm so lucky to be alive in a world where i can meet ppl who share interests with me on tumblr.

I love you all so much.

I really hope it doesn't come to me dissapearing from here. But i don't wanna go with regrets.

I just want to say that i can't believe i got the chance to be on a platform where i could shamelessly and wholeheartedly express myself w amazing ppl.

For now, i'll try to pop in as much as i can here.

I don't know when or even if we will ever get confirmation that things will be safe again.

I love you all so much.

I wish safety and joy and health for everyone💓💓

[excelsior9173]

as a very proud canadian i looooooove me some kraft dinner, but man nothin hits quite like homemade mac and cheese 😋

i was craving junky food so i figured better to save money and make it at home than order out. healthier too! made mac and cheese, chicken fingers, and some mixed veg cuz i love me some rabbit food lmao

[dragons-and-yellow-roses]

Why are meds worse then the mental illnesses they're trying to treat

[passingthetime]

One would think me traveling while completely broke is adventurous and interesting and like I have stories to tell - and sometimes it is and sometimes I do - but I've spent now over a week constantly cooped up in this house I'm cat sitting in and just... Not doing anything.