PROCESS FOR PREPARING A MEAT PRODUCT

Abstract: A process for preparing a meat product comprises preparing a mouldable emulsion of uncooked comminuted meat, extruding the emulsion as a ribbon or sheet and cooking the extrudate. Before, during or after cooking, the extrudate is divided into slices, and a wrapping film is sealed about the slices to produce individually wrapped, hermetically sealed meat slices. The extrudate may be filled directly into an advancing tube of film, which is then flattened and nipped between transversely disposed jaws at appropriate intervals to separate the so-formed ribbon of extrudate into slices prior to cooking. A proportion of pre-cooked meat may be added to the mouldable emulsion to alter the organoleptic properties of the end product.

Description: PROCESS FOR PREPARING A MEAT PRODUCT The present invention relates to a process for producing a meat product and to meat products produced by the process. For many years, technology and machinery has existed for making individually wrapped slices of processed cheese. There are two basic processes used for preparing such products, namely the individual-wrap cold fill process, and the individual-wrap hot fill process. The cold fill process involves extruding a ribbon or sheet of hot emulsified processed cheese on to a chilled stainless steel belt or roller. The ribbon of cheese solidifies and is then cut to shape prior to being wrapped individually. Exemplary hot fill processes are described in US-A-3,542,570, GB-1,366,798 and WO93/16920. Generally in such processes, a continuous sheet of thin heat sealable film is unwound from a roll, and drawn around a forming head or anvil. It is then made into a continuous tube of film by sealing the film to itself, to make a fin seal. A hot mouldable processed cheese emulsion is introduced into the tube at a controlled rate. The film speed is also controlled. In this way the ratio of cheese weight to film area is controlled and an endless film wrapped tube of hot processed cheese is produced. The next step is the flattening of this tube between rollers or belts so that a ribbon is formed. This endless flat ribbon of hot processed cheese has now to be formed into slices. This is done by squeezing the film across its transverse axis between synchronised gripping jaws or ribs. The film is then sealed in the clear spaces across the transverse axis, and so the top and bottom edges of each slice are formed. The still endless flat ribbon of film, now containing shaped pockets of hot cheese, is passed through a cooling sequence, usually chilled water, to solidify the cheese. The outside of the film is wiped and blow dried. The next sequence in the production process cuts the endless film tube into individual slices, by cutting through the sealed film at the previously created gaps in the cheese. The individual slices are then placed into stacks containing the required number of slices and packed into consumer packs in an outer grouping wrapper. Individually wrapped processed cheese slices are popular with consumers. They have the opportunity to purchase a pasteurised, hygienically wrapped product, which does not go stale and dry out when the outer grouping wrapper is opened. The product is convenient, hygienic, customer friendly and economic to produce. In the meat processing industry the technology for making meat emulsions is well known. Also well known is the process of taking individual pieces of uncooked meat, introducing a curing material into them, then tumbling and massaging them in order to cause protein to be liberated. The meat is then put into a mould, which may be unlined, or else lined with a bag or pouch made from suitable film. It is then put under pressure and cooked to a specific core temperature at which the liberated protein coagulates to gel the product into the moulded shape. The term "emulsion" as used in the context of meat emulsions by the meat industry and herein, does not refer to a true emulsion in which there are two phases, one being dispersed in the other. Instead, the term emulsion as used herein refers to a comminuted meat product which has been treated so as to release protein from the muscle tissue of the meat, the released protein serving to bind and gel the comminuted meat together on heating. Usually, so-called emulsifying salts, typically phosphates are added to the comminuted meat and these act by drawing the protein from the meat particles. It is also possible to form a structured piece of meat without the use of emulsifying agents such as phosphates or other salts. If pieces of lean meat are size reduced so that the protein is liberated, they can be reformed into another cohesive uniform shape through working, heat and pressure. If the desire is to reform a meat product and prevent moisture loss or loss of juices and flavours during cooking (known as "cook out"), then it may be necessary to reduce the moisture in the meat at the beginning or add an ingredient that will absorb any moisture that is likely to exude. The known meat handling technology produces blocks of meat. This is cooked in one of the conventional ways and optionally sliced for the table. The slicing may be done at the point of sale, or alternatively, the meat may be pre-sliced and controlled-atmosphere packed or otherwise wrapped. Once removed from its sealed pack, the sliced meat tends to become dried out and stale and becomes susceptible to contamination. Moreover, the meat cannot readily be cut and packed aseptically, which causes a reduction in the shelf life of the product. The hot fill processes which are known for the manufacture of individually wrapped cheese slices are unsuitable for the production of meat slices, as they require that a molten viscous emulsion be prepared at temperatures at which processed cheese is molten - typically greater