Formed food product

Abstract

A food product having aligned fibers.

Claims

1. A formed meat patty comprising: said formed meat patty comprising uncooked ground meat comprised of muscle fibers; said muscle fibers of said uncooked ground meat consisting of muscle fibers that are stretched and aligned in one direction within said formed meat patty; said direction being in direction of flow of said uncooked ground meat when forming said formed meat patty; said formed meat patty having a controlled and non-random, length of muscle fiber; wherein said muscle fibers being stretched and aligned in one direction within said formed meat patty by a venturi.

2. A formed meat patty comprising: said formed meat patty comprising uncooked ground meat comprised of muscle fibers; said muscle fibers of said uncooked ground meat consisting of muscle fibers that are stretched and aligned in one direction within said formed meat patty; said direction being in direction of flow of said uncooked ground meat when forming said formed meat patty; said formed meat patty having a controlled and non-random, length of muscle fiber; wherein said controlled length of muscle fiber is due to a venturi effect.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a prior art formed food product or patty.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a formed food product or patty of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the device of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows a prior art formed food product or patty 10, having a lighter less cooked area 12 and a darker more cooked area 14. Sides 16 and 18 of the patty 10 have less of a circular figure and less meat.

(6) FIG. 2 shows a formed food product or patty 20 having a uniform color top side 22, and even round circular sides 24.

(7) FIG. 3 shows a fill plate 160 and a stripper plate 162 having a sphere 164 and a cylinder 166 showing the random fibers 168 when entering the venturi device and the aligned fibers 170, thereafter.

(8) FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of FIG. 3.

(9) The present invention relates to a formed food product that comprises less releasing and mixing of myosin with actin then with current formed food products. The formed food product has a controlled orientation of the fiber. The formed food product has less myosin activity resulting in a better bite/bind and control over the final cook shape.

(10) The formed food product is stretched to align the fibers of the product. The formed food product cools uniformly. The formed food product to has a softened texture/bite. The formed food product to has little or no release of actin and myosin.

(11) The formed food product to have a controlled length of fiber. The formed food product has a non-random length of fiber.

(12) There are several factors which relate to a cooked formed food product. The factors are cook shape, color, texture or feel, retention of moisture, bite, protein exude.

(13) The formed food products have a consistent cook shape where the patty changes in diameter consistently and there is no fall off of the formed food products. The formed food product holds it shape. The formed food product cook shape is held consistently and does not depend on the grill. The formed food product has a consistent color due to consistent contact with the grill. The formed food product of the present invention has a through grain texture.

(14) The formed food products have a consistent controllable retention of moisture and retain more moisture than the prior art. The formed food products have been found to hold in stores for 45 minutes on average. The formed food products are a non-rubbery product.

(15) The formed food product is subjected to less mixing and therefore, there is less protein exudate. The formed food product is not subjected to more pressure and so there is less myosin squeezed from the cell membrane. With regards to a product made from chicken or other formed food product, the formed food product provides a less spongy product.

(16) The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for accelerating formed food product in order to cause the product to be stretched aligning the fibers of the product.

(17) The present invention increases formed food product velocity forcing linear fiber alignment. The formed food product cools uniformly and softens the texture/bite of the product. The formed food product heats uniformly.

(18) In an embodiment, the formed food product is meat, or a meat patty.

(19) The meat patty or formed food product diameter changes in shape consistently. Little or no meat or product falls off of the formed food product during grilling. The formed food product or meat patty holds shape during cooking. The formed food product or meat patty contacts the cooking surface consistently to cause a consistent color in the formed food product or meat patty.

(20) The present invention relates to fiber orientation technology. The fiber orientation technology, aligns the fibers of formed food product so that the contraction of the muscle fiber that does take place is in a direction of choice controlling both bite and shrinkage. The fiber orientation technology provides a lower resistance to product flow.

(21) The fiber orientation technology provides a better shear surface for a cleaner cut. The fiber orientation technology aligns the fibers in the fill hole so the shearing action disrupts as few muscle cells as possible. The fiber orientation technology decreases the total area of metal fill plate blocking the formed food product flow resulting in less direction change to the product which works the formed food product. The fiber orientation technology pulls the formed food product through the fill hole instead of pushing using the principles of the venturi.

(22) All of these characteristics of fiber orientation technology reduce the release and mixing of myosin with actin, the net effect is a controlled orientation of the fiber, less myosin activity resulting in a better bite/bind and control over the final cook shape.

(23) A spherical geometry feeding into a circular cross section which creates a product velocity increased while maintaining more consistent pressure on the formed food product. A sphere has the following properties: All points on a sphere are the same distance from a fixed point. Contours and plane sections of spheres are circles. Spheres have the same width and girth. Spheres have maximum volume with minimum surface area. These properties allow meat to flow with minimum interruptions. There are no static or dead zones. No matter what angle the cylinder intersects the sphere; the cross section is always a perfect circle. Pressure inside of a sphere is uniform in all directions.

(24) When formed food product is passed through a circular cross section of a sphere, the fact that pressure is uniform in a sphere creates forces which will be coaxial with the sphere. The reduction in area accelerates the meat through the cylindrical section of the fill plate. The acceleration has been shown empirically to align fibers in the primary direct of flow. Hence, there is fiber orientation.