Patent ID: 7867531

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a vacuum package of fresh meat comprising: a) supplying a container comprising a heat shrinkable film having a transparent portion and layer comprising a myoglobin blooming agent being present at the surface of the film in an amount insufficient to effectively cure the entire fresh meat and wherein the film is substantially impermeable to oxygen; b) placing a retail cut of fresh meat within the container; c) removing the atmosphere within the container; d) causing the transparent portion of the film to make direct contact with at least a portion of the meat surface; e) hermetically sealing the container to enclose the fresh meat and prevent contact of oxygen from outside the container therewith; f) shrinking the film to provide a compact package having a sufficiently reduced internal oxygen level to promote a meat surface favoring deoxymyoglobin or metmyoglobin and the corresponding purple and brown colorations associated therewith over formation of oxymyoglobin; and g) storing the package under refrigeration conditions for a sufficient time to permit the reducing activity of the enclosed meat to favor nitroxymyoglobin formation on the meat surface to an extent whereby a corresponding red color associated therewith is formed to produce a visibly red meat surface.