Frankfurters are comminuted, semisolid sausages prepared form one or more kinds of raw skeletal muscle meat or raw skeletal muscle meat and raw or cooked poultry meat. Most sausages sold as frankfurters in America are made of a mixture of pork and beef, unlike the original frankfurters which consist only of pork.
It seasoned and cured, using one or more of the curing agents in accordance with a regulation.
Since the pH in a frankfurter is approximately 5.5 to 6.0, calcium citrate is the preferred calcium donor salt.
Carrageenan is added in order to give optimal texture and good sliceability. It extent shelf life and act as a dehydrating salt or humectant in uncured hams.
Other ingredients include: paprika, white pepper, coriander, nutmeg. Certain recipes contain seasonal herbs e.g. in spring: parsley, sorrel, chervil, burnet, lemon balm, borages, chives and watercress.
The finished products shall not contain more than 30% fat.
Water or ice, or both may be used to facilitate chopping or mixing or to solve the curing ingredients but the sausage shall contain no more than 40% of combination of fat and added water.
Ingredients in frankfurters
