Meat sausage: Preparation for production

Sausage is a food product resulting from the assemblage of proper ingredient in the right proportion coupled with a structured design and controlled process. The quality of the product is always a reflection of the status of the raw materials and the process. Its taste, texture, tenderness and color are related to the ratio of fat to lean.

Fresh sausage is typically prepared from one or more kinds of meats. It may contain water (not exceeding 3 percent of the total ingredients in the product) and binders and extenders (for example, wheat flour and non-fat dry milk).

Good sausage begins with good meat. Beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, and poultry are all suitable for use in sausage. A majority of sausage products are prepared with pork and beef. Meat should be fresh, high quality, have the proper lean-to-fat ratio and have good binding qualities. The meat should be clean and not contaminated with bacteria or other microorganisms.

Other ingredients such as salt (addition to taste, extract some proteins from meat, enhances flavor, reduce microbiological spoilage and increases water holding), water ice (assist the process of mixing and help salt to solubilize meat proteins), curing agents (inhibit microbial growth, provide pink color and enhance flavor), spices (add flavor to the product) and binder (promote fat and moisture retention) and extender (reduce formulation costs).

The basic steps in sausage making are:
• Weighing/measuring the ingredients
• Grinding
• Stuffing/linking
• Smoking/cooking

Sausage making has become a unique blend of old procedures and new scientific, highly-mech-anized processes. Traditionally, sausage was formed into a symmetrical shape, but it now can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes to meet consumers’ needs.

Meat sausage: Preparation for production  

Intensive cattle production systems

In intensive production system, cows are housed loose or tied in barns, with automatic feeding, manure cleaning and milking. There is artificial ventilation, lighting and microclimate control.

Grazing is not practiced for cows in intensive milk production, they are mainly fed in the barns.

These systems are characterized by a high stocking density and a high output of animal products per unit of agricultural land and per unit of stock.

This is generally achieved by high efficiency in converting animal feed into animal products.

Cattle are fed diets that are energy-dense, consisting primarily of grain. Current feedlot production and management efficiently produce highly marbled beef that is subsequently low in price for consumers.

Cattle are generally fed to an end point that is desirable buy consumers, i.e., safe, flavorful and tender. This end point is generally 28% to 30% carcass fat, US Department of Agriculture Choice grade, with 0.4 to 0.5 in, of backfat.
Intensive cattle production systems

Stocker cattle

There are typically three stages of beef production: cow-calf, growing and finishing.

Most calves go through some sort of post weaning growing –programs, although specific program vary in structure and type.

Stocker cattle refer to the beef cattle between the weaning and finishing stages when they add an extra 200 to 400 pounds to reach their mature weight so they are ready for slaughter.

Stocker calves are developed on high quality forages until they enter the feedlot.
They may be produced as a preliminary phase before a cattle feeding operation.

Most producers maintain cow herds and produce calves for sale at about seven to ten months. When calves sold they go to stocker buyers who grow them until they are ready to enter the feedlots for fattening.

Stocker cattle represent an important segment of the beef production and marketing chain.

Finished weight depends on breed; most grass fed cattle breeds are finished at about 1000 to 1200 pounds. Stocker cattle typically weight between 400 and 600 pounds when they are purchased after weaning.

Stocker operations have more flexibility than cow-calf operations because they do not have to wait out their cattle’s natural breeding and nursing cycles to buy or sell animals.

The core components of stocker production include nutrition, pasture management, quality assurance and animal health, marketing and risk management, genetics, and business management.
Stocker cattle