Classifications

• • 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
  • A23L13/70—Tenderised or flavoured meat pieces; Macerating or marinating solutions specially adapted therefor
• • 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
  • A23B4/14—Preserving with chemicals not covered by groups A23B4/02 or A23B4/12
  • A23B4/18—Preserving with chemicals not covered by groups A23B4/02 or A23B4/12 in the form of liquids or solids
  • A23B4/20—Organic compounds; Microorganisms; Enzymes
  • A23B4/22—Microorganisms; Enzymes; Antibiotics
• • 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
  • A23L13/40—Meat products; Meat meal; Preparation or treatment thereof containing additives
  • A23L13/48—Addition of, or treatment with, enzymes
• • 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
  • A23L13/50—Poultry products, e.g. poultry sausages
• • 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
  • A23L13/70—Tenderised or flavoured meat pieces; Macerating or marinating solutions specially adapted therefor
  • A23L13/72—Tenderised or flavoured meat pieces; Macerating or marinating solutions specially adapted therefor using additives, e.g. by injection of solutions
  • A23L13/74—Tenderised or flavoured meat pieces; Macerating or marinating solutions specially adapted therefor using additives, e.g. by injection of solutions using microorganisms or enzymes

Definitions

• a variety of methods have been used to tenderize these naturally tough types of meat, such as mechanically interrupting the muscle fibers of the meat.
• none of these methods have produced a product from naturally tough meat that can be cooked using conventional preparation methods, and that results in a post-preparation product that is consistently tender and suitable for human consumption. Therefore, it would be useful to have a method of tenderizing naturally tough chicken and pork so that the naturally tough chicken and pork can be cooked using conventional methods, and that results in a post-preparation product that is consistently tender and suitable for human consumption.
• a method of tenderizing naturally tough chicken and pork comprising providing a suitable grade of naturally tough chicken and pork, and treating the naturally tough chicken and pork with a composition comprising an enzyme mixture where the enzyme mixture consists of between about 98.7% and about 99.7% bromelin, between about 0.02% and about 0.08% ficin and between about 0.01 % and about 0.05 % papain.
• the enzyme mixture consists of between about 98.7% and about 99.7% bromelin, between about 0.02% and about 0.08% ficin and between about 0.01 % and about 0.05% papain.
• the enzyme mixture consists of between about 99% and about 99.4% bromelin, between about 0.04% and about 0.06% ficin and between about 0.02% and about 0.04% papain. In a preferred embodiment, the enzyme mixture consists of about 98.2% bromelin, about 0.05% ficin and about 0.03% papain.
• the enzyme mixture is present in an amount of between about 0.5% and about 6% of the composition. In another embodiment, the enzyme mixture is present in an amount of between about 0.7% and about 2% of the composition. In a preferred embodiment, the enzyme mixture is present in an amount of about 1 % of the composition.
• the composition used to treat the naturally tough chicken and pork additionally comprises a carrier, such as NaCl.
• a carrier such as NaCl.
• the carrier is present in an amount of between about 25 % and about 99% of the composition or in an amount of between about 50% and about 99% of the composition. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the carrier is present in an amount of about 98.5% of the composition.
• the composition used to treat the naturally tough chicken and pork additionally comprises a processing aid, such as soybean oil.
• a processing aid such as soybean oil.
• the processing aid is present in an amount of between about 0.1 % and about 2% of the composition.
• the processing aid is present in an amount of between about 0.3 % and about 1 % of the composition.
• the processing aid is present in an amount of about 0.5% of the composition.
• the composition used to treat the naturally tough chicken and pork comprises about 98.4% carrier, about 1.1 % enzyme mixture and about 0.5% processing aid.
• the naturally tough chicken and pork provided is partially or completely skinned, boned or both.
• the method additionally comprises removing waste products or excess fat or both from the naturally tough chicken and pork.
• the naturally tough chicken and pork provided is an amount between about 0.1 kg and about 10,000 kg. In yet another embodiment, the naturally tough chicken and pork provided is an amount between about 100 kg and 6000 kg.
