Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Packaging or treatment of packaged product
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-01
2001-09-04
Bhat, Nina (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Packaging or treatment of packaged product
C426S295000, C426S405000, C426S524000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06284298
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the preparation of a frozen food product for later use, and is based on an improvement over the concepts disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,861 issued Oct. 23, 1984, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,861, there is disclosed a method for preparing a frozen food product. The food product used in the method includes food pieces (such as meat, potatoes, carrots, peas, or the like) that are cooked in the presence of water. After cooking, substantially all of the free water present with the cooked food pieces is removed in a manner known in the art, leaving voids in the food mass formed by the cooked food pieces. The cooked food pieces are then charged to an agitator, which is normally a large rotating drum. While the food pieces are being agitated, a freezing gas, such as carbon dioxide (CO
2
) gas, is introduced into the agitator to partially freeze the food pieces. The food pieces are only partially frozen by the gas, in order to leave an amount of unfrozen moisture on the exterior surfaces of the food pieces.
The reason for leaving the unfrozen moisture on the exterior surfaces of the food pieces is to allow a seasoning, or adjuvant, which is introduced into the agitator after or in conjunction with the freezing gas, to adhere to and coat each food piece. Adding the adjuvant to the partially frozen food pieces insures that the adjuvant will adhere to the residual moisture present on the food pieces. Once the adjuvant is added, additional freezing gas is introduced into the agitator to fully freeze the food pieces. The completely frozen food pieces are then placed within a container for deep freeze storage.
However, in the above-identified patent, the method is only capable of manufacturing and packaging a frozen food product in bulk form. In order to place the product into a more commercially viable form that can be sold directly to the ultimate consumer, the product must be repackaged from the original container into a number of smaller packages having a size more useful to the ultimate consumer.
Furthermore, when preparing a food product in bulk form, it is difficult to insure that the adjuvant added to the product is evenly distributed throughout the entire product. In many instances, the adjuvant tends to concentrate in certain areas of the agitator, resulting in over-seasoned product in those areas and under-seasoned product in others.
Lastly, when preparing a frozen food product according to this method, it is necessary to have a large agitator in which to place the entire batch of food product for preparation. Having an agitator of this size necessarily increases the cost of producing the product by requiring a large expense in acquiring the equipment and for the maintenance and repair of the agitator should it become damaged.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop a process by which a frozen food product may be prepared and packaged in containers having a size appropriate for sale directly to an ultimate consumer.
Furthermore, it is also desirable to develop a process for preparing a frozen food product in which the adjuvant can be more precisely proportioned with the food product to lessen the occurrence of under-seasoned and over-portions of the food product.
Finally, it is desirable to develop a process having the above mentioned advantages that does not require the presence of a large agitator in order to produce the frozen food product.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for preparing a frozen food product which enables the frozen food product to be prepared and packaged in a container of a size that can be sold directly to an ultimate consumer.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved method for preparing a frozen food product that allows increased precision with regard to the amount of adjuvant added to a predetermined amount of the frozen food pieces.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved method for preparing a frozen food product that eliminates the need for a large cylindrical agitator to freeze and mix the adjuvant throughout the food pieces.
The present invention is an improved method for the preparation of a frozen food product. In accordance with the various objects of the invention, a number of food particles are cooked in water to a fully prepared state. After cooking, substantially all the free water present with the cooked food pieces is removed in a conventional manner. The removal of the water also does not dry out the food pieces, but leaves the food pieces moist.
After the free water has been removed, the food pieces are passed through a continuous freezing unit that partially freezes the food pieces. This initial freezing step does not completely freeze the food pieces, but leaves an amount of unfrozen moisture on the exterior surfaces of the food pieces.
Once the initial freezing step is completed, the pieces are weighed and a preselected weight of the partially frozen food pieces is placed into each of a plurality of sealable storage containers. Each container includes porous end sections that form the mouth of the container. In this manner, the food pieces are generally equally distributed amongst the containers. An amount of a freezing gas is also introduced into each container after the food pieces to complete the freezing of the food pieces within the container. The freezing gas used is normally in solid form, so that when the gas sublimates from the solid to the gaseous form, the gas also inflates the container as it freezes the food pieces.
After the freezing gas is placed within the container, but before the food pieces are completely frozen, a premeasured amount of an adjuvant is also added to the container. The amount of adjuvant added corresponds to the weight of the food pieces already within the container. The porous end section of the container is then sealed such that the food pieces, freezing gas, and adjuvant are retained within the container.
After being placed within the container, the solid freezing gas sublimates to its gaseous state and inflates the container enclosing the food pieces, adjuvant and freezing gas. The inflated containers are then tumbled using a suitable mechanism, intermixing the food pieces, adjuvant and freezing gas. This tumbling step allows the adjuvant to contact the food pieces and adhere to the surface moisture to evenly coat the food pieces. The tumbling step also serves to complete the freezing of the food pieces as they are coated with the adjuvant by mixing all of the food pieces into contact with the freezing gas.
While the freezing gas continues to freeze the coated food pieces, the gas leaks out of each container through the porous end section of the container. This allows the container to deflate as it is tumbled, consequently reducing the size of the container enclosing the coated frozen food pieces.
Because most of the freezing gas has leaked through the porous end section by the completion of the tumbling step, the container can be resealed below the porous end section to effectively prevent any gas or moisture from entering the container. The porous end section is then trimmed from the container, and the container can be placed in a storage freezer for later shipment and sale.
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Andrus Sceales Starke & Sawall LLP
Bhat Nina
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