FOOD PRODUCT HAVING A CASING

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a process for preparing a food product having a casing, the process comprising the step of applying a casing paste comprising alginate and a sparingly soluble calcium salt by co-extrusion to the exterior of a material to be cased to form a co-extruded product, and contacting the co-extruded product with a solution comprising calcium ions, thereby causing the alginate to gel.

Claims

1-7. (canceled)

8. An alginate composition suitable for mixing with water to form an alginate paste suitable for extrusion, the composition comprising alginate, a thickener and a sequestrant.

9. The composition of claim 8, in which the composition is a dry powder.

10. The composition of claim 8, in which the composition comprises between 0.1 wt % and 25 wt % sequestrant.

11. A food product having a casing, the casing comprising gelled alginate and further comprising a sparingly soluble calcium salt.

12. The food product of claim 11, in which the sparingly soluble calcium salt has a solubility product at 25 C. of not more than 10.sup.2.

13. The food product of claim 12, in which the sparingly soluble calcium salt is selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium oxide, calcium phosphate, calcium silicate, calcium sulphate, calcium sulphide, calcium tartrate and mixtures thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] By way of example, certain embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

[0064] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an apparatus for preparing a casing paste, and

[0065] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the application of a casing paste to a material to be cased.

[0066] In FIG. 1, a first reservoir 1 is connected, via a first pump 2 to an in-line mixer 3. A second reservoir 4 is also connected, via a second pump 5, to the in-line mixer 3, and the outlet of the in-line mixer 3 is connected, in this embodiment, to a co-extrusion head 6. In operation the first reservoir 1 contains a dispersion of sparingly soluble calcium salt 7 and the second reservoir 4 contains an alginate paste 8 made by mixing a dry powder composition comprising alginate, cold-soluble thickeners and a sequestrant with water. The dispersion of sparingly soluble calcium salt 7 and the alginate paste 8 are pumped through the in-line mixer, where they are mixed together to form a casing paste, which in this embodiment is delivered to the co-extrusion head 6. The dispersion of sparingly soluble calcium salt 7 is pumped by the first pump 2 and the alginate paste 8 is pumped by the second pump 5. By altering the flowrates the concentration of sparingly soluble calcium salt in the casing paste can be controlled.

[0067] In FIG. 2, a means for applying a casing paste 21 to a material to be cased 22 comprises a co-extrusion head 6, which comprises an outer nozzle 9 and an inner nozzle 10, arranged within the outer nozzle 9. Downstream of the co-extrusion head 6 there is a means 11 for contacting a co-extruded product 23 with a solution comprising calcium ions 12, the means 11 comprising a reservoir 14, the outlet 19 of which is connected via a pump 15 to sprayers 16, and further comprising a collection tray 17, which is connected via a pump 18 to an inlet 20 of the reservoir 14. A casing paste 21 comprising alginate and sparingly soluble calcium salt is extruded through the outer nozzle 9 and a food dough 22 is extruded through the inner nozzle 10 to form a co-extruded product 23, which passes under the sprayers 16 and contacts with the solution comprising calcium ions 12 being sprayed from the sprayers 16, thereby causing the alginate to gel to form a casing 24. Excess solution is collected in the collection tray 17 and recycled via the pump 18 to the reservoir 14.

EXAMPLES

[0068] Further embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example.

Example A

[0069] A meat dough was prepared with the following composition:

TABLE-US-00001 Pork Shoulder 24.0% Pork Belly 46.8% Water 18.5% Rusk 5.0% Soya isolate 2.0% Salt 2.0% Spices 0.26% Sodium Ascorbate 0.04% Sugar 0.4% Dextrose 0.5% Phosphates 0.5% Total 100%
The dough was prepared using the following steps:

[0070] Grind all the meats through a 4 mm plate.

[0071] Add ground meat-materials plus the water and the dry ingredients (without the rusk) to bowl-chopper.

[0072] Blend the mixture with the knives on low reversed speed for 2-3 minutes.

[0073] Add the rusk.

[0074] Bowl-chop one or two rounds with the knives at low speed.

[0075] Blend the mixture with the knives on low reversed speed for 2-3 of minutes.

[0076] A slurry of calcium sulphate di-hydrate and tetra sodium pyrophosphate was made in vegetable oil in the ratio 2 parts calcium sulphate di-hydrate: 1 part tetra sodium pyrophosphate: 3 parts vegetable oil by weight using a propeller stirrer.

[0077] A paste according to the preferred ranges of concentration described in the invention was made containing sodium alginate, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, modified starch and dextrose. The dry matter content of the paste was 9.5%, and it was processed in the bowl chopper until the paste was smooth without lumps. Then the paste was de-aerated in a Stephan kettle for 30 minutes at min. 90% vacuum.

[0078] Sausages (length: 100 mm; diameter: 25 mm, weight: 50 grams) were produced using a commercial QX co-extruder machine from Stork Townsend B.V. (NL) using the following settings: Meat pump 18 rpm, paste pump: 50 rpm, in-line mixing: 1.5% slurry mixed into the paste. The level of casing on the sausages was 4.5%. The sausage string was initially sprayed with 7.5 wt % calcium chloride and passed afterwards through a bath of 7.5 wt % calcium chloride solution. The holding time was approximately 1 second.

Example B:

[0079] A slurry of calcium sulphate di-hydrate and water was made in the ratio 1:2. Guar gum was added to a concentration of 0.5% in the slurry in order to stabilize the slurry.

[0080] A meat dough similar to the one described under example A was prepared, and a paste was prepared as described under example A containing sodium alginate, guar gum, modified starch, skimmed milk powder and sodium polyphosphate. Furthermore, vegetable oil was added to the water in the bowl chopper before adding the above powder blend. The vegetable oil caused the gel to become opaque and so more similar to the appearance of a natural casing.

[0081] Sausages (length: 100 mm; diameter: 25 mm, weight: 50 grams) were produced using a commercial QX co-extruder machine from Stork Townsend B.V. (NL) using the following settings: Meat pump 18rpm, paste pump: 50 rpm, in-line mixing: 0.75%-4.5% of slurry mixed into the paste. The level of casing on the sausages was 5%. The sausage string was initially sprayed with 7.5 wt % calcium chloride and passed afterwards through a bath of 7.5 wt % calcium chloride solution. The holding time was approximately 1 second. The sausages could be kept for 2-3 weeks in a controlled atmosphere at 5 C. maintaining a satisfying strength of the casing.