CANADIAN WILTSHIRE BACON: X. DISTRIBUTION OF CHLORIDE

Highly significant differences in chloride content were observed at different positions across the ham of Wiltshire sides, the portion next to the tank pickle during cure usually containing the most chloride. Of the various factors studied, the number of injections used for pumping a side, and the age from cure, were the only ones found to affect the chloride distribution. Greater uniformity was obtained by increasing the number of injections, and with increasing age from cure. Within the range used in practice for curing Wiltshire sides, the chloride content of the pickles or the number of days in cure was not related to the chloride distribution. An equation is given relating the uniformity of chloride distribution to the number of injections used per side in pumping, and the number of days from the end of cure. This equation indicates that, on the average, the variations in the chloride content within the ham of a Wiltshire side will be reduced to the same magnitude as the variations between sides cured in the same plant, after holding at 1.1 °C. for periods of about 12, 26, and 30 days, for sides receiving 27, 8, and 0 injections, respectively.