IMPROVEMENTS TO ACIDIC MEAT PRODUCTS

Abstract: A low fat, acidic meat product such, for example, as a fermented meat product is disclosed which comprises a fermented or acidified mixture of lean meat particles and visible particles of pre-fermented, cultured dairy product. Said cultured dairy products may comprise cheese and/or yoghurt, and the particles may have a particle size in the range of 0.5 to 10mm, preferably 1 to 5mm. The product may be fermented using traditional starter cultures or alternatively may be acidified using an acidifying agent such as glucono-delta-lacto. The product resembles traditional salami, but has a substantially lower fat content.

Description: IMPROVEMENTS TO ACIDIC MEAT PRODUCTS The present invention relates to acidic meat products , particularly fermented meat products such, for example, as salami-type meat products. The present invention has particular reference to a low fat, fermented or acidified meat product and a process for making such a product. Salami is traditionally made from lean, raw pork and/or beef meat and fat such as pork back fat. These components are mixed and comminuted, and salt, spices, additives and starter cultures are added. The mixture is then stuffed into casings and fermented and dried in air-conditioned rooms . During the fermenting and drying process, the product loses about 20 to 30% of its initial weight. The product may optionally be smoked . The inclusion of fat in the recipe for salami assists in achieving an even weight loss during the drying stage. The lean meat and fat components are typically comminuted to a grain size in the range 1 to 5mm, and an even distribution of fat particles within a matrix of lean meat imparts a characteristic appearance to products such as salami. However, the inclusion of fat particles in the product means that the product has a relatively high fat content and calorific value. This exacerbated by the drying stage, in which water is lost from the product by drying, thus increasing the relative proportion of fat in the product. DE-A-4230434 discloses a salami type product in which powdered soft cheese such, for example, as camembert is added at a temperature of about -24°C to a salami mix of lean meat and fat. The soft cheese is pulverised to a grain dimension of about 0.1mm, and is added to the product to impart a distinctive flavour. DE-A-4230434 discloses the use of an acid former and a flavour former as starter cultures. The cheese particles are invisible in the final product. No more than about 3%wt cheese should be added to the meat to avoid malfermentation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel, acidic meat product. Another object of the present invention is to provide a low fat, fermented or acidified meat product. A further object of the present invention is to provide a fermented or acidified meat product which visually and/or organoleptically resembles traditional salami . Further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention. According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a low fat, acidic meat product comprising a fermented or acidified mixture of lean meat particles and visible particles of pre-fermented, cultured dairy product. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for making a low fat, acidic meat product, said process comprising pre- fer enting a cultured dairy product, quenching said pre-fermentation step, dividing said pre-fermented dairy product to form smaller particles, mixing said particles with lean meat particles and forming said mixture into a coherent body, inoculating said body with a starter culture and allowing said product to ferment or acidifying said body; wherein said particles of dairy product are visible in the final product. The meat product of the present invention may optionally comprise salt and/or spices or other flavouring agents . Preferably however the meat product is free, or substantially free, of fat particles. The lean meat used in the product is preferably very lean, and thus the only significant source of fat in the product is the cultured dairy product. The product of the invention thus has a significantly lower fat content than traditional fermented meat products such as salami. Typically, a product in accordance with the invention may have a fat content in the range 5 to 10% by weight. The product of the invention nevertheless has the appearance of a traditional fermented meat product, in that the visible particles of cultured dairy product