Patent Publication Number: US-2013243915-A1

Title: Food product stabilizer apparatus and method

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to stabilizing food products for treatment and processing. 
     Known processes for food products include pressing the food product, such as by mechanical presses, and various forms of treatment to physically arrange the product in a predetermined manner for subsequent processing. In particular, when the food product is injected with for example ingredients such as marinates or other treatment solutions, it is important that the ingredients are retained in the food product during subsequent processing, even during pressing the food product. Unfortunately, this is not carried out with known systems. In other words, it is desirable not to permit a “purge out” of any marinates or solutions that have been injected into the food product. 
     In addition, since the food product is sized for a particular end use, it is important that a resulting yield is maintained for the food product so that subsequent processing is efficient and cost effective, i.e. the product remains in the same physical form (doesn&#39;t “rebound”) through the processing line without loss of any of the product, compromise of product dimensions, or loss of any solutions or ingredients incorporated therein. Known systems do not provide for these processing requirements. 
     Further, known processes heat or cook the food product before same is frozen. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, reference may be had to the following drawings, taken in conjunction with the description of the invention, of which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a flow chart of an embodiment of the method of the present invention for use with food products. 
         FIG. 2  shows an embodiment of an apparatus of the invention for use with food products. 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  show an injection station or assembly of the apparatus of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  shows a tumbler station or assembly for use with the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  shows a pressing station of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a flow chart for a stabilizing method embodiment of the present invention is shown generally at  10 . A food product is stabilized for processing by the method of the invention. The method  10  is for processing a myriad of different food products such as for example chicken breast patties  12  and other meat or fish patties  14 , collectively referred to herein as food products. The food products  12 , 14  can be for example boneless chicken breasts of marinated breast meat for use in retail sandwiches. For the sake of brevity and by way of example only, reference herein will be with respect to a boneless chicken breast food product  12 . 
     The food product  12  or product is cut and measured having particular dimensions for being introduced into the method  10  for batch or continuous processing. The method may also be used with products  12  that are of the IQF-type, i.e. individually quick frozen type. 
     The method  10  includes an injection station  16 , wherein the product  12  is infused such as by injection with marinades, perhaps antibiotics, and/or other fluids, ingredients or compositions to maintain or improve the organoleptic qualities of food products, i.e. the taste, color, odor freshness and mouth feel of the food product  12 . The injection station  16  is discussed in more detail with respect to  FIGS. 3-4 , efficiently infuses the product  12  with the marinades, antibiotics, bacteria inhibitors, antimicrobials or other ingredients, such as flavors and preservatives. The injection station  16  is used in those instances where the marinade or other liquid to be injected into the product  12  is substantially free of particulate matter and is not highly viscous. 
     The product  12  then proceeds to a tumbling step  18 , wherein the product may be vacuum tumbled and chilled in a rotating tumbler system. In addition to the injection station  16  or alternatively, the tumbling station can be used in those instances where the marinade or ingredients to be infused into the product  12  have a large amount of particulate matter in solution or are highly viscous. Therefore, with the vacuum tumbling station, it takes much longer for the marinade or the ingredient to be absorbed into the product  12 . Therefore, injection and tumbling may each be performed to the exclusion of the other, or both may be performed in sequence on the product  12 . Injection can be performed on the product  12  before tumbling or vice versa, but regardless of which are used or the order of use, each occurs prior to stabilizing and pressing the product. The tumbling station is further discussed with respect to  FIG. 5 . 
     The product  12  is then transferred to a stabilizing step  20  of the invention. The stabilizing step  20  processes the product  12  so that it will not “rebound”, i.e. will not return to its original, undesirable shape and/or thickness. In the stabilizing step  20 , the product  12  is chilled with cooling or freezing technology, such as for example impingement or immersion freezing technology, after at least one of the injection step  16  and the tumbling step  18 . The stabilizing step employing the cryogen chilling technology, such as cryogen impingement chilling, insures that the food product  12  maintains its shape during subsequent processing steps of the method  10  and retains any marinades, ingredients or other fluids earlier injected (or tumbled) into the product  12  prior to the stabilizing step  20 . The stabilizing step increases the surface firmness of the product  12  and substantially reduces if not eliminates product rebounding to its original shape during subsequent processing. With the present embodiments, the product  12  is crust frozen at its surface before any heating of the product. 
