Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Packaging or treatment of packaged product
Patent
1997-11-06
2000-11-14
Cano, Milton
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Packaging or treatment of packaged product
426407, 426410, 426412, 99467, 99468, 99470, 99472, B65B 5500
Patent
active
06146676&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a method for the preparation of meals or components thereof, as well as an apparatus for realizing the method.
More particularly, the invention relates to the preparation of so-called cold-fresh meals by a vacuum boiling technique, realized at an industrial level.
Still more particularly, the invention relates to a method for the mass production of meals and meal components prepared under vacuum which guarantees a constant quality of the product and allows the product to be kept refrigerated between 0 and 3.degree. C. for a period from 14 to 35 days from the date of production.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention aims at offering a method with which meals or components of meals may be realized which may be served quickly and simply, via a given regeneration technique, as fresh and, from a culinary viewpoint, high standard meals. The method is directed to the distributors who present the meals to the consumers.
To this aim, the method according to the invention comprises the successive steps of: storing a base product in a space provided therefore; pretreating the base product; packing and vacuum drawing the obtained product; vacuum boiling the packed products; and, storing the boiled product in a refrigerated space, preferably refrigerated at a temperature of 0 to 3.degree. C., whereby the above-mentioned process steps are mainly realized in this order.
This order of steps produces the effect that no crossing arises between the paths that are followed by the raw products, semi-finished and finished products, making the spreading of bacteria or other forms of pollution impossible.
According to an important characteristic, one or more intermediate refrigerations are realized to a temperature under 10.degree. C., preferably 1 to 3.degree. C. Preferably, at least one intermediate refrigeration is realized after the unpacking of the base products and/or after the pre-treatment of the base products. Such intermediate refrigeration offers the advantage that the keeping qualities of the finally obtained product are considerably ameliorated.
According to another important characteristic, the pre-treatment is realized in two separated zones: a warm zone, in which the warm processes are realized, and a cold zone. In this way, the products which are only treated cold during the pre-treatment are kept separate from the warm products. This benefits the keeping qualities of the products to be cold treated.
The invention also concerns an apparatus for realizing the above-mentioned method, the characteristics of which will be apparent upon review of the further description and appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order to better show the characteristics according to the invention, preferred embodiments are described hereafter, as examples without any limitative character, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 represents, in a block-scheme, the method of the invention.
FIG. 2 schematically represents an apparatus for realizing the method shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As represented in FIG. 1, the method according to the invention comprises five basic steps 1-5, respectively: storing base products 6 in spaces 7-8 provided therefor; pre-treating base products 6; packing and vacuum drawing obtained products 9; vacuum boiling packed products 9; and storing boiled products 9, wherein the steps are realized substantially in this order according to a forward movement F.
Besides these basic steps 1-5, other optional steps may be realized, as described hereafter, which may be combined with each other or not.
Prior to the storage of base products 6 in spaces 7-8, as schematically represented with reference 10, the substantially raw ingredients may be inspected. Such inspection preferably comprises one or more operations, among which: freshness, quality, portioning, cut, agreed weight tolerances, etcetera; the core; forms.
Base products 6 are stored in separated spaces 7-8 as a function of
REFERENCES:
patent: 5421138 (1995-06-01), Muise et al.
Cano Milton
Hot Cuisine Technologies, naamloze vennootschap
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