A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO PREPARATION AND MEAT PRESERVATION BY REFRIGERATION OR FREEZING OF THE LAND SNAIL (HELIX ASPERSA MÜLLER)

ABSTRACT

Helix aspersa Müller is one of the few land snails suitable for preparation for human consumption, and constitutes an important potential alternative for mass production of animal protein. High-quality meat obtained from this snail can compete with cattle, swine and poultry because of its comparatively lower production costs of infrastructure, labor and feeding. The objective of the study is to present information on initial processing steps for this product, where mucus (“slime”) is eliminated from the snails. Concentrations of salt and vinegar over periods of time required for elimination of slime after the purging step were determined, permitting uninterrupted continuation of the preparation process before its refrigeration and freezing storage. Optimal slime elimination was achieved by following a statistical design based on a 2³ factorial scheme as a variable response to weight loss, indicating elimination of the slime. The results obtained showed the best concentration of salt to be 7.5% and vinegar 10%, with an immersion time of 45 min. Moreover, some preliminary aspects related to refrigeration and freezing rate process are also delivered.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The results of this study indicate that there is a practical way to eliminate the Helix aspersa Müller slime in order to obtain a cleaner meat, using acid salt solutions at room temperature with low-cost additives, including common salt and white vinegar, allowing the low- and median-capacity industries to have access to a simple technology in the preliminary operations of the production process. Furthermore, the product obtained could undergo the preservation processes with or without the shell, where the boiling-in-water operation could be included or not. Finally, it could be preserved by refrigeration or freezing.