     Impingement freezer technology is one manner of stabilizing the product  12  during the stabilizing step  20 , although other chilling technologies may be employed on the product  12 . The stabilizing step  20  of cooling or freezing provides a crust, such as for example a 1/16″ crust, of the product  12  at its surface or surface area. The crust retains any fluids, such as marinades, which have been injected or tumbled earlier into the product  12  so that said fluids remain in the product during the subsequent pressing step  22 . The crust also helps to substantially reduce if not eliminate the product  12  from rebounding to its original shape during subsequent processing. Thus, the stabilizing step  20  permits the product  12  to retain the deformed shape selected for the product after the pressing step. 
     Accordingly, use of the stabilizing step  20  after the product  12  has been subjected to the injection step  16  and/or the tumbling step  18 , but before the product  12  is subject to the pressing step  22 , prevents product rebound and loss of that which was previously injected or absorbed into the product  12 . 
     During the pressing step  22 , the product  12  is pressed to selected dimensions. It is possible to include a subsequent batter and breading step  24  after the pressing. The previous stabilizing step  20  prevents the product  12  from losing that which was previously injected or absorbed into the product and insures that the product retains its shape after being pressed during the step  22 . The batter and breading step  24  provides for example a pre-dust, batter and bread coating process prior to a heating step for the product  12 . The pressing step  22  includes a particular type of action upon the product  12 . That is, the term “pressing” as used herein refers to exerting pressure on a body (such as the product  12 ) for the purpose of shaping said body, but excluding cutting the body. The term “press” as used herein with respect to the apparatus embodiments of the present invention refers to a machine or apparatus by which a substance or body, such as the product  12 , is shaped upon application of pressure without cutting. The pressing apparatus may also include a mold to render or form the body into a select shape, but is not constructed with a cutting instrument or operated for cutting the product  12 . 
     Thereafter the product may be cooked, in a heating step  26 , such as by frying by heat from a heat assembly. 
     The product  12  may then be subjected to a freezing step  28 , after which the product  12  is packaged in a packaging step  30  for subsequent distribution  32 . 
     All the while subsequent to the stabilizing step  20 , the product retains its shape since the pressing step  22  and retains any ingredients, compositions, fluids or marinades, etc. injected or absorbed therein. 
     The use of the method  10 , delivers improved product  12  quality and operational savings to plant processors by reducing re-work of the food product  12  (no product rebound or loss of product ingredients), increased yield benefits, along with increased flexibility and throughput. 
     An impingement freezer or an immersion freezer may be used for the stabilizing step  20 . Impingement freezing includes applying cryogenic spray or a fluid stream to a food product to freeze all or a portion of the product  12 . Immersion freezing includes immersing the product  12  into a cryogen fluid for freezing all or a portion of the product  12 . The cryogenic fluid used for impingement freezing may be either nitrogen or carbon dioxide; while nitrogen is used in immersion freezing. The impingement freezer technology provides for more efficient use of the cryogen, such as for example nitrogen, as a medium to crust a surface of the food product  12 . Impingement and immersion freezer technology and systems are available from Linde LLC of New Jersey USA. 
     The steps of the method  10  discussed herein can occur in any sequence although the stabilizing step (cooling or freezing)  20  must occur before the pressing step  22 . 
     A stablizing apparatus  40  is also provided for processing the product  12  as shown in  FIG. 2 . Components or subsequent stations of the apparatus  40  are shown in  FIGS. 3-6 . The apparatus  40  provides a processing line  42  which includes at least an injector  44 , an impingement freezer  46 , followed by a press  48 . 
     Referring also to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the injector  44  includes at least one and for most applications a plurality of injection needles  50  mounted to and in communication with a plenum  52  through which ingredients  54 , such as for example marinade are provided from a remote container  56  or vessel. A pipe  58  or conduit in communication with the container  56  is connected to the plenum  52  and a pump  60  is used to transfer the marinade  54  in a controlled manner to the plenum  52 . As shown in  FIGS. 3-4 , the plenum  52  can be lowered or deployed in a timed manner of operation such that each one of the plurality of needles  50  contacts and is inserted into a corresponding one of the products  12  in registration therewith. Upon insertion of the needles  50  to a correct depth within the product  12 , the pump  60  injects a preselect amount of the marinade or ingredients through the plenum  52  and the needles  50  into the product  12  for a select period of time, after which the plenum is retracted or raised allowing the product  12  to continue on its way along the processing line  42 . The injection of the marinade into the product  12  occurs in a relatively short period of time, such as, by way of example only, 0.1-20 seconds, so as not to unnecessarily delay the processing line  42 . The plenum  52  may include a guard  62  through which the needles  50  pass as shown in  FIGS. 3-4 . The guard  62  is stationary and prevents the products  12  from traveling or being retracted with the needles  50  when same are retracted after an injection cycle. 
