CA2636443A1 - An unfrozen raw horse meat product - Google Patents
An unfrozen raw horse meat product Download PDFInfo
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- CA2636443A1 CA2636443A1 CA002636443A CA2636443A CA2636443A1 CA 2636443 A1 CA2636443 A1 CA 2636443A1 CA 002636443 A CA002636443 A CA 002636443A CA 2636443 A CA2636443 A CA 2636443A CA 2636443 A1 CA2636443 A1 CA 2636443A1
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- horse
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- meat
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23B—PRESERVING, e.g. BY CANNING, MEAT, FISH, EGGS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, EDIBLE SEEDS; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES; THE PRESERVED, RIPENED, OR CANNED PRODUCTS
- A23B4/00—General methods for preserving meat, sausages, fish or fish products
- A23B4/06—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
- A23B4/066—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling the materials not being transported through or in the apparatus with or without shaping, e.g. in the form of powder, granules or flakes
- A23B4/068—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling the materials not being transported through or in the apparatus with or without shaping, e.g. in the form of powder, granules or flakes with packages or with shaping in the form of blocks or portions
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
- A23L13/00—Meat products; Meat meal; Preparation or treatment thereof
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Food Science & Technology (AREA)
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- Nutrition Science (AREA)
- Meat, Egg Or Seafood Products (AREA)
Abstract
A method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass (or a part thereof) which method comprises a raw meat production chain. The raw meat production chain may comprise various stages for the manufacture or production of a raw horse meat product.
However, the raw meat raw meat production chain does not include or employ any aging (or holdover) step (or stage) before a deboning stage.
However, the raw meat raw meat production chain does not include or employ any aging (or holdover) step (or stage) before a deboning stage.
Description
Title: An unfrozen raw horse meat product The present invention relates to a method for processing a horse carcass (or a part thereof), to obtain a packaged (raw) horse meat product. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for cutting meat from the bone of a fresh dressed horse carcass (or a part thereof) so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen horse meat product. The cutting (or deboning) may in particular, for example, be carried out prior to the onset of rigor mortis.
Although horse is considered a taboo food source in countries like the United States, horse meat is commonly consumed in Japan as well as in many European countries.
Horses are commonly slaughtered to obtain meat for consumption in European countries as well as in Canada, in a similar fashion to the slaughter of cattle. Thus a live horse may be subjected to a (predetermined) slaughter death trigger event which may for example comprise a (known) stun/bleed kill event which (usually) induces unconsciousness and death sequentially. A stun/bleed kill event, as to be understood herein, comprises the stunning of an animal followed by throat cutting. Once the slaughter death triggering event is completed with the throat cut, the animal is allowed to bleed to death; death usually occurs within several minutes due to rapid blood loss to the brain.
In accordance with a stun/bleed kill event a horse may, for example, be rendered unconscious or stunned by being shot in the brain with a metal rod using a captive bolt gun or stunner. Stunning usually does not kill the horse. The horse may then be shackled by a hind leg and hung or suspended thereby upside down. The horse's throat is then cut (i.e. the jugular vein or carotid artery is severed so as to facilitate rapid blood loss). The horse thereafter bleeds to death within several minutes or so.
Subsequent to the exsanguination of the horse, the horse body (i.e. corpse) is dressed, i.e.
the hide is stripped off and the viscera are removed to produce a dressed horse carcass (i.e. full horse carcass). As part of the dressing process (as desired or necessary) the head may also be removed and/or parts of the limp extremities (e.g. hoof parts) trimmed off.
The preparation of a fresh dressed horse carcass may take, for example, from 30 to 60 minutes after the stun/bleed kill event described above. Once dressed, is known to longitudinally split the obtained horse carcass into two side parts.
An important factor which is considered by North American and European meat processors for the preparation of meat (including horse meat) for North American and European consumption is the rigor mortis effect.
Rigor mortis refers to a recognizable state of a body after death during which the muscles of the corpse contract and become stiff and difficult to move or manipulate.
Rigor mortis may begin to manifest itself about 3 to 4 hours after death, reaching maximum stiffness after about 12 hours, and gradually dissipating until approximately 72 hours after death.
Rigor mortis disappears pursuant to a process known as resolution of rigor.
Rigor mortis is very important in North American and European meat technology.
The onset of rigor mortis and its resolution partially determines the tenderness of meat. Prior to the disappearance of rigor mortis, the muscles of a slaughtered animal are typically in a contracted state. Such contraction may lead to the disadvantageous effect of making the meat tough for North American and European consumers. This may happen at relatively high carcass temperatures (e.g. above 20 C.).
Accordingly, in order to attenuate or avoid the effect of rigor mortis on the toughening of the muscle, North American and European meat processors typically allow for an aging (or holdover) stage to mitigate the effects of rigor mortis, e.g. to hold the meat on the bone (of a carcass) before packing or further processing.
Although horse is considered a taboo food source in countries like the United States, horse meat is commonly consumed in Japan as well as in many European countries.
Horses are commonly slaughtered to obtain meat for consumption in European countries as well as in Canada, in a similar fashion to the slaughter of cattle. Thus a live horse may be subjected to a (predetermined) slaughter death trigger event which may for example comprise a (known) stun/bleed kill event which (usually) induces unconsciousness and death sequentially. A stun/bleed kill event, as to be understood herein, comprises the stunning of an animal followed by throat cutting. Once the slaughter death triggering event is completed with the throat cut, the animal is allowed to bleed to death; death usually occurs within several minutes due to rapid blood loss to the brain.
In accordance with a stun/bleed kill event a horse may, for example, be rendered unconscious or stunned by being shot in the brain with a metal rod using a captive bolt gun or stunner. Stunning usually does not kill the horse. The horse may then be shackled by a hind leg and hung or suspended thereby upside down. The horse's throat is then cut (i.e. the jugular vein or carotid artery is severed so as to facilitate rapid blood loss). The horse thereafter bleeds to death within several minutes or so.
Subsequent to the exsanguination of the horse, the horse body (i.e. corpse) is dressed, i.e.
the hide is stripped off and the viscera are removed to produce a dressed horse carcass (i.e. full horse carcass). As part of the dressing process (as desired or necessary) the head may also be removed and/or parts of the limp extremities (e.g. hoof parts) trimmed off.
The preparation of a fresh dressed horse carcass may take, for example, from 30 to 60 minutes after the stun/bleed kill event described above. Once dressed, is known to longitudinally split the obtained horse carcass into two side parts.
An important factor which is considered by North American and European meat processors for the preparation of meat (including horse meat) for North American and European consumption is the rigor mortis effect.
Rigor mortis refers to a recognizable state of a body after death during which the muscles of the corpse contract and become stiff and difficult to move or manipulate.
Rigor mortis may begin to manifest itself about 3 to 4 hours after death, reaching maximum stiffness after about 12 hours, and gradually dissipating until approximately 72 hours after death.
Rigor mortis disappears pursuant to a process known as resolution of rigor.
Rigor mortis is very important in North American and European meat technology.
The onset of rigor mortis and its resolution partially determines the tenderness of meat. Prior to the disappearance of rigor mortis, the muscles of a slaughtered animal are typically in a contracted state. Such contraction may lead to the disadvantageous effect of making the meat tough for North American and European consumers. This may happen at relatively high carcass temperatures (e.g. above 20 C.).
Accordingly, in order to attenuate or avoid the effect of rigor mortis on the toughening of the muscle, North American and European meat processors typically allow for an aging (or holdover) stage to mitigate the effects of rigor mortis, e.g. to hold the meat on the bone (of a carcass) before packing or further processing.
In particular, North American and European meat processors may allow for an aging (or holdover) stage which terminates well after the onset of the rigor mortis state, and in particular, well after the resolution of the rigor mortis state i.e. before a deboning stage such processors exploit an intervening aging (or holdover) stage which is subsequently followed by deboning, deboning occurring well after the onset of rigor mortis.
During an aging (or holdover) stage the carcass is stored at a low environmental temperature (e.g. from 1 C to 5 C). Pursuant to such an aging technique meat may, for example be allowed to (cold) mature on the bone of the carcass for at least 6 to 18 hours or more after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. The requirement for carefully controlling the environment around the carcass as well as the time involved makes such holdover a costly process.
For example, in keeping with European (as well as Canadian meat preferences) an above mentioned obtained fresh dressed horse carcass (or part thereof) may be subjected to a dry aging step or stage comprising cool storage and which extends (time wise) well beyond the rigor mortis state. It is to be understood herein that the expression "a dry aging step" refers to such an (intermediate) meat processing stage or step (for tenderizing meat including horse meat) wherein a carcass (or a part thereof) is hung in a temperature and humidity controlled cooler for a period of two to four weeks. During this time, enzymes within the meat break down the muscle and connective tissue making it tender.
Moisture is lost from the outer parts of the carcass causing an inedible crust to form which must be trimmed off and discarded. Again, the carefully controlled environment, the time involved, and the loss of outer portions of the carcass make dry aging a costly process. The expression "dry aged" when describing meat thus refers to meat which has been subject to "a dry aging step".
An aging (or a holdover) step or stage thus contributes significantly to both processing and storage costs.
During an aging (or holdover) stage the carcass is stored at a low environmental temperature (e.g. from 1 C to 5 C). Pursuant to such an aging technique meat may, for example be allowed to (cold) mature on the bone of the carcass for at least 6 to 18 hours or more after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. The requirement for carefully controlling the environment around the carcass as well as the time involved makes such holdover a costly process.
For example, in keeping with European (as well as Canadian meat preferences) an above mentioned obtained fresh dressed horse carcass (or part thereof) may be subjected to a dry aging step or stage comprising cool storage and which extends (time wise) well beyond the rigor mortis state. It is to be understood herein that the expression "a dry aging step" refers to such an (intermediate) meat processing stage or step (for tenderizing meat including horse meat) wherein a carcass (or a part thereof) is hung in a temperature and humidity controlled cooler for a period of two to four weeks. During this time, enzymes within the meat break down the muscle and connective tissue making it tender.
Moisture is lost from the outer parts of the carcass causing an inedible crust to form which must be trimmed off and discarded. Again, the carefully controlled environment, the time involved, and the loss of outer portions of the carcass make dry aging a costly process. The expression "dry aged" when describing meat thus refers to meat which has been subject to "a dry aging step".
An aging (or a holdover) step or stage thus contributes significantly to both processing and storage costs.
In any event, a carcass (or part thereof) obtained after an aging stage or step is thereafter dismembered, i.e. is butchered or cut into smaller pieces for easier handling.
However, a carcass (or part thereof) obtained after an aging (or holdover) stage or step is no longer a fresh carcass (or part thereof), i.e. the meat is not considered to be fresh raw meat for the purposes of some markets (e.g. from the standpoint of the Japanese market).
On the other hand, meat preferences in some countries such as Japan favor the consumption of "raw" type meat. Thus, the Japanese favor the taste and texture of "raw"
type meat rather than meat which has been subjected to an aging (or holdover) stage (or step).
It would be advantageous to have method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass (or a part thereof), to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product without exploiting an aging stage i.e. without a dry aging (or holdover) step or stage. It would thus be advantageous to have a means for obtaining raw horse meat of high freshness with as much natural texture and color and taste as possible. It would further be advantageous to have a means for obtaining a packaged raw horse meat product having a relatively long usable shelf life (e.g. a shelf life of 30 to 35 days at 4 C or lower).
Moreover, immediately after an animal is slaughtered, the resulting carcass is at a temperature that is approximately the same as the body temperature of the animal. This warm temperature of the carcass promotes microbial growth up until the time when the carcass is finally cooled. If a significant amount of time is allowed to pass from when an animal is slaughtered to when the meat of a processed carcass (or part thereof) is cooled, significant growth of microbes can occur. Accordingly it would be advantageous to have a method by which it may be possible to minimize the time between slaughter and the onset of cooling of the separated horse meat to low but not frozen temperatures.
