Minimum chamber temperature

2.1 2.0

1Calculate the salt content for column 1 as follows: Multiply the pounds of salt in the sausage formulation by 100. Then divide this number by the total weight of sausage formulation minus the weight of dry ingredients and round down to the next lowest 0.1%. Percents may be substituted for pounds.

Example: 120 lbs. pork, 3.56 lbs. salt, 2 lbs. spices, 0.5 lbs. wine, 1 lb. water and starter culture, 0.8 lbs. sugar, .012 lbs. sodium nitrite total weight is 127.872 lbs.

(3.56×100)/(127.872-3.56-2-.8-.012)=356/121.5=2.93 Therefore, the sausage drying time must be increased by 13 percent.

2 In computing the days to be added to the required total drying time, fractions shall be rounded to the next higher whole number and added to the required total drying time. Example: Sausage stuffed in 31⁄2 inch diameter casing requires 23 days in the drying room (from Drying Room Times). If the quantity of salt added per hundredweight of sausage is 2 pounds instead of 3.33 pounds, the drying room time must be increased by 40 percent (from Reduced Salt Content-Drying Room Times), or 9.2 days. The 9.2 is rounded up to 10 days and is added to the 23 days to equal 33 days. The total drying time required in the drying room, therefore, will be 33 days.

Method No. 7, Dry Sausages. (A) General Requirements. The establishment shall use meat particles reduced in size to no more than 1/ 4 inch in diameter. The establishment shall add a curing mixture containing no less than 2.7 pounds of salt per hundred pounds of meat and mix it uniformly throughout the product. The establishment shall hold, heat, and dry the product according to paragraph (B) or (C) below.

(B) Holding, Heating, and Drying Treatment, Large Sausages. Except as permitted in (C) below, the establishment shall subject sausages in casings not exceeding 105 mm in diameter, at the time of stuffing, to all of the

Minimum time (hours)

12

1

6

Following the preceding heat treatment, the establishment shall dry the sausages at a temperature not lower than 50 °F (10°C) for not less than 4 days.

(ii) Capocollo (capicola, capacola). Boneless pork butts for capocollo shall be cured in a dry-curing mixture containing not less than 41⁄2 pounds of salt per hundredweight of meat for a period of not less than 25 days at a temperature not lower than 36 °F. If the curing materials are applied to the butts by the process known as churning, a small quantity of pickle may be added. During the curing period the butts may be overhauled according to any of the usual processes of overhauling, including the addition of pickle or dry salt if desired. The butts shall not be subjected during or after curing to any treatment designed to remove salt from the meat, except that superficial washing may be allowed. After being stuffed, the product shall be smoked for a period of not less than 30 hours at a temperature not lower than 80 °F., and shall finally be held in a drying

room not less than 20 days at a temperature not lower than 45 °F.

(iii) Coppa. Boneless pork butts for coppa shall be cured in a dry-curing mixture containing not less than 42 pounds of salt per hundredweight of meat for a period of not less than 18 days at a temperature not lower than 36 °F. If the curing mixture is applied to the butts by the process known as churning, a small quantity of pickle may be added. During the curing period the butts may be overhauled according to any of the usual processes of overhauling, including the addition of pickle or dry salt if desired. The butts shall not be subjected during or after curing to any treatment designed to remove salt from the meat, except that superficial washing may be allowed. After being stuffed, the product shall be held in a drying room not less than 35 days at a temperature not lower than 45 °F.

(iv) Hams and pork shoulder picnics. In the curing of hams and pork shoulder picnics, one of the methods below shall be used. For calculating days per pound, the establishment shall use the weight of the heaviest ham or picnic in the lot.

Method No. 1. The hams and pork shoulder picnics shall be cured by a dry-salt curing process not less than 40 days at a temperature no lower than 36 °F. The products shall be laid down in salt, not less than 4 pounds to each hundredweight of product, the salt being applied in a thorough manner to the lean meat of each item. When placed in cure, the products may be pumped with pickle if desired. At least once during the curing process, the products shall be overhauled (turned over for the application of additional cure) and additional salt applied, if necessary, so that the lean meat of each item is thoroughly covered. After removal from cure, the products may be soaked in water at a temperature not higher than 70 °F for not more than 15 hours, during which time the water may be changed once, but they shall not be subjected to any other treatment designed to remove salt from the meat except that superficial washing may be allowed. The products shall finally be dried or smoked at a time and temperature not less than a combination prescribed in Table 5 of Method No. 3.

Method No. 2. [Reserved]

Method No. 3. (A) Curing. (Other than bag curing): Establishments shall cure hams and shoulders by using a cure mixture containing not less than 70 percent salt by weight to cover all exposed muscle tissue and to pack

the hock region. Total curing time consists of a mandatory cure contact time and an optional equalization time.

(B) Cure Contact Time. This is the cure contact period, during which the establishment shall keep exposed muscle tissue coated with the cure mixture at least 28 days but for no less than 1.5 days per pound of ham or shoulder. Overhaul is optional so long as the exposed muscle tissue remains coated with curing mixture.