may have the same or a similar appearance to the fat particles in traditional salami. Preferably the pre-fermented, cultured dairy product may comprise one or more products selected from cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, soured cream milk, soured milk, fermented whey and kefir. Various types of cheese are suitable for use in the invention, including hard cheeses and soft cheeses, and also processed cheeses. The term "soured cream milk" includes soured cream, sauerrahm, schmand anjd creme fraiche; "soured milk" includes sauermilch and dickmilch. Preferably the prefermented dairy product comprises cheese and/or yogurt. Said cheese and/or yogurt may be manufactured according to standard cheese or yogurt manufacturing techniques by inoculation with suitable starter cultures. Prior to admixture of the dairy product with the meat however the fermentation activity of the dairy product is inactivated by heating. For example, the pre- fermentation of the dairy product may be quenched by heating it to a temperature of 70 to 75°C or more. If the pre-fermentation of the dairy product is not inactivated prior to admixture with said meat, then "malfermentation" may result, with the generation of unwanted gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide within the product, in turn, leading to the production of small, gas-escape holes in the final product . The texture of the particles of dairy product may be improved by the addition of one or more texture improving agents such, for example, as whey protein, egg white, vegetable protein and/or hydrocollids. Said texture improving agents may be added to the dairy product before or after heat treatment. In a preferred embodiment, a mixture of yoghurt and cheese is used which is then mixed with a texture improving agent, extruded through a stuffing horn into a flexible, shirred casing and then cooked to quench the pre-fermentation as mentioned above. The dairy product may be cooked in steam. Preferably, the cheese or yogurt is mechanically divided after fermentation and heat treatment to a particle size in the range 0.5 to 10mm, preferably 1 to 5mm. In some embodiments a pre-biotic additive such as a non-digestible carbohydrate (e.g Inulin) may be added, for example in the amount 2-7%wt, to the pre-fermented dairy product. Said particles of pre-fermented dairy product may constitute 5 to 35% by weight of the mixture, preferably 10 to 20% wt . Said lean meat may comprise raw, red meat. Said red meat may be selected from beef, pork, veal, lamb and mutton. Alternatively, or additionally, said meat may comprise raw poultry meat such, for example, as chicken or turkey meat. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that when raw meat is being handled, especially meat such as pork and chicken/poultry, great care must be taken to ensure that the meat is free, or substantially free, of injurious microorganisms such, for example, as salmonella. The meat should therefore be prepared in a suitable hygienic, "high risk" environment. Said pre-fermented dairy product may be comminuted and then admixed with the meat in a frozen state. Preferably, however, the mechanical reduction of the dairy product is performed in the presence of the lean meat, so that the dairy product and meat are comminuted and mixed together simultaneously. This may be done in a bowl-chopper, for example. Typically, the product is frozen to a temperature in the range -15 to -25°C, typically about -20°C, for admixture to the meat. The mixture of meat and pre-fermented dairy product may then be inoculated with starter cultures of the kind known to those skilled in the art such as traditional salami cultures . A variety of suitable cultures are available commercially, including acid cultures which act to lower the pH of the product, and cultures which de-nature protein to form amino acids, thus impart a characteristic flavour to the final product . Said inoculated mixture of meat and cultured dairy product may be stuffed into shirred casings of the kind known in the art such as water-permeable casings to form sausages. Alternatively, the mixture may be formed, for example by pressing into a coherent body having a desired shape. For example, said body may have a sausage shape or a half round, bread shape. Sausage-shaped configurations are preferred, with typical diameters in the range 10 to 120mm. The product is then incubated to encourage fermentation of the product. Typically, the product may be incubated at a temperature