It would also be advantageous to have a method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass or a part thereof, said fresh dressed horse carcass or said part thereof comprising raw horse meat (i.e. muscle tissue) and bone, (in a processing area) to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product wherein for the processing or method stages or steps contamination from handling may be mitigated by avoiding( undesired or unnecessary) direct hand contact with the meat or carcass during processing, i.e. by limiting contact with the carcass to antiseptic cutting utensils as well as antiseptic supporting or grabbing utensils such as antiseptic support hooks, etc...
Thus in general the present invention relates to a method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass (or a part thereof); the method comprising a raw meat production chain. A
raw meat production chain (or production line) in accordance with the present invention may comprise various stages for the manufacture or production of a raw horse meat product. However, since the product of such production chain is to be a raw meat product it is to be understood herein that a raw meat production chain will not include or employ any aging (or holdover) step (or stage) before a deboning stage. In other words, for a raw meat production chain of the present invention a fresh dressed horse carcass may be deboned directly after having been obtained from a slaughter stage as described herein. For example, if desired or necessary, a fresh dressed horse carcass may be sent directly to a splitting stage for splitting into parts (e.g. halves or quarters), at least one so split carcass part being in turn sent directly on to a deboning stage. In any case as may be understood herein a raw meat production chain does not include any intervening aging (or holdover) stage or step between the formation of the fresh dressed horse carcass (or part thereof) and any following deboning stage, i.e. keeping in mind, however, the four hour deboning time limit referred to herein below.
A live horse for slaughter may be of any age or type but may in particular be a horse of from 1 to 3 years of age or even older (e.g. 1 to 2 years old, over 3 years old, etc. ), i.e. a mature animal. The live horse may in particular be a Draft horse such as for example a Percheron or Belgium breed; a Saddle horse such as a Quarter horse; etc..
As may be appreciated, a fresh dressed horse carcass for the method of the present invention may be obtained by subjecting (in known manner) a live horse to a live horse slaughter stage which may comprise subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event followed by dressing of the obtained horse body (i.e.
corpse). Such dressing may comprise skinning and evisceration of the horse body, as well as beheading and (limp) trimming (of the outer or distal parts) of the limps to obtain a fresh dressed horse carcass (i.e. full horse carcass); if desired and appropriate (i.e. in regards to sanitations factors, health factors, etc) such dressing may dispense with beheading and/or (limp) trimming (of the outer or distal parts) of the limps. As may also be appreciated, the dressed horse carcass (or part thereof) for processing comprises horse meat (i.e.
muscle tissue) and bone.
Thus it is to be understood herein that the expression "dressed horse carcass"
is a reference to the body of a horse (as obtained after a slaughter stage - see below) from which the skin and viscera (e.g. soft (internal) organs, gut, etc.) as well as the head and outer or distal parts (i.e. hooves) have been removed but which has not yet been split, i.e.
an eviscerated and skinned full horse carcass. However, it is also to be understood herein that the expression "dressed horse carcass" includes if desired and appropriate (i.e. in regards to sanitations factors, health factors, etc) a horse carcass which has not been subjected to beheading and/or (limp) trimming (of the outer or distal parts) of the limps.
It is further to be understood herein that a "dressed horse carcass" (or part thereof) may comprise muscle tissue, connective tissue, bone and possibly fat.
Similarly, the word "dressing" (or any variation thereof) in relation to a horse body shall also be understood as comprising eviscerating and skinning of a horse body as well as beheading and removal of outer parts of the limp(s) (i.e. limp trimming) of the horse body to obtain a dressed horse carcass; however, as mentioned above if desired and appropriate (i.e. in regards to sanitations factors, health factors, etc) a horse carcass may not be subjected to beheading and/or (limp) trimming (of the outer or distal parts) of the limps.
However, a carcass (or part thereof) obtained after an aging (or holdover) stage or step is no longer a fresh carcass (or part thereof), i.e. the meat is not considered to be fresh raw meat for the purposes of some markets (e.g. from the standpoint of the Japanese market).
On the other hand, meat preferences in some countries such as Japan favor the consumption of "raw" type meat. Thus, the Japanese favor the taste and texture of "raw"
type meat rather than meat which has been subjected to an aging (or holdover) stage (or step).
It would be advantageous to have method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass (or a part thereof), to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product without exploiting an aging stage i.e. without a dry aging (or holdover) step or stage. It would thus be advantageous to have a means for obtaining raw horse meat of high freshness with as much natural texture and color and taste as possible. It would further be advantageous to have a means for obtaining a packaged raw horse meat product having a relatively long usable shelf life (e.g. a shelf life of 30 to 35 days at 4 C or lower).
Moreover, immediately after an animal is slaughtered, the resulting carcass is at a temperature that is approximately the same as the body temperature of the animal. This warm temperature of the carcass promotes microbial growth up until the time when the carcass is finally cooled. If a significant amount of time is allowed to pass from when an animal is slaughtered to when the meat of a processed carcass (or part thereof) is cooled, significant growth of microbes can occur. Accordingly it would be advantageous to have a method by which it may be possible to minimize the time between slaughter and the onset of cooling of the separated horse meat to low but not frozen temperatures.
It would also be advantageous to have a method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass or a part thereof, said fresh dressed horse carcass or said part thereof comprising raw horse meat (i.e. muscle tissue) and bone, (in a processing area) to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product wherein for the processing or method stages or steps contamination from handling may be mitigated by avoiding( undesired or unnecessary) direct hand contact with the meat or carcass during processing, i.e. by limiting contact with the carcass to antiseptic cutting utensils as well as antiseptic supporting or grabbing utensils such as antiseptic support hooks, etc...
Thus in general the present invention relates to a method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass (or a part thereof); the method comprising a raw meat production chain. A
raw meat production chain (or production line) in accordance with the present invention may comprise various stages for the manufacture or production of a raw horse meat product. However, since the product of such production chain is to be a raw meat product it is to be understood herein that a raw meat production chain will not include or employ any aging (or holdover) step (or stage) before a deboning stage. In other words, for a raw meat production chain of the present invention a fresh dressed horse carcass may be deboned directly after having been obtained from a slaughter stage as described herein. For example, if desired or necessary, a fresh dressed horse carcass may be sent directly to a splitting stage for splitting into parts (e.g. halves or quarters), at least one so split carcass part being in turn sent directly on to a deboning stage. In any case as may be understood herein a raw meat production chain does not include any intervening aging (or holdover) stage or step between the formation of the fresh dressed horse carcass (or part thereof) and any following deboning stage, i.e. keeping in mind, however, the four hour deboning time limit referred to herein below.
A live horse for slaughter may be of any age or type but may in particular be a horse of from 1 to 3 years of age or even older (e.g. 1 to 2 years old, over 3 years old, etc. ), i.e. a mature animal. The live horse may in particular be a Draft horse such as for example a Percheron or Belgium breed; a Saddle horse such as a Quarter horse; etc..
As may be appreciated, a fresh dressed horse carcass for the method of the present invention may be obtained by subjecting (in known manner) a live horse to a live horse slaughter stage which may comprise subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event followed by dressing of the obtained horse body (i.e.
corpse). Such dressing may comprise skinning and evisceration of the horse body, as well as beheading and (limp) trimming (of the outer or distal parts) of the limps to obtain a fresh dressed horse carcass (i.e. full horse carcass); if desired and appropriate (i.e. in regards to sanitations factors, health factors, etc) such dressing may dispense with beheading and/or (limp) trimming (of the outer or distal parts) of the limps. As may also be appreciated, the dressed horse carcass (or part thereof) for processing comprises horse meat (i.e.
muscle tissue) and bone.
Thus it is to be understood herein that the expression "dressed horse carcass"
is a reference to the body of a horse (as obtained after a slaughter stage - see below) from which the skin and viscera (e.g. soft (internal) organs, gut, etc.) as well as the head and outer or distal parts (i.e. hooves) have been removed but which has not yet been split, i.e.
an eviscerated and skinned full horse carcass. However, it is also to be understood herein that the expression "dressed horse carcass" includes if desired and appropriate (i.e. in regards to sanitations factors, health factors, etc) a horse carcass which has not been subjected to beheading and/or (limp) trimming (of the outer or distal parts) of the limps.
It is further to be understood herein that a "dressed horse carcass" (or part thereof) may comprise muscle tissue, connective tissue, bone and possibly fat.
Similarly, the word "dressing" (or any variation thereof) in relation to a horse body shall also be understood as comprising eviscerating and skinning of a horse body as well as beheading and removal of outer parts of the limp(s) (i.e. limp trimming) of the horse body to obtain a dressed horse carcass; however, as mentioned above if desired and appropriate (i.e. in regards to sanitations factors, health factors, etc) a horse carcass may not be subjected to beheading and/or (limp) trimming (of the outer or distal parts) of the limps.
It is to be understood herein that the word "fresh" in the expression "fresh dressed horse carcass" identifies a dressed horse carcass (and as the case may be a part thereof) as being a carcass (or part) for which rigor mortis has not yet set in (or for which rigor mortis is only at an initial stage) subsequent to the predetermined slaughter death trigger event (e.g. subsequent to an above mentioned stun/bleed kill event). More particularly, for the purposes herein "fresh" identifies a dressed horse carcass (and as the case may be a part thereof) as being a carcass (or part) for which four hours has not yet elapsed since the predetermined slaughter death trigger event has occurred.
It is to be understood herein that the expression "predetermined slaughter death trigger event" refers to any event(s), whatsoever, that cause(s) or bring(s) about the death (of a horse) for slaughtering purposes, i.e. this expression refers to any event, whatsoever, which induces essentially instantaneous death for slaughtering purposes or which initiates the death process leading to death for slaughtering purposes. The expression "slaughter death trigger event" includes the above mentioned stun/bleed kill event; in other words the stunning followed by the throat cutting together constitute a slaughter death trigger (or inducing) event.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention a horse carcass treatment method is provided which as mentioned above comprises a raw meat production chain. As shall be discussed below, in accordance with the present invention, a predetermined slaughter death trigger event may be used as the start point for various time periods for the stages of the raw meat production chain.
The raw meat production chain of the present invention includes a four hour deboning stage time limit. For the purposes of the present invention, the deboning stage is to (at least) be initiated during the four hour time period immediately following the predetermined slaughter death trigger event (e.g. the deboning stage may be initiated at any appropriate or desired time prior to the end of the above mentioned four hour time limit). More particularly, the deboning stage may carried out (i.e. initiated and terminated or finished) at any time during (i.e. up to) the four hour time period limit immediately following the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. The upper time limit for deboning may, as desired, be lowered; the upper time limit for deboning may for example be set at from 1 to 3 hours after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
As may be appreciated the (upper) deboning stage time limit is calculated from (i.e. based on) the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
In other words, the predetermined slaughter death trigger event starts or initiates the deboning stage time limit (or period) of four hours (or less). As shall be mentioned below, the predetermined slaughter death trigger event may similarly also be used herein as the starting point for the time limits for other stages (e.g. slaughter stage, splitting stage, vacuum sealing stage, etc.). The actual duration of each (other) stage may, as desired or necessary, fall within the upper time limits specified herein by way of example; i.e. terminate at or before the specified time limits as the case may be.