• the ratio of weight of the composition to the total weight of the naturally tough chicken and pork being treated with the composition is between about 1:200 and about 1 : 1500. In another embodiment, the ratio of weight of the composition to the total weight of the naturally tough chicken and pork being treated with the composition is between about 1:450 and about 1:650.
• treating the naturally tough chicken and pork comprises injecting the naturally tough chicken and pork with a solution comprising the composition.
• the solution injected additionally comprises ice, NaCl and potable water.
• the solution injected is between about 9% and about 15 % of the weight of the chicken being injected.
• the solution injected is about 12% of the weight of the naturally tough chicken and pork being injected.
• the method further comprises adding to the naturally tough chicken and pork one or more than one substance selected from the group consisting of flavoring, NaCl, moisture enhancing agents, preservatives, and potable water.
• the method further comprises tumbling the treated naturally tough chicken and pork at a pressure and rotation speed selected to more evenly distribute the enzyme mixture throughout the treated chicken.
• the pressure is a near vacuum.
• the rotation speed is about between about 10 and about 15 revolutions per minute.
• the method further comprises exposing the treated naturally tough chicken and pork to a relative vacuum a closed container, such as a polymer bag. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the relative vacuum is about -1.5 bar. In one embodiment, the method further comprises packaging the treated naturally tough chicken and pork in a commercial package. In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises cooking the treated naturally tough chicken and pork. In a particularly preferred embodiment, cooking the treated naturally tough chicken and pork comprises raising the core temperature of the treated naturally tough chicken and pork to about 70 °C. In another embodiment, the method further comprises distributing the treated naturally tough chicken and pork to an intermediate wholesale or retail establishment.
• an enzyme mixture that can be used to treat naturally tough chicken or pork to produce a product that can be cooked using conventional methods, and that results in a post-preparation product that is consistently tender.
• the enzyme mixture comprises three enzymes: bromelin, ficin and papain.
• a method of tenderizing naturally tough chicken or pork to produce a product that can be cooked by conventional methods, and that results in a post-preparation product that is consistently tender comprises treating the naturally tough chicken or pork with an enzyme mixture according to the present invention.
• consumer refers to the individual or enterprise that cooks the treated naturally tough chicken or pork for eventual human consumption, and includes an individual at home, and a cook in a restaurant or a food service enterprise, among others as will be understood by those in the art with reference to this disclosure.
• percent amounts are given in percent by weight of total weight.
• the present invention is an enzyme mixture that can be used to treat naturally tough chicken or pork according to the present invention.
• the enzyme mixture comprises three proteolytic enzymes, and can comprise one or more than one additional substance.
• Each enzyme in the enzyme mixture has a specific activation temperature and a deactivation temperature.
• the enzyme mixture consists of the three enzymes bromelin, ficin and papain. In a particularly preferred embodiment, three enzymes are combined in specific ratios. Suitable enzymes can be obtained from All American Seasonings, Inc., Denver, CO US. In a preferred embodiment, the enzyme mixture consists of between about 98.7% and about 99.7% bromelin, between about 0.02% and about 0.08% f ⁇ cin and between about 0.01 % and about 0.05% papain. In another preferred embodiment, the enzyme mixture consists of between about 99% and about 99.4% bromelin, between about 0.04% and about 0.06% ficin and between about 0.02% and about 0.04% papain. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the enzyme mixture consists of about 98.2% bromelin, about 0.05% ficin and about 0.03% papain.
• a composition for tenderizing naturally tough chicken or pork comprising the enzyme mixture of the present invention and further comprises a carrier.
• the carrier assists in dispersing the enzyme mixture evenly in a solution and assists in preventing the enzyme mixture from clumping together and from hardening during storage.
• the carrier is NaCl, available from All American Seasonings, Inc. though other salts, such as KC1 or dextrose, or any other suitable carrier can be used, as will be understood by those with skill in the art with reference to this disclosure.
• the composition further comprises a processing aid that assists in preventing the enzyme mixture from clumping together and from hardening during storage.
