Letter to the Reader
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the Earthworm Express!
Earthworm Express is entirely devoted to great stories from meat science and technology. In re-discovering the birth of old-school technology and understanding the science behind it, we are able to make sense of the novel technologies which see the light of day on a continual basis.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt wrote in his magnificent work, The Tiny Work of Tiny Stories, that “the universe is not made of atoms; it’s made up of tiny stories.” These are some of the tiny and not-so-tiny stories from the world of meat processing and the technology underpinning our trade.
I dedicate this work to the men and women who love meat, its art and science!
Eben
Inside EarthwormExpress
For a complete list of all the articles, see Menu Page.
Bacon & the Art of Living – The Authoritative History of Bacon – never told before!
The complete story of bacon, told from a 20th-century perspective; cast in a steam-punk style.
Nose-to-Tail and Root-to-Tip: Re-Thinking Emulsions
I re-think every aspect of fine meat pasts in cooked sausage production from a commercial small-good manufacturers perspective. Every part of the animal is used and every part of the plant.
The best Bacon and Rib System on Earth
Years of dedicated research and design culminated in the best bacon system on earth.
About Nitrite
A list of my complete work on Nitrites. Nitrites are placed within their proper role in meat curing and human health and physiology.
The History of Bacon, Ingredients and related technologies
The home of the history of bacon, ingredients and all technologies related to bacon curing. As always, we deal with the history of its use and the chemistry and mechanics behind its functionality.
The Salt Bridge
The fascinating history of Salt from around the globe. It is key to our understanding of the development of curing.
The Present and Future of Meat Processing
The Present and Future of Food Processing features exciting and interesting new processes and technological frontiers.
Honey – the magical super-food
Honey is one of the world’s first natural medicine and to this day, an amazing superfood! Here we consider its history and value as a functional ingredient in cured food formulations.
Kolbroek and the Kune Kune
The Kolbroek pig of the Western Cape and the Kune Kune of New Zealand represent two indigenous pigs with an enigmatic past.
Nitrate and Nitrite – their history and functionality
One of the most exciting stories in bacon is that of saltpetre (potassium nitrate) and sodium nitrite.
The Master Butcher from Prague, Ladislav NACHMÜLLNER
The amazing story of Ladislav Nachtmullner, the inventor of the first successful commercial curing brine containing sodium nitrite.
Eben Interviews Food Mavericks
Here I celebrate the great men, women and companies from our industry – from the past and present.
Counting Nitrogen Atoms – The History of Determining Total Meat Content
The history of total meat determination with nitrogen as basis.
Have a question or comment or contribution?
Have a project that you want me to be a part of? Want a one-stop solution for complete factory design (including complete Autocad Drawings and on-site supervision of construction) with product flows, ISO2200/ HACCP compliance and the latest equipment? Be introduced to the best functional suppliers around the world or do you need an NPD outsourced solution? Please contact me!
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A small selection of site pictures
What a stunning website! Very valuable information and very interesting reading.
Great Eben!
thanks , very interesting web site.
well done.
Richard Brummer
Cleaning World
This site is priceless absolutely priceless.
Thank you, Ian!