The deboning stage time limit may terminate (well) before, just prior to or just after the onset of rigor mortis. Thus, for example, the deboning stage may be carried out (i.e.
terminated) within a time period of three hours (i.e. three hours or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. The deboning stage may, as desired, alternatively comprise a shorter time period; e.g. the deboning stage may be carried out within a time period of 2.5 hours (e.g. 2 hours or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event; the deboning stage may, in particular, be carried out within a time period of 60 to 90 minutes (i.e. 90 minutes or less; 60 minutes or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event; etc..
The separation of meat from bone (i.e. by cutting) may be initiated at any desired or necessary point in time during the above mentioned deboning time period (or sub-time periods), keeping in mind of course, the time allotment (necessary) for previous stages such as the slaughter stage and if desired the splitting stage. The actual time it may take for completing the cutting of meat from bone of a carcass (or part thereof) and placement of the separated meat into a vacuum sealable packaging member may for example depend on the size of the carcass (or part thereof) being deboned. The deboning stage may for example be carried out (i.e. terminated) within a time period (from the start of cutting to the finish of cutting) of from 30 or 60 minutes or less (e.g. of 30 minutes or less for a carcass quarter).
For the purposes of the present, a vacuum sealable packaging member may take any (suitable) form keeping in mind the purposes thereof. Thus, any suitable (known) packaging member (e.g. a foldable packing sheet, a flexible bag, etc.) may be used which may be vacuum sealable in any suitable (known) fashion). A packaging member may for example be in the form of a bag which is a flexible container with a single (vacuum) sealable opening; the packaging member may take any other form keeping in mind the purpose thereof, i.e. to vacuum seal raw horse meat.
In accordance with the present invention the separated horse meat of the deboning stage may be directly placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member without hand contact after being manually separated from said bone (also) without hand contact; to favor non-contamination of the meat with bacteria, etc. .
Thus, in particular the present invention relates to a method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass, said fresh dressed horse carcass comprising raw horse meat and bone, to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product, said method comprising a raw meat production chain, said raw meat production chain comprising:
i) a deboning stage wherein raw horse meat of a fresh dressed horse carcass is separated (i.e. cut) from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member , said fresh dressed horse carcass having been obtained directly from a slaughter stage, said slaughter stage comprising subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body (i.e. corpse) for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain said fresh dressed horse carcass, ii) a vacuum sealing stage wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product);
It is to be understood herein that the expression "predetermined slaughter death trigger event" refers to any event(s), whatsoever, that cause(s) or bring(s) about the death (of a horse) for slaughtering purposes, i.e. this expression refers to any event, whatsoever, which induces essentially instantaneous death for slaughtering purposes or which initiates the death process leading to death for slaughtering purposes. The expression "slaughter death trigger event" includes the above mentioned stun/bleed kill event; in other words the stunning followed by the throat cutting together constitute a slaughter death trigger (or inducing) event.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention a horse carcass treatment method is provided which as mentioned above comprises a raw meat production chain. As shall be discussed below, in accordance with the present invention, a predetermined slaughter death trigger event may be used as the start point for various time periods for the stages of the raw meat production chain.
The raw meat production chain of the present invention includes a four hour deboning stage time limit. For the purposes of the present invention, the deboning stage is to (at least) be initiated during the four hour time period immediately following the predetermined slaughter death trigger event (e.g. the deboning stage may be initiated at any appropriate or desired time prior to the end of the above mentioned four hour time limit). More particularly, the deboning stage may carried out (i.e. initiated and terminated or finished) at any time during (i.e. up to) the four hour time period limit immediately following the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. The upper time limit for deboning may, as desired, be lowered; the upper time limit for deboning may for example be set at from 1 to 3 hours after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
As may be appreciated the (upper) deboning stage time limit is calculated from (i.e. based on) the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
In other words, the predetermined slaughter death trigger event starts or initiates the deboning stage time limit (or period) of four hours (or less). As shall be mentioned below, the predetermined slaughter death trigger event may similarly also be used herein as the starting point for the time limits for other stages (e.g. slaughter stage, splitting stage, vacuum sealing stage, etc.). The actual duration of each (other) stage may, as desired or necessary, fall within the upper time limits specified herein by way of example; i.e. terminate at or before the specified time limits as the case may be.
The deboning stage time limit may terminate (well) before, just prior to or just after the onset of rigor mortis. Thus, for example, the deboning stage may be carried out (i.e.
terminated) within a time period of three hours (i.e. three hours or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. The deboning stage may, as desired, alternatively comprise a shorter time period; e.g. the deboning stage may be carried out within a time period of 2.5 hours (e.g. 2 hours or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event; the deboning stage may, in particular, be carried out within a time period of 60 to 90 minutes (i.e. 90 minutes or less; 60 minutes or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event; etc..
The separation of meat from bone (i.e. by cutting) may be initiated at any desired or necessary point in time during the above mentioned deboning time period (or sub-time periods), keeping in mind of course, the time allotment (necessary) for previous stages such as the slaughter stage and if desired the splitting stage. The actual time it may take for completing the cutting of meat from bone of a carcass (or part thereof) and placement of the separated meat into a vacuum sealable packaging member may for example depend on the size of the carcass (or part thereof) being deboned. The deboning stage may for example be carried out (i.e. terminated) within a time period (from the start of cutting to the finish of cutting) of from 30 or 60 minutes or less (e.g. of 30 minutes or less for a carcass quarter).
For the purposes of the present, a vacuum sealable packaging member may take any (suitable) form keeping in mind the purposes thereof. Thus, any suitable (known) packaging member (e.g. a foldable packing sheet, a flexible bag, etc.) may be used which may be vacuum sealable in any suitable (known) fashion). A packaging member may for example be in the form of a bag which is a flexible container with a single (vacuum) sealable opening; the packaging member may take any other form keeping in mind the purpose thereof, i.e. to vacuum seal raw horse meat.
In accordance with the present invention the separated horse meat of the deboning stage may be directly placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member without hand contact after being manually separated from said bone (also) without hand contact; to favor non-contamination of the meat with bacteria, etc. .
Thus, in particular the present invention relates to a method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass, said fresh dressed horse carcass comprising raw horse meat and bone, to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product, said method comprising a raw meat production chain, said raw meat production chain comprising:
i) a deboning stage wherein raw horse meat of a fresh dressed horse carcass is separated (i.e. cut) from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member , said fresh dressed horse carcass having been obtained directly from a slaughter stage, said slaughter stage comprising subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body (i.e. corpse) for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain said fresh dressed horse carcass, ii) a vacuum sealing stage wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product);
and iii) a chilling stage wherein the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product) obtained from said vacuum sealing stage is adjusted (i.e. lowered) so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product) wherein the raw horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4 C or lower and wherein said deboning stage is initiated (e.g. be carried out) within a time period of 4 hours (i.e. four hours or less) after said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
A method of the present invention may, as desired or necessary, be applied to a carcass part, rather than to an entire fresh dressed carcass (i.e. to facilitate the deboning stage).
The present invention is thus further related to a method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass, said fresh dressed horse carcass comprising raw horse meat and bone, to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product, said method comprising a raw meat production chain, said raw meat production chain comprising:
i) a splitting stage wherein a fresh dressed horse carcass is split into carcass parts, said fresh dressed horse carcass having been obtained directly from a slaughter stage, said slaughter stage comprising subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body (i.e. corpse) for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body, said dressing of said horse body to obtain said fresh dressed horse carcass ii) a deboning stage wherein raw horse meat of at least one of said carcass parts is separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, iii) a vacuum sealing stage wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product);
and iv) a chilling stage wherein the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product) obtained from the vacuum sealing stage is adjusted so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product) wherein the horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4 C or lower and wherein said deboning stage is initiated (e.g. be carried out) within a time period of 4 hours (i.e. four hours or less) after said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
In accordance with the present invention, the horse meat for the deboning stage may have a core temperature of not lower than 7 C. Similarly, the horse meat for a splitting and/or a vacuum sealing stage may have a core temperature of not lower than 7 C.
However, the raw horse meat core temperature for the stages (starting with the splitting stage and including the vacuum sealing stage) may in particular be at least 20 C (e.g.
a core temperature of at least 32 C such as a core temperature of at least 36 C
(e.g. a core temperature of from 36 C to 38 C). After the slaughter death event but prior to the chilling stage (i.e. during the following splitting, deboning and vacuum sealing stages), the horse meat may, for example, be maintained, during an appropriate time period (such as described herein) in an environment such that the horse meat core temperature does not fall, for example, below 7 C to 20 C or below a higher temperature (mentioned herein). Thus, for example, for being subjected to the chilling stage, the raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product obtained from the vacuum sealing stage may have a core temperature of 7 C or higher ( e.g. a (residual) core temperature of 20 C or higher).
The horse meat, during the above mentioned stages which are subsequent to the slaughter stage (i.e. the splitting stage, the deboning stage and the vacuum sealing stage), may (e.g.
in particular should) be warm due to the (natural) residual body heat present after the slaughter death trigger event. During processing, the core temperature of the raw horse meat may, of course, fall due to heat loss to (cooler) ambient air. For example, the (three) processing stages may be effected or carried out at appropriate environmental temperatures and over appropriate time periods such that the (core) temperature of the raw horse meat during each of the processing stages may be due to the above mentioned residual heat (e.g. the temperature of the horse meat (whether on the bone or not) reflects the residual heat and not the ambient or environment temperature). Thus the (warm) raw horse meat as it passes through each of the above (three) processing stages, for example, may have a (residual) core temperature of at least 20 C, (e.g. a residual core temperature of at least 32 C such as a residual core temperature of from 36 C to 38 C).
In any event, it is to be understood herein that a reference to "residual core temperature"
is a reference to a temperature (as mentioned above) due to the (natural) residual body heat present after the slaughter death trigger event, i.e. no artificial heat is input to the raw horse meat although there may be cooling thereof due to heat loss to the ambient air, the ambient air having a lower temperature than the raw horse meat itself.
However, it is to be noted that if a horse is agitated during the slaughter stage, the horse meat initial core temperature prior to the splitting stage may be 42 C.
The present invention also provides a method wherein for the splitting stage a fresh dressed horse carcass may be split into carcass quarter parts (i.e. four parts) comprising two fore carcass parts and two hind carcass parts, and wherein for said deboning stage raw horse meat of at least one of said carcass quarter parts may be separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member In accordance with the present invention, the split into parts (e.g. quarter parts) may be carried out in one or more splitting areas, each area having an appropriate or desired ambient temperature keeping in mind the purposes herein; the ambient temperature for splitting purposes may, for example, generally range from 4 C to 25 C. As mentioned a horse carcass may be split into four parts; such quartering may occur using two separate splitting areas. Thus, for an initial vertebral cutting of the horse carcass into two (longitudinal) side parts in a first splitting area, the ambient (or environmental) temperature for splitting purposes, may, for example, be in the range of from 16 C to 24 C (e.g. an ambient temperature of for example form 16 C to 20 C; e.g. from 20 C to 24 C). On the other hand, a subsequent splitting area for transversely cutting each of the side parts in half transversely to the vertebral column, (i.e. to obtain four quarter parts) may have an ambient temperature in the range of from 3 C to 8 C (e.g.
an ambient temperature of for example form 4 C to 6 C).
The split into (e.g. quarter parts) may be carried out (i.e. occur) within any appropriate or desired time duration, after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event, keeping in mind the purposes herein. The split into parts may for example be carried out within a time period of three hours or less after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event e.g. within a time period of two hours or less (e.g. 1 hour) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. The actual time for splitting may take for example 25 to 30 to complete.