• the processing aid is refined, bleached and odorless soybean oil (available from All American Seasonings, Inc.).
• the enzyme mixture is present in an amount of between about 0.5% and about 6% of the composition. In another preferred embodiment, the enzyme mixture is present in an amount of between about 0.7% and about 2% of the composition. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the enzyme mixture is present in an amount of about 1 % of the composition.
• the carrier is present in an amount of between about 25 % and about 99% of the composition. In another preferred embodiment, the carrier is present in an amount of between about 50% and about 99% . In a particularly preferred embodiment, the carrier is present in an amount of about 98.5 % .
• the processing aid is present in an amount of between about 0.1 % and about 2% . In another preferred embodiment, the processing aid is present in an amount of between about 0.3 % and about 1 % . In a particularly preferred embodiment, the processing aid is present in an amount of about 0.5%. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 98.4% carrier, 1.1 % enzyme mixture in the ratios given above, and 0.5% processing aid.
• a method of tenderizing naturally tough chicken or pork to produce a product that can be cooked by conventional methods, and that results in a post-preparation product that is consistently tender comprises at least the following two steps.
• a suitable type or grade of naturally tough chicken or pork is provided.
• the terms "type” and "grade” are interchangeable.
• the suitable grade of naturally tough chicken or pork is treated with an enzyme mixture according to the present invention.
• the suitable grade of naturally tough chicken or pork provided is preferably chicken or pork that is naturally tough rendering it less than commercially desirable for human consumption after being cooked by conventional methods.
• the grade of naturally tough chicken is selected from the group consisting of fowl, spent chicken, heavy spent chicken and breeding chicken but other grades of chicken that are naturally tough are also suitable.
• the naturally tough chicken or pork selected is primarily of one grade.
• the naturally tough chicken or pork can be partially or completely skinned, boned or both. Additionally, waste products, such as connective tissue, or excess fat can be removed.
• the amount of naturally tough chicken or pork provided can be any amount that can be handled by equipment available to perform the method of the present invention. For example, the amount can be between about 0.1 kg and about 10,000 kg. In a preferred embodiment, the amount is between about 100 kg and about 6000 kg.
• Treatment of the naturally tough chicken or pork with an enzyme mixture according to the present invention can be accomplished using a variety of methods.
• the naturally tough chicken or pork is injected with a solution containing the enzyme mixture using commercially available injection equipment, such as the Fomaco Injector, Robert Reiser Co., Canton, MA US, though any suitable injection equipment can be used as will be understood by those in the art with reference to this disclosure.
• the sites of injection are less than about 7.5 cm apart.
• the naturally tough chicken or pork is injected with a solution containing the composition.
• the weight ratio of composition to naturally tough chicken or pork is between about 1:200 and about 1:1500. In a preferred embodiment, the ratio of composition to naturally tough chicken or pork is between about 1:450 and about 1:650.
• naturally tough chicken or pork that is to be cooked by grilling or microwaving can be injected with a solution of the composition, ice, NaCl and potable water in a ratio of 1 : 13: 1.7:55.
• naturally tough chicken or pork that is to be cooked by a convention gas or an electric oven can be injected with a mixture of the composition, ice, NaCl and potable water in a ratio of 1 :20:2.5:80.
• the ice is used to cool the injection solution before injection to retard spoilage and melts during the injection process.
• the amount of the solution injected is between about 9% and about 15%of the weight of the chicken being injected. In a preferred embodiment, the amount of the solution injected is about 12%of the weight of the chicken being injected.
• the amount of the solution injected is between about 6% and about 15%of the weight of the pork being injected. In a preferred embodiment, the amount of the solution injected is about 10% of the weight of the pork being injected.
• the method further comprises adding one or more than one substance selected from the group consisting of flavoring such as spices, NaCl, moisture enhancing agents such as sodium phosphate, preservatives such sodium lactate, and potable water to the naturally tough chicken or pork to improve the taste, texture or other property of the finished product.
