METHOD FOR THE RAPID OSMOTIC DRYING OF FOOD

Abstract

The present invention includes a method and food product made by at least partially enclosing a food product with a water-permeable membrane; and contacting a brine or sugar solution with a water activity sufficiently high to draw water molecules across the water-permeable membrane and away from the food product to preserve the food.

Claims

1. A method for preserving a food product comprising: at least partially enclosing a food product with a water-permeable membrane; and contacting a brine or sugar solution with a water activity sufficiently high to draw water molecules across the water-permeable membrane and away from the food product to preserve the food.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the water-permeable membrane is at least one of: food compatible, has openings between 1 nanometer and 100 nanometers, or prevents the crossing of salts, viruses, bacteria, fungi, or pathogens.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sugar solution is at between 0.90 to 0.82 water activity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the brine solution at least one of a sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride brine solution; or a water activity of about 0.85 to 0.29, or less than 0.85, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, or less.

7. (canceled)

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the food product is a meat selected from beef, veal, buffalo, lamb, goat, chicken, pork, emu, ostrich, game hen, squab, guinea fowl, turkey, pheasant, quail, duck, goose, sausage, salami, or other processed meat, or is a seafood selected from at least one of: salmon, herring, sardines, tuna, crab, lobster, oysters, clams, or a cheese.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the food product is a fruit selected from peach, pear, pineapple, banana, mango, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, kiwi, gooseberry, apple, melon, grape, apricot, lemon, lime, rhubarb, papaya, plum, prune, grape and cranberry.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of pasteurizing the food product before, during, or after contacting the brine or sugar solution with the water-permeable membrane; the step of mechanical tenderizing a meat selected before, during, or after contacting the brine or sugar solution with the water-permeable membrane by at least one of pounding, needle tenderizing, injecting, or grinding the meat, or both.

11. (canceled)

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the meat is a whole animal, leg, thigh, breast, ribs, flank, loin, sausages, processed meat products, jerky, or other cut of meat, processed or ground meat.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the brine comprises a salt selected from at least one of: Magnesium chlorideMgCl.sub.2, Potassium chlorideKCl, Sodium chlorideNaCl, Ammonium nitrateNH.sub.4NO.sub.3, Ammonium sulphate(NH.sub.4).sub.2SO.sub.4, Lithium chlorideLiCl), Magnesium chlorideMgCl.sub.2, Magnesium nitrateMg(NO.sub.3).sub.2, Natrium ChlorideNaCl.sup.1), Potassium sulphateK.sub.2SO.sub.4, Potassium nitrateKNO.sub.3, Potassium chloride KCl, Potassium acetateCH.sub.3CO.sub.2K, Potassium hydroxideKOH, Sodium chlorideNaCl, Sodium nitriteNaNO.sub.2, or Sodium dichromateNa.sub.2Cr.sub.2O.sub.7.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the meat is veggie jerky or sausage (heart healthy): a high moisture, softer texture, easy to chew, individually wrapped, shelf-stable with heat, and freeze-thaw emulsion, or combinations thereof, and may further include the use of: edible casings and post process pasteurization, and one or more of the following bases: seitan (wheat gluten), mushroom, tofu, pea protein, textured pea protein, pulse, pinto, garbanzo, or bean paste, soy protein, algae protein, dairy, egg, with or without fermentation with Pediococcus sp.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the brine or sugar solution contacts the water-permeable membrane under continuous flow such that an osmotic load is maintained throughout the process and the osmotic load is not diluted, does not achieve an equilibrium, or both.

16. A food product made by a method comprising: at least partially enclosing a food product with a water-permeable membrane; and contacting under continuous flow a brine or sugar solution with a water activity sufficiently high to draw water molecules across the water-permeable membrane and away from the food product to preserve the food.

17. The food product of claim 16, wherein the water-permeable membrane is at least one of: food compatible, has openings between 1 nanometer and 100 nanometers, or prevents the crossing of salts, viruses, bacteria, fungi, or pathogens.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. The food product of claim 16, wherein the sugar solution is at between 0.90 to water activity.

21. The food product of claim 16, wherein the brine solution is at least one of sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride brine solution; or a water activity of about 0.85 to 0.29, or less than 0.85, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, or less.

22. (canceled)

23. The food product of claim 16, wherein the food product is a meat selected from beef, veal, buffalo, lamb, goat, chicken, pork, emu, ostrich, game hen, squab, guinea fowl, turkey, pheasant, quail, duck, goose, sausage, salami, or other processed meat, or is a seafood selected from at least one of: salmon, herring, sardines, tuna, crab, lobster, oysters, clams, or cheese.

