DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MATURING MEAT IN WATER, IN PARTICULAR BEEF ON THE BONE

Abstract

A device for maturing fresh meat, including meat on the bone, such as beef, is illustrated and described which comprises a treatment container with mechanisms for receiving pieces of fresh meat. The device comprises at least one water supply line by which the treatment container can be filled with treatment water in a way that the mechanisms for receiving pieces of meat, and thus the pieces of meat arranged or placed on the receiving mechanisms, are immersed in the treatment water. A method for maturing fresh meat, including meat on the bone such as beef, is also illustrated and described. According to the invention, provision is made that pieces of meat are matured in treatment water, by being completely immersed in treatment water.

Claims

1. A method for maturing fresh meat, including meat on the bone, such as beef, comprising: submerging pieces of meat in treatment water in a treatment container for a plurality of days, a salt concentration of sodium chloride in the treatment water being set or regulated at a concentration of at least 0.1 g/l to 20 g/l.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment water comprises a concentration of sodium chloride, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrite, and sodium nitrite set or regulated to a concentration of at least 0.1 g/l to a 20 g/l.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the salt concentration of the treatment water is set or regulated to a concentration of at least 0.1 g/l to 10 g/l.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising checking the salt concentration or an electrical conductivity of the treatment water and setting or regulating the salt concentration or the electrical conductivity of the treatment water is accordingly.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding salt to the treatment water to set or regulate the salt concentration of the treatment water, whereby an osmotic pressure is in equilibrium between the treatment water and the pieces of meat.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the electrical conductivity is between 100 mS/m to 700 mS/m, or is set to a value of the respective range.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, setting the salt concentration of the treatment water by adding at least sodium chloride, or at least a mixture of sodium chloride and sodium nitrite.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the salt concentration of the treatment water in sodium chloride is set or regulated to a concentration of 0.1 to 5 g/l, 0.1 g/l to 2 g/l, further or 0.5 g/l to 2 g/l.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, setting or regulating the salt concentration of the treatment water by adding at least sodium chloride or a mixture of sodium chloride and other salts, in a mixture containing at least 75% by weight of sodium chloride or a comparable mixture of sodium chloride and sodium nitrite.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, processing the treatment water for disinfection or salt regulation.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, processing the treatment water by least one of mechanical filtration, ultrafiltration, ultraviolet radiation, regulation of salt concentration or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a water volume corresponding to a volume of double a capacity of the treatment container is removed from the treatment container, processed and fed back to the treatment container.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, repeatedly preparing the treatment water at regular intervals.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising, cooling the treatment water with respect to a room temperature with the treatment water in the treatment container is set to a temperature between 0? C. and 10? C.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting or regulating a, pH of the treatment water to be pH 6 to pH 9.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising submerging the pieces of meat for at least a week.

17. A device for maturing meat, including meat on the bone such as beef, comprising: a treatment container configured to receive pieces of fresh meat, a water-feeding line configured to fill the treatment container with treatment water until the pieces of meat in the treatment container are submerged in the treatment water, equipment to regulate a concentration of sodium chloride or a mixture of sodium chloride, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrite and sodium nitrite in the treatment water to a total concentration of at least 0.1 g/l to 20 g/l.

18. The device of claim 17 further comprising a system to process and disinfect the treatment water.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the system comprises at least one of a mechanical filtration system, an ultrafiltration system or and ultraviolet radiation system.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the treatment container comprises water tubing that leads to a water circulation line, which leads back to the treatment container via the system to process the treatment water or the equipment to regulate the salt concentration of the treatment water.

21. The device of claim 17 further comprising a cooling system contains configured to cool the treatment water.

22. The device of claim 17, further comprising a fresh water line configured to provide fresh water to the treatment container.

23. the device of claim 22, wherein the fresh water line leads to a treatment room via an antechamber whereby the antechamber is comprises salt adding equipment to add salt to the water.

24. The device of claim 17, further comprising testing equipment configured to determine an electrical conductivity of the treatment water.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0062] Additional embodiments of the invention are derived from the specification that now follows using the FIGURE. Shown in a schematic depiction is:

[0063] FIG. 1: a device for maturing of meat

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0064] A maturing system is displayed in FIG. 1. This essentially includes a treatment container 21 which can be filled with a liquid treatment medium, in particular water, to completely submerge the piece of meat to be treated. The level of water 23 in the container can be appropriately regulated so that during the treatment of the meat it stays above the pieces of meat located in container 21.

[0065] The treatment medium essentially includes water which is appropriately set to a certain salt content. In feed tank 45 for example the treatment medium can be prepared while the salt content of the treatment medium is being set before it is conducted via feeding line 47 into treatment area 21.

[0066] The salt content of the treatment medium is ideally set so that the osmotic pressure is in equilibrium or so that water flows neither into the meat nor out of the meat. In particular the volume and weight of the piece of meat should remain constant.

