Canadian sirloin is made in Brazil. Why does it have that name? – 05/25/2023 – Market

After the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock defined new rules for the manufacture and sale of bacon and ham, people also wondered about the origin and production of other common sausages on the Brazilian table.

One of them is the Canadian loin, which has that name, but is made in Brazil. The sausage is the Brazilian version of a cut of bacon created in Canada and got its name to differentiate its composition.

“The technical name of the Canadian loin is back bacon, a reference to the pig’s back, as it is a belly bacon cut that has the loin attached to this cut”, says Peterson Rebechi, founder of the Cava charcuterie school.

He says that in Brazil the traditional smoked loin and back bacon —or Canadian bacon— have become the same thing, a version of bacon without pork from the belly region and only with muscle in the composition.

The Ministry of Agriculture defines that the Canadian loin must have 100% loin cut as raw material. The composition of the final product must have a minimum of 16% protein and a maximum of 72% moisture, 8% fat and 1% carbohydrates.

Traditionally, the loin cuts go through the smoking process with the gourmet function, to enhance or change the taste of the food.

The process can be carried out in two ways: in a greenhouse, using natural smoke from the incomplete combustion of non-resinous woods, such as cedar and mahogany, or by applying liquid smoke, a condensed form of wood burning, in the stages of injection of the meat.

The way to prepare pork sausage was created in Canada, where there is still a difference between Canadian and traditional bacon.

This technique of mixing the two cuts of pork creates a difference in the perceptions of flavor, texture and color of the products.

Marieli de Lima, professor of the Food Engineering course at UFU (Federal University of Uberlândia), explains how to use parts of the pig that vary in terms of protein, water and fat content.

She points out that, according to food-related legislation in Brazil, the Canadian loin is actually referred to as Canadian-type loin on packaging, to indicate the origin of the product’s production technique.

Daniela Cierro, vice president of Asbran (Brazilian Association of Nutrition), explains that it is important to pay attention to other ingredients in the composition of the sausage.

“For example, 100 grams of Canadian sirloin, depending on the manufacturer, has half the daily sodium recommendation [de 2 g]so you need to pay attention to the sodium load of ultra-processed foods such as sausages”, he says.

She explains that it is recommended to avoid consuming ultra-processed foods, generally made by industries involving processing techniques and the use of ingredients for industrial use, such as meat extracts, and substances synthesized in the laboratory, as additives that make them extremely attractive.

“The high consumption of sausages can lead to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, colon cancer that is related to the high consumption of processed meats, allergies, gastritis, ulcers and skin problems, due to the additive ingredients that participate in its composition” , says Cierro.