SALT CURE AND DRYING‐TIME AND TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ON VIABILITY OF Trichinella spiralis IN DRY‐CURED HAMS

摘要

SUMMARY–An official USDA dry‐cure ham processing procedure was evaluated for efficacy in devitalizing trichinae. The procedure consisted basically of a 40‐day salt cure followed by 10 days of drying at 95° F or above. Within the cure period, marked loss of viability was noted only for trichinae in muscle with brine concentrations approaching 8. The drying temperature was the critical factor in devitalizing trichinae. 28 days' cure followed by 6 days of drying at 98° F destroyed viability of all parasites regardless of brine concentration. Other effective drying time‐temperature combinations included: 125° F‐4 days; 70° F‐35 days an