Method for treatment of containerized foods

• US 6,210,730 B1
• Filed: 05/25/1999
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jerry L. Mitchell
• Original Assignee: Jerry L. Mitchell
• Inventors: Mitchell, Jerry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tentoni, Leo B.
• Application Number:
  US09/318,161
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 426/312, 426/316, 426/320, 426/321, 426/324, 426/326, 426/327, 426/332, 426/333, 426/335, 426/392, 426/393, 426/410, 426/418, 426/518, 426/524, 426/602, 53/432, 53/434, 53/512
• US Class Current: 426/312
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 4/16 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 5/10 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/148 in a controlled atmosphere, e.g. partial vacuum, comprising only CO2, N2, O2 or H2O
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/152 in a controlled atmosphere comprising other gases in addition to CO2, N2, O2 or H2O ; Elimination of such other gases
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/3409 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/3418 in a controlled atmosphere, e.g. partial vacuum, comprising only CO2, N2, O2 or H2O
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/3445 in a controlled atmosphere comprising other gases in addition to CO2, N2, O2 or H2O
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/40 using supercritical fluid as mobile phase or eluent
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/001 of foodstuffs, combined with their conservation B65B25/041, B65B25/062, B65B25/067 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/08 the nozzle being adapted to pierce the container or wrapper
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/20 under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas B65D81/28 takes precedence; containers with pressurising means for maintaining ball pressure A63B39/025
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/02 Column chromatography

Abstract

A method for treating a perishable meat product including the steps of chilling the meat product to within a selected temperature range, exposing the chilled meat product to a chilled gas mixture containing a significant fraction of inert gas, and thereafter removing the chilled gas and exchanging that gas with a gas mixture containing a high oxygen fraction.

Claims

1. A method for treating perishable meat products within a sealed container, comprising:

chilling the product to between 26-36°

F.;

exposing the chilled product to a chilled gas mixture to slow the respiration of the muscle tissue where said mixture comprises a combination of an inert gas and at least 15 percent carbon dioxide, where further said gas mixture is introduced to and maintained about said product at a positive pressure for a selected residence time to achieve penetration of said mixture into the meat product.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of replacing said chilled gas mixture with a second gas having a significant oxygen fraction.

3. The method of claim 1 where said chilled gas mixture is introduced at a temperature range of between 26 and 36°

F.

4. The method of claim 1 where said chilled gas mixture is introduced during the initial packing stage of the meat product.

5. The method of claim 1 where said inert gas is nitrogen.

6. The method of claim 1 where said inert gas is selected from the group consisting of the noble gases.

7. The method of claim 1 where the chilled gas mixture is introduced at a positive pressure of between 5 to 60 millibars.

8. The method of claim 1 where the residence time is that time sufficient to establish an average penetration of the chilled gas into an intact tissue of some 5-7 mm.

9. The method of claim 1 where the residence time is that time sufficient to establish a complete penetration of a ground meat product.

10. The method of claim 2 where said second gas is comprised of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

11. The method of claim 2 where said second gas includes carbon monoxide.

12. The method of claim 1 where said gas mixture comprises a combination of inert gas and at least 15% carbon dioxide and 1% hydrogen.

13. The method of claim 1 further including the step of reducing the void fraction of the ground meat product or intact meat portion.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the gas is flushed through a resealable valve.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein the gas is flushed through a selectively permeable film.

14. A method for treating perishable meat products within a sealed container, where said method is adapted to reduce the liquid exudate from the product, comprising:

chilling the product to a temperature between 26-36°

F.;

exposing the product to a chilled gas mixture comprising from 70 to 85% inert gas and 15 to 30% carbon dioxide, where such gas is introduced at a temperature range of between 20-36°

F., where further this chilled gas mixture is introduced at a positive pressure between 5-60 millibars.

15. The method of claim 14 further including the step of introducing a second gas to induce a bloom of the product.

16. The method of claim 14 where the chilled gas also includes carbon monoxide.

17. The method of claim 14 where the chilled gas includes an oxidizer.

18. The method of claim 17 where the oxidizer includes ozone and mixtures including ozone as a component.

19. The method of claim 14 further including the step of replacing the chilled gas with a second gas by flushing said second gas through the sealed container.

21. The method of claim 19 where said container is at least partially comprised of a permeable film where the permeability of the film is mechanically induced.

23. A method for treating perishable meat products within a sealed container, where said container includes a tray and a selectively impermeable lid, comprising:

chilling the meat product to between 26-36°

F.;

exposing the chilled product to a chilled gas mixture to slow the respiration of the muscle tissue where said mixture comprises a combination of an inert gas and at least 15% carbon dioxide, where further said gas is introduced to and maintained about said meat product at a positive pressure for a selected residence time to promote penetration of said gas into the meat product and to achieve conversion from deoxymyoglobin to oxymyoglobin when meat product is exposed to oxygen.