than 72°C - for extrusion into a ribbon of product. However, in emulsions of meat at such temperatures, the protein would coagulate to form a substantially gelled cohesive mass, and such material would be an unacceptable feedstock for forming extruded, cohesive meat slices. The present invention seeks to provide a continuous, automated, in-line process for preparing an individually sealed and wrapped cooked meat slice or for preparing a sealed and wrapped package containing a small number of cooked meat slices. The present invention provides a process for preparing and packing a meat product comprising the steps of (a) preparing an emulsion from a feedstock of a substantially uncooked comminuted meat or meat product (b) processing the emulsion to form it into wrapped, cooked slices of meat, each slice being sandwiched between wrapping material and (c) sealing the wrapping to form a sealed package containing at least one slice Preferably, the processing step includes extruding the emulsion, cooking the extrudate, dividing the extrudate into slices and wrapping the slice in film. The process also includes wrapping a plurality of slices in a single pack. The invention also provides a process for preparing and packing a meat product comprising the steps of (a) preparing an emulsion from a feedstock of a substantially uncooked comminuted meat or meat product, (b) extruding the emulsion and forming it into a ribbon or sheet of extrudate, (c) heating the extrudate to cook and gel the emulsion during or after the extrusion step, (d) dividing the sheet or ribbon into slices either before or after cooking the extrudate, (e) arranging wrapping film about the sheet, ribbon or slices before, during or after cooking the extrudate and (f) forming a hermetic seal around each individual slice or a plurality of slices by sealing the film about each slice or plurality of slices. The invention yet further provides a process for preparing and packing a meat product comprising the steps of (a) preparing an emulsion from a feedstock of a substantially uncooked comminuted meat or meat product, (b) extruding the emulsion and forming it into a ribbon of extrudate, (c) dividing the ribbon transversely into individual meat slices either before or after wrapping the ribbon or slices in wrapping film, (d) during or after the extrusion step (step b), heating the ribbon or the slices to cook and gel the meat emulsion, and (e) sealing the wrapping film about each slice or a desired number of slices to provide an individually wrapped meat slice or plurality of meat slices. The extrudate is preferably filled into film and the filled film is flattened to shape the extrudate into a sheet or ribbon. The film may comprise an advancing tube of film. The ribbon may be divided into desired slice-sized portions by application of pressure to the film along an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the ribbon, the film then being sealed about each slice to form individually sealed and wrapped meat slices, and the cooking step may be conducted after the flattening step. The meat emulsion may be extruded as a sheet or ribbon and heated during extrusion partially or fully to cook it, and the sheet or ribbon is divided into slices which are transferred onto film, the film is wrapped about the slices and sealed longitudinally and transversely between adjacent slices and if required, further heating is done fully to cook the formed slices and/or to in-pack pasteurise or sterilise the product. Preferably, the flat surfaces of the sheet, ribbon or slices are heat seared to develop surface colouration. Conveniently, the shape of the sheet, ribbon or slices is controlled by feeding the emulsion between a pair of belts which are biased toward one another, the belts being constructed so as to control width, thickness and edge shape of the product. The belts are heated to cook or partly cook or surface-sear the product, and the belts are embossed with a surface pattern which is transferred to the sheet, ribbon or slices to impart a surface texture to the sheet, ribbon or slices. The process may include the step of separating the packages of individually wrapped and sealed slices or plurality of slices from one another by cutting across the seals between adjoining slices or plurality of slices. Alternatively, the process may include the step of forming perforations across the seal between adjacent individually sealed slices or plurality of slices to form a perforated junction so as to enable the individual packages of sealed and wrapped slices or plurality of slices to be separated from one another by tearing across the perforated junction. The slices are cooked by suitable means such as by immersion in hot water, by blowing hot air about them, by microwave, by radio frequency or in any other suitable way and a pasteurisation or sterilisation step is undertaken after the sealing of the formed slices within wrapping film. The feedstock comprises any comminuted uncooked animal flesh including any one or more of beef, sheep, pig, venison, poultry, game, fish or shellfish, and may further comprise any one or more of preservative, flavouring agent, colourant, gelling agent or water binding agent or a proportion of comminuted cooked meat. The proportion of cooked meat preferably comprises meat cooked at temperatures sufficiently high to induce flavour development of the meat. The feedstock may further include a protein or proteinaceous material including egg white or whey protein. Conveniently, the texture of the product is adjusted by preparing a meat emulsion containing both raw and pre-cooked meat and/or by varying the particle size of the meat pieces in the feedstock. The invention further provides a sealed package comprising at least one meat slice having two flat surfaces, the wrapping material of the