IMPROVED METHOD FOR THE PACKAGING AND LONG-TERM PRESERVATION OF MEAT PRODUCTS WITHOUT COLD CHAIN

Abstract

An improved method for the packaging and long-term preservation of meat products without cold chain, which avoids the loss of liquids during radiation, in order to improve the preservation and maintenance of the organoleptic properties of meat pieces.

Claims

1. An improved method for the packaging and long-term preservation of meat products without cold chain, which includes the step of selecting meat cuts, cutting them and/or stripping them if necessary, eliminating fats and minor trimmings, obtaining pieces of weight and size within a uniform range, wherein it comprises the steps of: a) Injecting each piece of meat with a brine solution containing at least NaCl in an amount of up to a maximum of 20% of the weight of the meat cut into which it has been injected; b) Once all the pieces of the same batch under treatment have been injected, the meat is massaged for a time of between 8 to 24 hours under reduced pressure between 33.863 Pa (10″ HG) and 50795 Pa (15″ HG) and at temperatures between −1° C. and 3° C.; c) Removing this batch from the massager and placing each piece of meat in a hermetically closed bag made of an impermeable polymer, subjecting the batch of meat cuts thus bagged to a cooking process in hot water until a temperature of 70 to 85° C. is reached in the center of the larger piece for a time of 15 to 30 minutes; the method being characterized in that it comprises the steps of: d) Once cooked, the pieces are cooled until reaching a temperature of around 26° C. in their thermal center; e) Once cooled, the bags with meat are removed from the cooking bath and the meat pieces are removed from each cooking bag, subsequently carrying out the vacuum packaging of the meat pieces in bags of multi-layer plastic material; f) Once the meat pieces have been packed, they are cooled until reaching a temperature in the range 0 to 2° C. in the thermal center; and g) The pieces of meat packed in this way are subjected to a radiation process until a minimum total dose of 15 kGy is accumulated.

2- Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the brine solution contains 1.2 g/Kg. of sodium nitrite solution and 19.5% NaCl.

3- Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the massaging step is carried out at a reduced pressure of 15″ Hg, at 1° C. for 8 hours.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] For greater clarity and understanding of the object of the present invention, it has been illustrated in a figure, in which the invention has been represented in one of the preferred embodiments, all by way of example, wherein:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the steps corresponding to the method according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the invention consists of an improved method for the packaging and long-term preservation of meat products without cold chain, which includes the step of selecting meat cuts, chopping them up and/or stripping them if necessary, eliminating fat and minor trimmings, obtaining pieces of weight and size within a uniform range, wherein the method comprises the following steps: [0035] a) Injecting each piece of meat with a brine solution containing at least NaCl in an amount of up to a maximum of 20% of the weight of the meat cut into which it has been injected; [0036] b) Once all the pieces of the same batch under treatment have been injected, the meat is massaged for a time of between 8 to 24 hours under reduced pressure between 33.863 Pa (10″ HG) and 50795 Pa (15″ HG) and at temperatures between −1° C. and 3° C.; [0037] c) Removing this batch from the massager and placing each piece of meat in a hermetically closed bag made of an impermeable polymer, subjecting the batch of meat cuts thus bagged to a cooking process in hot water until a temperature of 70 to 85° C. is achieved in the center of the larger piece for a time of 15 to 30 minutes; [0038] d) Once cooked, the pieces are cooled until reaching a temperature of around 26° C. in their thermal center; [0039] e) Once cooled, the bags with meat are removed from the cooking bath and the meat pieces are removed from each cooking bag, subsequently carrying out the vacuum packaging of the meat pieces in bags of multi-layer plastic material; [0040] f) Once the meat pieces have been packed, they are cooled until reaching a temperature in the range 0 to 2° C. in the thermal center; [0041] g) The pieces of meat packed in this way are subjected to a radiation process until a minimum total dose of 15 kGy is accumulated.

