A PROCESS FOR INCORPORATING INTO MEAT SUBSTANCES WHICH ARE PRESENT IN A DISSOLVED SUSPENDED AND/OR PULVERIZED SOLID STATE AND A PLASTIC BAG TO BE USED IN THE PROCESS

Abstract: In pork such as hams or shoulders salt is often incorporated for enhancing the aroma, colour and keeping qualities. A quick incorporation is provided by placing pieces of meat - which have been multi needle injected and possibly been rubbed with a dry salt mixture in a film packing, partially evacuating air from the packing and then sealing it. The package thus obtained is then subjected to a mechanical treatment in a massaging vat, tumbler or churn, until the desired amount of brine and dry salt mixture has been absorbed in the meat, whereafter the packing is removed - if desired.

Description: A process for incorporating into meat substances which are present in a dissolved, suspended and/or pulverized solid state ' and a plastic bag to be used in the process. The present invention relates to a process for incorporating into meat by mechanical treatment substances which are present in a dissolved, suspended and/or pulverized solid state. Substances are often incorporated into meat in order to enhance its properties. E.g. meat is cured in order to improve its keeping qualities, taste and colour. A number of methods is known in this respect. One of the known curing methods is to place the meat in an aqueous brine solution for an ade¬ quate period of time, enabling the meat to absorb the calculated amount of brine, A quicker curing method is to inject the brine into the meat through a number of hollow needles. This method - the so-called multi needle in¬ jection method - requires a subsequent storage of the meat having the brine in cavities in order to obtain a further dispersion and binding of brine in the meat. This storage usually takes place in tanks containing brine. In the pro¬ duction of canned hams and canned shoulders massaging, tumbling or churning of the meat after injection is preferred. The meat is then canned and allowed to stand for about 24 hours before autoclaviπg. The mechanical treatment mentioned above is especially used in order to make the meat more supple and to achieve an exudate resulting in a binding of the individual meat muscles after autoclavation. In this way a full- squared coherent product is obtained. Furthermore, it is known to incorporate salt into e.g. whole hams by rub- iπg a dry salt mixture into the surface of the hams. This rubbing is usually repeated in order to enable the salt to be incorporated into the meat as uniformly as possible and in the amount desired. However, all the methods described above have one disadvantage in common, they are time consuming and occupy costly production equipment, storage facilities and labour for quite a long time. OMPI The object of the invention is therefore to provide a process capable of considerably reducing the time of incorporation of the substances mention¬ ed above. This purpose is achieved by a process which according to the present in- vention is characterized in that the meat in the form of one or several pieces is placed in a film packing together with the substances which - if desired - wholly or partly have been injected or introduced into the meat, that air and gas is then partially evacuated from the packing, re¬ ducing its volume and that the evacuated packing is sealed airtight, whereafter the package thus produced with its content of meat and sub¬ stances, which are to be incorporated, is subjected to a mechanical treatment capable of repeated deformation of the package with its content, until the substances have substantially been bound in the meat, and that the film packing then is cut and removed, if desired. "Incorporation" means here working in and introduction of the substances to such an extent that they are bound in the meat and preferably uniform¬ ly dispersed therein, too. Preferably it should be impossible to rub them- •Out again. . In the process of the invention the meat and the unbound substances are brought into close contact with each other because the substances lying outside the meat are being maintained in a thin layer in contact with the meat by means of the inside of the packing. At the same time a quick transport of the material in this layer takes place caused by the repeat¬ ed deformation of the package. In this way there exists very favourable conditions for a transfer of material such as brine into the muscle tissue of the meat. Besides, the mechanical treatment of the meat will favourably affect the transport of the material in the meat itself, be¬ cause the substances which have been injected in certain areas of the meat are forced out into the surrounding meat. Substances and meat juice which have been completely forced out of the meat, are caught by the packing and led back into the meat. The process according to the invention enables therefore a quick incorpo¬ ration of the substances with no loss of meat juice, the reason why the weight gain of the meat may be fixed accurately. When first sealed in the packing the meat is further protected from any contamination of for example microorganisms and also from the influence of the air. The process according to the invention is preferably used in connection with fresh meat having good water and juice binding properties, but may be used in thawed meat, too. Also processed meat might be used. For example it may have been subjected to electrical or mechanical tender- izing or may have been salted. Meat to be treated in accordance with the process of the invention may derive frommaπmal such as pigs, cattle or sheep or from poultry