Process for the preparation of a food product

• US 5,413,800 A
• Filed: 11/10/1993
• Issued: 05/09/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unilever Patent Holdings BV (Unilever PLC)
• Original Assignee: Unilever Patent Holdings BV (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Bell, James, Jones, Robert D., Graber, Hans, Vollinger, Klaus B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yeung, George
• Application Number:
  US08/149,821
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 426/241, 426/243, 426/305, 426/307, 219/411
• US Class Current: 426/241
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 13/03 Coating with a layer; Stuffing, laminating, binding, or compressing of original meat pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 17/70 Comminuted, e.g. emulsified, fish products; Processed products therefrom such as pastes, reformed or compressed products A23L17/65, A23L17/10, A23L17/20, A23L17/40, A23L17/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/0055 with infrared rays
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/15 using wave energy, irradiation, electrical means or magnetic fields, e.g. oven cooking or roasting using radiant dry heat
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/32 using phonon wave energy, e.g. sound or ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 20/10 Coating with edible coatings, e.g. with oils or fats
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 20/11 Coating with compositions containing a majority of oils, fats, mono/diglycerides, fatty acids, mineral oils, waxes or paraffins

Abstract

A novel process for the preparation of food products comprising rapid total surface heating via high intensity short wave infra-red. A variety of food products can benefit from such a preparation, for example coated products, meat products and vegetables which are heat treated before packaging in order to seal the product and produce a crisp outer layer, those products are then further heated/cooked by the consumer before consumption.

Claims

1. A process for the rapid total surface heating of a food product comprising exposing the food product to an infra-red heat source having an intensity of from 100 kW/m² to 1000 kW/m² and a wavelength of from 0.8 μ

m to 2.5 μ

m.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the infra-red heat source has a wavelength of from 1.1 μ

m to 1.6 μ

m.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the infra-red heat source has a intensity of from 1.50 kW/m² to 500 kW/m².

4. A process according to claim 1 wherein the food product is exposed to the infra-red heat source for from 2 seconds to 100 seconds.

5. A process according to claim 1 wherein the food product is exposed to the infra-red heat source for from 5 seconds to 90 seconds.

6. A process according to claim 1 wherein the food product is exposed to the infra-red heat source for from 10 seconds to 50 seconds.

7. A process according to claim 1 wherein the food product is additionally exposed to an air source.

8. A process according to claim 1 wherein the process additionally includes applying from 0.1 to 4% by weight of the food product oil to the surface of the food product either before or after heating the surface of the food product using high intensity short wave infra-red.

9. A process according to claim 8 wherein the oil is applied to the food product surface via spraying.

10. A process according to claim 8 wherein the oil is applied to the food product surface via incorporation into a coating composition for coating the outer surface of the food product.

11. A process according to claim 1 wherein the food product being heat treated is selected from the group consisting of coated products and vegetables.