Moisture is retained in cooked or thawed food by adding to the food an aqueous suspension of animal muscle protein obtained from animal muscle tissue. The aqueous suspension is obtained by mixing comminuted animal muscle tissue with a food grade base to form an aqueous basic solution of animal muscle protein. The basic solution is mixed with a food grade acid to precipitate the protein in an aqueous composition. The precipitated protein then is comminuted to form an aqueous suspension of comminuted animal muscle protein.

The invention is an improved mold for producing a product (e.g., a hot dog bun). The mold includes a U-shaped base stabilized by supports at either end of the base. The mold further includes an arm positioned within the base cavity, thereby forming the unique shape to the produced bun. Advantageously, the product (e.g., hot dog bun) produced by the mold has a curved exterior configured to extend around a secondary product (e.g., a hot dog).

A process for continuously producing a plurality of fully cooked, cured and battered frank products such as mini corndogs on a single production line is provided. The process comprises fully cooking the frank products after they have been battered.

The invention relates to a filling machine and a method for filling a pasty mass, in particular for the production of sausages, with a vane cell pump for conveying the paste mass, a vacuum pump for generating negative pressure in the vane cell pump, where the housing of the vane cell pump comprises an evacuation opening via which the vacuum pump can evacuate the vane cells. The evacuation opening is formed in the cover of the vane cell pump.

Moisture is retained in cooked or thawed food by adding to the food an aqueous suspension of animal muscle protein obtained from animal muscle tissue. The aqueous suspension is obtained by mixing comminuted animal muscle tissue with a food grade base to form an aqueous basic solution of animal muscle protein. The basic solution is mixed with a food grade acid to precipitate the protein in an aqueous composition. The precipitated protein then is comminuted to form an aqueous suspension of comminuted animal muscle protein.

A method and installation for processing a mass of pumpable foodstuff material, for example a ground meat mass. The installation comprises a hopper and a positive displacement pump having an inlet and an outlet. A tube structure connects to the outlet of the pump and has a mouth, e.g. leading to a molding device or a sausage machine. A controllable vacuum assembly causes controlled evacuation of air from the mass in the trajectory of the mass from the hopper to a pump chamber. A controllable aeration assembly causes controlled introduction of a gas into the mass at one or more locations in the trajectory of the mass between the pump outlet and the mouth. A gas pressure control device introduces gas into the mass at a controlled pressure that is at least equal to the actual pressure of the mass at the location of introduction of the gas.

It has been found that high amounts of aspartate equivalents in combination with vitamin B12 and/or biotin, especially in relative absence of glutamate equivalents, improve the metabolism of ketobodies and/or lactate in a mammal's body, especially in diseased or traumatic conditions. As a result, levels of ketobodies and lactate can be decreased and unphysicologically high acidity normalised. Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an enteral nutritional or a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment and/or prevention of disturbed ketone and lactate metabolism, i.e. elevated concentrations of ketone bodies, lactate and/or other organic acids and/or insufficient pH homeostasis, especially elevated concentrations of ketone bodies and/or lactate, in a mammal's blood, wherein the composition comprises high amounts of aspartate equivalents in combination with vitamin B12 and/or biotin, preferably in relative absence of glutamate equivalents.

A system for producing food product may include an inner tube configured to extrude a first component, and an outer tube provided about the inner tube to define an annular space through which a second component is extruded, the inner and outer tubes (alone or in conjunction with a nozzle or other extrusion mechanism defining an outlet. Additionally, a collagen head can be configured to apply a layer of collagen gel over the second component. The inner and outer tubes are sized, and flow rate may be configured such that an initial diameter of the first component exiting the outlet is substantially smaller than a final diameter of the first component, and an initial thickness of the second component exiting the outlet is substantially greater than a final thickness of the second component.

A system for producing food products may include an inner tube configured to extrude a first component, and an outer tube provided about the inner tube to define an annular space through which a second component is extruded, the inner and outer tubes (alone or in conjunction with a nozzle or other extrusion mechanism defining an outlet. Additionally, a collagen head can be configured to apply a layer of collagen gel over the second component. The inner and outer tubes are sized, and flow rate may be configured such that an initial diameter of the first component exiting the outlet is substantially smaller than a final diameter of the first component, and an initial thickness of the second component exiting the outlet is substantially greater than a final thickness of the second component.

A novel smokable thermoplastic film, smokable by both liquid smoke and gaseous smoke, that may be produced as a film or a tube, as in a food casing. This newly disclosed film is a blend of a polyamide base, an amorphous polyvinyl alcohol and, optionally, an antiblocking agent.