or fish. The meat may be present in the form of whole and/or parts of muscles or muscle groups i.e. pieces weighing from a few grams up to several kilo- grams. The process according to the invention is advantageously applied on pieces of meat weighing more than 1 gram, especially more than 10 grams and in particular more than 30 grams. If the meat is mainly present in the form of pieces each weighing more than 1 gram, especially more than 10 grams, but not exceeding 1 kilogram, the process is preferably performed so, that several of such pieces are placed in the film packing. A very flexible package is obtained in this way enabling the substances to be distributed over the relatively large surface of the meat pieces. The substances are rapidly incorporated into the meat during the mechanical treatment. This embodiment of the invent- ion may be applied in connection with manufacturing of products substan¬ tially consisting of lean meat such as fore end rolls but may also be advantageously applied on mixtures containing pieces of meat of the said sizes such as coiTsninuted meat mixtures containing pieces of meat and fat. The process according to the invention is especially well utilized in connection with meat pieces each weighing more than 0.2 kilograms, preferably more than 1 kilogram, because the known methods of incorporat¬ ion of substances into such pieces of meat are particularly time consum¬ ing. OMPI If the meat is present in the form of pieces of meat each weighing more than 0.2 kilograms ,in particular more than 1 kilogram, the process accord¬ ing to the invention is preferably performed by placing one single piece of meat in the film packing. The whole surface of such a piece is immedi- 5 ately exposed to mechanical treatment and an uniform processing is achiev¬ ed. If the film packing furthermore is made tolie relatively firm against the meat itself, an improved rigidity in the case of flat long pieces of meat is achieved. This may be advantageous if the mechanical treatment is carried out as tumbling, massaging or churning. 0 As stated in claim 4 an amount of preferably 0.2 - 20 kilograms, and in particular 1 - 10 kilograms of meat is placed in the film packing. Within the stated weight ranges a particular uniform incorporation of the sub¬ stances is obtained by the mechanical treatment, without damaging the sur¬ face of the meat. 5 The process according to the invention may thus be utilized on both whole meat, such as cuts in the form of whole hams, fore loins, tongues and bacon cuts as well as minor pieces of meat v/hich are to be restructured into one combined larger piece of meat such as canned hams by heat treatment or ex¬ trusion. o The substances which are incorporated into the meat according to the proces of the invention may be the substances convent onally used in the meat industry for enhancing the keeping qualities, colour, taste, aroma and/or consistency of the meat or for reducing the cost price of a meat product. These substances may be preservatives, antioxidants, colouring and 5 flavouring constituents, fragrances, consistency improving agents, meat substitutes and/or water. Preservatives and antioxidants may for example be salts of inorganic acids such as sodium chloride, sodium -nitrite and potassium nitrate or salts of organic acids such as potassium sorbate and sodium ascorbate as well as acids such as sorbic acid, ascorbic acid and lactic acid. If desired, microorganisms may be used capable of producing preservatives such as lactic acid producing cultures. o_m_ " Other examples of preservatives and antioxidants are esters, especially esters of one of the above mentioned organic acids. Consistency improving agents which may be used in the process according t the invention are e.g. phosphates, starches and vegetal or animal protein products such as soy protein, caseinate and blood plasma. As an example of flavouring constituents and fragrances may be mentioned natural condiments, seasoning extracts and synthetic condiments, liquid smoke compositions included. Besides, may be mentioned saccharides and hydrolyzed proteins as well as flavour and fragrance improving' agents such as glutamic acid and monosodium glutamates. Acccording to the process of the invention the substances may be incorpor ated separately or in a mixture and/or in one or several steps. The amount used is the usual one for such substances i.e. generally rang¬ ing from a few milligrams to several hundred grams per kilogram meat. Sub- stances which are to be incorporated into the meat in a large amount are usually soluble in water and may advantageously be incorporated in a dis¬ solved state. Substances which are insoluble in water are as a rule used dispersed in water or in an aqueous solution of the remaining substances which are to be incorporated. If desired or necessary, the substances may be used in a pulverized state, too, such as a powder or fine crystals, i.e. as a dry salt mixture. Finally, part of the substances may be used in a solution while the remaining is added in a pulverized state. According to the process of the invention the substances which are to be incorporated may be positioned in the meat or placed on its surface be¬ fore it is placed in the packing. The meat may e.g. be multi needle in¬ jected with a brine and/or the meat may be rubbed with a dry salt mixture before it is placed in the packing. Alternatively, the meat may be placed in the packing with subsequent ( dosing of the substances into the packing, e.g. by multi needle inject ¬ ion of the meat placed in an open packing or by pouring the dry mixture and/or the curing brine into the packing. The