GB2348353A

GB2348353A - Sausages containing an inner flavoured supplement

Info

Publication number: GB2348353A
Application number: GB9907561A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Greville Euan Gordon Bagg; Stephen Morris
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-04-01
Filing date: 1999-04-01
Publication date: 2000-10-04
Also published as: GB9907561D0

Abstract

A sausage 1 comprises a co-extruded column or ribbon 2 of flavour supplement within the vegetarian or meat-based matrix of the sausage. The supplement is of liquid, slurry or paste consistency, is formulated to remain as its original consistency during cooking and is preferably discontinuous 4 to reduce exudation during the cooking and eating processes. Preferably, the flavour of the supplement 2 strongly contrasts and complements that of the sausage matrix so that a wide range of tastes can be created with different combinations of sausage constituents. Preferably, the cross-sectional shape (5,6, Fig.2) of the supplement can be formulated to increase consumer appeal or to emphasise a marketing theme of the promoter or retailer and to maximise retention of the supplement during the cooking process.

Description

FLAVOURED SAUSAGES This invention relates to sausages of the type which contain pockets of flavour supplements embedded within a homogeneous finely minced phase and packed into a tube shaped animal intestine or synthetic casing Conventional sausage products made from blended and compounded ingredients consequently suffer from a blandness of epicurean texture and taste due to the inherent homogeneity of the product.

Increasing or modifying the flavour of the blend does not necessarily increase enjoyment due to the uniformity throughout the product. It is common practice therefore for the consumer to add highly flavoured sauces or materials such as mustard or tomato ketchup after cooking and before consumption in order to increase enjoyment. However the practice of applying external coatings or dips of, say, sauce, relish or pickles tends to result in a shock to the palate because they overwhelm the taste sensors and thereby deaden the palate to the more subtle flavours of the sausage matrix. Further this practice is wasteful of flavour supplements. It is not economically practical for a cooked food provider to offer an extensive range of food supplements as perhaps customers might wish, especially when customers expect these to seem freshly prepared. He is also disinclined to obtain bulk supplies of"experimental" flavours. The practice of food supplement suppliers to offer sealed sachets of flavours as"one-serve" packs has to some extent addressed this problem, at least in terms of reducing waste, but there is consumer resistance for"quality"establishment. This invention allows the sausage manufacturer to provide a wide range of economical flavour combinations which are presented so as to maximise consumer appreciation and retail profit.

It is reported that the enjoyment of food can be increased through enhancing the various sensations of texture, taste and appearance, and that the perception and appreciation (i. e. enjoyment) of such sensations are further increased by their change during chewing and between mouthfuls. Variety is an important factor to eating enjoyment and a key factor can be the rapidity and frequency of sensation change. The quality of a meal is often judged by the accompanying sauces which are prepared and served separately and which therefore permit constantly varying relative concentrations of flavour, colour and pattern during eating.

An object of this invention is to provide a discrete column or ribbon of lubricating flavour concentrate supplement in an otherwise uniform product during manufacture and which remains in situ during cooking. This dramatically increases the eating enjoyment through the sensory technical effect of biting or cutting into the flavour column or ribbon, provides visual novelty which is important to stimulate the consumer appreciation, and increases the convenience of eating as separate external sauces are no longer necessary.

Another object of this invention is to simplify the production of and increase the number of flavour combinations which can be produced by adding different flavour supplements to different primary phase recipes A third object of this invention is to be able to colour and shape the cross-section of the column or ribbon of flavour supplement to suit the retailer marketing requirements in promotion of specific circumstances, events, trademarks or proprietary products, and to emphasise the flavour column or ribbon to provide novelty which increases the consumer appeal.

Accordingly, this invention provides a sausage in the form of a skin-enveloped extruded matrix of minced and compacted nutritious material (either meat-based or vegetarian) wherein there is within the matrix a co-extruded column or ribbon of flavour supplement of liquid, slurry, or paste consistency so formulated that it substantially remains as such during the cooking process.

Preferably the co-extruded column or ribbon of flavour supplement is discontinuous to reduce exudation during the cooking and eating processes.

Preferably the flavour of the column or ribbon of flavour supplement strongly contrasts and complements that of the sausage matrix so that a wide range of a unique taste sensations can be easily created with different combinations simply by changing one or other of the sausage constituents.

Preferably the cross sectional shape and colour of the column or ribbon of flavour supplement should emphasise the flavour or marketing theme of the retailer and provide for increased consumer appeal. A more complex shape than the simple circle also helps to retain the flavour supplement component and minimise extrusion during cooking.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which : FIGURE 1 shows a side sectioned view of two typical product arrangements for containing flavour supplement columns or ribbons within the sausages.

FIGURE 2 shows a cross-sectioned view of two typical products each with a different specially shaped flavour supplement column or ribbon.

As shown in Figure 1, the sausage is manufactured with a column or ribbon of the flavour supplement.

In the first sausage 1, there is a single flavour column or ribbon 2 embedded within the main filling.

An alternative arrangement is shown in the second sausage 3, where the flavour column or ribbon 4 is discontinuous to reduce exudation on eating.

Whereas the sausage is essentially round in cross section due to the tension of the skin, as shown by 1 in Figure 2, the column or ribbon of flavour supplement may be advantageously manufactured with a variety of cross sectional shapes using appropriately designed extrusion nozzles This is demonstrated by the shapes 5 and 6 in Figure 2, being symbolic of the simple shapes so formulated that they can represent particular marketing themes. Other shapes with appropriate colours and flavours may be selected to represent and thereby promote specific occasions or commercial products and add customer appeal. Such shapes also advantageously help to retain the flavour supplement during the cooking process by entrapping particles within the flavour supplement.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A sausage in the form of a skin-enveloped extruded matrix of minced and compacted nutritious material (either meat-based or vegetarian) wherein there is within the matrix a co-extruded column or ribbon of flavour supplement of liquid, slurry, or paste consistency so formulated that it substantially remains as such during the cooking process.
2. A sausage as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the column or ribbon of flavour supplement is discontinuous to reduce exudation during the cooking and eating processes.
3. A sausage as claimed in any preceeding claim, wherein the flavour of the co-extruded column or ribbon of flavour supplement strongly contrasts and complements that of the sausage matrix so that a wide range of a unique taste sensations are easily created with different combinations simply by changing one or other of the sausage constituents.
4. A sausage as claimed in any preceeding claim, wherein the colour and cross sectional shape of the column or ribbon of flavour supplement is so formulated to emphasise the flavour or to emphasise the marketing theme of the promoter or retailer or to increase consumer appeal.
5. A sausage as claimed in any preceeding claim, wherein the cross sectional shape of the column or ribbon of flavour supplement is so formulated to maximise retention of the flavour supplement during the cooking process.
6. A sausage substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.