DK202101014A1 - Pork processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for processing meat products, for use in slaughterhouses or in the meat processing industry. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for processing raw pork bellies into a sliced bacon product.

Description

DK 2021 01014 A1 1

PORK PROCESSING METHOD

TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a method for processing meat products, for use in slaughterhouses or in the meat processing industry. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for processing raw pork bellies into a sliced bacon product.

BACKGROUND ART Bacon is traditionally processed from pork bellies as part of a batch operation. To maximize yields it is desirable to avoid spillage, and to use as much of the pork belly as possible when being sliced into bacon. Therefore, in order to obtain a regular, optionally block-shaped product shape, the starting products are typically pressed before slicing.

Pressing the meat pieces before slicing thus increases the product yield, and considerably reduces cutting losses.

During pressing, the pork belly is flattened so that at least the bottom of the pork belly is substantially planar. Also, the sides of the pork belly may be pressed so that the width of the pork belly, and thus the length of the bacon slices, are uniform. In addition, the ends of the pork belly may be pressed so that uniform slices can be harvested from the ends of the pork belly even though, in its raw form, the ends of the pork belly may be jagged or, otherwise, non-uniform.

The individual bellies typically undergo the following process steps before being converted into, e.g., sliced bacon for packaging: Curing: for enhancing the flavour of the pork belly meat and to reduce spoilage by injecting salt brine throughout the pork belly.

Thermal processing/drying/smoking: for smoking the pork belly by applying heat and/or smoke-laden currents of air in the smokehouse to add flavour, preserve and/or reduce the water content of the meat.

Freezing/cooling/chilling: for reducing the temperature of the processed bacon product, often from about 50°C to about -10°C.

Pressing: for obtaining a more regular and workable piece of (square) meat.

The freezing point of meat can vary considerably due to the different salt content of the meat product. The freezing point is considered decisive factor during pressing, as the pressing process is believed to be irreversible only at product temperatures in the freezing range. Moreover, when pressing warmer products, it is believed that the product deformation largely recedes after pressing, which is considered undesirable.

Slicing: for slicing the bacon product into the finished product.

DK 2021 01014 A1 2 The meat processing processes of the prior art may generally be viewed to deal with shaping by trimming, and shaping by pressing, respectively.

Thus, WO2007112428, WO2020046868 and WO2021154566 all describe shaping by trimming, which methods, however, gives great wastage.

Moreover, WO2020210203 and WO2020212246 describe shaping by pressing at low temperatures, which methods, however, gives irregular, distorted layers of lard and meat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has now surprisingly been found that the meat pressing process does not have to be limited to product temperatures in the freezing range, and that pressing at warmer temperatures offers special advantages, incl. more flexible and mouldable pieces of meat.

The pressing process was hitherto believed to be irreversible only at product temperatures in the freezing range. Moreover, it was believed that, when pressing warmer products, the product deformation largely recedes after pressing, which is considered undesirable.

The warm-pressing method suggested herein provides the most regular form of the pork belly, and it has shown to provide more uniform chest sides and to avoid folding of chest sides.

The process of the present invention for moulding pork products resides in the combination of a warm-pressing step followed by a cooling step, comprising cooling in forms, and the product obtained according to the method of the invention has superior cutting and machining properties.

The process of the invention gives a markedly better slicing yield, ensuring more uniform slices and a more accurate weight in the retail packages. The method reduces the risk of leaks due to bacon extending beyond the edge of the packaging and requires less cooling capacity, as the meat pieces can be packed more tightly, and may even be chilled by use of the more energy efficient cold plate coolers or contact coolers.

The more compact physical shape of the meat pieces also ensures the possibility of a more efficient freezing, e.g., by contact freezing in moulds.

Therefore, the invention provides a method for processing pork products, and in particular bacon products, in slaughterhouses or in the meat processing industry, which method comprises the following steps: i. a thermal processing/smoking step, which step comprises warming and/or smoking of the pork belly by applying heat and/or smoke-laden currents of air to add flavour, preserve and/or reduce the water content of the pork belly piece, followed by filling of the processed pork product into a suitable press form/mould;

DK 2021 01014 A1 3 ii. a chilling step, comprising reduction of the temperature of the pork belly piece, while still in the press form/mould, to a sub-zero temperature; and iii. a pressing step, comprising a physical shaping step for obtaining a more regular and workable piece of the pork product while still in the press form/mould; and, optionally, iv. a slicing step, comprising slicing of the processed pork belly into the final meat product; wherein, however, the pressing step (i.e., step iii) is carried out immediately before the chilling step (i.e., step ii), and thus constitutes a warm-pressing step (i.e., step ia), and which warm-pressing step is immediately followed by a chilling step (i.e., step ii).