two embodiments may also be combined e.g. the meat is first multi needle injected and then placed in an open packing, whereafter the dry salt mixture is poured into the packing. The film packing used in the process of the invention should be made of a material suitable for food stuffs, e.g. of a plastic material such as a polyolephine e.g. polyethylene, a polyester or a polya ide, e.g. nylon. Aluminium foil may also be used. The packing may be made of one or several similar or different layers and may have the shape of a sheet, a bag or be tubular. According to claim 5 the film packing is preferably a bag or a section of a tubular film, preferably in a material as plastic. The usaal packing products may therefore be used, deep drawn films included, and also packaging apparatuses. The improvement of a yielding bag according to the invention reduces the risk of undes red fluid enclosures in the bag itself and of a tearing of the bag during the mechanical treatment. Thus, the invention relates also to an improved bag for use in the process of the invention, and this bag is characteristic in that it has rounded corners or no corners at all. Evacuating and sealing of the filled packing may advantageously be perform¬ ed in one of the usual vacuum packaging machines. It is important to leave some air or gas in the package thus produced in order to make it compress- able and workable. The amount of the remaining air or gas should, how¬ ever, not be larger than necessary for ensuring a soft package. In other words the partial evacuation of air or gas from the filled package is performed to such an extent that practically all air or gas is removed from the filled packing before or during the sealing but the package should still remain flexible. This state may be achieved in the vacuum packaging machines by adjusting to a weak vacuum. Alternatively 5 the evacuation and sealing may be carried out by rolling or squeezing the air out of the package and then seal it. This embodiment is particularly useful in tubular film packings. ' The packing is advantageously sealed by rounded seams. In this way the risk of producing enclosures in the package itself is strongly reduced, vide claim 6. In order to increase the flexibility of the package according to claim 7 it is furthermore advantageous to flatten the packing with its con¬ tent of meat and substances, which are to be incorporated before or during the sealing operat on, thus creating a better possibility for the piece- or pieces of meat to slide relatively to the film package and promoting a uniform incorporation. The next step of the process according to the invention is a mechanical treatment of the package produced until the substances have been substan¬ tially absorbed and bound and as a rule been uniformly dispersed in the meat. For this purpose massaging vats, churns and tumblers known from the food processing industry are preferably used. According to claim 8 an embodi¬ ment of the process of the present invention is characterized in that the package which has been evacuated from air and gas and then sealed, is subjected to a mechanical treatment in a rotating tumbler or churn or a tank having a movable agitator, if desired, together with other packages which have been produced in a similar way. The time of treatment in these apparatuses depends on the size and flexibility of the packages and pieces of meat, the amount of substances which are to be incorporated, their nature as well as on the kind of meat and former processing. This period of time of treatment should on one hand be sufficiently long to enable the substances to be absorbed and dispersed in the meat, but on the other hand not be longer than en¬ abling the meat to maintain its physical structure. (L CMPI An advantageous embodiment of the process according to the present in¬ vention for incorporating a brine and, if desired, a dry salt mixture into meat pieces each weighing more than 0.2 kilograms, in particular more than 1 kilogram, such as whole hams, fore loins and bacon cuts, characterized in that a piece of meat is placed in a film packing, that the meat is being multi needle injected with the brine and the salt mixture, if desired, is being added before or after this placing in the film packing, that air is partially evacuated from the packing reducing its volume, and that the evacuated packing is sealed airtight, whereafter the package thus produced with its content δf meat, brine and possibly the dry salt mixture is subjected to said mechanical treatment in pre¬ ferably a tumbler, churn or massaging vat together with other packages produced in a similar way. After the working mentioned before in e.g. a tumbler, massaging vat or a churn the packages are removed from the apparatus. The packages may be further processed and handled without any risk of losing some of the incorporated substances or meat juice due to drip loss or evaporation. The meat may advantageously be processed further in the original packing-. For example ham and pieces of ham may be cooked in the packing whereby a firm product capable of being sliced after removal of the packing is obtained. Before cooking the packages may be placed in cans or moulds, thus obtaining a product of a desired cross section. The invention relates also to a product as defined in claim 11. The process according to the present invention is illustrated by the following Example: / - - Exa pl e Bones, coarse sinews and inner fat are removed from chilled whole hams. A hundred hams each weighing between four and six kilograms are multi needle injected on the meat side with a curing brine until a weight gain of 8 