The Risks of Using Glass Door Refrigerators for Maturing Chambers

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A Painful Lesson

Many moons ago, I built a walk-in maturing chamber and thought it would be cool to have viewing windows to let people see what we were doing. Unfortunately, when the first batch of dry-cured sausages came out two months after I had built the new chamber, they tasted sour and almost metallic. I had never experienced this before and immediately thought that something had gone wrong with the process. We waited a few more weeks for the next batch—and yes, they also came out with a sour/metallic taste.

I emptied the chamber and started from scratch, going through the entire hygiene checklist and processes to ensure that I had not previously missed a step. I meticulously processed the sausage and hung it. After waiting three months, lo and behold, the same sour/metallic taste remained.

I scoured the internet, which, at the time, did not have many useful resources on meat curing. The major problem with these types of issues is that you don’t know what to look for if you don’t see what you are looking for. Luckily, somewhere on an obscure page, I found a mention that exposure to UV light could cause “off-flavours” in cured meat. I did a further deep dive and discovered that UV light makes the oils and fats in meat go rancid. It becomes easy when you know what to look for.

I blacked out the windows and prepared another batch of dry-cured sausage, and after three months, voilà—the sausage was back on point. For this “cool” feature, I lost nearly nine months of production time in this maturing chamber and a tidy sum of lost meat!

So, why this story?

Many people choose commercial drink refrigerators when building a maturing chamber. One apparent reason is that they offer a much larger area inside, allowing more meat to be hung.

They are also drawn to them because of the glass door, thinking it will be cool to display what is happening to the meat (as I once did).

I always caution people about glass-door refrigerators because of the rancidity issues. That is not saying that glass-door refrigerators should not be used – I recently built a maturing chamber (check my process here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JetFmTS9Kk0&t=1402s) with a glass door.

However, I blocked out the glass door to mitigate any UV light getting in. I used blackboard wallpaper to black it out. This was pretty cool because the entire door became a blackboard where I could make important notes about the meat I had hanging inside.

So, by all means, go ahead and use a glass—door refrigerator—but make sure you black it out so that no UV light can penetrate the chamber.

I will delve into what I learned about rancidity in this article for your benefit.

What does rancid meat taste like

Rancid meat typically has a distinct and unpleasant taste that can be described as sour, bitter, or metallic. The flavour characteristics of rancid meat can vary depending on factors such as the type of meat, the extent of rancidity, and other compounds formed during oxidation. Here are some common descriptors for the taste of rancid meat:

Sourness: Rancid meat may taste sour or tangy, similar to spoiled dairy products. This sourness is often attributed to the forming of organic acids during lipid oxidation.
Bitterness: Rancid meat can taste bitter, with a lingering aftertaste perceived as unpleasant. Bitterness in rancid meat is typically associated with the presence of certain breakdown products formed during lipid oxidation.
Metallic Taste: Some individuals may detect a metallic taste in rancid meat, which can be attributed to the oxidation of fats and the release of metal ions from heme proteins present in the meat.
Off-Flavours: Besides sourness, bitterness, and metallic taste, rancid meat may exhibit other off-flavours perceived as abnormal or undesirable. These off-flavours can range from musty or rancid to putrid or foul, depending on the extent of oxidation and the presence of secondary compounds.

Understanding Rancidity and UV Light

Exposure to UV light initiates a series of chemical reactions in the fats and oils of meat, ultimately leading to lipid oxidation and rancidity development. This process negatively impacts the meat’s taste, aroma, texture, and nutritional quality, highlighting the importance of minimising UV exposure during meat processing and storage to preserve product quality. These reactions primarily involve oxidation, leading to fats and oils’ degradation. Here’s a detailed explanation of what happens at a molecular level:

Formation of Free Radicals: UV light provides enough energy to break chemical bonds in the molecules of fats and oils present in meat. When UV light interacts with these molecules, it can initiate the formation of free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive species with unpaired electrons, making them unstable and eager to react with other molecules.

Initiation of Oxidation Reactions: Once formed, free radicals initiate a chain reaction known as oxidation. In the presence of oxygen from the air, free radicals react with oxygen molecules to form peroxy radicals. These peroxy radicals then react with nearby fatty acids present in the meat.

Propagation of Oxidation: The reaction involving peroxy radicals and fatty acids leads to the formation of lipid peroxides. These unstable lipid peroxides can decompose into smaller molecules such as aldehydes and ketones. This process continues as more free radicals are generated, leading to a chain reaction propagating lipid oxidation throughout the meat.

Formation of Rancid Compounds: The breakdown products of lipid oxidation, such as aldehydes and ketones, contribute to developing off-flavours and odours associated with rancidity. These compounds give the meat a stale or unpleasant taste and aroma, rendering it unpalatable.

Changes in Texture and Nutritional Quality: In addition to flavour and aroma changes, UV-induced lipid oxidation can also affect the texture and nutritional quality of the meat. The breakdown of fats and oils alters the structure of the meat, resulting in texture changes such as increased toughness or softness. Furthermore, oxidation can lead to the loss of essential nutrients and the formation of potentially harmful compounds.

The Role of UV Light in Food Preservation

While UV light is commonly used in food preservation methods such as UV irradiation for disinfection (this will be discussed in a future article), its role in promoting rancidity underscores the importance of controlling UV exposure during food processing and storage. UV light can penetrate transparent materials such as glass, making glass door maturing chambers potentially problematic for curing meat.

Addressing the Risks with UV Control

To mitigate the risks associated with UV light, consider the following strategies:

UV Blocking Solutions: Use materials that block UV light, such as UV-resistant films or blinds, to cover the glass doors.
Alternative Chamber Materials: Opt for maturing chambers constructed from materials that do not permit UV penetration.
Innovative Design Adjustments: If using a glass door is unavoidable, apply coatings or tinted glass that reduces UV transmission. Or black out the glass like I did, using blackboard wallpaper, which will double up as a valuable tool for making curing notes!

The Importance of Quality Assurance

Maintaining food quality and safety requires rigorous quality assurance measures throughout the meat curing. This includes regular monitoring of environmental conditions, visual inspection of cured meats for signs of spoilage, and sensory evaluation to assess flavour and texture. By implementing robust quality assurance protocols, producers can ensure that cured meats meet the highest standards of quality and consistency.

In closing

While glass door maturing, chambers offer a cool option for meat curing, their susceptibility to UV light exposure poses challenges to preserving product quality. Understanding the impact of UV light on food oxidation is essential for optimising meat curing environments and ensuring the production of high-quality cured meats. By controlling UV exposure and implementing effective quality assurance measures, producers can achieve optimal results in meat curing while preserving product integrity and flavour.

AUTHOR STATEMENT

The writer acknowledges that they have not had direct access to the product and thereby makes the statement:

This article/ document is based on a question/s provided and may include photos and/or other materials. It is not meant as final advice but rather a guide. The reader should read this article/ document with the Health and Safety Disclaimer provided at the end and follow their country’s governmental health and safety guidelines for meat curing.

Health and Safety Disclaimer

This website references curing meat and emphasises the importance of adhering to strict health and safety protocols. Readers are strongly urged to consult and follow their country’s governmental health and safety guidelines for meat curing. The author and any associated agents disclaim all liability for any harm, illness, or damages resulting from improperly applying the practices discussed in this document and/or non-compliance with applicable health and safety standards by their country’s governmental health and safety guidelines for meat curing. Compliance with this disclaimer and all referenced guidelines is critical for ensuring safe and healthy meat curing processes.

If you have any doubts or require further clarification on utilising this document safely and effectively, please CONTACT US.

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