A blast cell system is disclosed that includes a plurality of bays that are spaced across the blast cell, arranged to hold items to be cooled, wherein each bay is separated from each other bay so as to prevent cross-flow of air from one bay to another bay; a plurality of louvers, each covering a different bay of the plurality of bays; one or more flow sensors, temperature sensors, or both positioned to sense conditions for each of the plurality of bays; and a controller programmed to modulate open-closed positions of each of the plurality of louvers separately from others of the plurality of louvers, so as to allow different volumes of cooling air to flow through each respective bay.

Provided is a method for preserving raw meat, whereby the raw meat can be preserved in a state where meat juice, savory taste, and moisture are retained in the meat itself, while being moderately sterilized. By heating vacuum-packaged raw meat at a temperature higher than 60 degrees Celsius and not higher than 65 degrees Celsius so as to surely avoid reaching a coagulation temperature of protein; further heating the raw meat for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes at a temperature condition of higher than 60 degrees Celsius and not higher than 65 degrees Celsius after the core temperature of the meat has exceeded 60 degrees Celsius; and, after the further heating has been completed, rapidly cooling the meat so that the meat does not freeze, and lowering the core temperature of the meat to 4 degrees Celsius or less, the raw meat can be preserved in a state in which meat juice, savory taste, and moisture are retained in the meat itself, while being moderately sterilized, and the preserved meat can be used as an alternative to raw meat.

A refrigerating and freezing device including a cabinet, and an aging device for aging a to-be-aged material therein is provided in the cabinet. The aging device includes an outer housing and an inner housing provided in the outer housing, and an aging chamber for accommodating the to-be-aged material is defined in the inner housing; two transverse sides of the inner housing and two transverse sides of the outer housing are arranged at intervals to form two longitudinally extending air supply channels, and the air supply channels are communicated with the aging chamber through air supply ports formed in two transverse side plates of the inner housing. The aging device further includes a circulating fan for driving air flow in the two air supply channels to flow into the aging chamber through the air supply ports.

Methods and apparatuses for portioning and storing a meat chub are disclosed, including providing an apparatus comprising: a housing having an opening; a lid removably coupled to the opening of the housing, the lid comprising a plurality of slotted openings; and one or more cutters removably insertable through the plurality of slotted openings; wherein the housing is configured to receive a meat chub through the opening and retain the meat chub within the housing, wherein the lid is configured to secure the meat within the housing when the lid is coupled to the housing, and wherein when the lid is coupled to the housing, the one or more cutters are configured to pass through the plurality of slotted openings to cut through the meat chub retained in the housing.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple measure which can suppress freshness deterioration of a myoglobin-containing food. The present invention relates to a myoglobin-containing food freshness deterioration suppressing material for suppressing freshness deterioration of a myoglobin-containing food, comprising: a substrate comprising a polymer; and an antioxidant with which at least a part of the surface of the substrate is covered, and/or an antioxidant supported in a layer forming at least a part of the surface of the substrate; wherein 0.01 g/m.sup.2 or more and 20 g/m.sup.2 or less of the antioxidant is included relative to the area of the part in which the antioxidant is present, of the surface of the substrate.

A mass of divisible food in a sealed bag is placed between a first part of a frame having a plurality of walls depending from a common plane and forming a plurality of cavities and a second part of the frame having cavities that correspond with and confront the cavities of the first part. The second part is forced toward the first part to pressurize the divisible food in the bag and force the bag to occupy the cavities. Then, the frame, bag and contents are placed in a freezer.

A method of using a fluid-immersion storage and cooking device having a thermal container that defines a first volume and a second volume includes disposing a first food item in the first volume. A second food item and a third food item are disposed in the second volume in a first position and a second position, respectively. A volume of fluid having a first temperature is circulated through the first volume to transfer thermal energy to the first food item. After a predetermined time, at least a portion of the volume of fluid is heated to a second temperature. A portion of the volume of fluid is conveyed to the second volume such that (1) the second food item is substantially submerged in the portion of the volume of fluid and (2) the third food item is disposed substantially outside of the portion of the volume of fluid.

A method of preparing, butchering, cooking, carving and plating a turkey for sale to consumers in a pre-cooked fashion. Either a whole turkey or individual turkey components including turkey breast, turkey thigh meat, drumstick, and wings are selected. The parts are cooked separately to assure complete cooking of each piece. After cooking, and while still hot, the tendons are removed from the drumstick to ease of consumption. The three sections of each wing are separated. Prior to cooking bone and skin is removed from the thighs and the resultant boneless meat is in inserted into a tubular cook-in casing cooked and eventually sliced. The turkey breasts are separated from the bone, soaked in a brine, cooked, and sliced. The cooked turkey components are placed in an oven-safe container in a pleasing and convenient arrangement with the thigh in the middle, flanked by the white meat, drumstick and wing components.

A mass of divisible food in a sealed bag is placed between a first part of a frame having a plurality of walls depending from a common plane and forming a plurality of cavities and a second part of the frame having cavities that correspond with and confront the cavities of the first part. The second part is forced toward the first part to pressurize the divisible food in the bag and force the bag to occupy the cavities. Then, the frame, bag and contents are placed in a freezer.

A process for preserving fresh ground meat comprises the steps of a) packaging fresh ground meat in a sealed package; b) placing the packaged fresh ground meat in a pressurization vessel and closing the vessel; c) pressurizing the pressurization vessel containing the packaged fresh ground meat to an elevated pressure of at least about 50,000 psi pressure so that the packaged fresh ground meat is placed under the elevated pressure; d) maintaining the elevated pressure on the packaged fresh ground meat for a time of from about 1 to about 300 seconds and at a temperature of from about 30 to about 45 F; e) then reducing the pressure on the packaged fresh ground meat to ambient pressure; and f) removing the ground meat from the pressurization vessel. Pathogens are effectively killed using this process, providing manufacturing efficiencies and longer product shelf life as compared to other ground meat handling procedures.