The present invention relates to methods and compositions for improving the quality of meat obtained from an animal. In one aspect, the method relates to feeding an animal a diet containing calcium nitrate. In one aspect, the method relates to improving the redness of the meat color.

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for improving the quality of meat obtained from an animal. In one aspect, the method relates to feeding an animal a diet containing calcium nitrate. In one aspect, the method relates to improving the redness of the meat color.

This invention is in the field of meat processing and contemplates curing compositions and methods of use thereof. The invention also contemplates methods of using the curing compositions in the processing of meat, including both pre-rigor and post-rigor meat.

Animal muscle portions are treated to form an enhanced muscle portion by providing a comminuted meat emulsion made from a first animal muscle tissue and having a pH of from about 6.5 to about 9.5, and adding the emulsion to an animal muscle portion in a manner that promotes uptake and/or distribution of the emulsion into the animal muscle portion to form an enhanced muscle portion. In an aspect, at least about 70% by weight of the protein of the tissue in the emulsion is solubilized, and the protein is not isolated from the tissue. In an aspect, no more than about 30% by weight of the protein of the tissue is precipitated. In an aspect, the tissue is not exposed to acid in a manner that would cause the pH of the tissue to be less than about 5.3. Products prepared by the processes are also described.

Engineered food to promote health and maintain homeostasis in a subject and methods of producing the food.

Provided is a liquid for meat processing, including (A) an oil- or fat-processed starch and (B) one or more alkali agents selected from the group consisting of sodium hydrogen carbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium hydrogen carbonate, and potassium carbonate, in which a pH of a 10% by mass aqueous dispersion of the component (A) at 25° C. is equal to or more than 4.0 and equal to or less than 12.0.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an advantageous process for preparing meat curing agents. In some embodiments, a process for continuous conversion of plant-based nitrates to nitrites includes: inoculating a source material liquid comprised of nitrates with a bacterial culture capable of converting nitrates to nitrites; when nitrites in the source material liquid reach a desired concentration, harvesting a first harvest volume of the source material liquid at a harvest rate; and replenishing the harvested volume of the source material liquid with source material liquid comprising additional nitrates at a feed rate, wherein the harvest rate is higher than the feed rate.

A meat analogue may include a set protein emulsion, the protein emulsion having a protein and at least one insoluble particle. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the particle can include at least one mineral material selected from the group consisting of silicium, and calcium, such as one or more of rhombohedral calcite, scalenohedral calcite, silicon dioxide, and magnesium oxide; at least one organic material selected from the group consisting of a bone meal, a cartilage meal, a ground crustacean shell, a ground sea fish shell, and a ground egg shell; and/or a gelled vegetable gum, a gelled hydrocolloid, a polymerized vegetable gum, a polymerized hydrocolloid, or a mixture thereof. The meat analogue can be made by extruding the protein emulsion and cooling the extruded emulsion. The meat analogue can be cut into chunks and/or added to another comestible composition such as a gravy or broth.

A calcium enriched seafood product according to this invention, which includes, but not limited to, a shelf stable, chilled and frozen tuna or salmon products or other similar shelf stable, can provide a considerable bone health benefit to consumers by providing as much as 412 mg/100 g of available calcium in the finished product. This disclosure comprising the additional calcium supplement wherein the amount of calcium in final product is in the range of 0.5 to 5.0% (w/w) of the total weight of said product and wherein the sources of additional calcium supplement can be selected from raw or partially purified animal or fish bone or partially purified fish bone or inorganic calcium compound.

The present invention relates in general to the field of pet food. In particular the present invention relates to a meat like chunk that can be incorporated into a complete pet food. One embodiment of the present invention is a method of using multiple scraped surface heat exchangers and a steam tunnel to produce a meat like chunk. Another embodiment is a composition of meat ingredients, dried egg product, egg whites, and pea protein that results in a meat like chunk having an improved appearance that closely resembles that of actual pieces of meat.