The present invention relates to an animal feed and method for producing the same. The animal feed comprises a laminar dispersion of droplets of a viscous gel within a meat and/or fish emulsion, wherein the viscous gel is substantially free of gas bubbles.

The invention relates to a device and a method that can be carried out using said device, for producing meat products using pieces of raw meat that are joined together and subsequently cooked and/or that absorb a liquid composition. The device has working surfaces that encompass an inner volume, at least one of said working surfaces having a drive for back-and-forth motion and for pressing the at least one working surface against pieces of raw meat situated in the inner volume that is encompassed by the working surfaces.

A method for the separation of fat from meat. The method includes transferring a mixture through a conduit, wherein the mixture comprises lean particles with frozen water, fat particles, and a fluid, allowing the frozen water in the lean particles to thaw as the mixture travels through the conduit, and increases a density of the lean particles, accumulating the lean particles with non-frozen water at a first elevation in the conduit, and accumulating fat particles at a second elevation in the conduit, wherein the first elevation is lower than the second elevation.

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.

The present disclosure provide a whole-muscle meat analogue product and method of producing the same, the product comprising (i) a protein mass including protein strands and (ii) a plurality of fluid accommodating spaces within the protein mass, the plurality of fluid accommodating spaces having a length and cross-sectional dimension perpendicular to said length wherein at least a portion of said fluid accommodating spaces are elongated spaces extending between a first end and a second end; wherein the length of the fluid accommodating elongated spaces is at least 2 mm and is at least twice larger than said cross sectional dimension; wherein at least 40% of said elongated spaces have essentially the same nominal direction, one with respect to another, within said whole-muscle meat analogue product; and wherein said fluid in the fluid accommodating spaces is a gas.

The present invention relates to amorphous food materials containing an amount of protein and processes for its manufacture. More particularly, the present invention relates to amorphous protein extrudates containing high concentrations of protein, processes for manufacturing such protein extrudates, and the use of such protein extrudates as food ingredients.

A cold forming process for forming a meat patty includes heating a ground meat product to a temperature T.sub.1, wherein T.sub.140 F. The ground meat product is formed into an uncooked patty at temperature T.sub.1. The uncooked patty is precooked to form a precooked patty having a skin of depth D comprising denatured protein. The skin is formed on at least an area on the outside of the precooked patty. At least a first portion of the meat product disposed beneath said skin is at approximately T.sub.1. The precooked patty is cooked to form a cooked patty, wherein said at least a first portion of the meat product is at a temperature T.sub.2. The cooked patty is then frozen and then packaged.

A meat-containing puffed pellet, a meat-containing puffed food prepared therefrom, and a preparation method for such are described. The method includes feeding meat into a meat grinder and sequentially passing the meat through a first orifice plate, a double-sided reamer, and a second orifice plate of the meat grinder to obtain minced meat. Thereafter, the minced meat may be fed to an emulsification apparatus for emulsification to obtain emulsified meat, which may then be mixed with grain to form a mixture. The mixture may be feed into an extrusion apparatus for extrusion to obtain meat-containing puffed pellet. The prepared puffed pellet has a high meat content (for example, 42 wt. % or more), uniform distribution, and a loose texture, and it is suitable for subsequent pressure-molding to prepare the puffed food with high meat content and crispy texture.

A method of cutting a meat portion to make a plurality of meat slices according to exemplary aspects includes cutting the meat portion in a planar spiral pattern, thereby creating an elongated strip, wherein the planar spiral pattern comprises a curve on a two-dimensional plane coincident with a substantially planar surface of the meat portion.

Methods and devices heat or cool viscous materials, such as meat emulsions useful for producing food and other products. The devices have a heat exchanger including a first plate, a second plate attached to the first plate, and a first spacer and a second spacer arranged between the first plate and the second plate. The first plate, the second plate, the first spacer, and the second spacer define at least one temperature controlled passage for a product to pass through the heat exchanger.