24. The food product of claim 16, wherein the food product is a fruit selected from peach, pear, pineapple, banana, mango, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, kiwi, gooseberry, apple, melon, grape, apricot, lemon, lime, rhubarb, papaya, plum, prune, grape and cranberry.

25. The food product of claim 16, further comprising the step of pasteurizing the food product before, during, or after contacting the brine or sugar solution with the water-permeable membrane; the step of mechanical tenderizing a meat selected before, during, or after contacting the brine or sugar solution with the water-permeable membrane by at least one of pounding, needle tenderizing, injecting, or grinding the meat, or both.

26. (canceled)

27. The food product of claim 16, wherein the meat is a whole animal, leg, thigh, breast, ribs, flank, loin, sausages, processed meat products, jerky, or other cut of meat, processed or ground meat.

28. The food product of claim 16, wherein the brine comprises a salt selected from at least one of: Magnesium chlorideMgCl.sub.2, Potassium chlorideKCl, Sodium chlorideNaCl, Ammonium nitrateNH.sub.4NO.sub.3, Ammonium sulphate(NH.sub.4).sub.2SO.sub.4, Lithium chlorideLiCl), Magnesium chlorideMgCl.sub.2, Magnesium nitrateMg(NO.sub.3).sub.2, Natrium ChlorideNaCl.sup.1), Potassium sulphateK.sub.2SO.sub.4, Potassium nitrateKNO.sub.3, Potassium chlorideKCl, Potassium acetateCH.sub.3CO.sub.2K, Potassium hydroxideKOH, Sodium chlorideNaCl, Sodium nitriteNaNO.sub.2, or Sodium dichromateNa.sub.2Cr.sub.2O.sub.7.

29. The food product of claim 16, wherein the meat is veggie jerky or sausage (heart healthy): a high moisture, softer texture, easy to chew, individually wrapped & shelf-stable with heat & freeze-thaw emulsion, these may include the use of edible casings and post process pasteurization, and one or more of the following bases: Seitan (wheat gluten), Mushroom, Tofu, Pea protein & textured pea protein, Pulse, pinto, garbanzo, or bean paste, soy protein, algae protein, dairy, egg, with or without fermentation with Pediococcus sp.

30. The food product of claim 16, wherein the brine or sugar solution contacts the water-permeable membrane under continuous flow such that an osmotic load is maintained throughout the process and the osmotic load is not diluted, does not achieve an equilibrium, or both.

31. A food product encased in a water permeable membrane made with a continuously flowing, solute saturated solution that continuously pulls water from the food with a water activity sufficient to preserve the food.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention, reference is now made to the detailed description of the invention along with the accompanying figures and in which:

[0012] None.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention.

[0014] To facilitate the understanding of this invention, a number of terms are defined below. Terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present invention. Terms such as a, an and the are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the invention, but their usage does not limit the invention, except as outlined in the claims.

[0015] The present invention includes the emulsion and its use in a process to tenderize meat, stabilize meat texture, and preserve color in meat and meat products.

[0016] The present invention is a method of rapid osmotic drying that uses a saturated salt brine solution moving across a water-permeable membrane in which the food is inside the membrane and the saturated brine is on the outside. In one example of the present invention is a method of rapid osmotic drying that uses a saturated salt brine solution moving across a water-permeable membrane in which the food is vacuum packed inside the membrane and the saturated brine is on the outside.

[0017] As used herein, water activity refers to the unbound free water which is available to microbes and is a term used and measured in the food industry.

[0018] Brine composition: Salts like sodium chloride or potassium chloride work best although any substance exerting an osmotic pull can be used (e.g. sugar, glucose). When using sodium chloride the brine will generally be between 25.0% and 26.3% (0.75 water activity). When using potassium chloride the brine will generally be between 32% and 33% (0.80 water activity). When using sugar or glucose to create the osmotic pull, the solution will generally be between 65% and 66.7% (0.82 water activity). When using magnesium chloride the brine will generally be between 30% and 31% (0.29 water activity). All water activities measured with the saturated brine at 60 C. These saturated solutions have a lowered freezing point and higher boiling point so drying can be done below 0 C. and about 100 C.

[0019] Brine temperature: Although any temperature will work between freezing the brine or having the brine boil, in some embodiments, the brine between 48.8 C. (120 F.) and 60 C. (140 F.) so that the food is not overcooked in the process, but is still pasteurized. Specific temperatures also include, e.g., 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, or 59 C. In another example, the temperature can be staged to first pasteurized between 60 C. (140 F.) and 73.9 C. (165 F.), and then dried at a lower temperature to preserve the food texture against heat damage. Alternatively, the temperature can be raised to sufficiently inactivate enzymes such as in fruit to be dried or add a low level of gluconic acid to inactivate enzymes and avoid this step. The skilled artisan will recognized that any combination of the above can be used.