Turning to the vacuum sealing stage, a vacuum sealable packaging member containing (separated) raw horse meat may be vacuum sealed within a time period of four hours (e.g.
one hour or less) after the separated raw horse meat is placed in a vacuum sealable packaging member. The upper time limit for vacuum sealing may, as desired, also be lowered; the upper time limit for vacuum sealing may for example be set at from 3 hours (or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. Again, although there may be an upper time limit for vacuum sealing, the vacuum sealing may as desired terminate prior to or at the end of the set upper time limit for vacuum sealing. The actual time for vacuum sealing may, for example, take fifteen minutes or less.
In accordance with another particular aspect of the present invention, a vacuum sealing stage may be carried out prior to the onset of rigor mortis after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event (e.g. within a time period of three hours (i.e.
three hours or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. In other words, a vacuum sealing stage may, for example, be carried out within a time period of three hours (i.e.
three hours or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event (i.e. a period of not more than 3 hours, etc.).
In accordance with the present invention the vacuum sealing stage may, in particular, be carried out (i.e. terminated) within a time period of two and one half (2.5) hours, (e.g. a time period of 90 minutes or less, etc.) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event (i.e. a time period of not more than 2 hours; a time period of not more than 90 minutes; etc. after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event).
In accordance with the present invention a deboning stage may be carried out and a vacuum stage for vacuum sealing the separated horse meat may be carried out, for example, within a time period of five (e.g. three ) hours (i.e. up five (e.g.
three) hours or less) from the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. In accordance with the present invention the deboning stage and the vacuum sealing stage may, for example, both carried out within a time period of three hours (i.e. three hours or less, e.g. 2.5 hours or less; e.g. 90 minutes or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
The splitting stage may also be carried out within such time period(s).
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention a method is provided comprising a raw meat production chain which comprises a kill/cut component which may consist of a) a slaughter stage, b) a splitting stage, and c) a deboning stage.
The slaughter stage may comprise subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body (corpse) for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body; the dressing of the horse body may, as mentioned above, comprise skinning, beheading, limp trimming and evisceration of the horse body to obtain a fresh dressed horse carcass (beheading, as well as limp trimming being optional).
Accordingly, the present invention in another particular further aspect provides a method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass, said fresh dressed horse carcass comprising raw horse meat and bone, to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product, said method comprising a raw meat production chain, said raw meat production chain comprising:
i) a kill/cut component;
ii) a vacuum sealing stage; and iii) a cooling (or chilling) stage wherein said kill/cut component consists of a) a slaughter stage, b) a splitting stage, and c) a deboning stage wherein said slaughter stage comprises subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain a fresh dressed horse carcass wherein said splitting stage comprises splitting said fresh dressed horse carcass into quarter (e.g. four) parts comprising two fore parts and two hind parts, wherein said deboning stage comprises, for at least one of said quarter parts, the separation of raw horse meat from bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, wherein said vacuum sealing stage comprises vacuum sealing the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat (i.e. muscle tissue) to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product), wherein said cooling (or chilling) stage comprises adjusting (or lowering) the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e.
product) obtained from said vacuum sealing stage so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product) wherein the horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4 C or lower and wherein said deboning stage is initiated (e.g. carried out) within a time period of four (4) hours (i.e. of not more than 4 hours) from said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
In accordance with the above particular further aspect the method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass may, for example, be carried out such that - the split into quarter parts may, for example, occur before (i.e. prior to) the onset of rigor mortis after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event;
- the separation of raw horse meat from bone may, for example, be carried out while raw horse meat of the at least one quarter part has a core temperature of not lower than 7 C (e.g. a core temperature of 7 C or higher); and - the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product may, for example, comprise vacuum sealed raw horse meat having a core temperature of not lower than 7 C (e.g. a core temperature of 7 C or higher).
In accordance with an expeditious embodiment of the method of the present invention the method may be practiced such that the vacuum sealing stage may be carried out within a time period of (i.e. of not more than) 90 minutes after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. In accordance with the present invention a method is provided wherein the time elapsed between the end of the splitting stage and the end of the deboning stage and between the end of the deboning stage and the end of the vacuum sealing stage may each be a time period of about 30 to 40 minutes (e.g. of 25 to 35 minutes);
i.e. to favor an expeditious production of the sealed meat product for subsequent chilling.
Thus in accordance with the present invention a method is provided wherein the splitting stage may be carried out within a time period of 30 minutes (i.e. of 25 to 35 minutes) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event; wherein the deboning stage may be carried out within a time period of 60 minutes (i.e. of 55 to 65 minutes) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event and wherein the vacuum sealing stage may be carried out within a time period of 90 minutes (i.e. of 85 to 95 minutes) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
In accordance with the present invention the separation of raw horse meat from bone may carried out while the raw horse meat may have a core temperature of from 7 C
to 32 C-38 C (e.g. a residual core temperature of at least 20 C; e.g. of from 20 C
to 32 C - 38 C; of from 30 C to 32 C - 38 C, etc.). The separation of raw horse meat from bone may be carried out while the meat (of a quarter part) has a residual core temperature of at least 36 C. The separation of raw horse meat from bone may be carried out in a boning area the ambient (or environmental) temperature of which is in the range of from 1 C to 15 C centigrade (e.g. 4 C to 15 C, e.g. 4 C to 5 C, etc. ). The (completely) separated raw horse meat may be placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member within a time period of 15 minutes or less (e.g. 15 minutes e.g. within 5 to 10 minutes) after (complete) meat separation. The separated raw horse meat may in particular be placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member directly (i.e. essentially immediately, e.g.
within 5 minutes, e.g. within 2 minutes) after (complete) meat separation.
Advantageously the raw horse meat, during the deboning stage, may be separated from bone and placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member without direct hand manipulation, i.e. to preclude or inhibit hand contamination of the meat (e.g.
by hand borne microbes). For example, raw horse meat may be separated from bone by supporting a carcass (part) by means of an overhead (known) rail support system. A
predetermined meat portion may be manually supported by a cutting person during the cutting process using a sterilized hook instrument. While so supported raw horse meat may be cut from the bone with a cutting instrument (also for example previously sterilized). Once completely cut away and supported by the sterilized hook instrument the separated raw horse meat may be directed (without hand touching) to fall directly into a vacuum sealable packaging member such as a bag through the opening thereof.
This may, for example, take the cooperation of a two man cutting team, namely, one man cutting while the other man catches the separated raw horse meat directly into the vacuum sealable bag without direct hand touching of the meat. Alternatively the raw horse meat may be directed to fall from the hook instrument first onto a sterile support (e.g. suitable sheet material) from which the raw horse meat may then be manipulated without hand contact into the form of a vacuum sealable packaging member for subsequent vacuum sealing.
Vacuum sealing of the raw horse meat may be carried out in any suitable fashion as shall be set forth in more detail below. The time after vacuum sealing to the start of chilling may be (essentially) immediate or the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product may be held over a desired or suitable time period keeping in mind however the purposes herein, namely to produce a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product.
In accordance with the present invention the chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product may be obtained within a time period for example of 72 hours or less (e.g.
within a time period of 24 to 48 hours or less) after vacuum sealing of the raw horse meat is completed. The upper time limit for chilling may, as desired, also be lowered; the upper time limit may for example be set based on the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. Again, although there may be an upper time limit for chilling, the chilling may, as desired, terminate prior to or at the end of the set upper time limit for chilling.
More particularly, chilling may be carried out or effected within a time period of 72 hours (e.g. 24 to 48 hours or less) from the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
Depending on the desired or necessary rate of cooling it may, for example, take 24 hours (after vacuum sealing) for the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat to be adjusted so as to obtain chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product of appropriate temperature. The actual time for chilling vacuum sealing may, for example, take less than 24 hours (e.g. depending on cooling air temperature and rate of cooling air displacement over the meat product).
The raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed (warm) raw horse meat product may be chilled to a core temperature of 4 C or less, in any (suitable) known fashion, to obtain the desired temperature for the raw horse meat of the chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product.
Chilling may be carried out for example by exposing the vacuum sealed (warm) raw horse meat product to (blowing) cold air at a temperature of about -2 C to about 1 C for a period of about 24 hours or less after the said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
In any event, it is to be kept in mind that a shorter time period for the chilling stage (i.e.
in relation to the predetermined slaughter death trigger event) is to be preferred over a longer time period for chilling; e.g. a total chilling time of less than 12 hours (e.g. 6 to 10 hours) is to be preferred over a total chilling time of 48 hours or more. A
short chill time normally favors the preservation of the desired color, texture etc. of the raw horse meat.
Due to the nature of the packaging the chilled product temperature may be (somewhat) lower than 0 C (e.g. -1 C) and the product may still be in an unfrozen state. Keeping the above in mind, the raw horse meat of the chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product may, for example, have a core temperature of 2 C or less; e.g.
of from 0 C to 4 C ; e.g. of from 0.25 C to 4 C.
Also in accordance with a particular aspect of the present invention a method is provided wherein the split into quarter parts may be carried out in two sequential splitting areas.
The horse carcass may be first split into two (longitudinal) side parts in an area wherein the ambient (or environmental) temperature for splitting purposes, may, for example, may be in the range of from 16 C to 24 C. Thereafter, in a subsequent splitting area, each longitudinal side part may be cut in half transversely to the vertebral column, (i.e. to obtain four quarter parts). The subsequent splitting area may have an ambient temperature in the range of from 3 C to 8 C (e.g. an ambient temperature of for example form 4 C to 6 C). In accordance with this aspect a method is provided wherein said separation of raw horse meat from bone may be carried out in a boning area the ambient (or environmental) temperature of which may be in the range of from 1 C to 15 C centigrade (e.g. 4 C to 15 C; e.g. 4 C to 5 C, etc ). The separate draw horse meat may be placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member directly (i.e.
essentially immediately, e.g. within 5 minutes or less, e.g. within 2 minutes) after (complete) meat separation. The vacuum sealing of the raw horse meat pursuant to the vacuum sealing stage may be carried out in a vacuum sealing area the ambient (or environmental) temperature of which is in the range of from 1 C to 15 C centigrade (e.g. 4 C to 15 C, e.g. 4 C to 5 C, etc.). The vacuum sealing stage may be carried out within a time period of about 90 minutes or less (e.g. 95 minutes or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. The temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product obtained from the vacuum sealing stage may be adjusted over a time period of not more than 24 hours (e.g. not more than 12 hours) after vacuum sealing of the horse meat so as to obtain said chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product.
The obtained cooled vacuum packed raw horse meat may be maintained at a (core) temperature of about 4 C or less during subsequent storage and while being shipped to the consumer country (e.g. to Japan) and the time of purchase by the (Japanese) consumer.
For the purposes herein, any core temperature measurement may be used for the various stages, provided that whatever measurement(s) is used, the aim is to have raw horse meat in the chilled vacuum sealed packaging member which may have an unfrozen core temperature of 4 C or lower. Keeping the above in mind, core temperature may, for example, be measured as follows for various stages:
- core temperature for a splitting stage may be obtained from meat in the hip bone area - core temperature for a deboning stage may be from sirloin or inside meat;
- core temperature for vacuum sealed packaged raw horse meat (prior to chilling) may be from the packaged raw horse meat; etc..
The core temperature may, for example, be obtained with any suitable (i.e.
known) needle like thermometer (e.g. having a probe length of 8 to 10 cm).
Fig. I illustrates in schematic box diagram format, an example method of the present invention.
The following is an example embodiment of a raw meat production chain of the method of the present invention. For example the vacuum sealable packaging member is a vacuum sealable bag. The various stages are conducted over a time period such that the (residual) core temperature of the separated horse meat in the vacuum sealable bag prior to vacuum sealing is at least 33 C (e.g. from 33 to 37 C). The carcass sides or quarters are supported by sterilized hook members from an overhead rail system. The carcass or parts thereof are never touched directly by a human hand (gloved or not);
contact is limited to indirect contact through hook instruments, cutting instruments, etc. which are appropriately sterilized before contact. The ambient temperature of the meat processing area may be controlled in any (suitable) known manner.
