ASAE Standards for Moisture Determination

ASAE Standard S353 (DEC92) - Moisture Measurement - Meat and Meat Products

This standard establishes a procedure for determining the moisture content of meat and meat products. Fresh meat samples are prepared by separating the meat from the bone and sausages are prepared by removing the casing. The sample is passed through a food grinder with plate openings less than or equal to 3 mm (1/8 in). The sample is mixed, ground a second time, mixed again, and ground a third time. Samples containing a minimum of 2g of dry matter are then placed uncovered in aluminum dishes which are placed in a convection oven. The samples are dried at 100 to 102°C for 16 to 18 hours. Alternate procedures are also specified. A convection oven temperature of 125°C with a drying time of 2 to 4 hours can be used. A third procedure uses a vacuum oven to dry the samples. The samples are dried at 95 to 100°C under an absolute pressure not greater than 13.3 kPa (100 mmHg) for approximately 5 hours. This procedure is not suitable for high fat products such as pork sausage.