A cold forming process for forming a meat patty includes heating a ground meat product to a temperature T.sub.1, wherein T.sub.1≤40° 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.

The present composition for maintaining or improving the quality of processed meat comprises on a dry matter basis: between 20 and 60% w/w acid equivalent of an organic acid component selected from the group of acetate, lactate and combinations thereof; between 0.05 and 5% w/w acid equivalent of nitrite; between 0.5 and 5% w/w acid equivalent of ascorbate; and between 5 and 50% w/w of a vegetal fiber selected from the group of microfibrillated cellulose fiber, inulin and combinations thereof; wherein the composition when diluted with distilled water of 20° C. to a dry matter content of 10% w/w has a pH in the range of 5.0 to 9.0.

This composition can replace conventional stabilizers, acid regulators and anti-oxidants without deteriorating the quality of the processed meat. Furthermore, this composition can be composed of “label friendly” ingredients, with a more attractive consumer perception.

The invention also relates to a method for the preparation of the aforementioned meat treatment composition.

The invention relates to a composition for maintaining or improving the quality of processed meat, said composition comprising on a dry matter basis: between 20 and 75% w/w acid equivalent of a salt of an organic acid component selected from the group of acetate, lactate and combinations thereof; between 10 and 75% w/w of plasma protein; and between 0.5 and 5% w/w acid equivalent of ascorbate; wherein the composition when diluted with distilled water of 20° C. to a dry matter content of 10% w/w has a pH in the range of 5.0 to 9.0.

This composition can replace conventional stabilizers, acid regulators and anti-oxidants without deteriorating the quality of the processed meat. Furthermore, this composition can be composed of “label friendly” ingredients, with a more attractive consumer perception.

The invention also relates to a method for the preparation of the aforementioned meat treatment composition.

The invention relates to a composition for maintaining or improving the quality of processed meat, said composition comprising on a dry matter basis: between 20 and 60% w/w acid equivalent of an organic acid component selected from the group of acetate, lactate and combinations thereof; between 0.02 and 2% w/w acid equivalent of glutamate; and between 5 and 50% w/w of a vegetal fiber selected from the group of microfibrillated cellulose fiber, inulin and combinations thereof
wherein the composition when diluted with distilled water of 20° C. to a dry matter content of 10% w/w has a pH in the range of 5.0 to 9.0.

This composition can replace conventional stabilizers, acid regulators and anti-oxidants without deteriorating the quality of the processed meat. Furthermore, this composition can be composed of vegetal ingredients, with a more attractive consumer perception.

The invention also relates to a method for the preparation of the aforementioned meat treatment composition.

The present application relates to a frozen product for microwave cooking.

A method of making a food product can include forming an emulsion containing a meat and a firming agent that is one or more of plasma, whole egg powder, guar gum, pea fiber, pea protein, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or a modified cereal starch; directing the emulsion through a die to form a meat analog; cooking the meat analog with steam; and cutting the meat analog into thin flakes. The method can include cooling the meat analog before the cutting. The method can include mixing the thin flakes of the meat analog with jelly or gravy to form a blended food composition in which a ratio of the flakes to the jelly or gravy is about 30:70 to about 70:30.

A beef-like hybrid meat product combining two families of animal is provided, along with methods of producing the beef-like hybrid meat product.

A device for producing meat products includes an assembly formed from a plurality of walls maintainable in a fixed relationship to one another during a joining operation, surfaces of the plurality of walls defining work surfaces disposed to surround raw pieces of meat placed therein to be joined. A drive mechanism is configured to drive the assembly, which can form a cooking container such as a cooking box, along a first axis in a reciprocating movement of at least 10 mm along the first axis at frequency of at least 1 Hz and to drive the assembly along a second axis in a reciprocating movement of at least 10 mm along the second axis at frequency of at least 1 Hz, wherein the first axis and the second axis are angled with respect to each other, and the drive mechanism drives the assembly at different frequencies along the first and second axes.

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.

A beef-like hybrid meat product combining two families of animal is provided, along with methods of producing the beef-like hybrid meat product.