There’s science to biltong other than eating it
THE science behind getting the perfect biltong has been discovered.
Maxine Jones, 27, yesterday received her doctorate in food science from Stellenbosch University, for research focusing exclusively on how to make quality biltong. This is a first for South Africa.
“Quality and consistency is important to both the consumer and the biltong industry, There are currently no processing guidelines for biltong production in South Africa, and this leads to vast differences in the end product,” said Jones, who believes the local industry needs to standardise drying guidelines to ensure consistent quality and food safety.
Her industry-based research focused on different aspects of biltong processing, such as the use of standardised procedures to dry the meat.
She noted factors such as temperature, humidity and air movement, and also investigated the presence of different yeasts, moulds and even bacteria that often occur on biltong and that contribute to its shelf-life.
Export opportunities that are available to South African producers were also examined, as well as certification processes and laboratory guidelines.
“The biltong industry has become an economically important sector in the South African meat industry and has the potential for further growth, both nationally and internationally,” Jones said.
She consistently dried biltong at temperatures around 25°C, at a relatively low humidity of 30%, and an airspeed of about 0.2 metres per second.
For some of her findings see the Cape Times tomorrow.