(C) Equalization. The establishment may provide an equalization period after the minimum cure contact period in (B) above to permit the absorbed salt to permeate the product's inner tissues. Equalization is the time after the excess cure has been removed from the product at the end of the cure contact period until the product is placed in the drying room and the drying period begins. The total curing time (equalization plus cure contact) shall be at least 40 days and in no case less than 2 days per pound of an uncured ham or shoulder.

(D) Removing Excess Cure. After the required cure contact period, the establishment may remove excess cure mixture from the product's surface mechanically or by rinsing up to 1 minute with water, but not by soaking.

(E) Bag Curing. Bag curing is a traditional ham curing technique in which the manufacturer wraps the ham and all of the cure mixture together in kraft paper then hangs them individually. The paper keeps the extra cure mixture in close contact with the product making reapplication of salt unnecessary and it protects the product from mites and insects. Establishments may employ the bag curing method as an alternative to (A) through (D) above. An establishment which elects to use the bag curing method shall apply a cure mixture containing at least 6 pounds of salt per 100 pounds of uncured product. The establishment shall rub the curing mixture into the exposed muscle tis sue, pack the hock region with the curing mixture, and use uncoated wrapping paper to wrap the product together with any remaining curing mixture. The bag cured product shall remain wrapped throughout the curing period and may or may not remain wrapped during the drying period. In any case, the curing period shall be at least 40 days but not less than 2 days per pound of an uncured ham or shoulder. After curing, the cured product shall be exposed to a drying time and temperature prescribed in Table 5.

(F) Curing Temperature. During the curing period the establishment shall use one of the following procedures:

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(1) The establishment shall control the room temperature at not less than 35° F (1.7 ° C) nor greater than 45°F (7.2° C) for the first 1.5 days per pound of an uncured ham or shoulder, and not less than 35° F (1.7° C) nor

(B) Curing. Establishments shall apply the cure at a rate not less than 5.72 pounds of salt and KCl per hundred pounds of fresh meat. The cure shall be applied in either three or four approximately equal amounts (two or three overhauls) at separate times during the first 14 days of curing.

(C) Cure Contact Time. Establishments shall keep the product in contact with the cure mixture for no less than 2 days per pound of an uncured ham or shoulder but for at least 30 days. Establishments shall maintain the curing temperature at no less than 35° F (1.7° C) during the cure contact time.

(D) Equalization. After the cure contact period, establishments shall provide an added equalization period of no less than 1 day per pound of an uncured ham or shoulder but at least 14 days. Equalization is the time after the excess cure has been removed from the product, the end of the cure contact period, and before the drying period begins. Establishments may substitute additional cure contact days for an equal number of equalization days.

(E) Removing Excess Cure. After the required cure contact period, the establishment may remove excess cure mixture from the product's surface mechanically or by rinsing up to 1 minute with water, but not by soaking.

(F) Drying. After the curing period, establishments shall use one of the controlled temperature methods for drying listed in Method No. 3 of this subparagraph.

Method No. 5

(A) Curing. The establishment shall cure the ham to a minimum brine concentration of 6 percent by the end of the drying period. Brine concentration is calculated as 100 times the salt concentration divided by the sum of the salt and water concentrations. Percent brine=100x[salt]/([salt]+[water])

The Agency will accept the brine concentration in the biceps femoris as a reasonable estimate of the minimum brine concentration in the ham.

(B) Drying and Total Process Times. The establishment shall dry the cured ham at a minimum temperature of 55 °F (13 °C) for at least 150 days. The total time of drying plus curing shall be at least 206 days.

(C) Ensuring an Acceptable Internal Brine Concentration. (1) To establish compliance, the establishment shall take product samples from the first 12 lots of production as follows: From each lot,

(i) One sample shall be taken from each of 5 or more hams;

(ii) Each sample shall be taken from the biceps femoris. As an alternative to the use of the biceps femoris, the Agency shall consider other method(s) of sampling the drycured hams to determine the minimum internal brine concentration, as long as the es

tablishment proposes it and submits data and other information to establish its sufficiency to the Director of the Processed Products Inspection Division;

(iii) Each sample shall weigh no less than 100 grams;

(iv) The samples shall be combined as one composite sample and sealed in a water vapor proof container;

(v) The composite sample shall be submitted to a laboratory accredited under the provisions of $318.21 to be analyzed for salt and water content using methods from the "Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC)," 15th Edition, 1990, Section 983.18 (page 931) and Section 971.19 (page 933) which are incorporated by reference. This incorporation by reference was approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Copies may be obtained from the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, suite 400-BW, 2200 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3301. Copies may be inspected at the Office of the FSIS Hearing Clerk, room 3171, South Agriculture Building, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250 or at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., suite 700, Washington, DC 20408. If the time between sampling and submittal of the composite sample to the accredited laboratory will exceed 8 hours, then the establishment shall freeze the composite sample immediately after the samples are combined;

(vi) Once the laboratory results for the composite sample are received, the manufacturer shall calculate the internal brine concentration by multiplying the salt concentration by 100 and then dividing that figure by the sum of the salt and water concentrations;

(vii) Compliance is established when the samples from the first 12 lots of production have a minimum internal brine concentration of 6 percent. Lots being tested to establish compliance shall be held until the internal brine concentration has been determined and found to be at least 6 percent. If the minimum internal brine concentration is less than 6 percent, the lot being tested shall be held until the establishment brings the lot into compliance by further processing.