Slaughter stage A live horse (body temperature of about 39 C) is subjected to a slaughter stage. The slaughter stage may comprise the exploitation of any suitable (known) slaughter death trigger event (see above) to obtain a horse body (i.e. corpse) for dressing.
The slaughter death trigger event may be carried out at an ambient temperature of from 18 to 27 C
such as from 22 to 27 C; e.g. from 18 to 24 C (e.g. 22 C). For the slaughter death trigger event, the horse may be stunned in any suitable fashion; the stunned horse may be hung upside down from a shackle by one hind leg; and the horse may have its throat cut to initiate the bleeding out of the horse (e.g. as soon as possible) to precipitate a relatively quick death due to blood loss.
Depending, of course, on the size of the horse, the time from initial stunning to the beginning of dressing (as described below) may for example take about 17 to 20 minutes or more (e.g. for a 400 to 600 kg horse).
After the horse is bled out, the suspended horse body (i.e. corpse) is then dressed also at an ambient temperature of from 16 to 27 C. During dressing, the hide (i.e.
skin) is removed (e.g. at ambient temperature of 18 to 24 C). The time for hide removal may for example take about 7 to 8 minutes. Optionally if desired the head is removed;
optionally, if desired (distal end) parts (hoofs) of the limps may also be removed.
Preferably, however, the head and limp parts such as hoofs are removed as part of the dressing process. The skinned (i.e. headless and limp trimmed) horse body is eviscerated (i.e. gutted to remove heart, liver, intestines, etc.) for example at an ambient temperature of 16 to 20 C. The gutting may take for example from 3 to 4 minutes or more.
Dressing of the obtained horse body (i.e. corpse) may comprise the exploitation of any suitable (known) dressing technique(s) so as to obtain a fresh dressed horse carcass. The obtained fresh dressed horse carcass is then sent on to the splitting stage.
Splitting stage The splitting stage may comprise two sub-steps. The splitting actions may be accomplished using any suitable (known) carcass splitting devices and or techniques.
The split into quarter parts may occur within a period of about one hour or less (e.g. 1 hour, e.g. 30 minutes) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
The splitting is nevertheless accomplished such that the carcass quarters parts entering the deboning stage still have a (residual) core temperature of at least 20 C, e.g. a residual core temperature of from 37 C to 38 C.
The first splitting sub-step may occur in a first splitting area wherein the fresh dressed carcass is first split lengthwise along the vertebral (i.e. spinal) column into two side parts which are held up by respective hook members from an overhead rail. The splitting into side parts may be done with a Javis brand chain saw. The splitting into two side parts may for example take from 6 to 8 minutes. The first splitting sub-step may also be carried out at an ambient temperature of from 16 C to 27 C (e.g. 16 C to 20 C). The obtained side parts may then be showered (e.g. over a period of about 8 to 9 minutes) with cold clean water at a temperature of about from 10 C to 12 C (e.g.
about 11 C);
the cold wash water may also be chlorinated (e.g. 1.25 to 1.5 ppm chlorine) .
The two side parts hanging from an overhead rail by respective hook members may then be sent on to a further splitting area for the second splitting sub-step, the side parts having a residual core temperature of from 37 C to 38 C.
In the further separate "clean" splitting area the side parts may be allowed to drip free of liquid (e.g. drip free of wash water). The further splitting area may have an ambient temperature of about 4 to 6 C. The side parts are then each split transversely to the vertebral (i.e. spinal) column of the horse carcass at about the seventh or eighth rib (e.g.
between the seventh and eighth rib) to obtain respective fore and hind parts (e.g. the transverse split may disposed to occur to obtain essentially a pair of equal fore quarter portions and a pair of essentially equal hind quarter portions). The splitting into such quarter parts may for example include the removal of excess fat etc. and with the removal of such fat take, for example, from 20 to 22 minutes. The quarter parts are suspended by (suitable) support members from an overhead rail and are sent on to the deboning stage.
The parts hanging from an overhead rail (i.e. by hook members) may have a residual core temperature of from 37 C to 38 C.
Deboninp, stape The deboning may be carried out in an ambient temperature of from 0 C to 10 C (e.g.
3 C to 5 C) such as from 4 C to 5 C. The carcass part(s) as mentioned is/are held up during cutting by (suitable) support members which may in turn be supported (in any known fashion) by the overhead rail. The cutting is performed by a cutter person who cuts a meat portion (away) with one hand using a cutting instrument while hooking the desired (separating) raw horse meat portion with a hook instrument with the other hand.
The cutting of the warm raw horse meat (e.g. core temperature of 37 C to 38 C) from the bone is accomplished with sterilized cutter and hook instruments. The separated raw horse meat supported by a sterile hook instrument is directed to fall free from the hook instrument directly into a sterile vacuum sealable packaging member (e.g.
bag). The vacuum sealable bag is supported by a second person during the transfer of the raw horse meat to the vacuum sealable bag. The transfer from the hook instrument into the vacuum sealable bag is accomplished without manipulating the horse meat into the packaging member by (direct) hand contact; i.e. there is neither direct hand contact nor any contact with a cutting board, belt conveyor, pail, etc. The vacuum sealable bags are gas-impermeable. The vacuum sealable bags may be obtained from the Cryovac Food Packaging division of Sealed Air Corporation USA; namely, type B2370 or B2470.
The horse meat may, for example, be separated from the bone of a single quarter part in from about 15 to 30 minutes or more.
Sterilization of elements such as the support hook members, cutting elements, etc. may be carried out in any effective way e.g. by contacting any support rail hook member, cutting and hook instruments, etc. with water at high temperature (e.g. 85 C or higher).
Vacuum sealing stage The warm separated raw horse meat (e.g. core temperature of 33 C to 35 C) in the vacuum sealable packaging member may be vacuum packaged (i.e. vacuum sealed) using any suitable (known) packaging technique. Vacuum packaging or sealing comprises evacuating all of the air before sealing the packaging member. Vacuum packing gives rise to a product with a desirable chilled shelf life as compared to a product exposed to air. As mentioned the vacuum sealable packaging member (e.g. bag) may be obtained from Sealed Air Corporation USA. Vacuum sealing may be carried out with a known machine such as manufactured by Furukawa MFG. Co, Ltd. Japan under brand name Old Rivers - model no. LR 3992.
In accordance with the present invention the vacuum sealing stage may, for example, be carried out within a time period of about 90 minutes or so after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. In accordance with the present invention the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat (i.e. muscle tissue) may be vacuum sealed within one hour or less after the raw horse meat is placed in said vacuum sealable packaging member (e.g. within a time period of 15 minutes or less (e.g. 15 minutes e.g. within 5 to 10 minutes) after the raw horse meat is placed in said vacuum sealable packaging member.
In accordance with the present invention a vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat (i.e. muscle tissue) may be directly vacuum sealed (i.e.
essentially immediately, e.g. within 5 minutes or less, e.g. within 2 minutes) after the meat has been (directly) placed in a vacuum sealable packaging member . A
short time (as possible) for vacuum sealing after the raw horse meat is in the vacuum sealable packaging member, is to be privileged in order to attenuate oxidization.
In accordance with the present invention the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat (i.e. muscle tissue) may be vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat product comprising vacuum sealed raw horse meat which may have a core temperature of from 7 C to 32 C-38 C (e.g. of from 20 C to 32 C; e.g. of from 30 C to 32 C - 38 C; e.g. of at least 30 C such as from 30 C to 38 C).
In accordance with the present invention the vacuum sealing of the raw horse meat pursuant to the vacuum sealing stage may be carried out in a vacuum sealing area the ambient (or environmental) temperature of which is in the range of from 1 C
to 15 C
centigrade (e.g. 4 C to 15 C, e.g. 4 C to 6 C, etc.).
Chilling stage The vacuum sealed (warm) raw horse meat product may be air chilled over a period of 48 hours or less (e.g. 24 hours or less) to a core temperature of 4 C or less (in any known fashion) to obtain the desired chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product. Air chilling may be carried out for example by exposing the vacuum sealed (warm) raw horse meat product to (blowing) cold air at a temperature of about -2 C to about 1 C.
In accordance with the present invention the raw horse meat of the chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed (raw) horse meat product may, for example, have a core temperature of from of from -1 C to 4 C; of from 2 C or lower (e.g. 1 C or lower); e.g.
of from 0.25 C to 4 C; e.g. 2 C to 4 C; etc.. The unfrozen meat product may have a temperature below 0 C due to the composition of the liquids within the packaged horse meat product.
A method of the present invention may, as desired or necessary, be applied to a carcass part, rather than to an entire fresh dressed carcass (i.e. to facilitate the deboning stage).
The present invention is thus further related to a method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass, said fresh dressed horse carcass comprising raw horse meat and bone, to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product, said method comprising a raw meat production chain, said raw meat production chain comprising:
i) a splitting stage wherein a fresh dressed horse carcass is split into carcass parts, said fresh dressed horse carcass having been obtained directly from a slaughter stage, said slaughter stage comprising subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body (i.e. corpse) for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body, said dressing of said horse body to obtain said fresh dressed horse carcass ii) a deboning stage wherein raw horse meat of at least one of said carcass parts is separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, iii) a vacuum sealing stage wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product);
and iv) a chilling stage wherein the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product) obtained from the vacuum sealing stage is adjusted so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product) wherein the horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4 C or lower and wherein said deboning stage is initiated (e.g. be carried out) within a time period of 4 hours (i.e. four hours or less) after said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
In accordance with the present invention, the horse meat for the deboning stage may have a core temperature of not lower than 7 C. Similarly, the horse meat for a splitting and/or a vacuum sealing stage may have a core temperature of not lower than 7 C.
However, the raw horse meat core temperature for the stages (starting with the splitting stage and including the vacuum sealing stage) may in particular be at least 20 C (e.g.
a core temperature of at least 32 C such as a core temperature of at least 36 C
(e.g. a core temperature of from 36 C to 38 C). After the slaughter death event but prior to the chilling stage (i.e. during the following splitting, deboning and vacuum sealing stages), the horse meat may, for example, be maintained, during an appropriate time period (such as described herein) in an environment such that the horse meat core temperature does not fall, for example, below 7 C to 20 C or below a higher temperature (mentioned herein). Thus, for example, for being subjected to the chilling stage, the raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product obtained from the vacuum sealing stage may have a core temperature of 7 C or higher ( e.g. a (residual) core temperature of 20 C or higher).
The horse meat, during the above mentioned stages which are subsequent to the slaughter stage (i.e. the splitting stage, the deboning stage and the vacuum sealing stage), may (e.g.
in particular should) be warm due to the (natural) residual body heat present after the slaughter death trigger event. During processing, the core temperature of the raw horse meat may, of course, fall due to heat loss to (cooler) ambient air. For example, the (three) processing stages may be effected or carried out at appropriate environmental temperatures and over appropriate time periods such that the (core) temperature of the raw horse meat during each of the processing stages may be due to the above mentioned residual heat (e.g. the temperature of the horse meat (whether on the bone or not) reflects the residual heat and not the ambient or environment temperature). Thus the (warm) raw horse meat as it passes through each of the above (three) processing stages, for example, may have a (residual) core temperature of at least 20 C, (e.g. a residual core temperature of at least 32 C such as a residual core temperature of from 36 C to 38 C).
