AU5196200A

AU5196200A - Novel meat product comprising a fermented milk product and process for producing the same

Info

Publication number: AU5196200A
Application number: AU51962/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Friedrich Buse; David John Joll; Werner Koppers; Bernard Trevor Matthews
Original assignee: Bernard Matthews Ltd
Current assignee: Bernard Matthews Ltd
Priority date: 1999-08-13
Filing date: 2000-08-11
Publication date: 2001-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 2020-08-11
Also published as: ZA200004115B; NZ506309A; NZ506310A; AU780447B2; AU5197600A; AU781325B2; DE20013976U1; DE20013974U1; DE19938434A1; ZA200004116B

Description

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*SSS

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 Bernard Matthews Plc

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Novel meat product comprising a fermented milk product and process for producing the same The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- Documents received on: 8a\'C I!0 The present invention relates to a novel meat product comprising a fermented 5 milk product. In particular, the present invention relates to a meat product comprising a monolithic piece of meat that is injected with a non-yoghurt fermented milk product. The present invention also relates to a process for producing a meat product injected with a fermented milk product.

o 10 Yogurt and other fermented milk products are used in many traditional recipes for marinading and/or pickling meat. For example, it is well known to marinade venison in sour buttermilk.

Russian patent specification no. 2084184 discloses a fermented meat product obtained by pickling the meat product in the presence of a fermented milk product.

According to these recipes, the fermented milk product is used to impart a sharp, tangy flavour to a marinaded, outer zone of the meat product.

WO-A-99/21438 discloses a cooked sausage comprising a mixture of meat 2 emulsion and mild yogurt, wherein the yogurt is substantially homogeneously dispersed through the meat emulsion, and the mixture has a pH of about 5.5 or more. The water retaining capacity of the meat is thus retained, providing a sausage having desirable organoleptic qualities. Said mild yogurt may be prepared from milk mixtures by inoculation by slow working yogurt Starter 9* cultures. An advantage of the sausage product of WO-A-99/21438 is that it :contains fewer calories per unit weight than conventional meat sausages and is generally easier to digest.

WO-A-99/65338 discloses a novel meat product which comprises a monolithic piece of meat that is injected with yoghurt and processed mechanically to distribute the yoghurt substantially uniformly throughout the piece. The OV. 0:product may comprise 5 to 50% by weight of injected yoghurt. Said yoghurt may have a pH of less than 5.2, preferably about 3.8 to 3.9 to improve the shelf-life of a raw meat product. Alternatively, the meat product may be cooked, and the yoghurt may have a pH- of 4.8 to 5.1 to ensure that the overall pH- of the meat product does not fall too close to the isoelectric point of the meat, thus preserving the natural moisture and juiciness of the meat during and after cooking.

Yoghurt is a relatively expensive ingredient which must be prepared specially for manufacture of the products of WO-A-99/65338. As a result the products of WO-A-99/65338 are quite expensive to produce. Accordingly there is a need for cooked and uncooked meat products which have the same or similar advantageous properties as those of WO-A-99/65338, and which are yet less 5 expensive to manufacture.

e* An object of the present invention is to provide novel meat products.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide novel meat 10 products comprising monolithic pieces of meat; that is pieces of meat that retain their natural structure and consistency. The term "monolithic" thus embraces whole muscle pieces of meat, as well as smaller, but nevertheless 'recognisable pieces such as natural "Butcher's" cuts, slices and strips of meat and cubed or diced meat, and also reformed meat such, for example, as reformed steaks. The term "monolithic" is intended to exclude meat pieces which have been subjected to more severe mechanical processing such as minced or comminuted meat and meat emulsions or doughs of the kind that are formed into sausages, for example.

Another object of the present invention is to provide raw meat products which have a longer shelf life as compared with natural cuts of raw meat.

4 Yet another object of the present invention is to provide cooked meat products having a novel aroma and/or taste.

5 Yet another object of the present invention is provide such a novel meat S. product that are generally less expensive to produce as compared with the yoghurt-injected products of WO-A-99/65338 According to one aspect of the present invention therefore, there is provided a 10 meat product comprising a monolithic piece of meat, wherein said piece has been injected with one or more liquid fermented milk products selected from buttermilk, soured cream milk, soured milk, fermented whey and kefir and then *oooo processed mechanically to distribute said fermented milk product(s) substantially uniformly throughout the piece.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for making a meat product, comprising injecting a monolithic piece of meat with a liquid fermented milk product selected from buttermilk, soured cream milk, soured milk, fermented whey and kefir, and thereafter mechanically processing the meat to distribute the fermented milk product substantially uniformly through the meat.

The term "soured cream milk" as used herein includes soured cream, sauerrahm, schmand and creme fraiche.