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to the person skilled in the art from reading the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

Any combination of two or more of the embodiments described herein is considered within the scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is further illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 outlines the difference between a slice of bacon (2) obtained by conventional bacon processing methods, and a slice of bacon (3) obtained by the method of the present invention; and Fig. 2 shows a piece of meat (1) which has been subjected to a conventional cold pressing process which has resulted in an inappropriate folding (1A) of breast side.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The method of the invention The method of the invention is for processing meat products in a slaughterhouse or in a meat processing facility and relates to a method for warm-pressing a pork product, and in particular a pork belly or breast side into a bacon product.

The warm-pressing method of the invention may be characterised by comprising the following steps: i. a thermal processing/smoking step, which step comprises warming and/or smoking of the pork product by applying heat and/or smoke-laden currents of air to add flavour, preserve and/or reduce the water content of the pork belly piece; ii. a chilling step, comprising reduction of the temperature of the pork belly piece to a sub-zero temperature; and

DK 2021 01014 A1 4 iii. a pressing step, comprising a physical shaping step for obtaining a more regular and workable piece of the pork belly; and, optionally, iv. a slicing step, comprising slicing of the processed pork belly into the final meat product; wherein, however, the pressing step (i.e., step iii) is carried out immediately before the chilling step (i.e., step ii), and thus constitutes a warm-pressing step (i.e., step ia), which warm-pressing step is immediately followed by a chilling step (i.e., step ii).

Alternatively, the method of the invention for warm-pressing a pork product may be characterised by comprising the subsequent steps of: i. a thermal processing/smoking step, which step comprises warming and/or smoking of the pork product by applying heat and/or smoke-laden currents of air to add flavour, preserve and/or reduce the water content of the pork product, followed by filling of the processed pork product into a suitable press form/mould; ia. a warm-pressing step, comprising a physical shaping step for obtaining a more regular and workable piece of the pork product, while still in the press form/mould; and ii. a chilling step, comprising reduction of the temperature of the pork product, while still in the press form/mould, to a sub-zero temperature. In another embodiment, the method of the invention further comprises a slicing step, comprising slicing of the processed pork belly into the final meat product.

The starting product The method is intended to be performed on fresh pork products, e.g., pieces of pork bellies or breast sides, that may have undergone an initial curing step, and wherein the pork product may, e.g., have been subjected to a curing process, often by dispersing a pickling solution throughout the pork product, where the pickle solution is pumped directly into the raw or "green" pork product under pressure.

However, dry curing processes may also be employed. The thermal processing/smoking step In the thermal processing/smoking step, the pork product is usually being exposed to a heating process, e.g., smoking, by applying heat and/or smoke-laden currents of air to add flavour, preserve and/or reduce the water content of the pork product.

In general, a batch of cured pork bellies is transported to a smokehouse or a similar facility, where it is typically hung from meat combs or hangers, which in turn, are hung from trees, racks, or cages.

DK 2021 01014 A1 The batch of hung pork bellies is then "smoked" by applying heat and/or smoke- laden currents of air in the smokehouse to add flavour, preserve and/or reduce the water content of the meat.

Generally, the smoking temperature for bacon is less than about 70°C and is often 5 designed to raise the internal temperature of bellies to around 50-55°C. The warm-pressing step The incoming workpieces can vary greatly in shape, size, weight, and composition (e.g., flesh, fat, bone, and gristle). The pressing step is intended to physically shape the piece of pork to obtain a more regular and workable, preferably square, piece of meat, and to increase the yield of the overall process.

In the pressing step, the pieces of meat are typically pressed in a pressing chamber in three pressing axes, whereby the pressing process can be adjusted, e.g., with respect to the pressing force, the pressing speed, the pressing travel, and the pressing travel profile to achieve an optimum pressing result.