• flavoring such as spices, NaCl
• moisture enhancing agents such as sodium phosphate
• preservatives such sodium lactate
• potable water to the naturally tough chicken or pork to improve the taste, texture or other property of the finished product.
• the method further comprises tumbling the treated naturally tough chicken or pork at a pressure and rotation speed selected to more evenly distribute the enzyme mixture or composition throughout the treated chicken.
• the pressure and rotation speed are chosen so as to separate the fibers of treated naturally tough chicken or pork without shredding or tearing apart the fibers permanently, that is, while retaining the fibers' structural cohesiveness.
• the tumbling is performed in a near vacuum at between about 10 and about 15 revolutions per minute for between about 15 and about 30 minutes. The near vacuum combined with the rotation separates the muscle fibers of the treated naturally tough chicken or pork allowing more rapid and uniform distribution of the enzymes.
• the treated naturally tough chicken or pork is tumbled in a finned vacuum tumbler with a central sealable chamber that can be operated at a specific pressure and rotation speed such as the Model LT30, available from Lance Industries, Allenton, WI US or a similar device, as will be understood by those with skill in the art with reference to this disclosure.
• a specific pressure and rotation speed such as the Model LT30, available from Lance Industries, Allenton, WI US or a similar device, as will be understood by those with skill in the art with reference to this disclosure.
• the method further comprises exposing the treated naturally tough chicken or pork to a relative vacuum in a closed container.
• Containers are selected that can be sealed to maintain a vacuum for preserving the chicken.
• the container is a polymer bag, such as available from W. R. Grace & Co., Sioux City, Iowa.
• the treated naturally tough chicken or pork is placed in the container and a vacuum is applied.
• the vacuum is a near vacuum of about -1.5 bar. The container tends to assume the shape of the chicken upon application of the vacuum.
• the method further comprises packaging the treated naturally tough chicken or pork in a suitable commercial package for shipping and storage, or in a suitable commercial package for retail distribution to a consumer, or both.
• Packaging can include labeling as required by local laws and branding with a trademark or trade name and can include decorative wrapping for marketing purposes.
• the method further comprises cooking the treated naturally tough chicken or pork before packaging.
• the cooking can be done by any suitable method as will be understood by those in the art with reference to this disclosure.
• the treated naturally tough chicken or pork can be placed in an oven or in a hot water bath.
• the treated naturally tough chicken or pork is cooked until its core temperature is raised to at least about 70°C for chicken and to at least about 65 °C for pork. If the treated naturally tough chicken or pork is cooked before packaging, then the cooked treated naturally tough chicken or pork is preferably cooled also before packaging.
• the treated naturally tough chicken or pork can be distributed to an intermediate wholesale or retail establishment, and thereby to a consumer, or can be distributed directly to a consumer.
• the consumer cooks the treated naturally tough chicken or pork using conventional methods, or if the product has been cooked prior to packaging, reheats the product if desired or consumes the product without reheating.
• the treated naturally tough chicken or pork can be removed from the packaging and container and can be barbecued, grilled, microwaved, prepared on a stove top or in an oven, or cooked using another conventional method, and the post-preparation product is consistently tender and suitable for human consumption.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Nutrition Science (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Microbiology (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Meat, Egg Or Seafood Products (AREA)
• Medicines That Contain Protein Lipid Enzymes And Other Medicines (AREA)

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• 2001
  • 2001-11-16 WO PCT/US2001/043484 patent/WO2003032754A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-11-16 IL IL16142701A patent/IL161427A0/xx unknown
  • 2001-11-16 JP JP2003535568A patent/JP2005505292A/ja active Pending
  • 2001-11-16 KR KR10-2004-7005577A patent/KR20040045836A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-11-16 EP EP01995867A patent/EP1441601A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-11-16 MX MXPA04003632A patent/MXPA04003632A/es unknown
  • 2001-11-16 BR BR0117152-6A patent/BR0117152A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-11-16 CN CNA018238726A patent/CN1582118A/zh active Pending
  • 2001-11-16 CA CA002466163A patent/CA2466163A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-11-16 AU AU2002226917A patent/AU2002226917B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

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