Head cheese as use of pig slaughter by-products: A review

Abstract

The head cheese can be defined as a product derived from meat and cured pork offal or not, pre-cooked; supplemented with or without meat from other species, ground, seasoned, shaped or built, cooked again or not, and cooled. It is commonly made from head meat, tongue or feet and offals such as liver and heart. The pork skin, cooking broth or gelatin are used to promote the bonding effect in the product. It is a product rich in collagen and should have a maximum of 60% moisture and at least 15% protein. The head cheese is made by-products of pork slaughter being important for the industry due to adding value to raw pork meat and offals. In Brazil, especially in Santa Catarina State, the product has widely been accepted in regions colonized by Europeans. This State is the major producer of swine in the country. The absence of specific legislation for head cheese in Brazil results in the lack of product standardization.