package being in contact with each flat surface of the or each slice. The step of forming the extrudate into a sheet or ribbon can be done at the same time as the step of extruding the emulsion. Whilst the description of the invention given herein refers principally to the preparation of individual sealed and wrapped packages each of which contains a single meat slice, it will be appreciated that by choosing to seal only intermittently between formed slices, a sealed and wrapped package containing a small number of slices may also be prepared according to the invention. Such packs will be extremely convenient to the consumer in cases where a small number of meat slices, greater than one, is required at a single mealtime. In one variant of the process, the emulsion is extruded in any desired cross-sectional shape, for example circular and the extrudate is filled into film and the filled film is flattened to shape the extrudate into a sheet or ribbon. Preferably, the film is advancing during filling, being fed from a roll of film. If the emulsion is extruded as a sheet it is then may conveniently be cut into ribbons. Next, the or each ribbon is divided into desired slice-sized portions by application of pressure to the film along an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the ribbon. The film is then sealed between adjacent slices to form individually sealed and wrapped meat slices. The slices are cooked by suitable means such as by immersion in hot water, by blowing hot air about them, by microwave, by radio frequency or in any other suitable way. In another variant of the process, the meat emulsion is extruded as a sheet or ribbon and heated during extrusion partially or fully to cook it. The sheet may then, if required, be cut into ribbons. Next, the sheet or ribbon is divided into slices which are transferred onto film, the film wrapped about the slices and sealed longitudinally and transversely between adjacent slices. This step also includes the case where the sheet or ribbon is laid onto a sheet of film and a second sheet is then overlaid on the product, with appropriate seals then being formed between the two sheets. If required, further heating is done fully to cook the formed slices and/or to in-pack pasteurise or sterilise the product. The flat surfaces of the sheet, ribbon or slices are heat seared to develop surface colouration. In yet another variant of the process, the meat emulsion is extruded as a sheet or ribbon through a forming and heating die, in which case, the emulsion exits the die fully cooked and ready for division into slices and film-wrapping/sealing. In a preferred process, a heat pasteurisation or sterilisation step is undertaken after the sealing of the formed slices within the film. This step ensures that the interior of each sealed wrapped slice is substantially free from microbial contamination. Where sterilisation is undertaken, this may be achieved by any suitable known means, including heat treatment, irradiation or ultrasound. The emulsion of meat is preferably subjected to deaeration prior to extrusion to reduce the risk of air pockets appearing in the finished slices. Prior to and/or during heating, and during subsequent cooling, the extruded emulsion is advantageously subjected to pressure, for example by rolling, to ensure that it remains flat and wrinkle-free. The emulsion is prepared from a feedstock comprising any comminuted uncooked animal flesh and may comprise any one or more of beef, sheep, pig, venison, poultry, game, fish or shellfish. The feedstock may further comprise any one or more of preservative, flavouring agent, colourant, gelling agent or water binding agent. The feedstock may additionally comprise a proportion of cooked meat, preferably meat cooked at temperatures sufficiently high to induce cara elisation of the meat. The invention also provides an individually wrapped slice of meat prepared by a process according to the invention. The invention yet further provides a packed meat product characterised in that the package contains an individual cooked meat slice hermetically sealed within it. Yet further, the invention provides a package containing a small number of meat slices, hermetical sealed within it. The cooked meat slice is prepared from a feedstock comprising an emulsion of an uncooked comminuted meat or meat product. The feedstock may further comprise one or more of preservative, flavouring agent, colourant or gelling agent and may also include a proportion of cooked meat which has preferably been cooked at high temperature to caramelise it at least partially, and has subsequently been size reduced. Additionally, the feedstock may include a protein or proteinaceous material including but not limited to egg white and whey protein. The feedstock is conveniently extruded, formed into a flat shape and optionally surface heat seared to induce good colour and flavour development in the cooked meat slice. As will be described below, the feedstock may additionally comprise a proportion of comminuted pre-cooked meat. As used herein, the term "meat" should be understood to include animal flesh generally, including but by no means limited to pig meat, beef, sheep meat, venison, poultry, game, fish and shellfish. To improve the appearance of the meat slices prepared by the process as described herein, so as to make them more visually attractive to consumers, colouring agents may be added to the prepared emulsion. Alternatively or additionally, the extrudate or ribbon may be surface coloured. For example, a thin layer of the surface of partially shaped extrudate may be grill-marked or heat-seared by suitable means prior to wrapping to give a browned or roasted surface appearance to the extrudate. Such a treatment would not affect the flowable viscous character of the bulk of the extrudate which would