The effects of ultraviolet light on country hams during aging

Food processing methods are undergoing revolutionary changes to aid in meeting increased consumer demands for new products. Processors constantly are searching for methods to improve their products and/or increase unit production.Examples are hot processed pork, preslaughter enzyme injection in cattle and the use of ultraviolet light to reduce surface microbial growth during processing, storage and aging of meat products. The dry-curing process for producing country hams is relatively important to farmers and more important to commercial producers. Pumped, quick-cured hams generally arebland, moist and well accepted; however, there also is a market for aged country hams. Many persons prefer the flavor of aged country hams to the milder flavor of quick-cured hams,Country ham processors are faced with problems of keepinghams in storage for several months, much shrinkage and of molding unless certain atmospheric conditions are controlled.If a process could be developed to produce hams with an aged flavor in a shorter time with less shrinkage, it would be of value to these processors. Ultraviolet light at wave lengths near 2600 A ℃(A.M.I.F., 1960) critically alters the nucleic acids of molds and bacteria causing photochemical degeneration. Celldeath or gene modification may result (Walter and McBee,1962). Fulton and Coblentz (1928), Sleeth et al. (1957) and Walter and McBee (1962) found that ultraviolet light inhibited surface microbial growth. Ultraviolet light may aid in reducing surface microbial growth on hams aged in high temperature and relative humidity conditions. This study was conducted to determine the effects of ultraviolet light and high temperature and relative humidity on aging country hams. Particular emphasis was placed on the effects of ultraviolet light on surface microbial growth,subcutaneous ham fat characteristics and muscle and fat palatability