EXHIBIT 10.18

                          PATENT ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY

         WHEREAS,  QF ACQUISITION  CORP.  (d/b/a Quality  Foods),  a corporation
formed under the laws of Delaware,  having a principal place of business at 5501
Tabor Road, Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania 13120 ("Company"),  owns the patents and
patent applications shown in the attached Schedule A (the "Patents"),  for which
there are recordings or  applications  in the United States Patent and Trademark
Office under the numbers shown in the attached Schedule A; and

         WHEREAS,  Company is obligated to Fleet Capital Corporation ("Lender"),
pursuant to (i) a certain  Loan and Security  Agreement,  dated the date hereof,
among Lender, Custom Food Products, Inc., QF Acquisition Corp. and CFP Holdings,
Inc.; and (ii) a certain Patent Collateral  Security  Agreement,  dated the date
hereof,  made by Company in favor of Lender (as each may be  amended,  modified,
restated or supplemented from time to time, collectively, the "Agreements"); and

         WHEREAS,  pursuant to the  Agreements,  Company is granting to Lender a
security interest in the Patents, all proceeds thereof, all rights corresponding
thereto and all reissues,  divisions,  continuations,  renewals,  extensions and
continuations-in-part thereof, and the recordings and applications therefore.

         NOW, THEREFORE,  for good and valuable consideration,  receipt of which
is hereby  acknowledged,  Company  does  hereby  assign unto Lender and grant to
Lender  a  security  interest  in  and  to  the  Patents,   and  recordings  and
applications  therefor,  which assignment and security interest shall secure all
the  Obligations as defined in the  Agreements and in accordance  with the terms
and provisions thereof.

         Company expressly acknowledges and affirms that the rights and remedies
of Lender with respect to the  assignment and security  interest  granted hereby
are more fully set forth in the Agreements.


Dated:  New York, New York
        May __, 1998


Witness:                                     QF ACQUISITION CORP. (d/b/a Quality
                                             Foods)

______________________________               By:________________________________
                                                Name:  Eric Ek
                                                Title:   Vice President and CFO



Witness:                                     FLEET CAPITAL CORPORATION

______________________________               By:________________________________
                                                Name:
                                                Title:


<PAGE>


STATE OF ___________       )
                           : ss.:
COUNTY OF _________        )

         On this ___ day of May, 1998,  before me personally  came Eric Ek to me
known,  who,  being by me duly  sworn,  did  depose  and say that he is the Vice
President and CFO of QF  Acquisition  Corp.,  the  corporation  described in and
which executed the foregoing instrument;  and that he signed his name thereto by
order of the board of directors of said corporation.


                                                  ______________________________
                                                  Notary Public



STATE OF NEW YORK  )
                   : ss.:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK )

         On this ___ day of May, 1998, before me personally came __________,  to
me  known,  who,  being  by me duly  sworn,  did  depose  and say that he is the
__________ of Fleet Capital Corporation,  the corporation described in and which
executed the foregoing  instrument;  and that he was authorized to sign his name
thereto on behalf of said corporation.


                                                  ______________________________
                                                  Notary Public


<PAGE>


                                   SCHEDULE A

         Schedule A to a Patent  Assignment  of Security  dated May __, 1998, by
and  between QF  ACQUISITION  CORP.  (d/b/a  Quality  Foods)  and Fleet  Capital
Corporation.


APPLICATION OR                       ISSUE OR
  PATENT NO.                        FILING DATE                   TITLE
  ----------                        -----------                   -----
  4,975,294                           12/4/90          Process for making a
                                                       restructured meat product