thus continue to behave as a malleable, formable mass. The emulsion may be extruded with a circular or square cross-sectional or other desired shape and filled directly into a tube of film, followed by flattening of the extrudate and film so that the extrudate forms a ribbon within the film, similar to the known cheese hot-fill process. Irrespective of whether or not a heat-searing step is performed prior to introducing the emulsion into the tube of film, it will be appreciated that the mass of the meat in the emulsion is uncooked at this stage and requires some treatment, generally involving the application of heat to the wrapped emulsion, to cook the meat and set it in the formed slices. The cooking may be achieved by any suitable means, including but not limited to blowing hot air about the slices, immersing the slices in hot water or microwave or radio frequency cooking. Other means of processing the emulsion are also included within the scope of the invention. For example, the meat emulsion may be extruded as a flat ribbon directly onto a film, which is subsequently wrapped about the extruded ribbon and sealed. The ribbon may be cut into individual slices either before or after wrapping with film and the ribbon or slices may be cooked before or after the film wrapping step. The shape of the sheet, ribbon or slices may be controlled by feeding between a pair of endless, teflon belts which are biased toward one another. The belts may be so constructed as to control width, thickness and edge shape of the product. If desired, the belts may be heated to cook or partly cook or surface-sear the product. The belts may be embossed with a surface pattern which is transferred to the sheet, ribbon or slices to impart a surface texture to the sheet, ribbon or slices. The emulsion may be extruded as a ribbon onto a support, cooked, then transferred onto a film for wrapping and sealing. The slices may be formed at any suitable stage of these operations, whether before or after cooking or before or after transfer of the cooked product onto the film. The support itself may be heated or heat may be applied by infra red, microwave or radio frequency radiation, or in any other suitable way. A surface heat- searing step may be carried out on the product either before or after cooking. Alternatively, premixed emulsion may be extruded through a die which simultaneously forms the emulsion into a ribbon shape and cooks it so that the product exits the die ready formed for separation into slices and wrapping. As described above, the ribbon may be heat seared prior to wrapping to alter the colour and/or flavour. The wrapping of the product may be done at pasteurisation temperature (or any other desired suitable temperature) or the wrapped product may be subsequently pasteurised or sterilised (including sterilisation by non-heating means), to elongate the shelf life of the product. It will be appreciated that the emulsion need not be extruded as or formed into a ribbon, but may take the form of a sheet which is subsequently cut into ribbons. Equally, with appropriate variations to the steps described above, the sheet of extrudate may be treated as required (e.g. cooking, surface searing) prior to division into slices. The texture of the product may be adjusted by preparing a meat emulsion containing both raw and pre-cooked meat or by varying the particle size of the meat pieces. The cooked meat is size reduced and mixed with the raw meat. For a more open-textured product, the percentage of cooked meat in the emulsion may be relatively greater than that of a product in which a homogeneously textured product is desired. Texture may also be controlled by adjusting the degree by which the constituent raw meat (or meats) is ground or flaked. The more the meat is worked, the greater will be the amount of protein liberated and accordingly, the greater will be the plasticity of the emulsion. Less working will yield a product having a less plastic consistency. Flavour of the product may be enhanced by adding a proportion of cooked meat to the raw meat in preparing the emulsion. The cooked meat will have been fully cooked by any suitable means, including smoking. Particularly preferred for this purpose is meat which has been cooked by roasting, as flavour development occurs as a result of the high temperatures used in roasting result in very good taste characteristics in the meat. Cooked meat thus lends desirable taste and texture characteristics to the final product including enhancing mouthfeel. The cooked meat has no protein available to be liberated, so sufficient raw meat should be present to provide enough liberated protein to act as a binder for the mass of cooked and raw meat. An emulsion containing only raw meat, when formed into thin slices and cooked by hot water immersion or like process, will resemble in flavour a boiled rather than a roast product and will lack the roast flavour notes liked by consumers. In forming the meat slices, it is desirable that the extruded emulsion be a substantially smooth flat sheet or ribbon and that it should be maintained substantially smooth-surfaced during the further processing steps so that the final individually wrapped meat slices are unwrinkled and flat. In cases where the emulsion is extruded into a tube of film, then the tube may be rolled to flatten the emulsion into a ribbon shape using pressure. Subsequent cooking of the meat, for example by immersing the film containing the meat emulsion into water at about 94°C for about 1.5 minutes, can result in a wrinkled or rough-cast surface on the meat. To avoid this, pressure may be applied to the product throughout the cooking process, for example by the use of a mould which serves to flatten and hold the product in the flattened configuration, under pressure, during cooking. Most conveniently, the