in the range 15 to 25°C, e.g. about 20°C. Incubation may be conducted in an environment having a relative humidity in the range 85 to 100%. After incubation, the product may be dried and aged at a temperature in the range 15 to 20°C, under a relative humidity of about 70 to 85%. Optionally, the product may be smoked during the drying/aging stage. Alternatively, the product may be air-dried and inoculated with a cultured mould. Alternatively, the mixture of meat and pre-fermented dairy product may be acidified with a suitable acidifying agent in the matrix of the salami-type product, which acts to gel the meat in a similar fashion to lactic acid produced by fermentation. As an acidifying agent may be used glucono-delta-lactone (GDL) which imparts a slightly different organoleptic quality to the product as compared with traditional fermentation. GDL produces gluconic acid in the meat which serves as a gelling agent like lactic acid. In some embodiments about 0.1 - 5%wt of acidifying (gelling) agent maybe used, preferably 0.5 - 2%wt. For instance, 0.5%wt, 1.0%wt or 1.5%wt GDL may be added to the meat/dairy product mixture. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the acidity of the acidifying agent must be sufficient to destroy all harmful and potentially harmful microorganisms in the meat. The acidified mixture may then be treated as described above, for example by moulding , shaping or stuffing into casings . The final product may be packaged for retail. In some embodiments, the product may be sliced. Following is a description by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings of methods of carrying the present invention into effect. In the drawings : - Figure 1 shows an acidic meat product in accordance with the present invention, which product is stuffed into a sausage casing and has been cut to show a cross-section through the product. Figure 2 shows an individual slice of the product of figure 1 Figure 3 is a flow diagram of a process in accordance with the present invention for making a fermented meat product. Example 1 Fat Reduced Turkey Salami A fat reduced turkey salami product in accordance with the present invention is made with the following ingredients : - Turkey Thigh Meat 90kg Processed Cheese 10kg Curing Salt 2,8kg Pepper 0,2kg Starter Culture 0,050kg Total 103,05kg With reference to figure 3 of the accompanying drawings, the fat reduced turkey salami is made by breaking up the processed cheese and stuffing it into shirred casings for cooking. The processed cheese in the casings is cooked at about 75°C for sufficient time to inactivate any live cultures within the cheese. Said cheese is then frozen to a temperature of about -20°C and the casings are removed. Said turkey thigh meat is frozen to a temperature of about -18°C and is then mixed with the frozen processed cheese in a bowl-chopper or grinder. Said bowl- chopper or grinder is operated to mix the cheese with the meat and to commute the mixture to a grain size of about 1 to 5mm. Said curing salt and pepper is added to the cheese/meat mixture in the bowl-chopper or grinder during mixing. The commuted mixture of cheese and meat is also mixed with said starter culture. Whilst still in the bowl-chopper or grinder. In this example, the starter culture is a mixture of P. pentosaceus and S. xylosus which is available from Messrs Chr. Hansen, Denmark under the trade name "Flora Cam" . The inoculated mixture is then stuffed into stirred casings and incubated at a temperature of about 20°C under a relative humidity of about 85 to 100%. After incubation, the product is dried and aged at a temperature in the range 15 to 20°C under a relative humidity of about 70 to 85%. After aging, the product resembles a traditional salami product as illustrated in figure 1, and may optionally be sliced as shown in figure 2. The product, sliced or unsliced, is then packaged for retail . Example 2 As an alternative, yogurt may be substituted for the processed cheese. The texture of said yogurt may be improved by mixing it with a gel-forming whey protein. Example 3 In a further alternative, a mixture of cheese and yogurt may be used in the product. In this case, the yogurt and cheese are mixed together prior to stuffing into casings for cooking. An example of a suitable yoghurt/cheese mixture is as follows: Processesd cheese 53,0 kg Yoghurt 33,0 kg Whey protein 13,0 kg Salt 1,0 kg Total 100,0 kg The whey protein (PSMD-135 from MD Foods, Denmark) works as a texture improving agent .

