METHOD OF PRODUCING TUNA FISH PIECES

Abstract

The invention concerns a method of producing output wares of the highest possible quality from input wares, wherein the input wares being processed are optically scanned, brought to a target weight, and then formed into a shape suitable for packaging and/or further processing. The invention comprises using deep-frozen input ware, scanning the position, shape and size of the individual input ware by an optical scanning means with direct or indirect consideration of the fiber position of the tuna fish meat, calculating at least one cutting line through the input ware for the cutting off of a tuna fish cut having a desired target weight and/or a desired shape, wherein the calculation of the cutting line involves an optimization process, and cutting along the calculated cutting line in one cutting step.

Claims

1. A method of producing pieces of tuna fish of the highest possible quality from input wares, so that an optimal yield of the input wares is achieved, wherein the input wares being processed are optically scanned, brought to a target weight, and then formed into a shape suitable for packaging and/or further processing, wherein the method comprises the steps of: using an input ware in the form of one or more deep-frozen pieces of tuna fish to carry out the method, wherein in the case of two or more pieces of tuna fish these are combined into a cohesive, contiguous cluster or block, scanning the position, shape and/or size of the input ware by an optical scanning means with direct or indirect consideration of the fiber position of the tuna fish meat, calculating at least one cutting pattern for the input ware for the cutting of a tuna fish cut having a desired target weight and/or a desired shape, wherein the calculation of the cutting pattern involves an optimization process, through which, besides determining the necessary volume to achieve the target weight after the cutting, the cutting pattern is defined for the orienting of the fibers of the tuna fish meat and the optimal yield from the input ware is established; cutting along the calculated cutting pattern in at least one cutting step along at least one cutting line or plane dictated by the cutting pattern.

2. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cutting pattern comprises at least one cutting line, running at an angle between 45? and 120?, to the fibers of the tuna fish.

3. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the tuna fish cuts are sorted after the cutting step, wherein tuna fish cuts having the target weight and the desired shape are sent on as the product of the method for further processing, tuna fish cuts having the target weight but not the desired shape are subjected to a shaping process, and tuna fish cuts which are lighter than the target weight are sorted out for processing in another process or combined into a combination of several tuna fish cuts so that the total of the weights corresponds to the target weight and the combination of deep-frozen filet parts so formed is subjected to the shaping process.

4. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the shaping process comprises placing the deep-frozen tuna fish cuts or the combinations of deep-frozen tuna fish parts into a press mold, where they are shaped under pressure in a mold and/or by a contoured pressing ram of desired form into an output ware with desired target weight and desired shape.

5. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the tuna fish cuts or the combination of tuna fish parts are placed in the pressing device such that the pressing force is applied parallel or transversely to the fiber direction of the tuna fish meat.

6. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the input ware is tuna fish back filets.

7. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the tuna fish back filets are sliced before or after the freezing and the optical scanning, wherein the volume of the tuna fish back filet is scanned and the size of the piece to be cut off is calculated.

8. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the input ware is cooked prior to the deep-freezing and the optical scanning.

9. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that in the case of input ware consisting of a combination of several filet pieces, the input wares are assembled such that the fiber structures of the individual pieces are oriented substantially parallel to each other.

10. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the quantity of filet pieces assembled in the combination of input wares corresponds to the target weight and is adapted to the size of the output ware being formed.

11. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the input wares are preshaped prior to the optical scanning in frozen or unfrozen state.

12. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the tuna fish pieces forming the input wares are refrigerated to a temperature below ?5? C.

13. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the output ware is tuna fish pieces with an appearance close to the appearance of a tuna fish steak carved from a filet.

14. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the input ware or the output ware is marinated before, during or after the steps of the method according to claim 1.

15. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, when using two or more pieces of tuna fish as a combined block, the block is produced so that the portioning by cutting according to the cutting pattern can be done whilst preserving a high quality and substantially retaining the fibers pattern.