mould will also include gripping jaws for providing separations in the emulsion to divide it into individual slices of meat. Notwithstanding the above noted preference that the product surfaces be substantially unwrinkled, it may be desirable in some cases that the product should have a surface texture. For this purpose, the surface of the mould may have a pattern embossed on it so as to impart a surface texture to the product. This may, for example, comprise a fibrous design which gives the product surface a texture which resembles the grainy appearance of a meat joint. Such texturing also has the benefit of preventing the product surface from having a shiny appearance. The meat emulsion may contain additional, non-meat ingredients to provide different flavours and textures in the final product. For example, it may contain egg and the egg may be present in sufficient quantity so that the final product resembles a meat-omelette. It will be appreciated that, not unlike the meat emulsion, egg is a proteinaceous material which will flow when raw and which when heated will denature to a solid. Alternatively or additionally, whey protein may be added to the meat emulsion to produce an egg-free, meat omelette-type product. Furthermore, use of selected protein in the preparation of the meat emulsion can be used to enhance the gel strength of the emulsion, improving its cohesiveness. Preparation of a good emulsion of the meat is very important. Failure in this regard can result in the final individually wrapped product containing in addition to the meat slice, free fat and water which may have separated from the emulsion during cooking. Careful preparation of a good stable emulsion will, on the other hand, enable a final wrapped meat slice, which has very little or no moisture exudate, to be prepared. The slices of meat are hermetically sealed, each in its own individual wrapper or with a small number of slices in a common, sealed package, and appropriate heat treatment of the product after wrapping will ensure that there is no post-pasteurisation contamination of the product during the wrapping process, and that the interior of each pocket, including the product itself, is pasteurised or sterilised. It will be appreciated therefore, that the individually wrapped meat slices will have a longer shelf life than fresh cuts or controlled-atmosphere packed or otherwise wrapped sliced meats. Prior to the forming of the emulsion or during extrusion, the feedstock is preferably subjected to vacuum treatment to remove air which might otherwise give rise to air pockets or voids in the final slice. In order to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of free water from the product (often termed "cook-out"), a gelling or water binding agent or ingredient such as food starch, animal or vegetable protein or protein isolate, alginate, carrageenan, natural or synthetic gum or rusk may be added to the meat. Once the individually sealed and wrapped meat slices, or indeed the sealed and wrapped packages containing a small number of meat slices, have been prepared, these may be separated from one another by cutting across the sealed junction or junctions. For this purpose, care should be taken to ensure that the width of the seal is sufficient to ensure that the adjacent packages may be separated from one another without compromising the integrity of the seal of either package. Alternatively, a line of perforations may be formed along the seal so that adjacent packages may be separated by tearing along the perforated junction. In such case the seal should be sufficiently wide and the perforations should be so formed along the seal so as to ensure that the integrity of the sealing of adjacent packages is not disturbed on tearing the packages apart. The following examples serve to provide further appreciation of the invention, but are not meant in any way to restrict the effective scope of the invention. Example 1 Ingredients - Pork Leg Meat (95% visual lean), potable water, culinary salt, sodium phosphate and sodium nitrite. Meat Preparation: Debone meat and trim and mince through a MAINCA mincer model No: PM82 Serial No. 21101995 Procedure Step 1 876.8g of the minced meat, which for optimum hygiene and protein binding has been stored at a temperature of 4-6°C, was placed in a BLENTECH double screw blended equipped with vacuum system, Model No. CC. 10, Serial No. 808 2. Step 2 100g of potable water at 10°C was used to dissolve 20g culinary salt and 3.0g of sodium nitrite. The solution was stirred vigorously to ensure all salt particles were dissolved. Step 3 The salt solution was added to the Blentech mixer, and the meat and water solution was blended until a uniform cohesive meat mix was obtained. It is possible to vary the mixing screws in the BLENTECH so that both screws turn in the same direction, or that they turn in the opposite direction. The speed of the screws is also variable. The blender should be operating under vacuum to ensure that air incorporation in the mix is kept to a minimum. This helps to prevent air pockets in the final product. Step 4 The blended meat mix was removed from the blender and placed in a hopper which is fitted to a variable speed positive displacement lobe pump, such as a FRISTAM. The pump delivers the meat mix under pressure, at a pre-determined flow rate, through a shaped orifice, into a continuous tube of film. Step 5 The film used is RESINEX 225, 3 layer cast, co-extruded polypropylene, 35 microns thick; supplied by BORDEN. The film was unwound from the reel at a controlled rate, in its flat sheet form, and shaped into a flat tube around a forming anvil, through which the shaped filling pipe from the FRISTAM pump had been introduced. A fin seal was made where the two faces of the film come in contact with each other. The meat mix was pumped