Computer-Assisted Smoking Process: The Influence of the Smoking Process on the Physical Parameters of Smoked Products

Smoking food products is one of the methods of preserving them and giving them unique qualities. The proper selection of process parameters significantly affects the sensory attributes of the products, as well as their health benefits. An experimental station was built and verified to optimize the process parameters to monitor the smoking process. The purpose of the publication is to present an experimental station that will be used for optimization studies of the parameters of the processing of food products by smoking. The condition parameters, i.e., temperature and smoke level, were monitored. The products (pork loin, feta cheese, Camembert, Italian-type cheese, and curd) after smoking were analyzed from a qualitative point of view. The weight loss, change in the product’s moisture content, and color change were measured. The measurements proved the stability of the process parameters for the 12 samples of meat and cheese of regular size and that a uniform amount of smoke penetrated them at comparable temperatures. A comparison was also made between changes in the basic physical parameters of the meat and cheese during smoking. The change in the physical parameters of the pork loin was used as a reference point for changes in these parameters in other products.