Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Inhibiting chemical or physical change of food by contact... – Including step of lowering temperature to or below 32...
Patent
1989-12-04
1990-12-18
Paden, Carolyn
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Inhibiting chemical or physical change of food by contact...
Including step of lowering temperature to or below 32...
426643, 426652, A23B 4023
Patent
active
049785460
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooling liquid for fresh fish.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fresh fish will keep for a relatively short time; approximately 3 to 4 days when stored at 0.degree.-4.degree. C. This, obviously will cause great problems for retail transactions. Fresh fish of excellent quality is a rare and sought-after product. The alternative to fresh fish, frozen fish, does not have the same organoleptic quality as fresh fish. Consistency will especially deteriorate. During a freezing process cells are ruptured and when the fish is thawed, thawing water (cellular liquid) will drain off.
Attempts were made to develop methods to prolong the shelf life of fresh fish. Examples to be mentioned are immersion in ice-cold brine, storage in a controlled atmosphere (CO.sub.2), and sterilization by radiation. So far, it may be ascertained that none of these methods are satisfactory. There is, thus, still a demand for a method which may enhance the shelf life of fresh fish.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention a cooling liquid is provided comprising water, one or more inorganic salts, preferably NaCl, one or more polyhydric alcohols, preferably glycerol, and ascorbic acid.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
According to a further development of the invention the components are present in the following realtive amounts:
______________________________________ Water 87-97% by weight
Alcohol 2.0-9.5% by weight
Salt 0.5-1.5% by weight
Ascorbic acid 0.5-2.0% by weight
______________________________________
According to a further preferred feature of the invention the cooling liquid has the following composition: 95% by weight of water, 1% by weight of NaCl, 3% by weight of glycerol, and 1% by weight of ascorbic acid.
The cooling liquid according to the invention permits cooling down to -1.degree. to -2.degree. C. without causing the fish flesh to freeze. For use of the cooling liquid the fish is either immersed in, or sprayed with, the liquid. After this treatment the fish will be enveloped in a layer of the liquid which will prevent dehydration and freezing out of water during storage at -1.degree. to -2.degree. C.
The additional cooling permitted by use of the cooling liquid according to the invention will prevent autolysis and growth of bacteria.
The added ascorbic acid will prevent fat from turning rancid and will, thus, also assist to reduce perishability.
Another observation was that fish sprayed with the cooling liquid according to the invention maintained its natural color, whereas fish stored in packed ice tended to turn much more light and pale in color.
Since the temperature is below 0.degree. C. when the cooling liquid according to the invention is used, the ice will not melt, but the fish is still surrounded by an atmosphere saturated with water. It should, thus, be possible to transport less ice per unit weight of fish. Reduced transport costs may, thus, be achieved especially in case of air freight.
The invention is disclosed in more detail below with reference to experiments that were carried out, and Figures of drawing which are described in connection with said experiments.
EXPERIMENT 1
In this experiment an attempt was made to prolong the shelf life by spraying with coolant and super cooling.
The coolant prevented ice formation, dehydration, and rancidity and super cooling prevented autolysis and growth of bacteria.
In super cooling the temperature in the fish is reduced to below zero degrees Centigrade without the fish freezing.
Cod and salmon were professionally gutted and rinsed, and placed in a polystyrene box with ice in the bottom and on top. The polystyrene box was placed in a carton having a nappy on its bottom.
One box was stored at approximately 10.degree. C.; the fish sat in melting ice. The other box was placed in a super cooler.
The fish was kept in the same packaging as in case of air freight of salmon and trout.
The following analyses/observations were made:
* Total
REFERENCES:
patent: 2175680 (1939-10-01), Bedford
patent: 3026208 (1962-03-01), Szent-Gyorgyi
patent: 4601909 (1986-07-01), Nagoshi
patent: 4724149 (1988-02-01), Gul
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