| Food product permeated with homogenized dispersion -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Food product permeated with homogenized dispersionFood product permeated with homogenized dispersion description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080081102, Food product permeated with homogenized dispersion. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]The present invention is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/707,250 filed on Feb. 13, 2007. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/707,250 claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/848,923 filed on Oct. 3, 2006, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/853,270 filed on Oct. 19, 2006. Said U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/707,250, 60/848,923 and 60/853,270 are hereby incorporated in their entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002]The present invention generally relates to the field of food products, and more particularly to a permeated food product for consumption, such as meat permeated with a homogenized dispersion. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003]Organoleptic properties of meat, or any food in general, are defined by the attributes perceived by the consumer when the product is eaten. Among the attributes that most influence consumer satisfaction are those related to texture and consistency, characterized by impressions of tenderness and juiciness, and the flavor that results from a combination of olfactory and gustative sensations, which is what we call taste. [0004]Meat tenderness is defined as the difficulty or ease with which the meat can be cut or chewed. The impression of tenderness is directly related to four main factors: degradation of the muscle fiber, the contractile state of the muscle, the quantity and distribution of connective tissue, and the quantity of intra-muscular fat. These factors are susceptible to genetic or environmental variation. [0005]Juiciness plays a very important role in the general impression palatability perceived by the consumer. It could be defined as the impression that results from chewing, caused by the juices released from the meat during the process. Meat juices contain many aromatic and volatile components responsible for flavor, and also help to soften and fragment the meat during chewing. In addition they stimulate the production of saliva, which provides a sustained impression of juiciness. The lack of juiciness in meat limits its acceptability and destroys its unique sensory virtues. [0006]Palatability, i.e., texture characterized by the attributes of tenderness and juiciness, is the sensory quality that most influences product acceptability on part of the consumer. Because palatability is the property on which today's consumers place most emphasis when defining their preferences in the purchasing of meat, texture is a characteristic of great economic importance. This texture characteristic is very difficult to control mainly because it depends on so many factors (environmental, handling, genetic). These factors may either act alone and/or in combination with others. For instance, the elapsed time from the point of slaughter, the required cooking temperature, and the amount of intramuscular fat are just a few examples of these contributory factors. [0007]Consumers are relying more on the convenience of pre-cooked meats. Simultaneously, the meat processing industry is responding to increasing concerns for food safety. USDA requirements may force manufacturers to cook the meat products at a temperature which is optimum in terms of safety, but inoptimum in terms of palatability. Further, because the precooked product must be reheated in many cases, the meat products ultimately endure a second cooking process before being consumed. This second cooking process results in further degradation of palatability attributes. [0008]It is known that food manufacturers may add functional ingredients to meat products to improve palatability, but in particular, the addition of functional ingredients for precooked products is crucial. Unfortunately, many of these functional ingredients used with ingredient technology are of a large particle size. With prior art, the functional ingredients may improve portions of the meat. However, the large particle size or lack of uniform dispersion among the ingredients may cause the ingredients to distribute unevenly, or even congeal within the delivery mechanism before being delivered to the food product. As such, undesirable results such as uneven distribution of flavor, dry pockets, oily pockets, toughness, or uneven texture may occur. [0009]Consequently, it would be desirable to provide a method for adding functional ingredients to meat such that a homogenized dispersion of functional ingredients distributes evenly throughout the meat, wherein the particle size of the ingredients within the dispersion is reduced to form a homogenized dispersion with increased ingredient functionality. Further it would be desirable to provide ingredient technology that enables precooked meat to retain moisture through a re-heating process that equates to near double cooking. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010]The present invention is directed to a food product and a method of creating the food product that satisfies this need for a homogenized dispersion that distributes throughout a meat, wherein the particle size of macromolecular ingredients within the homogenized dispersion is reduced to form a homogenized dispersion with increased ingredient functionality. The present invention embodies a method for enhancing the palatability of meats. The method includes combining flavor and quality enhancing ingredients, homogenization of those ingredients, and delivery of those ingredients to a meat, wherein the ingredients may be more evenly distributed so as to more consistently enhance tenderness and juiciness. For the purposes of continuity and clarity, the term "meat" as used within this entire application includes beef, pork, poultry, meat, seafood, lamb, and goat. [0011]It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not necessarily restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012]The numerous advantages of the present invention may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which: [0013]FIGS. 1a and 1b are color cross-section photographs of fully cooked chicken breast; wherein FIG. 1a illustrates prior art distribution of injected marinade, herein where the marinade contains oil stained with beta-carotene; and wherein FIG. 1b illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating greater uniform distribution of marinade over the prior art. [0014]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a diagrammatic illustration of a micrograph of a prior marinade (as illustrated in FIG. 1a); [0015]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a diagrammatic illustration of the homogenized dispersion of the present invention (as illustrated in FIG. 1b); [0016]FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an ingredient delivery system in accordance with the present invention employing a method for permeating meat with a homogenized dispersion. [0017]FIG. 5 is a partial isometric view of the blade, orifice, and jet stream portion of the ultrasonic homogenization mechanism in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the uniform dispersion is being homogenized as it travels out of the orifice and over the blade; [0018]FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for permeating meat with a homogenized dispersion in accordance with the present invention, wherein the original homogenized dispersion ingredients include water, phosphate, protein, seasoning blend, salt, and oil. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Continue reading about Food product permeated with homogenized dispersion... Full patent description for Food product permeated with homogenized dispersion Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Food product permeated with homogenized dispersion patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Food product permeated with homogenized dispersion or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Zero trans fat baking margarine with specific solid fat index range Next Patent Application: Glass for dental applications Industry Class: Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Food product permeated with homogenized dispersion patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.25752 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Canon USA , Celera Genomics , Cephalon, Inc. , Cingular Wireless , Clorox , Colgate-Palmolive , Corning , Cymer , 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
