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Abstract

The beef production in recent years has a high growth in exports, this behavior is associated with both the oscillation of prices, due to the appreciation of the product in the international market, as the stagnation of the purchasing power of the population. The drying of meat products is a universal technique that has long been used in Brazil. The dried meat is a traditional product highly appreciated and consumed by the population in the Northeast and is considered a food with high calorie-protein and sensory characteristics of their own. The conservation of dried meat is directly related to the general conditions of processing that often occurs in inadequate hygienic and sanitary conditions, constituting an important source of contamination and spread of foodborne diseases. Sodium chloride is widely used in industrial processing of meat or homemade, either as a condiment or as a preservative. The dried meat is very confused with beef jerky. Both are considered the typical national and salted meat that differ in processing, the type of feedstock used, the chemical composition and finally the shelf life. The marketing and distribution of meat from the sun are made in street markets, municipal markets, warehouses, supermarkets and butcher shops. Being thus prepared in inadequate conditions with regard to hygienic aspects. Meat is an excellent substrate for microbial growth, mainly due to its high water activity and its low molecular weight components. The field of temperature, pH and water activity are important tools in the control of microbial deterioration of foods. The low salt used can be considered as a factor for the high counts of microorganisms found in salted meat products. The water activity indicates the amount of water available that will facilitate the molecular motion to occur and the changes to the growth of microbial cells. The evaluation of water activity that provides an insight beyond the total content of water in food. The water holding capacity (WHC) is defined as the ability of meat to retain its moisture or water during the application of external forces, such as cutting, heating, grinding, pressing and / or centrifugation. In the food industry, the handling of meat with low water holding capacity, usually causes major losses quantitative and qualitative meat, making them undesirable for marketing. The objective of carrying out this review to clarify the importance of physico-chemical and microbiological analysis of meat from the sun for better preservation and shelf life, marketing and human consumption.