per cent is achieved. The curing brine consists of 16 kilograms NaCl , 150 grams NaNO,, 30 grams NaNO * 1 kilogram dextrose, 1 kilogram corn syrup solids, 500 grams lactic acid producing cultures ("Pbkel- fermente 77") and 100 1 water. The injected hams are each put in a polyethylene bag having rounded corners, 50 grams dry salt mixture per kilogram of meat are poured into each of the bags. This mixture consists of 23 kilograms NaCl , 40 grams NaN0 2 , 1.5 kilogram dextrose and 1.5 kilogram corn syrup solids. Air is partially evacuated from these bags in a vacuum packaging machine and the open ends are sealed. The packages contain a few air bubbles. The packed hams are put in a massaging vat. After 20 hours of agitating at 4 revolutions per minute the agitator is stopped and the hams are removed and stored in a cold room for 14 days. The plastic bags are then removed and the hams are stored again for an¬ other 14 days. The stored hams are steeped in a cold water bath for two hours, rinsed in hot water of 60°C and then cold smoked. After a smoking period of seven days the hams are finished and may be put on the market. These hams have the aroma, appearance and consistency corresponding to the so-called Westphalian hams, whose production normal- ly demands a - usually manual - total production time of two to three months, in contradiction to the mechanical treatment of one month only according to the present invention.

Claims: -10- What we claim is: 1. A process for incorporating into meat by mechanical treatment substances which are present in a dissolved, suspended and/or pulverized solid state, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the meat in the form of one or several pieces is placed in a film packing together with the substances which - if desired - wholly or partly have been injected. or introduced into the meat, that air and gas is then partially evacuated from the packing, reducing its volume and that the evacuated packing is sealed airtight, whereafter the package thus produced with its content of meat and substances, which are to be incorporated, is subjected to a mechanical treatment capable of repeated deformation of the package with its content, until the substances have substantially been bound in the meat, and that the film packing then is cut and removed, if desired. 2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the meat substantially is presen in the form of pieces of meat each weighing more than 1 gram, in particular more than 10 grams, but not exceeding 1 kilogram, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that several of such pieces of meat are placed in ' the film packing. 3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the meat is present in the Vorm of pieces of meat each weighing more than 0.2 kilograms, in particular more than 1 kilogram, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that one single piece of meat is placed in the film packing. 4. A process according to claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that an amount of 0.2 - 20 kilograms, in particular 1-10 kilograms of meat, are placed in the film packing. 5. A process according to claims 1-4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a bag or a section of a tubular film is used as the film packing, preferably a plastic bag or a section of a plastic tubular film. 6. A process according to claim 1-5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the packing is sealed with rounding seams. 7; A process according to claim 1-6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the packing with its content of meat and substances, which are to be in¬ corporated, is flattened before or during the sealing operation. OtøFI 8. A process according to claims 1-7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that • the package which has been evacuated from air and gas and then sealed, is subjected to a mechanical treatment in a rotating tumbler or churn or a tank having a movable agitator, if desired, together with other packages which have been produced in a similar way. 9. A process according to claims 3-8 for incorporating a brine and, if desired, a dry salt mixture into meat pieces each weighing more than 0.2 kilograms, in particular more than 1 kilogram, such as whole hams, fore loins and bacon cuts, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a piece of meat is placed in a film packing, that the meat is being multi needle injected with the brine and the salt mixture, if desired, is being added before or after this placing in the film packing, that air is partially evacuated from the packing reducing its volume, and that the evacuated packing is sealed airtight, whereafter the package thus produced with its content of meat, brine and possibly the dry salt mixture is subjected to said mechanical treatmentin preferably a tumbler, churn or massaging vat to¬ gether with other packages produced in a similar way. 10. A yielding bag for the use in the process according to claims 1-9, c h a r a c t e r iz e d- in that it has rounded corners or no corners at all. 11. A product mainly consisting og a) an air and gas evacuated film packing sealed tightly b) one or .several pieces of meat contained in this packing and c) substances present in a dissolved, suspended and/or pulverized solid state, which have been incorporated into the meat by mechanical treat¬ ment of the package consisting of a tightly sealed film packing with a content of meat and the substances mentioned.

Inventors: JENSEN JENS L
Applicants: JENSEN JENS L, SLAGTERIERNES FORSKNINGSINST
Application year: 1981
Main classification: A23B4
IPC codes: A23B4