In any event, it is to be understood herein that a reference to "residual core temperature"
is a reference to a temperature (as mentioned above) due to the (natural) residual body heat present after the slaughter death trigger event, i.e. no artificial heat is input to the raw horse meat although there may be cooling thereof due to heat loss to the ambient air, the ambient air having a lower temperature than the raw horse meat itself.
However, it is to be noted that if a horse is agitated during the slaughter stage, the horse meat initial core temperature prior to the splitting stage may be 42 C.
The present invention also provides a method wherein for the splitting stage a fresh dressed horse carcass may be split into carcass quarter parts (i.e. four parts) comprising two fore carcass parts and two hind carcass parts, and wherein for said deboning stage raw horse meat of at least one of said carcass quarter parts may be separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member In accordance with the present invention, the split into parts (e.g. quarter parts) may be carried out in one or more splitting areas, each area having an appropriate or desired ambient temperature keeping in mind the purposes herein; the ambient temperature for splitting purposes may, for example, generally range from 4 C to 25 C. As mentioned a horse carcass may be split into four parts; such quartering may occur using two separate splitting areas. Thus, for an initial vertebral cutting of the horse carcass into two (longitudinal) side parts in a first splitting area, the ambient (or environmental) temperature for splitting purposes, may, for example, be in the range of from 16 C to 24 C (e.g. an ambient temperature of for example form 16 C to 20 C; e.g. from 20 C to 24 C). On the other hand, a subsequent splitting area for transversely cutting each of the side parts in half transversely to the vertebral column, (i.e. to obtain four quarter parts) may have an ambient temperature in the range of from 3 C to 8 C (e.g.
an ambient temperature of for example form 4 C to 6 C).
The split into (e.g. quarter parts) may be carried out (i.e. occur) within any appropriate or desired time duration, after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event, keeping in mind the purposes herein. The split into parts may for example be carried out within a time period of three hours or less after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event e.g. within a time period of two hours or less (e.g. 1 hour) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. The actual time for splitting may take for example 25 to 30 to complete.
Turning to the vacuum sealing stage, a vacuum sealable packaging member containing (separated) raw horse meat may be vacuum sealed within a time period of four hours (e.g.
one hour or less) after the separated raw horse meat is placed in a vacuum sealable packaging member. The upper time limit for vacuum sealing may, as desired, also be lowered; the upper time limit for vacuum sealing may for example be set at from 3 hours (or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. Again, although there may be an upper time limit for vacuum sealing, the vacuum sealing may as desired terminate prior to or at the end of the set upper time limit for vacuum sealing. The actual time for vacuum sealing may, for example, take fifteen minutes or less.
In accordance with another particular aspect of the present invention, a vacuum sealing stage may be carried out prior to the onset of rigor mortis after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event (e.g. within a time period of three hours (i.e.
three hours or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. In other words, a vacuum sealing stage may, for example, be carried out within a time period of three hours (i.e.
three hours or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event (i.e. a period of not more than 3 hours, etc.).
In accordance with the present invention the vacuum sealing stage may, in particular, be carried out (i.e. terminated) within a time period of two and one half (2.5) hours, (e.g. a time period of 90 minutes or less, etc.) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event (i.e. a time period of not more than 2 hours; a time period of not more than 90 minutes; etc. after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event).
In accordance with the present invention a deboning stage may be carried out and a vacuum stage for vacuum sealing the separated horse meat may be carried out, for example, within a time period of five (e.g. three ) hours (i.e. up five (e.g.
three) hours or less) from the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. In accordance with the present invention the deboning stage and the vacuum sealing stage may, for example, both carried out within a time period of three hours (i.e. three hours or less, e.g. 2.5 hours or less; e.g. 90 minutes or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
The splitting stage may also be carried out within such time period(s).
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention a method is provided comprising a raw meat production chain which comprises a kill/cut component which may consist of a) a slaughter stage, b) a splitting stage, and c) a deboning stage.
The slaughter stage may comprise subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body (corpse) for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body; the dressing of the horse body may, as mentioned above, comprise skinning, beheading, limp trimming and evisceration of the horse body to obtain a fresh dressed horse carcass (beheading, as well as limp trimming being optional).
Accordingly, the present invention in another particular further aspect provides a method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass, said fresh dressed horse carcass comprising raw horse meat and bone, to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product, said method comprising a raw meat production chain, said raw meat production chain comprising:
i) a kill/cut component;
ii) a vacuum sealing stage; and iii) a cooling (or chilling) stage wherein said kill/cut component consists of a) a slaughter stage, b) a splitting stage, and c) a deboning stage wherein said slaughter stage comprises subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain a fresh dressed horse carcass wherein said splitting stage comprises splitting said fresh dressed horse carcass into quarter (e.g. four) parts comprising two fore parts and two hind parts, wherein said deboning stage comprises, for at least one of said quarter parts, the separation of raw horse meat from bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, wherein said vacuum sealing stage comprises vacuum sealing the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat (i.e. muscle tissue) to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product), wherein said cooling (or chilling) stage comprises adjusting (or lowering) the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e.
product) obtained from said vacuum sealing stage so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat package (i.e. product) wherein the horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4 C or lower and wherein said deboning stage is initiated (e.g. carried out) within a time period of four (4) hours (i.e. of not more than 4 hours) from said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
In accordance with the above particular further aspect the method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass may, for example, be carried out such that - the split into quarter parts may, for example, occur before (i.e. prior to) the onset of rigor mortis after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event;
- the separation of raw horse meat from bone may, for example, be carried out while raw horse meat of the at least one quarter part has a core temperature of not lower than 7 C (e.g. a core temperature of 7 C or higher); and - the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product may, for example, comprise vacuum sealed raw horse meat having a core temperature of not lower than 7 C (e.g. a core temperature of 7 C or higher).
In accordance with an expeditious embodiment of the method of the present invention the method may be practiced such that the vacuum sealing stage may be carried out within a time period of (i.e. of not more than) 90 minutes after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. In accordance with the present invention a method is provided wherein the time elapsed between the end of the splitting stage and the end of the deboning stage and between the end of the deboning stage and the end of the vacuum sealing stage may each be a time period of about 30 to 40 minutes (e.g. of 25 to 35 minutes);
i.e. to favor an expeditious production of the sealed meat product for subsequent chilling.
Thus in accordance with the present invention a method is provided wherein the splitting stage may be carried out within a time period of 30 minutes (i.e. of 25 to 35 minutes) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event; wherein the deboning stage may be carried out within a time period of 60 minutes (i.e. of 55 to 65 minutes) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event and wherein the vacuum sealing stage may be carried out within a time period of 90 minutes (i.e. of 85 to 95 minutes) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
In accordance with the present invention the separation of raw horse meat from bone may carried out while the raw horse meat may have a core temperature of from 7 C
to 32 C-38 C (e.g. a residual core temperature of at least 20 C; e.g. of from 20 C
to 32 C - 38 C; of from 30 C to 32 C - 38 C, etc.). The separation of raw horse meat from bone may be carried out while the meat (of a quarter part) has a residual core temperature of at least 36 C. The separation of raw horse meat from bone may be carried out in a boning area the ambient (or environmental) temperature of which is in the range of from 1 C to 15 C centigrade (e.g. 4 C to 15 C, e.g. 4 C to 5 C, etc. ). The (completely) separated raw horse meat may be placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member within a time period of 15 minutes or less (e.g. 15 minutes e.g. within 5 to 10 minutes) after (complete) meat separation. The separated raw horse meat may in particular be placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member directly (i.e. essentially immediately, e.g.
within 5 minutes, e.g. within 2 minutes) after (complete) meat separation.
Advantageously the raw horse meat, during the deboning stage, may be separated from bone and placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member without direct hand manipulation, i.e. to preclude or inhibit hand contamination of the meat (e.g.
by hand borne microbes). For example, raw horse meat may be separated from bone by supporting a carcass (part) by means of an overhead (known) rail support system. A
predetermined meat portion may be manually supported by a cutting person during the cutting process using a sterilized hook instrument. While so supported raw horse meat may be cut from the bone with a cutting instrument (also for example previously sterilized). Once completely cut away and supported by the sterilized hook instrument the separated raw horse meat may be directed (without hand touching) to fall directly into a vacuum sealable packaging member such as a bag through the opening thereof.
This may, for example, take the cooperation of a two man cutting team, namely, one man cutting while the other man catches the separated raw horse meat directly into the vacuum sealable bag without direct hand touching of the meat. Alternatively the raw horse meat may be directed to fall from the hook instrument first onto a sterile support (e.g. suitable sheet material) from which the raw horse meat may then be manipulated without hand contact into the form of a vacuum sealable packaging member for subsequent vacuum sealing.
Vacuum sealing of the raw horse meat may be carried out in any suitable fashion as shall be set forth in more detail below. The time after vacuum sealing to the start of chilling may be (essentially) immediate or the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product may be held over a desired or suitable time period keeping in mind however the purposes herein, namely to produce a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product.
In accordance with the present invention the chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product may be obtained within a time period for example of 72 hours or less (e.g.
within a time period of 24 to 48 hours or less) after vacuum sealing of the raw horse meat is completed. The upper time limit for chilling may, as desired, also be lowered; the upper time limit may for example be set based on the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. Again, although there may be an upper time limit for chilling, the chilling may, as desired, terminate prior to or at the end of the set upper time limit for chilling.
More particularly, chilling may be carried out or effected within a time period of 72 hours (e.g. 24 to 48 hours or less) from the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
Depending on the desired or necessary rate of cooling it may, for example, take 24 hours (after vacuum sealing) for the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat to be adjusted so as to obtain chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product of appropriate temperature. The actual time for chilling vacuum sealing may, for example, take less than 24 hours (e.g. depending on cooling air temperature and rate of cooling air displacement over the meat product).
The raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed (warm) raw horse meat product may be chilled to a core temperature of 4 C or less, in any (suitable) known fashion, to obtain the desired temperature for the raw horse meat of the chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product.
Chilling may be carried out for example by exposing the vacuum sealed (warm) raw horse meat product to (blowing) cold air at a temperature of about -2 C to about 1 C for a period of about 24 hours or less after the said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
In any event, it is to be kept in mind that a shorter time period for the chilling stage (i.e.
in relation to the predetermined slaughter death trigger event) is to be preferred over a longer time period for chilling; e.g. a total chilling time of less than 12 hours (e.g. 6 to 10 hours) is to be preferred over a total chilling time of 48 hours or more. A
short chill time normally favors the preservation of the desired color, texture etc. of the raw horse meat.
Due to the nature of the packaging the chilled product temperature may be (somewhat) lower than 0 C (e.g. -1 C) and the product may still be in an unfrozen state. Keeping the above in mind, the raw horse meat of the chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product may, for example, have a core temperature of 2 C or less; e.g.
of from 0 C to 4 C ; e.g. of from 0.25 C to 4 C.
Also in accordance with a particular aspect of the present invention a method is provided wherein the split into quarter parts may be carried out in two sequential splitting areas.
The horse carcass may be first split into two (longitudinal) side parts in an area wherein the ambient (or environmental) temperature for splitting purposes, may, for example, may be in the range of from 16 C to 24 C. Thereafter, in a subsequent splitting area, each longitudinal side part may be cut in half transversely to the vertebral column, (i.e. to obtain four quarter parts). The subsequent splitting area may have an ambient temperature in the range of from 3 C to 8 C (e.g. an ambient temperature of for example form 4 C to 6 C). In accordance with this aspect a method is provided wherein said separation of raw horse meat from bone may be carried out in a boning area the ambient (or environmental) temperature of which may be in the range of from 1 C to 15 C centigrade (e.g. 4 C to 15 C; e.g. 4 C to 5 C, etc ). The separate draw horse meat may be placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member directly (i.e.
essentially immediately, e.g. within 5 minutes or less, e.g. within 2 minutes) after (complete) meat separation. The vacuum sealing of the raw horse meat pursuant to the vacuum sealing stage may be carried out in a vacuum sealing area the ambient (or environmental) temperature of which is in the range of from 1 C to 15 C centigrade (e.g. 4 C to 15 C, e.g. 4 C to 5 C, etc.). The vacuum sealing stage may be carried out within a time period of about 90 minutes or less (e.g. 95 minutes or less) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. The temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product obtained from the vacuum sealing stage may be adjusted over a time period of not more than 24 hours (e.g. not more than 12 hours) after vacuum sealing of the horse meat so as to obtain said chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product.
