What is sausage?

Sausage can be defined as a food prepared from comminuted (particle size reduction) and seasoned meat which may be fresh, smoked, or pickled and which is then usually stuffed into a casing. It is a product resulting from the assemblage of proper ingredient in the right proportion coupled with a structured design and controlled process.

The origin of sausages dates back to ancient history, because they were mentioned as early as AD 228 by Athenaeus in the Deipnosophists, the oldest known cookbook. The word sausage comes from the Latin word ‘salsus’ which means salted, or preserved by salting. Evidence suggests that the sausage is one of the oldest processed meat products.

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.

Good sausage begins with good meat. 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.

In modern food processing, the meat content, frequently beef or pork, may also include other meats, meat mixtures, and added meatpacking by-products. A number of nonmeat ingredients are included in sausage formulations by many manufacturers, especially in lower or medium-grade sausages and loaves. These ingredients are commonly known as binders, fillers and extenders.
What is sausage?

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