VEGETABLE FOODSTUFF, ESPECIALLY FOR USE AS COLD CUTS AS WELL AS A PRODUCTION METHOD THEREFOR

Abstract: The selection of vegetable spreads up till now has been very limited as industrially nearly only compact dried fruit substances are produced to be applied as thin slices and soft spread pastes of vegetables. The invention provides a further and different type of vegetable spread, viz. a carveable or sliced jelly substance having finely minced vegetables and/or fruit as its basic substance. The substance can be produced from fresh or frozen raw material which by mechanical processing is finely minced to pieces of 4-8 mm in size and to which is added 1/2-2 % gelatine, e.g. agar, upon which it is pasteurized at 70-80 DEG and is cooled to a carveable block form.

Description: Vegetable foodstuff, especiε..ly for use as cold cuts ar well as a production method therefor. The present invention relates to a vegetable nutri- tient especially used as spreads, and a process for producing same. The population is urged to eat more fruit and vegetables, and as known sandwiches, e.g. as lunch and school children's lunch packets, are an impor¬ tant part of the everyday nourishment for many people. As spreads used slices of fresh tomatoes are used and to a certain extent bananas and apples, and slices of cer¬ tain mashed and dried vegetable masses, in more or less natural shape, while in the present connection marmalade and jam of fruits and berries are disregarded. The fruit asses, especially figs and hips or other similar and often more exotic fruits are produced in the shape of blocks from which the consumer can cut slices, but despite its virtues this spread has a rather monotonous and slightly sticky character, which not everybody likes, and besides it is only a limited number of the local fruits which are suitable to be formed into this kind of spreads. As far as vegetables go, the possibilities are even more limited, as almost none (except from certain of their fruits) are suitable in their natural shapes, apart from salad for garnishing purposes. The fruits of vegetables (beetroot, radish, red cabbage among others) are excellent as garnishing and gustatory stimulants, but often in processed nature and as nourishments they do not have great importance. There is one and so far almost the only way to produce vegetable spreads, namely as a spread pie which on the other hand can contain all possible suitable vegetables. Such pies can be produced both with nutritional and gustatory high qualities, but also here the everyday vegetable food easily gets mono- tonous and drab to which the ' uttered' character also contributes. From EP-A1 0 290 251 and EP Bl 0 009 897 are known two examples of nutrients containing fruit and vegetable as puree, but these are not directly suitable to be used as sliced spreads, but are processed further typi¬ cally when preparing a meal. The same applies for the nutrient known from SE-A 49 845 where the fruits are boiled dry to a dry mass. The invention aims at indicating an advantageous alternative to these known fruit and vegetable spreads, such that thereby at least such variation possibilities can be achieved that in everyday life there can be changed between different types of vegetable spreads, for achieving that each and every one becomes less mono¬ tonous. By the invention no distinction is made between fruit and vegetable, as the new product according to the invention is equally suitable for both types, as they can even be mixed therein. The product according to the invention is charac¬ terized in that it appears as a carveable or sliceable jelly material, which as a basic substance contains vegetable and/or fruits divided into fine particles. Measured according to the dry matter the product needs only contain 1/2 to 2% jelly material and disregarding the water content there can be spoken about a completely pure and natural product with a good nutritional value. The product will display as a new type of spread, namely a fruit or vegetable spread which typically will be used in slices, e.g. like ordinary meat spread, with a soft and pleasant chewing character, which will be something between the very soft vegetable pies and the considerab¬ ly harder slices of dried fruit mass, despite the basic substance are fruits or vegetables. Even a thick or thin slice will give the fruit or vegetable product a more attractive appearance than a spread pie or a thin medium hard slice of fruit maε and even those spread types will continue to have full justice, though the product according to the invention will be just a distinctive alternative, which can promote the con¬ sumers'" interest for use of wholesome spread both by being different, i.e. breaking the monotony in use of the hitherto known spread types of the type dealt with, and by giving new possibilities for use of all kinds of fruits, berries, vegetables and fruits of vegetable in the products, whereby a number of variations of carve¬ able spread can be performed. For the production of the product there can be used any kind of fruit or vegetable or mixture thereof, espe¬ cially of fresh fruits or vegetables, which are mechani¬ cally divided into fine pieces, preferably in pieces in the range of 4 to 6 mm adequate to secure a good carve¬ able and chewing consistence of the product, as to the substance is added a small amount of gelling agent, especially Flanogen 523 (trade name) . Particularly that the fruits and vegetables are divided into fine par¬ ticles and not pureed gives the product a good chewing solidity. The puree consistency