[0020] Brine flow rate. Water permeable membrane permeability characteristics to allow water to be pulled out and keep salts out. In one example, the flow rate is between 0.1 liter/minute and 25 liters/minute or higher.

[0021] Brine saturation. An excess of salt will most often be maintained during the drying process to maximize osmotic drying. Further, as the brine or sugar solution can be reused, as water is pulled from the food, additional salt or sugar may be added to the brine or sugar water to maintain brine saturation.

[0022] Membrane. Non-limiting examples of water-permeable membranes with openings that prevent the crossing of viruses, bacteria, fungi, or pathogenic forms of the same for use with the present include, e.g., those taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,277,344, 5,254,261, 5,246,587, 6,015,495, 6,063,278, 6,245,234, 8,196,754, 8,602,223, 9,504,967, the disclosures of which are also incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Generally, the water permeable membranes will have good performance including high salt rejection and good water flux, increased water flux, high salt rejection, or both. Typically, the membrane will have an average pore size of about micrometers to about 0.01 micrometers and a molecular weight cutoff of about 100 Daltons to about 1000 Daltons. In some examples, the membrane has an average pore size of about 0.001 micrometers or less and a molecular weight cutoff of less than about 100 Daltons. The pore size of ultrafiltration support membranes can be about 1 to about 10 nm.

[0023] Food product thickness, diameter. The thicker, the slower the drying so that the moisture in the center of the product has time to migrate to the surface. Typically, the thickness of the food product can vary from 0.1 cm to 20 cm, but in certain aspects, 0.2, 0.3. 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 16, 17, 18, or 19 cm.

[0024] This technology can also be used with any post-process pasteurization process because the membrane is microbiologically impermeable. The product can be dried to 0.90 water activity rather than 0.85 or lower except to achieve a texture at the lower water activities.

[0025] Food products recommended for this process: meats and sausages like pepperoni and salami, cheese like parmesan and fruits like apricots or grapes (raisins).

[0026] In one example, a saturated solution of magnesium chloride was found to have a much lower water activity than sodium chloride (see Table 1). In one example, drying is faster using magnesium chloride or a blend of sodium chloride and magnesium chloride. Potassium chloride in a saturated solution only has a water activity of 0.85 and is used for applications in which a slower lowering of the water activity is preferred, as opposed to sodium chloride (0.75 water activity) that is much faster. In one example, a water activity of 0.90 can be used for strips of meat (with, e.g., a post process pasteurization to make it shelf-stable) and below 0.85 for jerky (with no oxygen to be shelf-stable), and below 0.70 to be completely shelf-stable (honey, fruits, vegetables, etc.).

TABLE-US-00001 Temperature ( C.) Saturated Salt 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 50 60 Solution Water activity Magnesium chloride - 0.34 0.34 0.33 0.33 0.33 0.33 0.32 0.32 0.32 0.31 0.29 MgCl.sub.2 (saturated at 31%) Potassium chloride - 0.89 0.88 0.87 0.86 0.85 0.84 0.84 0.83 0.82 0.81 0.8 KCl (Saturated at 33% at 20 C.) Sodium chloride - 0.76 0.76 0.76 0.76 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.74 0.75 NaCl (Saturated at 26.4%)

[0027] In one example, magnesium chloride is used to osmotically pull out water with its low water activity in a saturated solution. Meat, seafood and most foods (fruits and vegetables) have a water activity of 0.98.

[0028] In another example, a continuously saturated (always maintained as saturated), flowing solution is used to pull water, osmotically, out of a food product that is encased in a water permeable membrane.

[0029] However, other salts may be used depending on the application. Such salts and their water activity are taught in Table 2.

TABLE-US-00002 Temperature ( C.) Saturated Salt 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 50 60 Solution Relative Humidity over the Salt Solution (%) Ammonium 75 70 67 64 60 53 nitrate - NH.sub.4NO.sup.3 Ammonium 82 82 82 82 81 81 81 80 80 79 sulphate - (NH.sub.4).sub.2SO.sub.4 Lithium 11.31 11.35 11.28 11.25 11.21 11.1 10.95 chloride - LiCl .sup.1) Magnesium 34 34 33 33 33 33 32 32 32 31 29 chloride - MgCl.sub.2 Magnesium 60 59 57 56 54 53 51 50 48 45 nitrate - Mg(NO.sub.3).sub.2 Natrium 75.51 75.65 75.67 75.61 75.47 75.29 75.09 74.87 Chloride - NaCl .sup.1) Potassium 99 98 98 98 98 97 97 97 96 96 sulphate - K.sub.2SO.sub.4 Potassium 96 96 96 95 95 94 92 91 89 85 nitrate KNO.sub.3 Potassium 89 88 87 86 85 84 84 83 82 81 80 chloride - KCl Potassium 23 23 23 23 22 acetate - CH.sub.3CO.sub.2K Potassium 14 12 11 9 8 7 7 6 6 5 hydroxide - KOH Sodium 76 76 76 76 75 75 75 75 75 74 75 chloride - NaCl Sodium nitrite - 65 64 63 62 61 NaNO.sub.2 Sodium 61 59 57 57 55 54 53 51 50 49 47 dichromate - Na.sub.2Cr.sub.2O.sub.7