from the shaped filling mouth so that its direction of travel was the same as that of the film, its exit point from the pipe was beyond the point at which the fin seal was made. The rate of flow of the meat mix was controlled and matched to that of the film web, so that when the film tube was squeezed flat it is completely filled with meat to give a flat endless ribbon of meat mix of the desired thickness. In this example a slice 2mm thick was formed. To achieve this, meat mix was pumped at a rate sufficient to fill a film tube, which when flattened to a thickness of 2mm, had a width of 100mm, and weighed 25 grams for a length of 100mm. Step 6 The tube of meat was pulled forward by two continuous flattening and transverse crimping belts. These flatten the tube to a thickness of 2.0 mm, and then the transverse crimpers displace the meat mix, through the application of pressure, from parts of the tube. This was done at a fixed distance of 110 mm between centre points of crimps, giving a pocket 100 mm wide and 100 mm long, with a 10 mm space devoid of meat, across the direction of travel of the film tube. Simultaneously or subsequently, the film was then sealed in this clear space, thus giving fully sealed pockets of meat mix with adjacent pockets still joined together to form a train. Step 7 The tube was then passed between two variable speed stainless steel belts, one below the tube, and the other above it. These were set 2.0 mm apart, and were spring loaded in order to keep pressure on the meat mix. The belts ran in a shallow "U" formation dipping down into a hot water bath at a temperature of 92°C. The speed of the belts was regulated in order to keep a slight tension on the flattened train of pockets containing the meat mix. Step 8 The speed of travel was also controlled in order to give an immersion time in the hot water of 90 seconds for each meat pocket. During this heating process, the protein in the meat coagulated, thus transforming the meat mix into a cohesive slice of meat. Step 9 The train of hot individually wrapped meat slices was then fed through a chilled water bath, where the solidified meat slices were cooled to 10°C. The outside of the film was dried, surplus water being removed by brushes and by blow drying. The train of film was then fed into a cutting device which cut the film across the direction of travel, in the already sealed space between the meat slices. Step 10 The individual meat slices were then collated, and overwrapped in a nylon polythene film, on a Fuji Model No. FW3400. This machine was fitted with a system for flushing the pack with a mixture of N2 and CO2, thus giving a pack with a very low residual oxygen content. Example 2 Step 1 Two kilos of cooked ham were taken and flaked in an URSCHEL COMITROL - Model No. 3600, using cutting head 2K 030-180. The temperature of the meat was +1°C. Step 2 One kilo of this flaked cooked ham was taken, and put into the BLENTECH double screw blender described in Example 1. All the other ingredients stipulated in Example 1 were now also added to the BLENTECH blender. Step 3 Steps 1, 2 and 3 of Example 1 were then repeated with the combination of cooked and raw meats. This resulted in 2 kilos of a meat mix comprising 50% cooked meat and 50% raw meat. STEP 4 The blended meat mix was removed from the BLENTECH and placed in the hopper of a FRISTAM pump, which delivered the meat mix through a shaped orifice. This orifice was a rectangular slit - 99 mm wide and 2.0 mm high with radiused corners. STEP 5 The meat mix was extruded in a continuous ribbon on to the bottom belt of a Tetra Laval belt grill, model no. BG 600-420, which consisted of two endless TEFLON belts, one top and one bottom, which ran over the heated platens of the grill. The product was conveyed through the grill oven, and the desired degree of pressure or contact to keep the product flat was obtained by varying the distance between the belts. Belt speed and platen temperatures were also variable. In this example the ribbon of meat mix was conveyed through the belt grill in order lightly to sear both sides of the meat-mix ribbon, to develop colour, flavour and smooth surface on the ribbon. The speed of the bottom belt was matched to the meat mix extrusion rate in order to control ribbon thickness to 2.0 mm and width to 100 mm. The meat mix was not fully cooked through at this stage, but the surface was seared. STEP 6 As the surface seared meat exited the belt grill it passed between two nip rollers which cut it into lengths of 100 mm. The so-produced flat squares of meat mix were gently fed on to a moving web of Resinex 225 film advancing at a speed sufficient to give a gap of 10mm between the squares. The film web was pulled in tight around the squares, and a top fin seal was formed on the film. A teflon coated forming plate prevented the film from putting too much pressure on the meat mix squares, deforming their shape and appearance. The flat film tube was continuously pulled forward by chain mounted, top and bottom heat sealing gripper bars. These were spring loaded and sensor controlled in order to grip the film accurately in the spaces between the meat mix squares. STEP 7 The continuous tube of film with its individually sealed pockets of meat mix was now introduced to a micro-wave heating oven, in order to raise the core temperature of the meat mix to 85°C, and to maintain that temperature for 75 seconds. This heating process coagulated the protein in the meat mix transforming the meat mix into a cohesive meat slice with good texture and bite. STEP 8 The continuously linked pockets now containing hot slices of cooked meat, were introduced into a chilled air tunnel, where they were cooled to approximately 20°C. Steps 9 and 10 of Example 1 were then repeated. The finished slices of meat had an attractive appearance, slightly brown on the surface. The texture was not rubbery or chewy, and the meat broke down nicely in the mouth with a pleasant roasted savory flavour note. Example 3 INGREDIENTS: Pork shoulder meat (85% visual lean), potable water, common salt, sodium phosphate, sodium nitrite. STARCH - FIRMEX - modified waxy maize supplied by National Starch. FLAVOURING - RF-P/K Roast Pork from Food Ingredient Specialities. MEAT PREPARATION: Debone and trim meat to 85% visual lean and mince through MAINCA mincer model no. PM82 with 5mm HOLE PLATE. PROCEDURE STEP 1 2.00 kilos of the minced meat, which had been stored at 4°C, were placed in a BLENTECH double screw blender. 