(2) To maintain compliance, the establishment shall take samples, have the samples analyzed, and perform the brine calculations as set forth above from one lot every 13 weeks. Lots being tested to maintain compliance shall not be held. If the minimum internal brine concentration is less than 6 percent in a lot being tested to maintain compliance, the establishment shall develop and propose steps acceptable to FSIS to ensure that the process is corrected.

(3) Accredited laboratory results and the brine calculations shall be placed on file at

the establishment and available to Program employees for review.

Method No. 6

(A) Curing. The establishment shall cure the ham to a minimum brine concentration of 6 percent by the end of the drying period. Brine concentration is calculated as 100 times the salt concentration divided by the sum of the salt and water concentrations. Percent brine = 100 x [salt] / ([salt] + [water]) The Agency will accept the brine concentration in the biceps femoris as a reasonable estimate of the minimum brine concentration.

(B) Drying and Total Process Times. The establishment shall dry the cured ham at a minimum temperature of 110° F (43° C) for at least 4 days. The total time of drying plus curing shall be at least 34 days.

(c) Ensuring an Acceptable Internal Brine Concentration.

(1) To establish compliance the establishment shall take product samples from the first 12 lots of production as follows: From each lot,

(i) One sample shall be taken from each of 5 or more hams;

(ii) Each sample shall be taken from the biceps femoris. As an alternative to the use of the biceps femoris, the Agency will consider other methods of sampling the drycured hams to determine internal brine concentration, as long as the establishment proposes it and submits data and other information to establish its sufficiency to the Director of the Processed Products Inspection Division;

(iii) Each sample shall weigh no less than 100 grams;

(iv) The samples shall be combined as one composite sample and sealed in a water vapor proof container;

(v) The composite sample shall be submitted to a laboratory accredited under the provisions of §318.21 to be analyzed for salt and water content using methods from the "Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC)," 15th Edition, 1990, section 983.18 (page 931) and section 971.19 (page 933) which are incorporated by reference. This incorporation by reference was approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Copies may be obtained from the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, suite 400-BW, 2200 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3301. Copies may be inspected at the Office of the FSIS Hearing Clerk, room 3171, South Agriculture Building, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250 or at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., suite 700, Washington, DC. If the time between sampling and submittal of the composite sample to the accredited laboratory

will exceed 8 hours, then the establishment shall freeze the composite sample immediately after the samples are combined;

(vi) Compliance is established when the samples from the first 12 lots of production have a minimum internal brine concentration of 6 percent. Lots being tested to establish compliance shall be held until the internal brine concentration has been determined and found to be at least 6 percent. If the minimum internal brine concentration is less than 6 percent, the lot being tested shall be held until the establishment brings the lot into compliance by further processing.

(2) To maintain compliance, the establishment shall take samples, have the samples analyzed, and perform the brine calculations as set forth above from one lot every 13 weeks. Lots being tested to maintain compliance shall not be held. If the minimum internal brine concentration is less than 6 percent in a lot being tested to maintain compliance, the establishment shall develop and propose steps acceptable to FSIS to ensure that the process is corrected.

(3) Accredited laboratory results and the brine calculations shall be placed on file in the establishment and available to Program employees for review.

(v) Boneless pork loins and loin ends. In lieu of heating or refrigerating to destroy possible live trichinae in boneless loins, the loins may be cured for a period of not less than 25 days at a temperature not lower than 36 °F. by the use of one of the following methods:

Method No. 1. Application of a dry-salt curing mixture containing not less than 5 pounds of salt to each hundredweight of meats.

Method No. 2. Application of a pickle solution of not less than 80° strength (salometer) on the basis of not less than 60 pounds of pickle to each hundredweight of meat.

Method No. 3. Application of a pickle solution added to the dry-salt cure prescribed as Method No. 1 in this subdivision (v) provided the pickle solution is not less than 80° strength (salometer).

After removal from cure, the loins may be soaked in water for not more than 1 hour at a temperature not higher than 70 °F. or washed under a spray but shall not be subjected, during or after the curing process, to any other treatment designed to remove salt.

Following curing, the loins shall be smoked for not less than 12 hours. The minimum temperature of the smokehouse during this period at no time shall be lower than 100 °F., and for 4 consecutive hours of this period the smokehouse shall be maintained at a temperature not lower than 125 °F.