Patent ID: 6099891
Filing Date: 2000-08-08
Classification: A23L

Abstract:
A very low fat meat product made by a process comprising the steps of:providing a supply of comminuted meat having a fat content of between about 5% and about 60% by weight, based upon the total weight of the meat;adding a phosphate source to said supply of meat, said phosphate source being added at a quantity of about 0.5% by weight or less phosphate, based upon the total of the meat;heating said supply of meat to a temperature adequate to generally melt fat within the supply of meat without significantly denaturing the meat;flowing said meat to provide a flow of heated comminuted meat having dispersed therewithin phosphate from said phosphate source;passing the flow of heated meat and phosphate from said flowing step into a centrifuge to subject said flow to a gravitational force sufficient to separate said flow into a lean meat phase and a high fat phase, said passing, step being after said adding step, said lean meat phase having a fat content of not greater than about 1.5% by weight of fat, based upon the total weight of the lean meat phase;collecting the lean meat phase as a flow of very low fat meat from the centrifuge;wherein said very low fat meat is undenatured and undiluted by added diluents other than from said phosphate source, has a fat content not greater than about 1.5 weight percent, based upon the total weight of said very low fat meat, and has a functionality of at least about 3.