is known among others from baby-food. It is desirable to let the puree under¬ go a pasteurization by heating it to a temperature over 70°C, whereby an effective dissolution of the gelling agent is achieved. The product is thereafter cooled to a carveable block form, whereafter it can be packed for distribution in block form or sliced and packed in a slice packing. Common gelatin on animal basis is not suitable, as it flows already when being warmed to 30 C, likewise it can not be tolerated, if the products shall be declared an absolute pure vegetable product. Whereas alginat and especially agar can be used as gelling agents, as there¬ by the required form stability can be secured by heating above 70° to 80°C. Especially Flanogen 523 has proved suitable, as the product obtains a good firmness. The associated pasteurization will be effective against bacterial flora in the raw materials, but in those spores might appear which are not demolished by pasteurization. From old times it is well known that a heat treatment can neutralize such spores if it is repeated after 24 hours, and for that reason such after- treatment should be performed on the block product. It shall be noted that the water content in the product dealt with typically will be rather high, namely in the range of 80 to 85 %, which however will be con¬ sistent with the use of relatively thick spread slices, which are pleasant in the mouth. Tests have proved that the product maintains its elasticity, colour, shape and taste causing any remnant sliced spread useable the next day without any discharge of water from the product having occurred nor any deterioration of taste, colour and consistence. The production of the nutrient is especially char¬ acterized by making frozen and fresh raw materials, carved, cut or minced in definite small dimensions and mixed in specific proportions according to the taste desired. Addition of spices and the vegetable gelling agent, e.g. Flanogen, are mixed in the proportions 1.5 to 2% of the finished product. By agitation during heat¬ ing the substance is brought to the point of boiling temperature in approximately 5 minutes, upon which it is transferred for portioning and vacuum filling in trans¬ parent sterile casings with a diameter of 45-65 mm. Hereafter pasteurization in a closed boiler for 30 minutes at 90°C. In continuation thereof the product is cooled under running water for 15 minutes, and shall further be brought steady and down to a temperature of 5° C by storage in cooling chamber until the next day. The next day labelling and packing can take place and the products are ready for further distribution and sale from refrigerated display cases in sups markets. The consistency of the final product is such that institution kitchens will be able to carve the spread on electrical spread carving machines. There is referred to a production form of vegetable products, where in the production there can be used equipment which normally exists within processing of meat products and meat spread products. For the purpose of illustrating the invention there should in the following be given some recipes of the product according to the invention together with labora¬ tory analysis. Example I, Mixed vegetable spread Kale 250 g Hamburg parsley 250 g Carrots 250 g Onion 150 g Water 350 g + 85 g = 435 g Salt 12 g Pepper 0.6 g Bouillon 10 g Flanogen 523 25 g Total 1,297 g The water is made to boil together with the bouil¬ lon blocks/powder. The chopped raw materials onion, kale and carrots (4mm) are added to the water and made to boil for 15 minutes under agitation. A chopper of the brand Wulff is used. Hereto salt, pepper and Flanogen 523 are added which are mixed together before adding. There is boiled for further 5 minutes under heavy agitation. Boiling is made under cover to prevent unnecessary evaporation. By evaporation during boiling the water is reduced with 25%, which causes further addition cf. the basic recipe with 85 g water accordingly up to a total of 435 g water. The consistency light porridge-like which is trans¬ ferred for portioning at high temperature. Portioning is made at 60°C. Example II, Beetroot and apple spread Beetroot 350 g Apples (Belle de Boskoop) 400 g Orange juice 40 g Water ' 300 g + 75 g = 375 g Salt 12 g Pepper 0.6 g Bouillon 10 g Flanogen 523 35 g Total 1,147 g The water is made to boil together with the bouil¬ lon blocks/powder. The chopped beetroots (a 4 mm pierced disc) together with the chopped apples are added and made to boil in the water for 15 minutes under agitation. A chopper of the brand Wulf is used. Thereafter orange juice is added, likewise under agitation. Salt, pepper and Flanogen 523 are mixed before adding and further boiled for 5 minutes under heavy agitation. Boiling is made under cover to prevent unnecessary evaporation. By evaporation during boiling the water is however reduced by 25 %, which causes a further addi- tion cf. the basic recipe with 75 g water and thus up to a total of 375 g water. The consistency slightly heavy porridge-like and transferred to to portioning at high temperature. Por¬ tioning is made at minimum 60°C in sterile casings, which shall be water softened before use. The following laboratory analyses made on some of the spread products produced according to the invention show that these have an extraordinary long durability. The analysis results are shown in the following diagram, where the spread products are mentioned by their main ingredients. The products are produced according to the examples I and II. Total bacterial count Ferments (NMKL) (NMKL) after 1 month after 1 month Carrot 40 per g <10 per g Beetroot <10 per g <10 per g Tomato 3400 per g <10 per g Kale, carrot, parsley <10 per g <10 per g Potato 260 per g <10 per g Carrot, peas <10 per g <10 per g Contents per 100 g. For comparison it could be informed that bacterial counts up to 100 000 per g are allowed and a ferment count up to 1000 per g. Thus it would be understood, that the analyses results for the products according to the invention are indeed very fine. The starting point in connection with development of fresh and/or frozen vegetables refined to a cooled vegetable spread assortment, with same application as e.g. meat spread, was aiming at simple points as follows:- to present a wholesome product developed on basis of vegetable and fruit products; a nutritionally propper food program, which is part of the everyday house keeping, and which can be used by everyone for life. Further to be applicable not only in private households, but also in catering, e.g. in insti¬ tution kitchens; to come forward with a product without addition of colourant and without addition of preserva¬ tive agents. Beyond this on the other hand also a pro¬ duct, which in bacteriological respect will be appreci¬ ably low without it for that reason necessitating such short sales term, that the product will be impossible to handle through distribution and sales channels; to provide a product developmentx within a complete assortment of vegetable and fruit products in a food program, which has not hitherto been seen in production; to put forward a program, where the idea of envi¬ ronment and propper nutritional food are linked together in a natural manner and where the common health factors for humans in connection with this nutrition will act positively. Vegetable spread is a completely new program and factor both in its production form and in its influence, which it can obtain towards the consumers in health as well as economy. In connection with this development there are no comparable products within the field of fruit and vege¬ table. It is correct that a jelly with cucumber or tomato as ingredients can be produced, but not in an industrial production where the purpose is carveable vegetable and fruit spread in slices for sandwiches in general. Certain gelling agents in connection with a mixture of meat and vegetables are used, likewise for vegetable mash primarily for babies. But these products are more of a soft nature where the gelling has the purpose of acting as a stabilizing factor. Vegetable mash with added gelling agent is therefor a mashed product and more comparable with fruit marmalade than with sliced vegetable spread. From the fruit and vegetables producers' point of view there are actually industrial and new product deve¬ lopments of their crops. A higher degree of refinement than hitherto exploited, as most vegetable and fruit products are sold via vegetable markets or in connection with freezing of single products and mixed blendings for sale from refrigerated display cases in supermarkets or to catering. However a production of pies and other frozen pro¬ ducts exits, in which fruits and vegetables form a small part of the raw material through to the final product ready for sale. At the producers there has now been product deve¬ loped an actual processing of vegetable products for a primary use. It will have a very positive influence on the com¬ munity health with respect to a nutrionally correct food when the spread product forms a major part of the con¬ sumption in connection with sliced spread on sandwiches and in thousands of lunch packets every day. There are also important economy aspects involved as here it is a matter of consumer pricing which is approximately one third of the price for meat spread products, and that is talking of products for the same purpose and use.

Claims: 10 C I S : 1. Vegetable food especially used as spread, characterized in that it appears as a pasteurized carve¬ able or sliced jelly material, which as a basic sub¬ stance has fresh and/or frozen cut, grated, diced and/or chopped vegetable and/or fruits. 2. Food according to claim 1, characterized in that the pieces of the mechanical processed fruits and/or vegetable has a maximum seize of about 4 mm. 3. Food according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains 1/2 to 2 % solids content gelling agent in the nature of alginat or agar. 4. Food according to claim 3, characterized in that there is used Flanogen 523 (trade name) as gelling agent. 5. Process for producing a foodstuff according to claim 1 to 4, characterized in that the frozen and/or fresh vegetable or fruits are divided into smaller pieces, preferably with a maximum size of approximately 10 mm, especially about 4 mm, whereafter the vegetables and/or fruits are poured into boiling bouillon, where it is boiled under agitation for about 15 minutes, where¬ after the gelling agent and spices are added and the mixture is boiled for about further 5 minutes under heavy agitation, whereafter the substance is put into suitable packages, preferably artificial casings, which are pasteurized, preferably in a closed boiler for about 20 minutes at approximately 20°C, whereafter the pro¬ ducts are cooled under running water for about 15 minutes and further down to a temperature of approxi¬ mately 5°C by storage in a cooling chamber, after which the products is ready for use.

Inventors: JENSEN VERNER MEJER, JENSEN, VERNER, MEJER
Applicants: SUN FOOD AS, SUN-FOOD A/S
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A23L1
IPC codes: A23L1