     Alternatively, as opposed to the injector  44 , a tumbler  70 , such as a vacuum tumbler, may be used to provide the marinades  54  or other liquid ingredients into the product  12  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The tumbler  70  includes a vessel  71  or drum with a chamber  73  therein in which blades  75  are disposed to churn the product  12  and ingredients  54  to be mixed into the product. A motor  77  rotates the vessel  71 , and a pump  79  draws atmosphere from the chamber  73  through a pipe  81  to provide the vacuum in the chamber. The tumbler  70  preferably uses a vacuum which permits the product  12  to more readily absorb the ingredients  54 , such as the marinade, which will produce a juicer and faster cooking of product. Marinating in the tumbler in which a vacuum is provided causes the marinade to penetrate evenly throughout the product  12 , which eliminates flavor “hot spots” and “dead zones” of the flavor. The massaging action as a result of the rotational movement of the tumbler makes the product  12  much more tender. The vacuum, as mentioned above, permits pores of the product  12  to open or expand to more readily accept the ingredients  54 , such as marinade or water. 
     With thicker cuts of the product  12 , sometimes the tumbler  70  is used subsequent to the injector  44  to more rapidly achieve flavor equilibrium in thicker cuts of the product  12 . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , the impingement freezer  46  includes a housing  80  having a chamber  82  therein, which is known in the industry as a tunnel, and an inlet  84  and an outlet in communication with the chamber. A conveyor device, such as a conveyor belt  88 , is constructed and arranged to move through the chamber  82  to transfer the product  12  from the inlet  84  through the chamber to the outlet  86  where the product is discharged for subsequent processing, such as with devices to carry out the steps  24 - 32 . At least one cryogen injection nozzle  90  is disposed in the chamber  82  for providing cryogenic substance to the product  12  as it is transferred through the chamber by the conveyor  88 . The nozzle  90  is connected to a remote source  92  of cryogen which may be liquid nitrogen or liquid CO 2 . A plurality of the nozzles  90  may be used in the chamber  82 ; disposed to provide the most effective coverage to the product  12  requiring processing. The liquid CO 2  cryogen “flashes” upon contacting the warmer atmosphere of the chamber  12  so that a combination solid-gaseous phase of a cryogenic spray contacts the product  12  to freeze and crust the product surface. The liquid CO 2  will flash through the nozzle  90  into a combination of solid (dry ice/snow) and gas. The solid (dry ice snow) will then flash directly to a gaseous state as it absorbs heat from the product  12  to be chilled or frozen. The liquid nitrogen will flash from the liquid state to a combination of liquid and gaseous nitrogen, and the liquid portion will again flash as it absorbs the heat from the product  12  being chilled or frozen. 
     An alternate embodiment of the apparatus  40  calls for the conveyor belt  88  to be of the mesh variety or any other construction having holes therethrough such that the cryogenic substance can be sprayed from underneath the conveyor belt to crust a lower side of the product  12  as shown in  FIG. 2 . That is, other ones of the nozzles  90  may be disposed beneath the conveyor belt  88  to provide the cryogenic substance from beneath the products to “flash” the cryogen and crust a lower surface of the product while the upper surface area of the product is being crust frozen by the nozzles  90  there above. The result is that the product  12  exiting the outlet  86  is completely crust frozen along its exterior surface and ready for the press  48 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 6 , the press  48  can be for example a type that consists of a smooth surface rotatable drum  94  which forces the product into a desired shape. Such a press is available from Food Processing Equipment Co. of Springfield, Ark. USA, model no. MMP-64. The press  48  is disposed downstream of the impingement freezer  44  and preferably immediately thereafter in the processing line  42  for the product  12 . The drum  94  or drums are adjustable with respect to the distance from a surface  89  of the conveyor belt  88  as shown by arrows  96  in order to vary the extent of pressure applied to the product  12  to adjust the product thickness and shape of the product upon exiting the press  48 . 
     An embodiment of the invention also includes a product of the process of the method  10  of the invention. 
     It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as described and claimed herein. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are not only in the alternative, but may be combined.