Air-cured products such as biltong, salami or sausages, and cheese production are cured in a controlled environment using dry air.
Biltong is dried meat commonly made from beef or game meat, where the product is hung and dried naturally with no cooking or heat.
Ozone gas protects against mould and fungus growth and the destruction of salmonella spores.
It is not to be confused with “beef jerky” in the USA.
A vinegar, salt and spice marinade mixture treats the meat and allwed to dry at room temperature for 7 to 10 days..
Traditionally, to meet everyday safety standards, the processor should demonstrate to Health Authorities that the process achieves sufficient pathogen reduction.
Ideally, to achieve acceptable safety standards, every batch of edible ingredients should be tested before and after processing for salmonella.
An overall > 5 log reduction of salmonella should be achieved.
Exposing the surface of the meat and the air surrounding the product to ozone gas at appropriate levels will ensure a Salmonella-free environment with no mould, fungus, or bacteria growth.
By pumping ozone gas into the curing room or enclosure at controlled parts per million, all pathogen and fungus growth should be prevented.
