Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Preserving or modifying color by use of diverse additive – Red heme – i.e. – meat pigment
Patent
1998-01-20
2000-03-28
Weinstein, Steven
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Preserving or modifying color by use of diverse additive
Red heme, i.e., meat pigment
426312, 426316, 426129, 426418, 426410, 426413, A23B 416
Patent
active
060428597
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for preserving raw meat and more specifically relates to a method for preserving raw meat by exposing the meat to an atmosphere consisting essentially of carbon monoxide.
2. Background Art
It is well known in the meat processing industry that from the time animals are slaughtered, measures must be taken to preserve the meat and prevent it from becoming rancid or spoiled. The measures to preserve raw meat must be implemented and carried through from the time the animal is first slaughtered through the time the meat is purchased and ultimately consumed by the purchaser.
Historically, preservation of the freshness or quality of the meats has been practiced for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Early preservation techniques of meat took the form of drying or "jerking" meat and packing or storing cuts of meat in salt. This method, while somewhat effective for preserving meat and keeping it from becoming spoiled, had many drawbacks not the least of which was the incorporation of large amounts of salt into meat slated for human consumption.
The use of additives or preservatives such as nitrates and nitrites to meats is another common technique for preserving meat over time. However, there is ever increasing evidence that such additives may have harmful, even carcinogenic drawbacks. These drawbacks detract from the use of these compounds as mechanisms for the long term preservation of meat.
With the introduction of reliable means for refrigeration, i.e., the ability to maintain a low temperature regardless of the external environment, the long-term preservation of raw meat has been greatly enhanced and greatly increased the duration of the preservation. Frequently, in modern meat processing, animals are slaughtered at one place which can be remote from the point of sale and the eventual consumer, and as much as a week can pass before the meat is actually consumed. This lag between the slaughtering of the meat and its consumption requires that the meat be constantly maintained under refrigeration in order to preserve its quality and prevent its degradation over this time period.
For example, an animal (a cow) may be slaughtered and cut into halves or quarters which are then forwarded to a wholesaler or retailer where they may be divided into smaller cuts such as steaks or roasts. During the transfer of the meat from the slaughter house to the wholesaler or retailer, the meat must be maintained, frequently the meat is frozen in order to preserve its quality. After the meat has been divided into cuts for sale to the eventual consumer, it must also be maintained under constant refrigeration in order to preserve its quality. Under this distribution scheme, it can be from a few days to more than a week before the meat is purchased and consumed. It, therefore, becomes evident that this constant requirement for very low temperatures greatly contributes to the cost of meat.
Another example of the costly disadvantages of very low transportation and storage temperatures can be illustrated by practice of long distance overseas shipment and distribution of frozen meat. Today, freezing is a standard method of distributing meat processed in one region of the world to another region where it is to be consumed. Overseas shipment of frozen meat is both very costly and thawed meat obtained by this method is no longer considered to be "fresh" meat. That is, once a piece of meat has been frozen, by definition it is no longer considered to be "fresh." A method of overseas transportation of meat which maintains the "freshness" of meat transported for distribution would be highly desirable. Since the only method available for long distance overseas distribution of meat is by shipping frozen meat, no method currently exists which would allow for the overseas distribution of "fresh," unfrozen meat.
Transportation of slaughtered meat from the slaughter house to the wholesaler or retailer requires the use of some form of refrigerated transportation,
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J of Food Science vol. 37 (1972) pp. 820-3 426/418.
Can. Inst. Food Sci. Technol. J. vol. 9 No. 3 1976 426/129.
Meat Science vol. 5(3) May 1981 p. 215-222 426/129.
J. of Food Quality Jun. 1994 v.17 (3) pp. 231-244 426-129.
Ramot University Authority for Applied Research and Industrial
Weinstein Steven
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