50 grams of FIRMTEX and 40 grams salt were added to the blender. STEP 2 200 grams of potable water were taken and to this were added 7.0 grams of sodium phosphate, 0.57 grams of sodium nitrite and 11.6 grams of the Roast Pork flavouring, stirring vigourously to disperse and dissolve the added ingredients. A further 100 grams of potable water was taken and 50 grams of the starch was dispersed in it. STEP 3 The meat/salt and starch solutions were blended. Mixing was continued until a uniform mixture was obtained. STEP 4 The blended meat mix was removed from the blender and placed in a hopper fitted to a variable speed positive displacement lobe pump - such as a FRISTAM. This pump delivers the meat mix as required to the extruder. STEP 5 The extruder consisted of twin screws which forced the meat mix through a shaped die. In this case, the die was made from teflon coated stainless steel, and was jacketed. This jacket contained mineral oil, which was circulated by a centrifugal pump, and was heated electrically. As the meat mix was forced through the shaped heated die, it was formed into the specified shape through pressure, and was also heated in order to cause the gelation of the protein. The cohesive meat slices which exited the extruder had a thickness of 2.0 mm and a width of 100 mm. The meat was heated to a temperature of 96°C in the heated die, and its residence time at this temperature was about 12 seconds. STEP 6 On leaving the die, the shaped continuous meat ribbon was passed between two nip rollers which cut it into square slices 100 mm long. These squares were wrapped in individual pockets of Resinex 225 film as in EXAMPLE 2, Step 6. STEP 7 of Example 2 was omitted. STEP 8 of Example 2 was performed, followed by steps 9 and 10 of Example 1. The finished product was a firm cohesive meat slice, with good flavour and texture. EXAMPLE 4 INGREDIENTS: Fresh Salmon, sodium chloride, TARI phosphate P22, HI-GEL whey protein concentrate 35, potable water. PREPARATION: Prepare salmon by skinning, deboning and mincing in MAINCA mincer, as in Example I. Dissolve whey protein concentrate in water. PROCEDURE STEP 1 : 900 g of minced chilled salmon was placed in a BLENTECH blender. STEP 2 24 grams of common salt and 2.7 grams of TARI P22 phosphate were added to the BLENTECH, dispersing well over the meat, while it was being mixed. All salts were blended thoroughly into the meat. STEP 3 54 grams of water at 20°C, in which 18 grams of HI-GEL whey protein concentrate 35 had been dissolved were added to the meat and salt mix in the BLENTECH. Blending was continued until a good viscous cohesive mix with no visible free water or fat was obtained. Remaining steps were carried out as described in EXAMPLE 1, steps 4 through to 10. The finished slices of individually wrapped cooked salmon had a nice firm texture, good colour, and excellent flavour and aroma. EXAMPLE 5 INGREDIENTS: Fresh chicken meat from legs and breast, sodium chloride, TARI phosphate P.22, potable water. PREPARATION: Skin and debone chicken meat and mince in MAINCA mincer. Add phosphate and common salt to water and stir well until dissolved. STEP 1 2,000 grams of chilled minced chicken meat were put in a BLENTECH blender. STEP 2 In 200 grams of potable water were dispersed thoroughly 55 grams of common salt and 6.8 grams of TARI phosphate P.22. STEP 3 The salt solution was added to the meat in the BLENTECH and the meat, water and salts were blended until a uniform cohesive meat mix was achieved. Continue Steps 4 through to 10 as in EXAMPLE 1. Finished slices of cooked individually wrapped chicken meat were examined and found to have a slightly rubbery texture, good water binding, and a boiled chicken flavour. It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein, which are given by way of example only, and that various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims: CLAIMS : 1. A process for preparing and packing a meat product comprising the steps of (a) preparing an emulsion from a feedstock of a substantially uncooked comminuted meat or meat product (b) processing the emulsion to form it into wrapped, cooked slices of meat, each slice being sandwiched between wrapping material and (c) sealing the wrapping to form a sealed package containing at least one slice 2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the processing step includes extruding the emulsion. 3. A process according to claim 2, wherein the processing step includes cooking the extrudate. 4. A process according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the processing step includes dividing the extrudate into slices. 5. A process according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the processing step includes wrapping the slice in film. 6. A process according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processing step includes wrapping a plurality of slices in a single pack. 7. A process for preparing and packing a meat product comprising the steps of (a) preparing an emulsion from a feedstock of a substantially uncooked comminuted meat or meat product, (b) extruding the emulsion and forming it into a ribbon or sheet of extrudate, (c) heating the extrudate to cook and gel the emulsion during or after the extrusion step, (d) dividing the sheet or ribbon into slices either before or after cooking the extrudate, (e) arranging wrapping film about the sheet, ribbon or slices before, during or after cooking the extrudate and (f) forming a hermetic seal around each individual slice or a plurality of slices by sealing the film about each slice or plurality of slices. 