[0042] It should be noted that in step (e), it is optional to pack the pieces in bags made of “BTECIN” material from the firm Sealed Air Co. of Argentina, or any other packaging for this purpose, and then pack the bags in cardboard boxes.

[0043] In order to illustrate a practical way of implementing the above-mentioned steps of the method, a block diagram with the main indicated sequential operations is attached in FIG. 1, and in support of the obtaining example for each of said steps, it should be understood that specific considerations expressed for the following examples reflect conditions of a laboratory pilot test, conditions that may vary slightly in batches produced on an industrial scale.

[0044] Raw Material Used:

[0045] For each test, work was done on 40 kg of meat chopped into pieces of approximately 10 kg each, each bag containing a “topside of beef” cut, that is, stripped cuts chosen from the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, trapezius, deltoid muscles, latissimus dorsi, triceps brachii and tensor fasciae antebrachialis muscles. Trimmings and fat pieces were removed. Each cut, trimmings and pieces of fat removed were weighed separately for each bag.

[0046] Injection:

[0047] The formulation of the solution for injection was defined by determining the concentrations of nitrite and sodium chloride necessary to achieve in the processed product a concentration of 3.5% NaCl/100 g of cooked product and an amount not exceeding 150 ppm of sodium nitrite in the cooked product, corresponding to approximately 20% of the weight of the raw cut. A Dick Lokespritze Esslingen A. NX single needle injector was used.

[0048] Massaging:

[0049] Massaging is necessary for the correct uniform distribution of the injected brine throughout the piece under treatment. A “KOCH” massager drum was used, with a maximum capacity of 90 kg and with a drum rotation range of 0 to 9 r.p.m. The 40 kg of chopped meat were loaded into the drum, a vacuum of 15″ Hg was produced inside and it was operated at 5 rpm, under refrigeration at −1° C. Two massage tests were carried out; one for 8 hours and the other for 24 hours.

[0050] Cooking:

[0051] The cooking step was determined to achieve in the center of the pieces a cooking time of 20 minutes at 75° C. For this, an autoclave with water showers, Barriquand Steriflow brand, Microflow model, was used, simulating cooking in a water bath. Prior to this, each piece of meat from the batch under treatment was enclosed in high-density polyethylene bags from the company CT Plast. The treatment water initially had a temperature of 80° C. and this temperature was maintained until the largest cut reached the aforementioned temperature of 75° C., counting 20 minutes of cooking from that moment.

[0052] Cooling:

[0053] After cooking, each piece was cooled to approximately 26° C.

[0054] Vacuum Packed:

[0055] After cooling, each piece of meat was vacuum packed in bags such as the “BTECIN” bags from Sealed Air Co. of Argentina.

[0056] Packing:

[0057] Cardboard boxes 40 cm wide, 60 cm long and 16 cm high are used, containing 6 pieces per box. This step is optional and can be done after the next cooling step.

[0058] Cooling:

[0059] After the packaging of the meat pieces, they are cooled until reaching a temperature in the range of 0° C. to 2° C. in the thermal center. The cooling can be done directly to the vacuum-packed meat pieces or to pieces packed in cardboard boxes.

[0060] Radiation:

[0061] The boxes were radiated with gamma rays at the Ezeiza Atomic Center until a minimum dose of 15 kGy was accumulated.

[0062] It is highlighted that the brine solution contains 1.2 g/Kg. of sodium nitrite solution and 19.5% of NaCl, while the massaging step is carried out at a reduced pressure of 15″ Hg, at 1° C. for 8 hours. In turn, the additional advantages and test tables are sufficiently described in Patent Application AR P030104507 and for such reasons, we will not go into descriptive details about them.

[0063] In this way, the improved method of the present invention is described, which avoids liquid losses by virtue of the replacement of steps d) to f) that now allow having a refrigerated, non-frozen product at a temperature in the range from 0 to 2° C. and, under these conditions, radiating the meat pieces, so that now, by not losing liquid, the organoleptic properties are maintained much better.