Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DESCRIPTION
This invention relates to an improved
meat-based product and to a method and apparatus for
producing the product.
Our European Patents Nos. 0,011,402B,
No. 0,024,790B and European published Application No.
0,153,024A, all are concerned with whole muscle-meat
products which have an outer layer of fat. Such
products have, as an integral part, a flexible outer
casing simulating the skin of a natural cut and this
outer casing is a production necessity to contain the
forces generated during extrusion of whole-muscle
meat. The application of the casing needs an operator
and precludes a truly continuous process.
Vnited States Patent Specification No.
4,539,210 discloses a structured meat product, formed
by coextrusion, comprising a lean portion and a fat
rim. The starting material for the lean portion
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consists of chunks of meat of substantial size but with
the muscle scaffold network severed. The chunks are
mechanically massaged to release adhesive protein and
are aggregated into a mass prior to forming. U. K.
published application No. 2,156,650A discloses a
restructured meat product formed by kneading thin
slices of meat into a compacted mass and then forming
the kneaded mass into the product, the product being
held together by the adhesive nature of the meat juices
10 and the entanglement of the slices, both arising from
the kneading process. There is no fatty portion.
The ob~ective of the present invention is to
provide a structured product comprising a meat layer
and a fat layer which can be produced in a continuous
process but which has the texture and taste of a whole-
muscle product.
A food product in accordance with the
present invention comprises a coextrudate with a meat
body formed from thin small slices of meat precoated
20 with an adhesive liquid and a fatty outer layer.
A process in accordance with the present
invention comprises the following steps:
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(1) Slicing whole-muscle meat into small
thin slices. Typically the slices will be between 1.5
and 5 mm thick, the thinner end of the range being
preferred; 1.5mm is a good working thickness. With
regard to lateral dimension we have found it
convenient to have slices in the region of 120mm
square but a range of between 50 to 150mm can be
contemplated. In fact the preferred 120mm square will
typically have one or more muscle or sinew lines in it
and slice will divide along that line(s) of weakness dur-
ing the next working stage of the process. For successful
working of the process the slices should be cold, just
below 0 C. It is thus advantageous to slice
from a whole-muscle piece just sufficiently thawed
from frozen solid to be slicable, and to convey the
cold slices to the next stage of the process in the
cool ambient conditions of meat processing so that the
slices remain cold up to and through the extrusion
process.
~2) The thin slices are then agitated in
admixture with a meat-based adhesive liquid for a
short period until the slices are coated with the
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liquid. During this agitation the slices will tend to
divide along any lines of weakness into smaller slices
so there is a certain reduction of mean slice size
during this process. The agitation typically only
takes place for of the order of 2 minutes so there is
no substantial release of protein or other material
from the slice. The purpose of this step is
essentially to coat each slice with a meat based
adhesive. The slices are discharged from the mixer
and, although being adhesive-coated with a certain
tendency to stick to one another, they remain separate
slices as opposed to a compacted mass.
(3) The coated slices are then loaded
into a coextrusion machine and pumped through to the
extrusion head. A fat-forming fluid is also loaded
into the machine and pumped through to another region
of the extrusion head; this fluid is preferably an
emulsified mixture of fat and meat.
~4) The coextrudate of fat and meat in
the form of the desired cut of meat is discharged from
the extrusion head onto a moving conveyor.
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(5) The coextrudate is then conveyed
through an elongate freezer to be case-hardening into a
partially frozen log which is cut into pieces of the
desired length.
The process set out above is a complete
integrated process from slicing through to
case-hardened joints which are then finally frozen to
the desired solid form.
The invention will now be described by way
of example and with reference to the accompanying
drawings wherein:-
Figure 1 shows the slicing process together
with, on an enlarged scale a typical slice;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the agitatingand coating step;
Figure 3 is a schematic indication of the
extrusion head and production line, and
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Figure 4 is a sectional view indicating
different forms of product in accordance with the
invention.
~eferring initially to Figure 1 large
frozen joints 1 of whole-muscle ma~inly lean meat typ-
ically lamb or beef are allowed to soften from solid
till just cuttable and are placed in a proprietary slic-
ing machine 2 which makes straight oriented cuts through
the joint and thus discharges small slices 3 of meat
into discharge containers 4. As an alternative
whole~muscle meat may be cut at ambient temperature
and the slices cooled. It is, however, important
to have the slices cooled to just below 0C for
coextrusion to enhance compaction. The typical small
slice 3' illustrated on the enlarged scale is 120 mm
square and 1.5 mm thick. A natural line of
weakness 5 approximatély bisects the slice.