Examples

[0030] Raw pepperoni sausage, extruded into 4.5 cm water permeable casing, fermented to a pH of 4.5 to 4.7, with a water activity of 0.98 was dried to a water activity of 0.87 over a 70 to 74 hour period with a continuously saturated salt (sodium chloride) solution flowing over the outer casing wall at the rate of 1 liter/minute at 60 C. The resulting water activity was 0.86. The saturated salt solution was at about 26.4% salt in solution with excess salt crystals and a water activity of 0.75.

[0031] Veggie jerky or sausage (heart healthy). A high moisture, softer texture, easy to chew, individually wrapped & shelf-stable with heat & freeze-thaw emulsion. Use edible casings and post process pasteurization. The bases can include one or more of the following: Seitan (wheat gluten); mushroom; tofu; pea protein & textured pea protein; pulse, pinto, garbanzo, bean based paste, etc.; textured soy protein; algae protein; dairy and/or egg, +/fermentation with Pediococcus sp.

[0032] Seafood such as salmon, herring, sardines, tuna, crab, lobster, oysters, clams, etc. The present invention would be perfect for drying salmon and many other fish such as used in, e.g., Asian dishes.

[0033] It is contemplated that any embodiment discussed in this specification can be implemented with respect to any method, kit, reagent, or composition of the invention, and vice versa. Furthermore, compositions of the invention can be used to achieve methods of the invention.

[0034] It will be understood that particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention can be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.

[0035] All publications and patent applications mentioned in the specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

[0036] The use of the word a or an when used in conjunction with the term comprising in the claims and/or the specification may mean one, but it is also consistent with the meaning of one or more, at least one, and one or more than one. The use of the term or in the claims is used to mean and/or unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or the alternatives are mutually exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition that refers to only alternatives and and/or. Throughout this application, the term about is used to indicate that a value includes the inherent variation of error for the device, the method being employed to determine the value, or the variation that exists among the study subjects.

[0037] As used in this specification and claim(s), the words comprising (and any form of comprising, such as comprise and comprises), having (and any form of having, such as have and has), including (and any form of including, such as includes and include) or containing (and any form of containing, such as contains and contain) are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. In embodiments of any of the compositions and methods provided herein, comprising may be replaced with consisting essentially of or consisting of. As used herein, the phrase consisting essentially of requires the specified integer(s) or steps as well as those that do not materially affect the character or function of the claimed invention. As used herein, the term consisting is used to indicate the presence of the recited integer (e.g., a feature, an element, a characteristic, a property, a method/process step or a limitation) or group of integers (e.g., feature(s), element(s), characteristic(s), property(ies), method/process steps or limitation(s)) only.

[0038] The term or combinations thereof as used herein refers to all permutations and combinations of the listed items preceding the term. For example, A, B, C, or combinations thereof is intended to include at least one of: A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and if order is important in a particular context, also BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, ACB, BAC, or CAB. Continuing with this example, expressly included are combinations that contain repeats of one or more item or term, such as BB, AAA, AB, BBC, AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, and so forth. The skilled artisan will understand that typically there is no limit on the number of items or terms in any combination, unless otherwise apparent from the context.

[0039] As used herein, words of approximation such as, without limitation, about, substantial or substantially refers to a condition that when so modified is understood to not necessarily be absolute or perfect but would be considered close enough to those of ordinary skill in the art to warrant designating the condition as being present. The extent to which the description may vary will depend on how great a change can be instituted and still have one of ordinary skill in the art recognize the modified feature as still having the required characteristics and capabilities of the unmodified feature. In general, but subject to the preceding discussion, a numerical value herein that is modified by a word of approximation such as about may vary from the stated value by at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12 or 15%.

[0040] All of the compositions and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0041] To aid the Patent Office, and any readers of any patent issued on this application in interpreting the claims appended hereto, applicants wish to note that they do not intend any of the appended claims to invoke paragraph 6 of 35 U.S.C. 112, U.S.C. 112 paragraph (0, or equivalent, as it exists on the date of filing hereof unless the words means for or step for are explicitly used in the particular claim.

[0042] For each of the claims, each dependent claim can depend both from the independent claim and from each of the prior dependent claims for each and every claim so long as the prior claim provides a proper antecedent basis for a claim term or element.