16. A method of producing pieces of tuna fish, characterized by producing at least one block from raw or cooked tuna fish parts, by combining the tuna fish parts from a combination of tuna fish parts lying alongside and/or clinging to each other into a block, then forming the so-produced block, frozen or unfrozen, to a desired shape, wherein the block is formed into an application-oriented final shape and, unless already frozen prior to the forming, frozen after the forming, wherein the block is formed into the desired, application-oriented final shape by a shaping deep-freezing in a mold, slicing and/or reshaping in a pressing device, in which the block is brought into the application-oriented shape under pressure by a pressing ram, and creating formed pieces of tuna fish as output ware by slicing the block into pieces.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the tuna fish parts are trimmed before or after being assembled into the combination of tuna fish parts forming the block, so that the block has a predetermined target weight.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, that an optimization of the cutting lines is done by optical surveying of the block, making possible an optimal yield of target-weight end products with high quality.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the block is produced and/or shaped by filling the unfrozen combination of tuna fish parts into an elastic shell.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that the shell with the as yet unfrozen combination of tuna fish parts is placed in a mold whose inner contour corresponds to the desired outer contour of the block, whereupon the shell with the as yet unfrozen clusters of tuna fish parts is deep-frozen in the mold to produce the shaped block.

21. The method of producing pieces of tuna fish as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the tuna fish pieces produced as output ware according to claim 1, are placed in the frozen state by a suitable process in automated manner into a package.

22. The method as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that the block is formed and has a diameter such that the block corresponds to the diameter of an average head region of a tuna fish back filet of premium grade or corresponds to the size of a tuna fish steak or a customary canned package between 50 mm and 250 mm.

23. The method as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the slices cut from the block are further divided.

24. The method of producing output wares as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the resulting shaped output wares and the tuna fish steaks in the frozen state are placed by a suitable method in automated manner into the final package.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] The drawings show:

[0065] FIG. 1 a sliced back filet of a tuna fish with schematic representation of the cutting lines,

[0066] FIG. 2 in schematic view, the process of shaping, and

[0067] FIG. 3 the subsequent canning of the shaped piece as a sample application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0068] FIG. 1 shows schematically an input ware 1 in the form of a back filet or piece of filet. As can be recognized, the size of this piece of filet diminishes continuously from front to rear. Now, tuna fish steaks are to be made with the method according to the invention as pieces 2 having a uniform size, in addition to an identical weight.

[0069] Such a method can be used, for example, to be able to provide identical pieces 2 as output ware for finished food products or also in large kitchens. This has the advantage, on the one hand, that the consumer will find the same shaped piece 2 in each package and thus will assume a uniform quality and size of the tuna fish portion.

[0070] Another advantage, which is important in particular during food preparation in large kitchens, such as cruise ship restaurants, is that the same size and shape of pieces 2 can be prepared uniformly. Thus, for example, a lot of pieces 2 placed alongside each other can be prepared in a food steamer or oven with the same cooking time and the same result of being cooked-through, without thinner pieces 2 being overcooked or thicker pieces 2 not yet fully done.

[0071] As is shown schematically in FIG. 1, the pieces 2 with the same weight are cut from the input ware 1. Since the tuna fish becomes thinner toward the rear, the thickness D of the disk-shaped pieces 2 increases as the slicing progresses. The thickness D results from determining, by the optical scanning and a subsequent calculation, the cutting plane S needed each time in order to produce pieces 2 of the same weight.

[0072] The rear remnant 4 of the input ware 1 is too small or the necessary degrees of transformation would be too great to form another steak-like piece 2 from it. Therefore, this rear remnant 4 is preferably taken to a different processing, such as the processing of the back filets of lower grades, canned along with shredded ware, or offered as a topping for pizzas or also as a smaller piece, yet with cohesive fiber structure.

[0073] The pieces 2 in the sample embodiment of the method shown are reshaped in a molding trough 7 into an identical shape. For this, the piece 2 inside the molding trough 7 is shaped by a pressing ram 6, i.e., brought to the basic area and marginal contour of the molding trough 7.

[0074] FIG. 3 shows an optional extension of the method. Here, the form of the molding trough 7 of FIG. 2 is adapted to the contour of a package, such as a can. In this way, the filet piece so produced fits exactly into the package and can be marketed without breakage or destruction of the fibers.

[0075] Alternatively, of course, the deep-frozen pieces 2 after the reshaping can also be sold as steaks in a common repackaging. The preservation of the fiber structure which results in particular from the targeted slicing of the pieces 2 and the subsequent gentle shaping is critical to the producing of the quality impression. Moreover, the degrees of reshaping in the shaping process are preferably kept low.