Referring now to Figure 2 the small slices
3 are then prepared for coextrusion by mixing them in
a screw mixer 6 with a relatively small amount of a
meat glue which is a thick fluid emulsified
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formulation based on lean meat with released adhesive
protein. A typical formulation is emulsified to a
thick porridge-like consistency from a mixture of meat
pieces (approximately 50~), salts and water. As
illustrated the mixer comprises two contra-rotating
ribbons 7 and 8 each arranged in a helix around a
respective drive shaft 9, 10 so that the ingredients
are propelled in one direction by one helix and in the
other direction by the other. The mixer 6 also
includes an exit port 11 for coated slices 3. The
coated slices 3 have a tendency to stick to one
another but retain their separate identity~ There is
no significant discharge of protein from the slices
during the short mixing period, typically two minutes.
During the mixing the slice 3' of Figure 1 and other
like it will divide into two small slices along the
line of weakness 5.
Turning now to Figure 3 the coated slices 3
are loaded whilst still cold into a hopper 12 feeding
a pump 13 connected by a pipe 14 to the inlet manifold
15 of twin extrusion heads 16. A second hopper 17 is
loaded with a fatty formulation 18, typically being an
emulsified mixture of approximately 50% fat proper
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with lean meat pieces and other extenders. Such an
emulsified formulation is a thick viscous liquid of
porridge-like consistency which, when extruded, produces
an effective simulation of the natural fat layer on
meat capable of being retained by the meat body
before, during and after cooking. This emulsified
formulation may include some adhesive protein
material. The second hopper 17 feeds a pump 19 and
feeds extrusion head 16 through a pipe 20 and manifold
21.
Each coextrusion head 16 comprises a main
part shaped to extrude a simulation of the assymetric
main lean-body of a natural cut of meat and a peripheral
section shaped to extrude the fat layer of that cut.
Different extrusion profiles will be described with
reference to Figure 4. Figure 3 shows coextrusion in
full operation from one head 16 and interrupted from
the other with the emerging extrudate 22 comprising a
lean body of compacted lean slices and a fat outer
layer. The extrudate 22 is discharged onto a moving
conveyor surface 23 synchronised to advance at the
speed of extrusion thereby avoiding distortion of the
emerging extrudate. The extrudate 22 on emerging
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is compacted with structural integrity but is
relatively soft. The lean slices subjected to the
forces of pumping to and through the extrusion head
have undergone some restructuring and combination. The
extrudate then passes through an elongate freezing
tunnel 24 with a chimney connection 25 for nitrogen
refrigerant. The freezer 24 is elongate to a
sufficient length but is illustrated in shortened
form.
The continuous extrudate passes through
the nitrogen freezer 24 and emerges as a case-hardened
log 22' suitable for cutting. The case-hardened log
then passes through a cutter diagrammatically
referenced as 26. The cutter preferably comprises a
blade swi~ging transversely of the direction of
advance. The cut pieces or chops 27 emerge to be
conveyed to a final freezer (not shown).
The process is an integrated and continuous
one. The slices are cold from cutting and are coated
with adhesive and loaded into the extrusion means
whilst still cold. This presents no production
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problem in the cool ambient conditions of a meat
processing factory.
Figure 4 is a notional view showing
extrudate emerging from side-by-side but different
extrusion heads each with an emerg-ing extruded product
in accordance with the invention. Thus the extrudate
22 on the left hand side has a body or core A of lean
compacted slices, this core being assymetric generally
simulating the shape of a chop with a flat base,
rounded ends and deeper at one side than another.
Typical overall dimensions are 18 cm wide and 8 cm
maximum height. The product also includes an upper
layer of fat B, maximum depth typically 2 cm,
simulating the natural fat on a chop. The right hand
of the extrudate shows the layer B of fat may be
continued completely around the meat core with a
reduced depth of coating. This right hand product can
be produced as a right cylinder of meat with a
concentric fat annular outer layer. When producing
this product the conveyor surface should be covered by
a protective material such as plastic sheet dispensed
from a roll to avoid damaging the fat underlayer until
case hardened.
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On eating it is found that the meat product
produced by the method set out above closely simulates
in texture and taste a high quality chop of whole
muscle meat. This similarity arises from the use of
thin slices as a starting material for the lean core.
The slices are not oriented in the product nor are
they readily distinguishable individually. Compaction
and restructuring would appear to take place during
the coextrusion process.
This application is a division of appli-
cation Serial No. 529,192, filed February 6, 1987.
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