Claims: Claims 1. A low fat acidic meat product comprising a fermented or acidified mixture of lean meat particles and visible particles of pre-fermented, cultured dairy product . 2. A meat product as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pre-fermented, cultured dairy product comprises one or more products selected from cheese, yoghurt, buttermilk, soured cream milk, soured milk, fermented whey and kefir. 3. A meat product as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pre-fermented, cultured product comprises cheese and/or yoghurt. 4. A meat product as claimed in claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the particles of pre-fermented cultured dairy product have a particle size in the range 0.5 to 10mm. 5. A meat product as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the particles of cultured dairy product comprise one or more texture improving agents . 6. A meat product as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said particles of pre-fermented, cultured dairy product comprise a pre-biotic additive. 7. A meat product as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said particles of pre-fermented, cultured dairy product constitute 5 to 35% by weight of the mixture . 8. A meat product as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said product comprises a sausage stuffed into a shirred casing. 9. A process for making a low fat, acidic meat product, said process comprising pre-fermenting a cultured dairy product, quenching the pre-fermentation step, dividing said pre-fermenting dairy product to form smaller particles, mixing said particles with lean meat particles, forming said mixture into a coherent body, inoculating said body with a starter culture and allowing said product to ferment or acidifying said body with an acidifying agent; wherein said particles of said dairy product are visible in the final product. 10. A process as claimed in claim 9, wherein said cultured dairy product comprises one or more products selected from cheese, yoghurt, buttermilk, soured cream, soured milk, fermented whey and kefir. 11. A process as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein said cultured dairy product comprises cheese and/or yoghurt . 12. A process as claimed in claim 9, claim 10 or claim 11, wherein said cultured dairy product is fermented by inoculation with a suitable starter culture and quenched prior to admixture with the meat by heating. 13. A process as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pre-fermentation of the dairy product is quenched by heating it to a temperature in the range of 70-75°C or more . 14. A process as claimed in any of claims 9 to 13, wherein the dairy product is mechanically divided after fermentation and quenching to a particle size in the range of 0.5 to 10mm. 15. A process as claimed in any of claims 9 to 14 further comprising admixing one or more texture improving agents with the dairy product. 16. A process as claimed in claim 15, wherein said one or more texture improving agents are added to the dairy product before quenching the pre-fermentation step. 17. A process as claimed in claim 15 or 16, wherein said mixture of texture improving agent(s) and cultured dairy product is stuffed into a shirred casing and then heated to quench the pre-fermentation of the dairy product. 18. A process as claimed in any of claims 9 to 17, wherein the pre-fermented dairy product is comminuted and then admixed with the meat . 19. A process as claimed in any of claims 9 to 17, wherein the mechanical reduction of the dairy product is performed in the presence of lean meat so that the dairy product and meat are comminuted and mixed together simultaneously. 20. A process a claimed in any of claim 9 to 19, wherein the cultured dairy product is frozen to a temperature in a range of -15 to -25°C for admixture to the meat . 21. A process as claimed in any of claims 9 to 20, wherein the mixture of meat and pre-fermented dairy product is inoculated with a starter culture and then incubated to encourage fermentation of the product. 22. A process as claimed in claim 21, wherein the product is incubated to a temperature in the range of 15 to 25°C. 23. A process as claimed in claim 21 or 22, wherein said incubation is conducted in an environment having a relative humidity in the range of 85 to 100%. 24. A process as claimed in claim 21, 22 or 23, wherein, after incubation, the product is dried and aged to a temperature in the range of 15 to 20°C under a relative humidity of about 70 to 85%. 25. A process as claimed in any of claims 9 to 20, wherein the mixture of meat and pre-fermented dairy product is acidified with a suitable acidifying agent in the matrix of the product. 26. A process as claimed in claim 25, wherein said acidifying agent is glucono-delta-lactone . 27. A process as claimed in any of claims 9 to 26, wherein the product is shaped, moulded or stuffed into shirred casings. 28. A process as claimed in any of claims 9 to 27, wherein the product is sliced.

Inventors: BUESE FRIEDRICH, JOLL DAVID JOHN, KOPPERS WERNER, MATTHEWS BERNARD TREVOR, RICHELMANN HANS-JORG, BUESE, FRIEDRICH, JOLL, DAVID, JOHN, KOPPERS, WERNER, MATTHEWS, BERNARD, TREVOR, RICHELMANN, HANS-JORG
Applicants: BUESE FRIEDRICH, JOLL DAVID JOHN, KOPPERS WERNER, MATTHEWS BERNARD PLC, MATTHEWS BERNARD TREVOR, RICHELMANN HANS JORG, BERNARD MATTHEWS PLC, BUESE, FRIEDRICH, JOLL, DAVID, JOHN, KOPPERS, WERNER, MATTHEWS, BERNARD, TREVOR, RICHELMANN, HANS-JORG
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A23L1
IPC codes: A23L1