24. The method of claim 23 further including the step of replacing the chilled gas mixture with a second gas.

25. The method of claim 23 where said sealed container at least partially comprises a tray and a selectively permeable lid where said permeable lid comprises a gas impermeable outer film layer and a gas permeable inner layer, where the combination is sealed to the tray.

26. The method of claim 25 where said chilled gas mixture is introduced through said inner film layer by removing said outer film layer.

27. The method of claim 24 where said second gas includes a significant oxygen fraction.

28. A method for treating a perishable product comprising the steps of:

sealing the product within a container;

chilling the product to between 26-36°

F.;

exposing the chilled product to a chilled gas mixture to slow the respiration of the muscle tissue where said mixture comprises a combination of inert gas, at least 15% carbon dioxide, and at least 45% oxygen, where further said gas is introduced to and maintained about said product at a positive pressure for a selected residence time to promote penetration of the gas mixture into the meat product.

29. The method of claim 28 where said gas mixture;

is introduced through a selectively permeable film forming the lid on the container.

30. The method of claim 28 where the product includes an emulsion of muscle tissue, fat, water and a binding agent.

31. The method of claim 30 where the binding agent is a grain derivative.

32. A method of treating a perishable fruit product including the steps of:

sealing the fruit product within a container;

tempering the product to between 45-80°

F.;

introducing a tempered and humidified gas mixture into the container to slow the ripening process where said mixture comprises a combination of inert gases, where said gas mixture is maintained about said product for a selected residence time to delay oxidation and dehydration of said product.

33. The method claim 32 where said gas mixture includes nitrogen, carbon dioxide and ethylene.

34. A method for treating an egg product comprising the steps of:

sealing the egg product within a container;

chilling the egg product to between 40-65°

F.;

introducing a chilled and humidified inert gas mixture into said container, where said gas mixture is maintained about said product at a positive pressure for a selected residence time.

35. The method of claim 34 where said gas mixture includes nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

36. A method for treating a raw meat, poultry or fish product so as to stabilize and equilibrate pigment enzymes in said product, comprising the steps of:

exposing the raw product to an anaerobic environment within a sealed, first container;

chilling the product to a temperature between 26-42°

F.;

removing said product from said container;

fabricating said product; and

packaging said fabricated product in a second, sealed gas impermeable container.

37. The method of claim 36 further including the step of vacuum packaging the product for a selected residence time.

38. The method of claim 36 further including the step of introducing oxygen into the second container so as to produce oxymyoglobin.

39. The method of claim 36 further introducing the step of exposing the product to a mixture of inert gas and carbon dioxide.

40. The method of claim 39 where said mixture is introduced at ambient pressure.

41. The method of claim 36 further including the step of introducing a second gas to induce a bloom of the product.

42. The method of claim 41 where the second gas includes carbon monoxide.

43. The method of claim 41 where the second gas includes an oxidizer.

44. The method of claim 43 where the oxidizer includes ozone as a component.

45. The method of claim 38 including the step of replacing the first gas with a second gas by flushing the second gas through the sealed container.

46. The method of claim 45 where said second gas is flushed through a resealable valve.

47. The method of claim 45 where the sealed container includes a impermeable film sealed about a permeable film where the impermeable film is removed so as to allow the product exposure to the atmosphere through the permeable film while in the sealed container.

48. The method of claim 36 where the second gas mixture is introduced at a pressure greater than ambient pressure.

49. The method of claim 36 where said sealed container consists of a dual barrier of an inner permeable barrier and an outer impermeable barrier.

50. The method of claim 36 further including the step of introducing an anoxic gas mixture in said second package.

51. The method of claim 50 where said anoxic gas is 70-85% inert gas and 15-30% carbon dioxide.

52. The method of claim 50 where said anoxic gas is carbon dioxide.

53. A method for treating a perishable meat product within a sealable container such that the pigment enzymes in said product are stabilized and equilibrated in a substantially anaerobic environment while said product exists in a coarse, ground state, the method comprising the steps of:

chilling the product to a temperature between 22-42°

F.;

maintaining the product in a substantially anaerobic environment within a first sealed container;

removing the product from the container; and

repackaging the product in a second, gas impermeable container.

54. The method of claim 53 further including the step of exposing the product while in the second container to a mixture of carbon dioxide and inert gas where this mixture is introduced at positive pressure.

55. The method of claim 53 further including the step of introducing a second gas into said second container to induce a bloom of said product.

56. The method of claim 55 where said gas mixture comprises between 65-80% oxygen and 15-30% carbon dioxide.

57. The method of claim 56 further including an inert gas.

58. A method for treating a perishable meat product within a sealable container comprising the steps of:

placing the product in a substantially anaerobic environment for a selected period of time;

preparing the product for introduction to an oxygen containing atmosphere where said preparation includes the steps of;

chilling the product to a temperature between 22-42°

F.;

removing the product from the container;

fabricating the product by cutting or grinding; and

repackaging the product in a second, gas impermeable container.