A new way to age meat
The EU meat market is worth approximately EUR 202 billion annually, and aged meat makes up a growing portion of that value. But meat ageing takes up to three weeks, which means the cost of storage and energy can be quite high. Since shock-wave treatment seems to be a viable alternative, the EU-funded SHOCKMEAT(opens in new window) (Development of Shock Wave Technology for Packed Meat) project was established to advance the necessary equipment for industry. The equipment will be used for the maturation of both beef and pork products. Researchers carried out comprehensive testing of various aspects of shock-wave generation, including pressure distribution, voltage levels and its effects on meat. They have also completed the design requirements for the prototype. In order to test the prototype the team used gelatine, before moving on to various cuts of actual meat. They also settled on polyamide and polyethylene bags of various sizes to package the treated meat. It is expected that SHOCKMEAT will accelerate processing time and improve product offerings. In addition, it could even result in reducing the sodium content of commercial meat products.