[0067] The treatment medium is allowed to enter treatment container 21 via feeding line 47. The treatment medium can be diverted from the treatment container via outlet 49. The diverted treatment medium can optionally be processed and fed back via a second feeding line 48 into the treatment container 21 to be reused. The processing and return feeding of the treatment medium is brought about by a circulation system (in particular a water circulation system). For this purpose a ring feeding 43 is set up which feeds from outlet 49 by various processing units and analysis units, as the case may be, into treatment container 21.

[0068] Diverted treatment medium can alternatively be totally or partially discarded or removed from the circulation system via a discard valve 29. The discard valve 29 can be set up in ring feeding 43.

[0069] A supply pump 27 which can be advantageously installed in ring feeding 43, directly after outlet 49, takes care of the transport of the treatment medium in the circulation system.

[0070] Water processing equipment can include salt regulation devices 41, filtering devices 31, 33, ultraviolet radiation 37 etc.

[0071] In the maturing system according to FIG. 1, the following processing equipment and analysis devices are included in the circulation system:

[0072] The processing equipment includes one or more filtering devices:

[0073] advantageously a pre-filter 31, e.g. a micro-filter for filtering larger foreign particles, particularly those over 0.1 ?m, and

[0074] a filter 33, e.g. an ultrafilter to filter out macromolecules, bacteria, viruses, legionellae, cells, proteins and other high-molecular substances, in particular to filter out particles in the range of roughly 0.1 to 0.01 ?m. In the ultra-filter, in particular a membrane is used (an ultrafiltration membrane) with pores smaller than 20 nanometers.

[0075] Ions of salts, in particular sodium (Na.sup.+), magnesium (Mg.sup.2+), calcium (Ca.sup.2+), potassium (K.sup.+), chloride (Cl.sup.?), sulfate (SO.sub.4.sup.2?) and nitrites (NO.sup.2+), should not be filtered out by the filters. The filters being used should advantageously allow ions to essentially pass, in particular those ions which are customarily derived from seas salts, table salts or pickling salts.

[0076] Salt ions can optionally be filtered out, in particular e.g. with a nano-filter for particles of 0.01 ?m to 0.0001 ?m and by means of reverse osmosis for even smaller particles. In this case the salt content should be recalibrated or reset after filtration.

[0077] Pre-filters, ultrafilters and any additional filters are used in dead-end operations. The treatment medium deriving in particular from the treatment tank flows into the capillary line; pure water (filtrate) passes through the filtering membrane, the other substances are held back on the membrane's upper surface. The other substances form a coating on the membrane. To remove the coating, the membrane is back-flushed at regular intervals, as a fully automated process.

[0078] The processing equipment contains an additional dosage unit 41. In the additional dosage unit 41, for example, salts may be added to the treatment medium to adjust or recreate the desired composition of the treatment medium, or to keep it constant or manipulate it as desired. By using an analysis or control device 39, relevant parameters, such as the conductivity of the treatment medium already partly reprocessed here, are measured. The additional dosage unit 41 is controlled by the analysis or control device 39, so that the dosage can be controlled depending on the currently measured parameters of the treatment medium. In the setup example currently being discussed, according to FIG. 1, a conductivity measurement 39 is used to analyze the treatment medium and control the additional dosage unit 41.

[0079] The additional dosage unit 41 is advantageously in the direction of the flow of the analysis and control device 39 and thus reset in particular to the conductivity measurement 39.

[0080] In the additional dosage unit 41 advantageously at least sodium chloride, e.g. brine, is added.

[0081] The maturing system also optionally includes a measurement unit 35 to analyze and log the treatment medium. Measurement unit 35 serves in particular to determine the temperature of the treatment medium, the pH value of the treatment medium, the conductivity of the treatment medium, and/or the concentration of different ions or other substances in the treatment medium. The logging of values in particular serves the quality assurance and quality certification of the product being generated. Such a measurement unit 35 could be done as an alternative or a supplement to additional dosage 41. The logging occurs at regular intervals over the course of the entire maturing treatment.

[0082] The conductivity measurement 39, the ultraviolet radiation unit 37 and/or the additional dosage unit 41 and any additional measuring unit 35 are in the direction of the flow of the treatment medium in ring circuit 43 (outward after exiting and into the treatment container before re-entering), set to filtering units 31, 33.

[0083] The processing equipment includes an ultraviolet radiation unit 37 which is applied to disinfect the treatment medium, by which the germ count (bacterial concentration) is significantly reduced. This occurs in the direction of the flow after filtration.

[0084] The treatment container 21 is located in a cooler room 13, while the reprocessing equipment and any measuring units are located outside the cooler room, in particular in a separate utility room 15. In the cooler room 13, there is advantageously a refrigeration unit is provided to cool the treatment medium. The refrigeration unit 25 is in the cooler room 13 but positioned outside the treatment container 21. The distribution in cooler room 13 and utility room 15 for example is advantageous with maintenance and repair work on the reprocessing devices 31, 33, 37, 39, 41, on measuring devices 35 or pump 27 and outlet valve 29. In this way the cooler room can also be kept small.