The obtained cooled vacuum packed raw horse meat may be maintained at a (core) temperature of about 4 C or less during subsequent storage and while being shipped to the consumer country (e.g. to Japan) and the time of purchase by the (Japanese) consumer.
For the purposes herein, any core temperature measurement may be used for the various stages, provided that whatever measurement(s) is used, the aim is to have raw horse meat in the chilled vacuum sealed packaging member which may have an unfrozen core temperature of 4 C or lower. Keeping the above in mind, core temperature may, for example, be measured as follows for various stages:
- core temperature for a splitting stage may be obtained from meat in the hip bone area - core temperature for a deboning stage may be from sirloin or inside meat;
- core temperature for vacuum sealed packaged raw horse meat (prior to chilling) may be from the packaged raw horse meat; etc..
The core temperature may, for example, be obtained with any suitable (i.e.
known) needle like thermometer (e.g. having a probe length of 8 to 10 cm).
Fig. I illustrates in schematic box diagram format, an example method of the present invention.
The following is an example embodiment of a raw meat production chain of the method of the present invention. For example the vacuum sealable packaging member is a vacuum sealable bag. The various stages are conducted over a time period such that the (residual) core temperature of the separated horse meat in the vacuum sealable bag prior to vacuum sealing is at least 33 C (e.g. from 33 to 37 C). The carcass sides or quarters are supported by sterilized hook members from an overhead rail system. The carcass or parts thereof are never touched directly by a human hand (gloved or not);
contact is limited to indirect contact through hook instruments, cutting instruments, etc. which are appropriately sterilized before contact. The ambient temperature of the meat processing area may be controlled in any (suitable) known manner.
Slaughter stage A live horse (body temperature of about 39 C) is subjected to a slaughter stage. The slaughter stage may comprise the exploitation of any suitable (known) slaughter death trigger event (see above) to obtain a horse body (i.e. corpse) for dressing.
The slaughter death trigger event may be carried out at an ambient temperature of from 18 to 27 C
such as from 22 to 27 C; e.g. from 18 to 24 C (e.g. 22 C). For the slaughter death trigger event, the horse may be stunned in any suitable fashion; the stunned horse may be hung upside down from a shackle by one hind leg; and the horse may have its throat cut to initiate the bleeding out of the horse (e.g. as soon as possible) to precipitate a relatively quick death due to blood loss.
Depending, of course, on the size of the horse, the time from initial stunning to the beginning of dressing (as described below) may for example take about 17 to 20 minutes or more (e.g. for a 400 to 600 kg horse).
After the horse is bled out, the suspended horse body (i.e. corpse) is then dressed also at an ambient temperature of from 16 to 27 C. During dressing, the hide (i.e.
skin) is removed (e.g. at ambient temperature of 18 to 24 C). The time for hide removal may for example take about 7 to 8 minutes. Optionally if desired the head is removed;
optionally, if desired (distal end) parts (hoofs) of the limps may also be removed.
Preferably, however, the head and limp parts such as hoofs are removed as part of the dressing process. The skinned (i.e. headless and limp trimmed) horse body is eviscerated (i.e. gutted to remove heart, liver, intestines, etc.) for example at an ambient temperature of 16 to 20 C. The gutting may take for example from 3 to 4 minutes or more.
Dressing of the obtained horse body (i.e. corpse) may comprise the exploitation of any suitable (known) dressing technique(s) so as to obtain a fresh dressed horse carcass. The obtained fresh dressed horse carcass is then sent on to the splitting stage.
Splitting stage The splitting stage may comprise two sub-steps. The splitting actions may be accomplished using any suitable (known) carcass splitting devices and or techniques.
The split into quarter parts may occur within a period of about one hour or less (e.g. 1 hour, e.g. 30 minutes) after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
The splitting is nevertheless accomplished such that the carcass quarters parts entering the deboning stage still have a (residual) core temperature of at least 20 C, e.g. a residual core temperature of from 37 C to 38 C.
The first splitting sub-step may occur in a first splitting area wherein the fresh dressed carcass is first split lengthwise along the vertebral (i.e. spinal) column into two side parts which are held up by respective hook members from an overhead rail. The splitting into side parts may be done with a Javis brand chain saw. The splitting into two side parts may for example take from 6 to 8 minutes. The first splitting sub-step may also be carried out at an ambient temperature of from 16 C to 27 C (e.g. 16 C to 20 C). The obtained side parts may then be showered (e.g. over a period of about 8 to 9 minutes) with cold clean water at a temperature of about from 10 C to 12 C (e.g.
about 11 C);
the cold wash water may also be chlorinated (e.g. 1.25 to 1.5 ppm chlorine) .
The two side parts hanging from an overhead rail by respective hook members may then be sent on to a further splitting area for the second splitting sub-step, the side parts having a residual core temperature of from 37 C to 38 C.
In the further separate "clean" splitting area the side parts may be allowed to drip free of liquid (e.g. drip free of wash water). The further splitting area may have an ambient temperature of about 4 to 6 C. The side parts are then each split transversely to the vertebral (i.e. spinal) column of the horse carcass at about the seventh or eighth rib (e.g.
between the seventh and eighth rib) to obtain respective fore and hind parts (e.g. the transverse split may disposed to occur to obtain essentially a pair of equal fore quarter portions and a pair of essentially equal hind quarter portions). The splitting into such quarter parts may for example include the removal of excess fat etc. and with the removal of such fat take, for example, from 20 to 22 minutes. The quarter parts are suspended by (suitable) support members from an overhead rail and are sent on to the deboning stage.
The parts hanging from an overhead rail (i.e. by hook members) may have a residual core temperature of from 37 C to 38 C.
Deboninp, stape The deboning may be carried out in an ambient temperature of from 0 C to 10 C (e.g.
3 C to 5 C) such as from 4 C to 5 C. The carcass part(s) as mentioned is/are held up during cutting by (suitable) support members which may in turn be supported (in any known fashion) by the overhead rail. The cutting is performed by a cutter person who cuts a meat portion (away) with one hand using a cutting instrument while hooking the desired (separating) raw horse meat portion with a hook instrument with the other hand.
The cutting of the warm raw horse meat (e.g. core temperature of 37 C to 38 C) from the bone is accomplished with sterilized cutter and hook instruments. The separated raw horse meat supported by a sterile hook instrument is directed to fall free from the hook instrument directly into a sterile vacuum sealable packaging member (e.g.
bag). The vacuum sealable bag is supported by a second person during the transfer of the raw horse meat to the vacuum sealable bag. The transfer from the hook instrument into the vacuum sealable bag is accomplished without manipulating the horse meat into the packaging member by (direct) hand contact; i.e. there is neither direct hand contact nor any contact with a cutting board, belt conveyor, pail, etc. The vacuum sealable bags are gas-impermeable. The vacuum sealable bags may be obtained from the Cryovac Food Packaging division of Sealed Air Corporation USA; namely, type B2370 or B2470.
The horse meat may, for example, be separated from the bone of a single quarter part in from about 15 to 30 minutes or more.
Sterilization of elements such as the support hook members, cutting elements, etc. may be carried out in any effective way e.g. by contacting any support rail hook member, cutting and hook instruments, etc. with water at high temperature (e.g. 85 C or higher).
Vacuum sealing stage The warm separated raw horse meat (e.g. core temperature of 33 C to 35 C) in the vacuum sealable packaging member may be vacuum packaged (i.e. vacuum sealed) using any suitable (known) packaging technique. Vacuum packaging or sealing comprises evacuating all of the air before sealing the packaging member. Vacuum packing gives rise to a product with a desirable chilled shelf life as compared to a product exposed to air. As mentioned the vacuum sealable packaging member (e.g. bag) may be obtained from Sealed Air Corporation USA. Vacuum sealing may be carried out with a known machine such as manufactured by Furukawa MFG. Co, Ltd. Japan under brand name Old Rivers - model no. LR 3992.
In accordance with the present invention the vacuum sealing stage may, for example, be carried out within a time period of about 90 minutes or so after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event. In accordance with the present invention the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat (i.e. muscle tissue) may be vacuum sealed within one hour or less after the raw horse meat is placed in said vacuum sealable packaging member (e.g. within a time period of 15 minutes or less (e.g. 15 minutes e.g. within 5 to 10 minutes) after the raw horse meat is placed in said vacuum sealable packaging member.
In accordance with the present invention a vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat (i.e. muscle tissue) may be directly vacuum sealed (i.e.
essentially immediately, e.g. within 5 minutes or less, e.g. within 2 minutes) after the meat has been (directly) placed in a vacuum sealable packaging member . A
short time (as possible) for vacuum sealing after the raw horse meat is in the vacuum sealable packaging member, is to be privileged in order to attenuate oxidization.
In accordance with the present invention the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat (i.e. muscle tissue) may be vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat product comprising vacuum sealed raw horse meat which may have a core temperature of from 7 C to 32 C-38 C (e.g. of from 20 C to 32 C; e.g. of from 30 C to 32 C - 38 C; e.g. of at least 30 C such as from 30 C to 38 C).
In accordance with the present invention the vacuum sealing of the raw horse meat pursuant to the vacuum sealing stage may be carried out in a vacuum sealing area the ambient (or environmental) temperature of which is in the range of from 1 C
to 15 C
centigrade (e.g. 4 C to 15 C, e.g. 4 C to 6 C, etc.).
Chilling stage The vacuum sealed (warm) raw horse meat product may be air chilled over a period of 48 hours or less (e.g. 24 hours or less) to a core temperature of 4 C or less (in any known fashion) to obtain the desired chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product. Air chilling may be carried out for example by exposing the vacuum sealed (warm) raw horse meat product to (blowing) cold air at a temperature of about -2 C to about 1 C.
In accordance with the present invention the raw horse meat of the chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed (raw) horse meat product may, for example, have a core temperature of from of from -1 C to 4 C; of from 2 C or lower (e.g. 1 C or lower); e.g.
of from 0.25 C to 4 C; e.g. 2 C to 4 C; etc.. The unfrozen meat product may have a temperature below 0 C due to the composition of the liquids within the packaged horse meat product.
