Abstract:
Storing and transporting meat products after marinating and before packaging causes a loss of marinade from the meat product. This loss of marinade is reduced by surrounding the marinated meat product in excess marinade during storage and by containing the marinated meat product in an enclosed conduit, surrounded by excess marinade, and pressurizing the marinade during transportation of the marinated meat product.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for storing and transporting marinated meat products after marinating and before packaging. 
     Producers of marinated meat products typically marinate their meat products at one site in a factory and package their marinated meat product at another site. The marinated meat product must be transported from the marinating site to the packaging site. This transportation causes a loss of marinade from the meat product. In some situations, the marinated meat product must be temporarily stored between the marinating site and the packaging site. This storage also causes a loss of marinade. 
     The loss of marinade during storage and transportation of a marinated meat product is caused by the internal pressure of the muscle tone of the meat product. Additionally, the weight of other meat products piled on top of the meat product during storage and the vibrational force on the meat product during transportation causes the loss of marinade. All of these factors tend to force the marinade out of the meat product especially when the marinated meat product is stored in a dry storage container and/or where the marinated meat product must be transported a large distance by a mechanical conveyor belt. 
     The loss of marinade from a marinated meat product is significant in two ways: first, a loss of marinade will reduce the spiciness and juiciness of the meat product; and second, the waste of marinade will increase the cost of the meat product. Both the reduction of quality and the increase in price will ultimately reduce the satisfaction of the consumer with the meat product. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus which overcomes many of the known problems associated with the storage and transportation of marinated meat products. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus which reduces the loss of marinade from a marinated meat product during storage and transportation. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus which reduces the loss of marinade from a marinated meat product during storage and transportation by overcoming the internal pressure of the muscle tone of the meat product. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus which reduces the loss of marinade from a marinated meat product during storage. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus which reduces the loss of marinade from a marinated meat product during transportation. 
     These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of one embodiment of the system of the present invention showing the marinating and packaging sites. 
     FIG. 2 is an elevation of one embodiment of certain of the components of the system of FIG. 1 showing the hopper, conduits and diaphragm pump. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention may be used in a meat factory for storing and transporting marinated meat products. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a meat product may be transported in a meat factory to a remote marinating site 100 in a conventional tote 110 suitable for containing the meat product. The tote and the meat product are placed on a conventional &#34;in&#34; scale 105 suitable for weighing the tote and the meat product. The meat product is placed into a conventional vacuum hopper 120 suitable for temporarily storing the meat product. Then, the meat product is transferred into a conventional marination tumbler 130 suitable for marinating the meat product. 
     After marination, the marinated meat product and excess marinade are placed into a conventional storage vessel or hopper 140 suitable for temporarily storing the marinated meat products. The amount of excess marinade may vary with the meat and with the length of the transportation, but preferably the amount of excess marinade is about 1/2% to 1% of the total volume of the marinated meat. The marinated meat product and the excess marinade are pumped by a conventional diaphragm pump 150 suitable for pumping the marinated meat product and excess marinade from the hopper 140 at the marinating site 100, through the enclosed conduit 160, and to the processor 170 at the packaging site 200. The pressure to pump the marinated meat product and excess marinade in the conduit may be between about 15 psi to 80 psi, but preferably the pressure is about 20 psi. 
     The processor 170 desirably consists of either: (a) a conventional layout conveyor suitable for separating the marinated meat product from the excess marinade; or (b) a conventional breader suitable for breading the marinated meat product, a conventional layout conveyor suitable for separating the breaded meat product from excess marinade and breading, and a conventional fryer suitable for frying the breaded meat product prior to packaging. 
     After processing, the marinated meat product (without excess marinade or breading) may be transported to a conventional freezer 180 suitable for freezing the meat product. Finally, the frozen marinated meat product is transported to a conventional packager 190 suitable for packaging the meat product, and the meat product is placed on a conventional &#34;out&#34; scale 195 suitable for weighing the meat product. 
     The difference between the &#34;in&#34; measurement and the &#34;out&#34; measurement is the net yield of the marinating, transporting and freezing processes. 
     With the present invention, the marinated meat product may be transported from the hopper to the packaging site or may be temporarily stored in the hopper, both without significant loss of marinade from the marinated meat product. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the marinaded meat products may be temporarily stored after marination in the hopper, e.g., the marinated meat products and excess marinade may be introduced through the cylindrical upper portion 142 to the conical lower portion 144 of the storage vessel 140. Both the cylindrical upper portion 142 and the conical lower portion 144 of the storage vessel are desirably made from conventional stainless steel suitable for storing marinated meat products. 
     To transport the marinated meat products, the diaphragm pump 150 is activated, also shown in FIG. 2. The diaphragm pump 150 supplies a suction which draws the products from the lower portion 144 of the storage vessel 140, through the first conduit 145, and into the diaphragm pump 150. The diaphragm pump 150 also supplies a pressure which pushes the products out of the diaphragm pump 150, through the second conduit 155, and to a final destination. The first conduit 145 and second conduit 155 are desirably made from conventional stainless steel suitable for containing marinated meat products and are connected to the lower portion 144 of the storage vessel 140 and to the diaphragm pump 150 by conventional tri-clamps suitable for providing sanitary connections. The second conduit may further include a reducer (165) for increasing the internal pressure of the second conduit. 
     While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, it is to be understood that the embodiments described are illustrative only and the scope of the invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims when accorded a full range of equivalence, many variations and modifications naturally occurring to those of skill in the art from a perusal hereof.