As described above, a conventional pressing step is conventionally performed as a cold pressing step at sub-zero temperatures. However, according to the present invention it has now surprisingly been found that this pressing process does not have to be limited to product temperatures in the freezing range, and that pressing at warmer temperatures offers special advantages.

The present invention therefore provides a method for processing meat products, which method includes a warm-pressing step.

In the warm-processing step according to the invention, the starting product, coming from the thermal processing/smoking step (i.e., step i), is a heated piece of meat.

Warm pieces of meat are generally flexible, pliable, malleable, and easily adaptable to a subsequent design, e.g., a cubic shape. If the workpiece is caught immediately after this process and subjected to a cooling step, this shape can largely be preserved.

In the warm-pressing step of the invention, the workpiece is a piece of meat that has been exposed to heating to temperatures in the range of from about 25 to about 70°C, e.g., of from about 50 to about 60°C, or of about 55°C.

At such temperatures, the workpiece is easy to handle, and can be easily transferred to, and placed in a mould or pressing form, wherein the meat easily adapts to the desired shape.

When this piece of meat is immediately subjected to a pressing step, the design is maintained, provided the workpiece is subsequently rapidly cooled in the desired shape.

Therefore, the method of the invention shall include a subsequent chilling step.

DK 2021 01014 A1 6 The chilling step In conventional processes, pork bellies coming from the thermal processing/smoking step are generally still suspended from hangers, and are usually transported to, and stored in, a refrigeration unit, often a circulating-air cooling-room, to reduce the temperature of the pork bellies from about 50°C to a sub-zero temperature.

As conventional workpieces are generally bulkier and more deformed, the cooling, circulating-air principle is necessary to achieve an optimally distributed and uniform cooling of the workpiece.

In contrast, the workpieces according to the method of this invention are in a more compact and manageable form, which allows the use of contact cooling processes, which are considerably more economical compared to the conventional circulating-air principle described above.

According to the method of the invention, the pork product coming from the thermal processing/smoking step (i.e., step i) is subsequently filled into a freeze-suitable form for shaping (i.e., step ia) and exposed to freezing/cooling/chilling in a subsequent chilling step (step ii).

The product must be cooled until it is capable of keeping the desired shape throughout the following process step. The cooled adipose tissue helps keeping the product in shape, so a total freezing step may not be necessary.

In the chilling step of the method of the present invention, the temperature of the pork belly is reduced from the initial up to about 70°C to a sub-zero temperature, e.g., a temperature of about -15 to -5, or of about -10°C. This may be accomplished as a shell- freezing process or as a total, through-freezing process.

After the chilling step according to the present invention, the meat product may optionally be stored before it is sliced, and further processed, or the product can be taken directly for slicing.

The slicing step In a further embodiment, the method of the invention comprises a slicing step, comprising slicing of the processed pork belly into a finished meat product, e.g., a bacon product.

In this slicing step, the processed pork belly, i.e., the shaped and cooled product, is being sliced into a finished meat product, and in particular into a sliced bacon product.

Slicing is preferably carried out at sub-zero temperatures, e.g., at a temperature of about -15 to -5, or about -10°C.

The slicing step is, optionally, to be followed by a packaging step.

DK 2021 01014 A1 7 List of reference signs This is a listing of various elements relating to the present invention.

Alternative/synonymous designations are separated by slashes: 1 Pork belly piece/pork breast side, conventionally cold pressed 1A Fold or crack in the pork belly piece 2 Bacon slice obtained from a conventionally cold pressed pork belly piece 3 Bacon slice obtained according to the warm-pressing method of the invention

Claims (3)

DK 2021 01014 A1 1 CLAIMS

1. A method for processing a pork product in a slaughterhouse or in a meat processing facility, which method comprises the following steps: i. a thermal processing/smoking step, which step comprises warming and/or smoking of the pork product by applying heat and/or smoke-laden currents of air to add flavour, preserve and/or reduce the water content of the pork product, followed by filling of the processed pork product into a suitable press form/mould; ia. a warm-pressing step, comprising a physical shaping step for obtaining a more regular and workable piece of the pork product, while still in the press form/mould; and ii. a chilling step, comprising reduction of the temperature of the pork product, while still in the press form/mould, to a sub-zero temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, which method further comprises a slicing step, which slicing step comprises slicing of the processed pork belly into a final meat product.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pork product is a cured pork belly.