Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Animal derived material is an ingredient other than extract...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-11
2001-02-13
Pratt, Helen (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Animal derived material is an ingredient other than extract...
C426S092000, C426S578000, C426S646000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06187366
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to meat products generally and in particular to processed meat products containing ingredients which improve the functionality, texture and appearance of the processed meat product. Specifically, the present invention relates to the use of modified starch products which can be incorporated into whole muscle tissue as well as into comminuted meat products.
The use of starch products to improve the functionality of whole muscle tissue meat products is well known to the art. In particular, it is well known to incorporate starches such as corn starch or potato starch into meat products in order to stabilize the inherent and added moisture present in such products. The presence of such starch products will minimize the “weeping” of moisture that can occur during storage of the processed meat products. In addition to stabilizing the water content of the meat products the incorporation of starches can provide improvements in other properties of the meat products including those of texture, slicing ability and appearance.
For example, the incorporation of potato starch is known to contribute to texture, and slicing attributes of whole muscle tissue such as chicken or turkey breasts to which it is added. The incorporation of corn starch is known to provide similar improvements to those provided by potato starch but generally provides superior appearance attributes. In particular, the incorporation of corn starch into whole muscle tissues minimizes or eliminates the appearance of striations that become visible with use of higher levels of potato starch in such whole muscle meat products.
Regulatory authorities have established limitations on the types and amounts of ingredients that can be incorporated into meat products. For example, current U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations permit addition of up to 3.5% by weight dry solids basis starch to cooked meat products which levels are frequently capable of achieving high yields or “pump” levels. Accordingly, when higher allowable levels of currently used starches are incorporated into whole tissue meat products and water and other ingredients are incorporated in the products at higher “pump” levels such as 130 or more (e.g., a pump level of 150 means 50% added ingredients), the appearance and texture properties of the resulting meat product can be adversely affected.
Thus, there remains a desire in the art for improved starch compositions for incorporation into meat products to provide improved functional, textural and appearance properties to the resulting meat product generally, and particularly when the added ingredients are incorporated into the meat products at high levels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides improved starch compositions for incorporation into processed meat products and improved meat products comprising those starch compositions. As an aspect of the present invention, applicants have observed that separate use of modified (crosslinked) potato or corn starches results in limited improvements in functionality in processed meats over the products of the prior art. While the ability of these starches to stabilize inherent and added moisture in meat products is similar, their contributions to texture, slicing, and appearance attributes differ. The incorporation of crosslinked potato starch into meat products contributes better texture and slicing characteristics, while the incorporation of crosslinked corn starch into processed meat products provides superior appearance attributes such as lack of or masking of starch gel pockets or striations.
The present invention provides improved compositions for incorporation into processed meat products which comprise the combination of a first crosslinked starch selected from the groups consisting of potato and tapioca starches and a second crosslinked starch which is a crosslinked corn starch wherein the first and second crosslinked starches are present at a weight ratio of from about 1:3 to 3:1. According to a preferred aspect of the invention the first crosslinked starch is a potato starch. According to a further preferred aspect of the invention it has been found that the combination of crosslinked corn starch and crosslinked potato starch within the ratios of 1:3 to 3:1 and particularly at a weight ratio of 1:1 provides substantial improvements in functional and appearance properties of processed meat products in which the composition is incorporated compared to incorporation of an individual crosslinked or uncrosslinked starch alone.
A preferred crosslinked corn starch for use according to the invention is corn starch which is characterized by a crosslinking level of from about 25 ppm to 200 ppm with a crosslinking level of from about 40 ppm to 80 ppm being preferred. The “crosslinking level” is based upon dry weight of starch of phosphorus oxychloride added during the crosslinking reaction or its equivalent as produced by other crosslinking reactions. Preferred potato and tapioca starches for use according to the invention are characterized by a crosslinking level of from about 25 ppm to 200 ppm with crosslinking levels of from about 40 ppm to 80 ppm being particularly preferred.
The crosslinked starches used in practice of the invention are crosslinked with any of a variety of agents according to methods well known to the art but are preferably crosslinked with phosphorus oxychloride under alkaline conditions. Sodium trimetaphosphate is useful for crosslinking but reacts more slowly than does phosphorus oxychloride and accordingly substantially more reagent is required to achieve the same level of crosslinking as would be achieved with phosphorus oxychloride. Adipic anhydride is also useful as a crosslinking agent but is less stable than POCl
3
or sodium trimetaphosphate. Less preferably, epichlorhydrin may also be used at equivalent levels of crosslinking. A particularly preferred starch for use with the invention is an ungelatinized potato starch crosslinked with phosphorus oxychloride at a concentration of 45-65 ppm (POCl
3
) (Brabender viscosity of 1200-2000 Brabender units at 3.5% D.S., pH 7·50 &mgr;S/cm conductivity·700 cm-g·75 rpm on a Brabender Amylograph) (Penbind 100, Penwest Foods Co., Englewood Colo.).
Different starches having different levels of crosslinking, and thus exhibiting different viscosities, may be used together in practice of the invention. For example, one modified starch having a crosslinking level of 20 ppm and characterized by a relatively high viscosity may be used in conjunction with another modified starch having a crosslinking level of 100 ppm to yield a blend of modified starches characterized by a crosslinking level and having a viscosity intermediate between those of the two components. Those of skill in the art can match a particular level of crosslinking performance by varying crosslinking reaction conditions. Modified starches can then be “matched” such as by comparing Brabender viscosity curves. Thus, other starches which are crosslinked at a concentrations too high or too low and thus are inappropriate for use alone in practice of the invention can be used in conjunction with other starches provided that the overall starch component is characterized by a viscosity within the desired range.
A particularly preferred corn starch for use according to the present invention is a hydroxypropylated crosslinked corn starch. White corn starches can be modified to have different levels of hydroxypropylation, a preferred hydoxypropyl corn starch is that having a hydroxypropylation level of from 4% to 7%. Corn starches may be hydroxypropylated by etherification with propylene oxide such as according to the methods disclosed by Kesler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,505,110, Hermstad, U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,407; Eastman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,978 and Eastman U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,314 the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Propylene oxide reacts monofunctionally with starch hydroxyl groups to introduce hydroxypropyl groups into the starch, the hydroxyl groups bei
Ensor Stuart A.
Ferry Charles
Horn Greg
Marshall O'Toole Gerstein Murray & Borun
Penford Corporation
Pratt Helen
LandOfFree
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