8. A process for preparing and packing a meat product comprising the steps of (a) preparing an emulsion from a feedstock of a substantially uncooked comminuted meat or meat product, (b) extruding the emulsion and forming it into a ribbon of extrudate, (c) dividing the ribbon transversely into individual meat slices either before or after wrapping the ribbon or slices in wrapping film, (d) during or after the extrusion step (step b), heating the ribbon or the slices to cook and gel the meat emulsion, and (e) sealing the wrapping film about each slice or a desired number of slices to provide an individually wrapped meat slice or plurality of meat slices. 9. A process according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the extrudate is filled into film and the filled film is flattened to shape the extrudate into a sheet or ribbon. 10. A process according to claim 9, wherein the film comprises an advancing tube of film. 11. A process according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the ribbon is divided into desired slice-sized portions by application of pressure to the film along an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the ribbon, the film then being sealed about each slice to form individually sealed and wrapped meat slices. 12. A process according to claims 9 to 11, wherein the cooking step is conducted after the flattening step. 13. A process according to claim 7, wherein the meat emulsion is extruded as a sheet or ribbon and heated during extrusion partially or fully to cook it. 14. A process according to claim 13, wherein the sheet or ribbon is divided into slices which are transferred onto film, the film is wrapped about the slices and sealed longitudinally and transversely between adjacent slices and if required, further heating is done fully to cook the formed slices and/or to in-pack pasteurise or sterilise the product. 15. A process according to any of claims 7 to 14, wherein the flat surfaces of the sheet, ribbon or slices are heat seared to develop surface colouration. 16. A process according to any of claims 7 to 15, wherein the shape of the sheet, ribbon or slices is controlled by feeding the emulsion between a pair of belts which are biased toward one another, the belts being constructed so as to control width, thickness and edge shape of the product. 17. A process according to claim 16, wherein the belts are heated to cook or partly cook or surface-sear the product. 18. A process according to claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the belts are embossed with a surface pattern which is transferred to the sheet, ribbon or slices to impart a surface texture to the sheet, ribbon or slices. 19. A process according to claim 7 or claim 8, including the step of separating the packages of individually wrapped and sealed slices or plurality of slices from one another by cutting across the seals between adjoining slices or plurality of slices. 20. A process according to claim 7 or claim 8, including the step of forming perforations across the seal between adjacent individually sealed slices or plurality of slices to form a perforated junction so as to enable the individual packages of sealed and wrapped slices or plurality of slices to be separated from one another by tearing across the perforated junction. 21. A process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the slices are cooked by suitable means such as by immersion in hot water, by blowing hot air about them, by microwave, by radio frequency or in any other suitable way. 22. A process according to any preceding claim, wherein a pasteurisation or sterilisation step is undertaken after the sealing of the formed slices within wrapping film. 23. A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the feedstock comprises any comminuted uncooked animal flesh including any one or more of beef, sheep, pig, venison, poultry, game, fish or shellfish. 24. A process according to claim 23, wherein the feedstock further comprises any one or more of preservative, flavouring agent, colourant, gelling agent or water binding agent. 25. A process according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the feedstock additionally comprises a proportion of comminuted cooked meat. 26. A process according to claim 25, wherein the proportion of cooked meat comprises meat cooked at temperatures sufficiently high to induce flavour development of the meat. 27. A process according to any one of claims 23 to 26, wherein the feedstock includes a protein or proteinaceous material. 28. A process according to claim 27, wherein the protein or proteinaceous material comprises egg white or whey protein. 29. A process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the texture of the product is adjusted by preparing a meat emulsion containing both raw and pre-cooked meat and/or by varying the particle size of the meat pieces in the feedstock. 30. A sealed package comprising at least one meat slice having two flat surfaces, the wrapping material of the package being in contact with each flat surface of the or each slice.

Inventors: MCVEIGH JAMES MICHAEL, O'GALLCHOBHAIR LIAM MICHAEL, MCVEIGH, JAMES, MICHAEL, O'GALLCHOBHAIR, LIAM, MICHAEL
Applicants: GALLCHOBHAIR LIAM MICHAEL O, MCVEIGH JAMES MICHAEL, PASCONT TECHN LTD, MCVEIGH, JAMES, MICHAEL, O'GALLCHOBHAIR, LIAM, MICHAEL, PASCONT TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B65B9
IPC codes: A23L1, B65B25