1. Quality control

1.1 Control of meat raw materials

The most common inspection methods are visual and physical. They are carried out when goods are received. Whether or not to accept a batch of raw materials is a very important decision for the continuation of a process.

• The visual appearance of incoming raw materials, generally unpackaged, is a good indicator of quality. When a major problem appears, such as heavy surface bacterial contamination (mucus secretion) or the obvious presence of an abnormal color (green), the result of the visual examination leads to the rejection of the offending product. In the case of charcuterie products, the absence of haematomas or insufficient hair removal on cuts is checked. (In the case of hams received for curing,...