ABSTRACT
Abstract Brazilian charqui is a traditional fermented, salted and sun-dried meat product which is greatly appreciated in the whole country. This product represents an important animal protein source for the poor rural population from the northeast region of Brazil and occupies a prominent place among industrial meat products of this country. The preservation of Brazilian charqui is based on the hurdle technology, where salt, dehydration and fermentation are hurdles sequentially applied to prevent the growth of undesired microorganisms. However, if these steps are not applied in controlled ways, it may lead to variations in the sensory characteristics, chemical composition and shelf life of the products. The manufacturing process comprises two salting steps (wet salting with brine; and dry salting, with coarse marine salt), piling of the meat for juices draining and exposure to the sun for drying. The water activity (aw) of the final product is around 0.7-0.8 and it is considered as an intermediate moisture product that is self-stable and can be stored without refrigeration up to six months. During piling, a fermentation step, carried out by lactic acid bacteria naturally present in the raw meat, is responsible for the unique flavor characteristics of charqui. Due to its aw, the growth of microbial pathogens in charqui is very unlikely, but halophilic and halotolerant spoilage bacteria, coming from the salt used in the manufacture of the product, can grow, leading to the appearance of slime, red spots on the product surface and off-flavors. Therefore, the use of good-quality raw material and the application of good manufacturing practices (GMP) are essential to guarantee the quality of the final product. The great majority of Brazilian charqui production is destined for the internal market and the exportation remains at a small scale, but the product presents potential for international trade. However, to increase its acceptance in the market it is necessary to ensure that all charqui producers comply with the official regulations, applying GMP along the whole process and making sure that the final product is in accordance with the specified parameters. However, it is not an easy
task, since the product is still manufactured in many small and clandestine processing plants that do not follow the recommended parameter of hygiene and standardization of the product.
