Tell us about your production challenge

Drying meat was the prevalent method of conserving meat cuts when food could not be chilled. But dried meat products developed into delicacies and remained a culinary mainstay long after the functional need for preservation was answered with refrigeration. The ancient techniques have been replaced by dried meat processing equipment, but the time-honored recipes remain unchanged.

Which dried meat equipment do you need?

Industrial drying cabinet

The production of high-quality biltong and similar dried meat products can pose problems with main...

Hygienic vertical bagging machine

Hygienic bagging with a compact packing machine that can withstand the harshest wash down...

Air dehumidifiers

When your product or process is sensitive to humidity, using air dehumidifiers may result in substantial sa...

Hygienic belt dryer

A belt dryer typically applies the product through an infeed chamber onto a perforated horizontal belt, w...

Box erector and bag inserter

If you are looking to improve your throughput and eliminate labor associated with manual box er...

High sensitivity X-ray inspection system

This is the X-ray inspection system you need for detecting contaminants that are d...
inspection equipment for food

X-ray inspection system for processed meat products

When dealing with the poultry industry, the Dual X-ray inspection sys...

Metal detection system

The inspection system automatically determines the best frequencies to maximize sensitivity for both f...

Manual bagger with net weigher

If you are looking for a weigher that is manually controlled for bagging, here it is. It has ...

Industrial dehydration machine

Dried fruits are popular both as food in themselves and as ingredients. Traditional drying te...

Standalone metal detector for food

Adding advanced metal detection to existing lines can be difficult and expensive, often ...

Conveyor belt metal detector for food products

Inspecting and rejecting finished food products for metal contamination is ...

Automatic freeze drying system

Freeze drying can be an expensive and cumbersome process. When dealing with nutraceuticals it...

Continuous dryer machine

Traditional drying methods in the pet food, aquafeed, and extruded food industry can be the most ene...

Washing cabinet for trolleys

Food manufacturing facilities, bakeries, or restaurants are ridden with efficiency-related issu...

Hygiene washer for food utensils

Thorough and quick cleaning of kitchen utensils, such as baskets, knives, trays, and other ...

Tunnel washer for food containers

With an increase in demand for production across food service and manufacturing companies...

High speed carton closing machine

Choosing a carton closing machine becomes a significant consideration when the closing of...

Industrial crate washing machine

In order to meet the increasing demand of the beverage industry, it’s essential to find a ...
Leak testing machine

Leak tester for pouches and MAP packaging

Nuts are packed with unsaturated fatty acids, which means they are prone to oxid...

Stories about Dried meat

Select your dried meat process

Contact us

Tell us about your production challenge

When selecting production equipment for a production plant, it is important to talk to someone with experience in your field. Our industry experts have experience with various industrial applications. We’d love to help you!
Contact us

Dried meat processing equipment for thawing raw products

Slaughtered animals are chilled to ensure decontamination and delivered frozen. Before the raw material can be cut into strips, the temperature has to be brought back up. Thawing is achieved at 0°C, but mechanical cutting can handle the process at the tempering phase (around -5°C).

Thawing systems apply either surface conduction or electrical heat transfer. The former includes immersion in liquid media and vacuum heat technology. Electric equipment such as microwave and infrared technology are faster and do not alter the appearance of the material.

Soak meat cuts in a saline solution to keep the surfaces moist

A fundamental characteristic of meat drying is trimming the parts into equal strips to ensure homogenous evaporation and aging. But the moisture in the muscle structure must be released gradually, starting with the innermost layer. If the surface layer dries up before the lower tiers, it blocks water discharge, providing a welcoming environment for microorganisms.

Immersing the strips in a 14% salt solution before drying forms a hygroscopic layer that keeps the surface moist. Additionally, the salt protects the meat from pathogen growth.

Salt treatment tenderizes cured meats

Salt is the star ingredient in cured meats like hams, salami, and liver sausages. The meat strips are tumbled with the mineral before being set for drying.

Besides adding flavor, salt lowers the water activity values to fend off microbial attacks. Salting also leads proteins in the muscle tissue to swell and dissolve, producing a tender texture in the final product.

Increase the surface area of dried meat snacks to reduce moisture further

Dried meat processed for snack foods such as beef jerky or biltong has a lower humidity level than cured meats. The water activity value is below 0.80, while moisture content ranges from 22% to 24%.

The meat strips are further sliced down to increase the surface area and release more moisture during drying. Some methods, like gueddid and bak kwa, call for overnight marination before they are finished by smoking or cooking.

Processing steps involved in dried-meat making

Let's talk about your project!

Tell us about your production challenge and connect directly with leading manufacturers worldwide
All your data is kept confidential