Claims (30)
1. A method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass, said fresh dressed horse carcass comprising raw horse meat and bone, to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product, said method comprising a raw meat production chain, said raw meat production chain comprising:
i) a deboning stage wherein raw horse meat of a fresh dressed horse carcass is separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, said fresh dressed horse carcass having been obtained directly from a slaughter stage, said slaughter stage comprising subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain said fresh dressed horse carcass, ii) a vacuum sealing stage wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat product;
and iii) a chilling stage wherein the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product obtained form said vacuum sealing stage is adjusted so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product wherein the horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4° C or lower, and wherein said deboning stage is carried out within a time period of 4 hours after said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
i) a deboning stage wherein raw horse meat of a fresh dressed horse carcass is separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, said fresh dressed horse carcass having been obtained directly from a slaughter stage, said slaughter stage comprising subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain said fresh dressed horse carcass, ii) a vacuum sealing stage wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat product;
and iii) a chilling stage wherein the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product obtained form said vacuum sealing stage is adjusted so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product wherein the horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4° C or lower, and wherein said deboning stage is carried out within a time period of 4 hours after said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
2. A method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass, said fresh dressed horse carcass comprising raw horse meat and bone, to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product, said method comprising a raw meat production chain, said raw meat production chain comprising:
i) a splitting stage wherein a fresh dressed horse carcass is split into carcass parts, said fresh dressed horse carcass having been obtained directly from a slaughter stage, said slaughter stage comprising subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain said fresh dressed horse carcass, ii) a deboning stage wherein raw horse meat of at least one of said carcass parts is separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, iii) a vacuum sealing stage wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat product;
and iv) a chilling stage wherein the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed horse meat product obtained from said vacuum sealing stage is adjusted so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product wherein the raw horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4° C or lower and wherein said deboning stage is carried out within a time period of 4 hours after said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
i) a splitting stage wherein a fresh dressed horse carcass is split into carcass parts, said fresh dressed horse carcass having been obtained directly from a slaughter stage, said slaughter stage comprising subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain said fresh dressed horse carcass, ii) a deboning stage wherein raw horse meat of at least one of said carcass parts is separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, iii) a vacuum sealing stage wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat product;
and iv) a chilling stage wherein the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed horse meat product obtained from said vacuum sealing stage is adjusted so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product wherein the raw horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4° C or lower and wherein said deboning stage is carried out within a time period of 4 hours after said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein for said splitting stage a fresh dressed horse carcass is split into carcass quarter parts comprising two fore carcass parts and two hind carcass parts, and wherein for said deboning stage, raw horse meat of at least one of said carcass quarter parts is separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into said vacuum sealable packaging member.
4. A method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said separated raw horse meat of said deboning stage is directly placed into said vacuum sealable packaging member without hand contact after being manually separated from said bone without hand contact.
5. A method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein, for being subjected to said chilling stage, the raw horse meat of said vacuum sealed horse meat product obtained from said vacuum sealing stage has a core temperature of 7° C
or higher.
or higher.
6. A method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein, for being subjected to said chilling stage, the raw horse meat of said vacuum sealed horse meat product obtained from said vacuum sealing stage has a residual core temperature of 20° C or higher.
7. A method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed within a time period of four hours after the separated raw horse meat is placed in said vacuum sealable packaging member.
8. A method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed within a time period of one hour after the separated raw horse meat is placed in said vacuum sealable packaging member.
9. A method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein said deboning stage is carried out within a time period of 90 minutes after said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
10. A method as define in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said deboning stage and said vacuum sealing stage are both carried out within a time period of three hours after said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
11. A method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said deboning stage and said vacuum sealing stage are both carried out within a time period of two hours after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
12. A method as define in any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein said splitting stage, said deboning stage and said vacuum sealing stage are each carried out within a time period of three hours after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
13. A method as defined in any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein said splitting stage, said deboning stage and said vacuum sealing stage are each carried out within a time period of two hours after the predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
14. A method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein said temperature of said raw horse meat of said chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product is obtained within a time period of 72 hours from said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
15. A method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein said temperature of said raw horse meat of said chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product is has been obtained within a time period of 24 hours from said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
16. A method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass, said fresh dressed horse carcass comprising raw horse meat and bone, to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product, said method comprising a raw meat production chain, said raw meat production chain comprising:
i) a kill/cut component;
ii) a vacuum sealing stage; and iii) a chilling stage wherein said kill/cut component consists of a) a slaughter stage, b) a splitting stage, and c) a deboning stage wherein said slaughter stage comprises subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain a fresh dressed horse carcass wherein said splitting stage comprises splitting said fresh dressed horse carcass into quarter parts comprising two fore parts and two hind parts, wherein said deboning stage comprises, for at least one of said quarter parts, the separation of raw horse meat from bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, wherein said vacuum sealing stage comprises vacuum sealing the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat to obtain a vacuum sealed horse meat product, wherein said chilling stage comprises adjusting the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product obtained from said vacuum sealing stage so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product wherein the horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4° C or lower and wherein said deboning stage is carried out within a time period of four hours from said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
i) a kill/cut component;
ii) a vacuum sealing stage; and iii) a chilling stage wherein said kill/cut component consists of a) a slaughter stage, b) a splitting stage, and c) a deboning stage wherein said slaughter stage comprises subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain a fresh dressed horse carcass wherein said splitting stage comprises splitting said fresh dressed horse carcass into quarter parts comprising two fore parts and two hind parts, wherein said deboning stage comprises, for at least one of said quarter parts, the separation of raw horse meat from bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, wherein said vacuum sealing stage comprises vacuum sealing the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat to obtain a vacuum sealed horse meat product, wherein said chilling stage comprises adjusting the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product obtained from said vacuum sealing stage so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product wherein the horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4° C or lower and wherein said deboning stage is carried out within a time period of four hours from said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
17. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein said separated raw horse meat of said deboning stage is directly placed into said vacuum sealable packaging member without hand contact after being manually separated from said bone without hand contact.
18. A method as defined in claim 16 or claim 17 wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing separated raw horse meat is directly vacuum sealed after the separated raw horse meat has been placed into said vacuum sealable packaging member.
19. A method as defined in any one of claims 16 to 18 wherein, for being subjected to said chilling stage, the raw horse meat of said vacuum sealed raw horse meat product obtained from said vacuum sealing stage has a residual core temperature of 7° C or higher.
20. A method as defined in any one of claims 16 to 18 wherein, for being subjected to said chilling stage, the raw horse meat of said vacuum sealed raw horse meat product obtained from said vacuum sealing stage has a residual core temperature of 20° C or higher.
21. A method as defined in any one of claims 16 to 20 wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed within four hours after the separated raw horse meat is placed in said vacuum sealable packaging member.
22. A method as defined in any one of claims 16 to 20 wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed within one hour or less after the separated raw horse meat is placed in said vacuum sealable packaging member.
22. A method as define in any one of claims 16 to 20 wherein said slaughter stage, said splitting stage, said deboning stage and said vacuum sealing stage are each carried out within a time period of two hours from said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
22. A method as define in any one of claims 16 to 20 wherein said slaughter stage, said splitting stage, said deboning stage and said vacuum sealing stage are each carried out within a time period of two hours from said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
23. A method as defined in any one of claims 16 to 22 wherein said temperature of said raw horse meat of said chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product is obtained within a time period of 48 hours from said slaughter death trigger event.
24. A method as defined in any one of claims 16 to 22 wherein said temperature of said raw horse meat of said chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product is obtained within a time period of 24 hours from said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
25. A method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 24 wherein the raw horse meat of said chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product has a core temperature of 2°
C or lower.
C or lower.
26. A method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass, said fresh dressed horse carcass comprising raw horse meat and bone, to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product, said method comprising a raw meat production chain, said raw meat production chain comprising:
i) a deboning stage wherein raw horse meat of a fresh dressed horse carcass is separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, said fresh dressed horse carcass having been obtained directly from a slaughter stage, said slaughter stage comprising subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain said fresh dressed horse carcass, ii) a vacuum sealing stage wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat product;
and iii) a chilling stage wherein the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product obtained form said vacuum sealing stage is adjusted so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product wherein the horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4° C or lower, and wherein said deboning stage is initiated within a time period of 4 hours after said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
i) a deboning stage wherein raw horse meat of a fresh dressed horse carcass is separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, said fresh dressed horse carcass having been obtained directly from a slaughter stage, said slaughter stage comprising subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain said fresh dressed horse carcass, ii) a vacuum sealing stage wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat product;
and iii) a chilling stage wherein the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat product obtained form said vacuum sealing stage is adjusted so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product wherein the horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4° C or lower, and wherein said deboning stage is initiated within a time period of 4 hours after said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
27. A method for processing a fresh dressed horse carcass, said fresh dressed horse carcass comprising raw horse meat and bone, to obtain a packaged raw horse meat product, said method comprising a raw meat production chain, said raw meat production chain comprising:
i) a splitting stage wherein a fresh dressed horse carcass is split into carcass parts, said fresh dressed horse carcass having been obtained directly from a slaughter stage, said slaughter stage comprising subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain said fresh dressed horse carcass, ii) a deboning stage wherein raw horse meat of at least one of said carcass parts is separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, iii) a vacuum sealing stage wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat product;
and iv) a chilling stage wherein the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed horse meat product obtained from said vacuum sealing stage is adjusted so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product wherein the horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4° C or lower and wherein said deboning stage is initiated within a time period of 4 hours after said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
i) a splitting stage wherein a fresh dressed horse carcass is split into carcass parts, said fresh dressed horse carcass having been obtained directly from a slaughter stage, said slaughter stage comprising subjecting a live horse to a predetermined slaughter death trigger event to obtain a horse body for dressing followed by dressing of said horse body to obtain said fresh dressed horse carcass, ii) a deboning stage wherein raw horse meat of at least one of said carcass parts is separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into a vacuum sealable packaging member, iii) a vacuum sealing stage wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed to obtain a vacuum sealed raw horse meat product;
and iv) a chilling stage wherein the temperature of the vacuum sealed raw horse meat of the vacuum sealed horse meat product obtained from said vacuum sealing stage is adjusted so as to obtain a chilled unfrozen vacuum sealed raw horse meat product wherein the horse meat thereof has a core temperature of 4° C or lower and wherein said deboning stage is initiated within a time period of 4 hours after said predetermined slaughter death trigger event.
28. A method as defined in claim 27 wherein for said splitting stage a fresh dressed horse carcass is split into carcass quarter parts comprising two fore carcass parts and two hind carcass parts, and wherein for said deboning stage, raw horse meat of at least one of said carcass quarter parts is separated from the bone thereof, the separated raw horse meat being placed into said vacuum sealable packaging member.
29. A method as defined in any one of claims 26 to 28 wherein, for being subjected to said chilling stage, the raw horse meat of said vacuum sealed raw horse meat product obtained from said vacuum sealing stage has a residual core temperature of 20° C or higher.
30. A method as defined in claim 29 wherein the separation of raw horse meat from bone pursuant to said deboning stage is carried out within a period of three hours after said splitting stage and wherein the vacuum sealable packaging member containing raw horse meat is vacuum sealed within four hours or less after the separated raw horse meat is placed in said vacuum sealable packaging member.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002636443A CA2636443A1 (en) | 2008-06-27 | 2008-06-27 | An unfrozen raw horse meat product |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002636443A CA2636443A1 (en) | 2008-06-27 | 2008-06-27 | An unfrozen raw horse meat product |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2636443A1 true CA2636443A1 (en) | 2009-12-27 |
Family
ID=41462962
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002636443A Abandoned CA2636443A1 (en) | 2008-06-27 | 2008-06-27 | An unfrozen raw horse meat product |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2636443A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2016055638A3 (en) * | 2014-10-09 | 2016-07-07 | Devrone | Processing of pre-rigor meat muscles |
| CN109527064A (en) * | 2018-12-24 | 2019-03-29 | 湖南唐人神肉制品有限公司 | A kind of preparation method of cold fresh meat |
-
2008
- 2008-06-27 CA CA002636443A patent/CA2636443A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2016055638A3 (en) * | 2014-10-09 | 2016-07-07 | Devrone | Processing of pre-rigor meat muscles |
| CN109527064A (en) * | 2018-12-24 | 2019-03-29 | 湖南唐人神肉制品有限公司 | A kind of preparation method of cold fresh meat |
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