On Nov 17, 8:32�am, "James Silverton" >
wrote:
> �Gill �wrote �on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:43:23 -0000:
>
> > "PeterLucas" > wrote in message
> ....
> >> After watching a TV program here in Australia about how water
> >> can be injected into bad cuts of meat to increase weight I'm
> >> suspicious about
> > Salt water 'curing'.
> > Ahem.
>
> Water is added to many sandwich meats, especially "fat-free" ones.

I've seen reduced fat, down as low as 98pct fat free, but I've never
seen any zero fat meat. Water is tpically added to cured meats as a
way of replacing the water lost that the curing salts extract; ham and
turkey loaf is typically injected with saline solution. Beef and pork
sausage is ground along with crushed ice, the cold makes for a better
grind and again the ice replaces that water lost from the dessicant
action of the curing salts.... cured meats naturally weep, be certain
teh deli y9ou shop doesn't have their meats sitting in standing liquid
(that's how you get listeria), the plastic trays need to be slanted,
wiped dry often, and washed daily. Many cured deli meats would not be
very palatable if not for the addition of saline, especially the low
fat versions. And you're really not paying for much added water, the
saline replaces the water lost that naturally occurs in meat... mammal
flesh is naturally like 80pct water, and that water naturally consists
of like a 9 pct saline solution. So you're not really being cheated
with water- m added cured meats/fresh sausage. Saline injected fresh
pork/poultry is cheating. I've never seen saline injected fresh beef.