Improved Process for Preserving Meat and other Articles of Food.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug. 1892-Accepted, 8th Oct., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
'Improved Process for Preserving Meat and other Articles of Food.
I, GEORG HARTMANN, Manufacturer, of 25 Grosse Eschenheimer Strasse,
Frankfort on the Main, Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The present invention consists of a process for producing or making preserved
foods without employing any of the foreign substances at present in use to effect a
good preservation of the meat or other substance under treatment.
Experience has shown that all substances used in making preserves to aid or
effect the proper preservation of the meat or other food under treatment, are
objectionable as they all exercise a more or less injurious effect on the human
system, the more so as some of these substances have to be employed in considerable
quantities in order to effect the preservation.
Prof. Loebisch, at the Vienna Congress der Nahrungsmittel-Chemitler directed
the attention of those present to the distinction between preserves as articles of
luxury and those used for food, and in his paper he characterised all antiseptic
additions used in the manufacture of the preserves for use in the army, as being
objectionable, as the same deteriorate the nutrimental powers of the food.
The means principally employed for this purpose, i.e. boric acid, benzoic-, salicylic
and sulphurous acids or their salts, have been proved by experiment to be
particularly injurious. Other substances, used for this purpose decompose in the
preserve forming acidulating substances tending to spoil the latter. This is very
often the case with preserved asparagus peas and the like in which common salt is
used to a great extent.
For this reason, latterly sterilising processes have been employed as far as
possible, but even with these processes it has not been possible, up till now to
produce every sort of preserve, i.e. such as are capable of standing voyages at sea,
and in the tropics. The reason for this is to be, found in the fact that the methods
of sterilising up till now employed do not thoroughly destroy all bacteria and their
germs; the lower organisms were certainly destroyed but other higher ones,
although partially exterminated, were not entirely eliminated. Such germs,
although not able to increase in the usual manner, were still capable of develop-
ment, if the preserves were kept any length of time, or in a warm temperature.
With the object of producing preserves of almost unlimited durability such as
the so called army or navy preserves, the inventor has made the most careful and
5 extensive experiments and has at length succeeded in discovering the following
process, by means of which all organisms cr germs are entirely and effectually
exterminated.
The process has one great advantage in comparison with processes hitherto in
employment, viz., that by means of the same, the extermination or killing of all
0 organisms, developed after the first sterilisation, is achieved, whilst at the same
time the employment of all preserving agents is rendered unnecessary.
The process consists in three steps viz. firstly, primary sterilisation, secondly,
germinating period and thirdly, final sterilisation.
The first step consists in subjecting the preserves, according to their origin and
5 nature, to treatment in a constant temperature, almost at boiling point.
For this purpose it will be found sufficient to allow the preserves to boil for a
short time at 100° or 120° C., or to simmer for a somewhat longer period at a
slightly lower temperature, which is better for the same.
After this primary
sterilisation process, the said preserves are kept for some days in a temperature of
O about 20°-30° C. By this means all germs or bacteria which have not been

page_text: destroyed in the primary sterilising process. will be more developed. Since,
however, the primary sterilisation has partially removed the alimentary substance,
and partially deteriorated the same, the said germinations are not able to develope
themselves into full colonies but will remain poor and weakly. Such degenerated
organisms can be more easily exterminated than healthy ones, and the preserves
are therefore now subjected to a second or final sterilisation by means of which all
, bacteria and germs are thoroughly and effectually exterminated.
It will be evident that this final sterilisation must take place before bacteria
proper have had time to develope from the germs, otherwise the present process
would possess no advantage over those already known, since the said bacteria,
owing to their enormous progenitive powers would increase to such an extent as to
make the final sterilising process just as incomplete as the primary one.
A thorough sterilisation may be effected according to this process by keeping the
germinating period short and then introducing a second germinating period and a
third sterilising process. In this manner all micro-organisms would be effectually
exterminated and a preserve produced which would last almost any length of time.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my. said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1) The process of producing preserves of every description without employing
any foreign substances whatever as preserving agents, consisting in first sterilising
the food under treatment at a temperature somewhere about boiling point, then
allowing the same to germinate for a certain period and finally again sterilising' the
said preserves substantially as described.
2) A modification consisting in the introduction of one or more germinating
periods of shorter duration each germinating period to be followed by a sterilising
process substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of Anat 1800
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.