Análisis bromatológicos en productos cárnicos comercializados en Ecuador

Abstract

Meat and processed meat products are foods frequently consumed in the daily diet of people worldwide, and can be found in presentations such as cured, matured, pre-cooked, cooked or raw. These products are produced in industries governed by technical standards where sensory, microbiological and bromatological quality is evaluated using chemical methods, such as the Kjeldah method or the hyperspectral imaging system (HSI) and by means of agars for bacterial identification, in order to evaluate the protein content of meat and processed meat products, such as bacterial load, respectively. In Ecuador, there are producers who supply supermarkets and stores, who distribute the product correctly, but there are those who do not comply with the technical standards at the time of processing. The objective of this study is to analyze the application of bromatological studies in processed meat products marketed in Ecuador in order to identify compliance with the quality control process, based on the NTE INEN 1338:2012 standard. The methodology used in this research was based on a descriptive study, compiling technical standards and scientific literature for the resolution of the proposed reagent. In Ecuador, it was analyzed that the lack of information interferes in an optimal research. In addition, the conclusion was reached that there are industries producing processed meat products, focused on complying with the country's technical standards. On the other hand, the presence of artisanal producers who carry out the activity in an empirical manner, overlooking the quality tests involved in the product, cannot be ruled out.