A food processing system is provided with: a heating unit equipped with a heating mechanism for indirectly heating food; a cooling unit equipped with an air blowing cooler for cooling the food heated by the heating unit; and a conveyor for transferring the food through the heating unit and the cooling unit. The integrated food processing system allows a large amount of sterilized food having a good texture, good taste and long shelf life to be provided.

The present invention refers to a process for improving the sensory quality of pelagic fish with a size between 12 and 16 cm; wherein the conditions in the indirect cooking stages at a temperature of 90 to 95° C. for 20 to 40 minutes and light drying at a temperature of 30 to 40° C. for 13 to 20 minutes, carried out prior to packaging, allows improving the skin texture of the fish in a very important way for the packaging operation and for the end customer

The continuous pasteurization system (100) that pasteurizes raw food products (104) while substantially maintaining the raw state of the raw food products includes a conveyor (102) on which the raw food products (104) are loaded for delivery to a pasteurization apparatus 36, wherein the raw food products are quickly heated so that the temperature of the outer surface of the raw food products is raised sufficiently to achieve a desired pathogen kill level. Thereafter, the raw food products (104) are immediately cooled in a cooling apparatus (110) to remove the heat applied to the raw food product and maintain the substantial raw state of the raw food product. A control system (24) is connected to a processor (30) as well as various measuring devices and instruments, including temperature measurement devices (T.sub.1-T.sub.5) to control the operation of the pasteurization system (100).

A heating medium injector includes an injector structure defining a heating medium flow path and a product flow path. The heating medium flow path extends to a contact location, while the product flow path also extends to the contact location. The contact location comprises a location at which the heating medium flow path and product flow path merge within the injector. In a region along the product flow path, the product flow path is defined between a first flow surface and a second flow surface. The first flow surface comprises a surface of a boundary wall separating the heating medium flow path from the product flow path and the second flow surface comprises a surface of an opposing second boundary wall. The second flow surface is in substantial thermal communication with a second flow surface cooling structure.

A method for preparing a shelf-stable, high-moisture food product is disclosed, including drying the pre-pasteurized food item to a water activity between 0.86 and 0.94; and vacuum packing the dried food item in an oxygen impermeable and water-impermeable membrane.

Meat processing methods providing reduced contamination from microbial sources, improved tenderness of the resulting meat product, and enhanced processing efficiency by decreasing cost, water usage, wastewater output, time, and energy necessary for processing meat carcasses are disclosed. The methods utilize hot water spray of the carcass in addition to subzero chilling. The methods reduce bacterial population during meat production, including both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The hot water also cleans the carcass before exposure to the chilled water such that the chilled water can be used repeatedly.

A method for treating an animal carcass (3) after slaughtering, comprising: a) placing the carcass (3) into a chamber (2), and b) disinfecting the carcass (3) within the chamber (2) by maintaining an oxygen concentration within the chamber (2) above 20% and maintaining a temperature of the carcass (3) above 10° C. With the described method and use an animal carcass (3) can be disinfected particularly efficiently, in particular with respect to campylobacter bacteria. Therefore, the carcass (3) is subjected to an oxygen concentration above 20% and to a temperature above 10° C.

A system includes a vacuum chamber, a vacuum source, and a mixture flow path adapted to be connected to receive the output of a direct steam injector. The vacuum source is operatively connected to a vacuum port of the vacuum chamber, while a product outlet port from the vacuum chamber is adapted to be connected to an arrangement for removing treated product from the vacuum chamber. The mixture flow path includes a flow path segment outside of the vacuum chamber volume and a flow path segment within the vacuum chamber volume. At least some of a surface defining the flow path segment within the vacuum chamber is in substantial thermal communication with one or more cooling structures.

A process for producing a protein product for addition to raw meat wherein the source of the protein product is animal muscle or mechanically deboned meat. The animal muscle tissue is homogenized. Protein in the homogenate is solubilized. Solubilized homogenate is heated to a temperature required for pasteurization and/or sterilization according to known standards. The homogenate is then optionally adjusted to a value at which the protein precipitates. The protein product of the present invention is free of bacteria and toxins and can be used as meat or added to raw meat for delivery to a consumer as uncooked meat.

The present invention relates to the use of pea starch to replace egg white in texturised seafood analogue products. The invention also relates to a texturised seafood analogue product substantially free of egg white comprising pea starch and potato starch. The invention further relates to a method of preparation of said texturised seafood analogue products.