Ohmic cooking of processed meats: Energy evaluation and food safety considerations

An ohmic cooking cell prototype has made it possible to conduct rapid batch cooking of 1-kg Bologna ham. Cooking was carried out at a constant voltage of 64, 76, and 103 V, until product temperature along the unit longitudinal axis reached 71, 76, and 81DGC. A high quality product may be obtained with cooking times between 10 and 15 minutes at temperatures between 70 and 81 deg C. Compared to conventional smoking methods, cooking times are reduced 90 to 95% with energy savings of 82 to 97%. Due to the rapid temperature rises (5 to 15DGC/min), the pasteurization effect of the heating period is found to be small or negligible. In order to meet minimal pasteurization criteria, emulsions heated to a final temperature of 75DGC will require a holding time of at least 15 minutes while at 80DGC the holding time may be decreased to a minimum of five minutes.