Sectioned and Formed Meats

These are technically speaking restructured products, since they are partially disassembled and then reassembled to form products resembling intact meat cuts. However, restructured products are manufactured employing mincing, flaking and dicing and then reforming. Sectioned and formed meat products are prepared from pieces or chunks of meat that are bonded together to form a single fused piece. The products are processed in a manner that causes them to adhere to each other so that they resemble an intact cut in regard to consistency and appearance. The cohesive substance that binds the pieces or muscles together may be from non meat additives, meat emulsions or extractions of myofibrillar proteins derived from the chunks or pieces of meat. Designing massaging and tumbling equipment resulted in advances in the production of sectioned and formed meats. Boneless sectioned and formed ham products are common items in commerce. They may be shaped like the original ham or may be forced into casings or molds of various shapes. Generally, they are oblong, round or square after shaping. They may be prepared in casings or as canned products. Some muscles from the pork shoulder or the picnic may be removed and used in producing sectioned and formed products similar to hams. The loin eye muscle may also be removed from heavy sow carcasses and used for producing sectioned and formed meats.