[0085] The reprocessed treatment medium which is fed back via a circular feeding 43 to the treatment container 21 is cooled through cooler room 13 on its way to circular feeding 43 to treatment temperature before it flows into treatment container 21.

[0086] An alternative cooling of the water inside the treatment container is conceivable. The treatment container could, for example, function as a cooler.

[0087] Feeding tank 45 can be set up in cooler room 13 or advantageously in a separate pre-cooling 11.

[0088] On the basis of a combination of cooling and ultrafiltration and/or ultraviolet filtration, it manages to keep the germ count low despite a relatively low germ count and an essentially neutral pH count of the treatment medium or reduce it to a minimum. There is no need to resort to preservation material and/or oxidation material in the treatment room.

[0089] Following this there will be an explanation of the invention using examples.

Example 1

[0090] A treatment medium based on water with a table salt concentration in the range of 0.1 g/l to 2 g/l, or 0.1 g/l to 0.5 g/l is prepared in feeder tank 45.

[0091] Fresh meat, essentially fresh muscle meat (in particular pieces of meat on the bone) from beef are arranged in treatment container 21, e.g. by hanging or by laying down on holding devices for pieces of meat. The weight per piece lies advantageously in the range of 1 to 50 kg, especially between 1 and 30 kg, however these ranges have some leeway more or less. It is best if for each load all pieces have as similar weight as possible so that a similar treatment can be applied for all.

[0092] Treatment container 21 is flooded with treatment medium from feeder tank 45 until all pieces of meat are submerged in the treatment medium.

[0093] The temperature of the treatment medium in treatment container 21 is kept as stable as possible in the range of 0? to 5? C.

[0094] After a week the treatment medium in treatment container 21 is replaced with a freshly prepared treatment medium. This treatment is repeated once a week over the next 5 to 10 additional weeks (depending on the desired degree of maturity at consumption). After this the pieces of meat are removed from treatment container 21 and stored hanging to dry in the cooler room for at least a day. After that the pieces of meat are ready for further processing and/or consumption.

Example 2

[0095] A treatment medium based on water with a table salt concentration in the range of 0.1 g/l to 2 g/l, or 0.1 g/l to 0.5 g/l is prepared in feeder tank 45.

[0096] Fresh meat, essentially fresh muscle meat (in particular pieces of meat on the bone) from beef are arranged in treatment container 21, e.g. by hanging or by laying down on holding devices for pieces of meat. The weight per piece lies advantageously in the range of 1 to 50 kg, especially between 1 and 30 kg, however these ranges have some leeway more or less. It is best if for each load all pieces have as similar weight as possible so that a similar treatment can be applied for all.

[0097] Treatment container 21 is flooded with treatment medium from feeder tank 45 until all pieces of meat are submerged in the treatment medium.

[0098] The temperature of the treatment medium in treatment container 21 is kept as stable as possible in the range of 0? to 5? C.

[0099] The treatment medium 21 is circulated daily for about a half hour from the treatment container through the reprocessing devices (as shown in FIG. 1), whereby at least a volume content of two treatment containers 21 is circulated through the reprocessing devices back to treatment container 21.

[0100] During the reprocessing activity the water level 23 of the treatment medium in treatment container 21 is advantageously kept over the pieces of meat to be treated so that the pieces of meat remain submerged in the treatment medium.

[0101] The reprocessing devices being used include:

[0102] a pre-filter and

[0103] an ultrafilter

[0104] a measurement and analysis device after the filtering to determine the pH and salt concentration of the table salt, including correction of the treatment medium by additional dosages of table salt and adjustment of the pH value. The content of the salt (NaCl) of the treatment medium is thereby analyzed and the value referred to above is set.

[0105] an ultraviolet radiation unit to disinfect the treatment medium by radiating it with ultraviolet light.

[0106] This treatment is carried out over the course of several weeks. The treatment medium is shown to be circulated for half an hour through the reprocessing devices (as displayed in FIG. 1). After several weeks have elapsed the pieces of meat are removed from the treatment room 21 and stored to dry for at least a day. After that the pieces of meat are ready for further processing and/or consumption.

Examples 3 and 4

[0107] Application examples 1 and 2 are carried out with a mixture of pickling salt instead of with table salt alone. The mixture of pickling salt includes essentially table salt with a small addition of calcium and/or, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrite and sodium nitrite consist of altogether less than 10% by weight, less than 5% by weight, or less than 1% by weight of the table salt amount. The treatment medium based on water includes the mixture of pickling salt referred to in a concentration of 0.101 g/l to 0.505 g/l, 0.105 g/l to 0.525 g/l or 0.11 g/l to 0.55 g/l.

[0108] While these specific forms of applications are being described, it is obvious that different combinations of the application possibilities depicted could be used, to the extent that the application possibilities are not mutually exclusive.

[0109] While the invention is described here with reference to specific application forms, it is obvious that changes, modifications, variations and combinations can be made without deviating from concepts of the invention.