Patent ID: 8691308

Claim:
A low-energy and time-efficient method of mixing an additive into meat, said method comprising the steps of: providing a tank containing liquid carbon dioxide; providing a container of an additive, the additive being a liquid or a solid, wherein: the additive is dissolved in a diluent composition comprising water and/or a non-aqueous solvent, or the additive is not dissolved in a diluents composition and has a freezing point lower than a temperature of the liquid carbon dioxide; providing a liquid pump; injecting the additive, with a liquid pump, into a flow of liquid carbon dioxide inside a conduit from the tank to provide a combined flow of liquid carbon dioxide and the additive; expanding the combined flow at an inlet formed in a wall of a bottom injection mixer to thereby inject a combined flow of the additive and gaseous and solid carbon dioxide into an interior of the bottom injection mixer; and mixing the additive, the solid carbon dioxide and the meat with a rotating auger inside the bottom injection mixer.