Production improvements of salted/cured meat and fish

4 Prosjektsammendrag (maks. 200 ord) The industry is aiming at reducing salting time, increasing yield of the products ensuring microbiological safety, while maintaining/ improving product quality. The application of advanced, rapid and non-invasive analytical methods for salt/moisture analy ses will enable systematically and thorough studies of salting processes. The project will advance the state of art by combinding combining morphological information obtained by traditional microscopic techniques and spectrometry with gross morphological information obtained by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance at low and high field a nd information about salt and water dynamics provided by ²³Na- and ¹H-NMR as well as X-ray Computer Tomography (CT) measure-ments. Moreover we want to enhance our understanding of the biochemical and biophysical background of the water and thus salt dynam ics reliable for assessment of industrially important raw materials with respect to processing technology. This fundamental knowledge obtained can in turn be used to design or optimise industrial processes to suit consumer demands. The effect of salting processes and composition of brine will in combination with different raw meat quality be investigated in te rms of salting efficiency, yield and sensory quality of the product. The project will involve collaboration between MATFORSK and SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture.