Nearly every delicatessen product needs refrigeration. Tinned luncheon meat is the one exception to that rule.
How does sterilisation work?
Preservation in tinned products comes from sterilisation.
The product fills the tin and the tin gets sealed.
It then heats to between a hundred and fifteen and a hundred and twenty-one degrees for thirty to sixty minutes.
That temperature kills even the spores of Clostridium botulinum.
Because the tin is sealed no recontamination happens.
The result is a product that keeps for years at room temperature; a property impossible in chilled delicatessen products.
| Measure | Tinned chicken luncheon meat | Vacuum-packed sliced salami |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Room temperature | Fridge |
| Shelf life | 2-5 years | 3-4 weeks |
| After opening | 3-4 days | 4-6 days |
| Texture | Soft, even | Firm |
| Protein (100 g) | 11-15 g | 14-18 g |
| Water | 60-68% | 50-58% |
What does storing without a cold chain mean?
That is the one real advantage of the product and it determines its range of use entirely.
It can go where no refrigeration exists.
Camping and caravanning; no fridge becomes necessary.
Boats and yachts, with limited cooling capacity.
Emergency stocks; a standard item in an earthquake bag and in disaster preparation.
Military and industrial ration packs carry the product too; a long shelf life and portability decide for that use.
Why does the texture differ?
Sterilisation happens at a high temperature, and that affects the meat.
The muscle proteins denature.
Collagen turns to gelatine.
The result is a softer, more even texture than vacuum-packed salami.
No fibrous structure shows in the section.
That texture is an advantage for some consumers and a defect for others; a slice can break apart easily and travels poorly in a sandwich.
What gets checked on a tinned luncheon meat label?
The use of fillers is widespread in tinned meat products.
The first is meat content; a quality tinned salami passes 60 percent.
The second is the phrase mechanically separated meat; its presence places the product in a lower segment.
The third is starch and soya protein, used to hold water.
The fourth is gelatine, the source of the layer of jelly forming in the tin.
The net weight and the drained weight appear separately; the drained weight shows the real quantity of product, and comparison happens over that figure.
What is the jelly in the tin?
A clear or pale jelly surrounds the product once the tin opens.
That is the water and collagen released from the meat during sterilisation, set as gelatine.
Some products carry added gelatine too.
The jelly is edible; harmless and carrying nutritional value.
But most consumers throw it away.
The quantity of jelly says something about the quality of the product; a large amount shows the water runs high and the meat content low.
How does tinned luncheon meat get cut?
The product comes out of the tin whole.
Both ends of the tin get opened and the product gets pushed out from one end.
It gets cut cold; at room temperature the product is soft and the slices break apart.
A thin, sharp knife gets used.
The slices run five to eight millimetres; far thicker than vacuum-packed salami.
A thin slice cannot be handled; the soft texture tears under its own weight, and that limits the use of the product on a cold board.
Where does tinned luncheon meat get used?
In sandwiches; a thick slice goes well with bread.
Fried in a pan; the surface browns and the texture firms.
With eggs; chopped into an omelette.
Stirred into rice and pasta.
Hot use gives a better result with this product; heating firms the texture and partly corrects the softness that is its weakest point.
Why does frying get preferred?
That is the most widespread method of preparation for the product.
Thick slices spend two or three minutes a side over a moderate heat.
The Maillard reaction happens at the surface.
Colour and aroma form.
The texture firms at the same time; heat contracts the proteins and the slice becomes more robust.
No further fat goes in; the product already carries enough, and a slice in the pan releases its own.
What nutritional value does tinned luncheon meat carry?
Two hundred to two hundred and sixty calories per hundred grams.
Protein runs 11 to 15 grams.
Fat runs 15 to 20 grams.
Sodium runs 900 to 1400 milligrams.
The protein-to-fat ratio runs around 0.7 to 0.8; a medium-to-low level across delicatessen products.
Protein runs below vacuum-packed salami, since the proportions of water and filler run higher.
How does it sit in an emergency stock?
Keeping a source of protein gets recommended in disaster preparation.
Tinned meat products meet that need.
Two or three tins suffice for three days per person.
The tins stay in a cool, dry place.
They get checked every six months; tins approaching their date get used and replaced.
That cycle keeps the stock always in date and nothing goes to waste.
How does tinned luncheon meat get stored?
An unopened tin keeps in a cool, dry place to the date on the label, generally two to five years.
It stays in a cupboard out of direct sun.
It does not get stored below freezing; a frozen tin expands and deforms.
A swollen, dented or rusted tin stays closed.
The product does not stay in the tin once opened; it moves to a glass or plastic container and keeps three or four days in a fridge.
How does the tin get opened?
The packaging needs a different method from other tins.
The tin generally carries a key; a metal strip pulls away to open it.
Both ends open separately in some products.
The product comes out whole; pushing it from one end is the most practical method.
The tin does not get opened with a knife; a sharp metal edge carries a risk of injury and damages the surface of the product.
The tin gets rinsed and goes for recycling; steel cans belong to the materials recyclable without limit.