5 The term "soured milk" includes sauermilch and dichmilch.

O.L. 0 o* The injected fermented milk product may be distributed further throughout the .piece of meat by mechanically tenderising and/or tumbling. Said product may comprise 5-50% by weight of injected fermented milk product. It has been 10 found that by injecting liquid fermented milk product into a monolithic piece of meat in accordance with the invention, pores and cavities within the piece may be filled with the fermented milk product and, where higher proportions are 9** 9* used, the piece may become saturated with fermented milk product. The invention thus provides a meat product having attractive, organoleptic properties. By the addition of fermented milk product the calorie-content per unit weight of the product is reduced as compared with natural meat, and the product as a whole may be generally easier to digest. As a further advantage, the mechanical processing of the meat after injection assists in disrupting the structure of the meat, especially proteins, which may thus be opened, and free water within the meat may become incorporated properly within the meat structure. As a result, meat processed in accordance with the invention will typically be tender and juicy after cooking.

The product of the present invention may be cooked as part of the production process, or alternatively the product may be supplied raw for cooking by a

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5 consumer.

Where the product is to be supplied raw, e.g. for cooking at home by a consumer, the fermented milk product may have a pH less than 5.2, preferably less than 4.8, and more preferably less than 4.0. In some embodiments, the 10 fermented milk product may have a pH in the range of 3.6 to 4.0, for example 3.7, 3.8 or 3.9. By using a fermented milk product having such a low pH, the acidity of the product as a whole is increased which tends to suppress the proliferation of unwanted microorganisms within the meat before cooking.

Thus, the product of the present invention may have a longer shelf as compared with natural raw meat.

On the other hand, where the product is to be cooked as part of the production process, e.g. for sale as a cooked cold cut, it is preferable to use a fermented milk product for injection that has a pH which is selected such that, when mixed with the meat, the pH of the product does not fall too close to the isoelectric point of the meat. To this end, the overall pH of the product should 7 be not less than 5.0, and is preferably at least 5.5. The pH of the fermented milk product which should be used to ensure that the pH of the product falls within these ranges will obviously vary depending on how much fermented milk product is incorporated into the product, However, the fermented milk product will typically have a pH of 4.8 or more, typically 4.8-5-1. By maintaining the pH of the product as a whole above the isoelectric point of the meat, the loss of moisture and water from the product during cooking is minimised. On the other hand, if the pH of the product falls below about pHtowards the isoelectric point of the meat, then the water-retaining capacity of the meat is reduced, with the result that the juiciness and texture of the final product is impaired.

Said fermented milk product may be prepared by inoculating a milk. product with a starter culture, monitoring the pH- of the fermented milk product, and quenching fermentation of the fermented milk product when the pH reaches a desired value. Said fermentation of the milk product may be quenched by cooling the fermented milk product to a temperature in the range -2 to 6 0

C.

Said starter culture may comprise a slow working starter culture.

Buttermilk may be made from the residual milk that remains after conventional butter-churning, that is separation of the milk-fat (butter) from the remaining milk substances. Said residual milk may be soured using suitable starter cultures such, for example, as Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris. Lactococcus lactis subspi lactis. Leuconostoc mesenteroides suhsp. cremciris and/or Lactcocus acti suso.diacetylatis until the desired pH is reached.

Alternatively said buttermilk may be made by first souring whole milk or cream to the desired pH with suitable starter cultures, and then quenching fermentation and churning to separate the butterm~ilk from the milk-fat (butter).

Said soured creamed milk in accordance with the invention may be made by souring whole milk with a high fat content using suitable starter cultures, for example Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris. Lactococcus lactios suhsp. Inctis.

and/or Leuconostoc mesenteraides subsp.crtmoris to the desired pH.

Soured milk, including curd milk, may be made by fermenting whole milk having a normal fat content.

Whey is a by-product of cheese manufacture in which whole milk is fermented using suitable cheese starter cultures, such as Lactococcus lactis subsp.

reri atccus Jactis. subsp. actis and/or Lecnso eetrie subsp. cremoris in the presence of a curdling enzyme such, for example, as rennet. Once the desired pH is reached, the fermentation may be quenched and the cheese allowed to set. Once the mass has set, the cheese may be crushed mechanically, and the liquid whey extracted from the remaining solid cheese component.

In some embodiments, the fermented milk product of the present invention may comprise two or more different components, in which case it is only necessary that the overall pH of the fermented milk product is within the desired range.

SIn some embodiments, the fermented milk product may comprise an edible, 10 alkaline additive to neutralise the acidity of the fermented milk product. Said alkaline additive may comprise, for example carbonated soda and/or ammonium carbonate. Phosphates and/or citrates could also be used to stabilise the m ixture.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the fermented milk product injected into the meat piece may comprise live cultures, so that the cultures in the product act as protective cultures which hinder the reproduction of undesirable microorganisms in the meat. Said live cultures may be found in fermented milk products having a low pH for injection into meat intended to be supplied raw, as well as in fermented milk products having a relatively high pH for injection into meat intended to be cooked as part of the manufacturing process.

Prior to injection, the fermented milk product may be combined with additional condiments and/or flavourings. Said fermented milk product may comprise to 25% by weight (based on the fermented milk product) of such additional S S 5 flavourings and condiments. For example, the fermented milk product may be mixed with seasonings such as salt and pepper, additives such as antioxidants sodium ascorbate), honey or other flavourings such as smoke flavour or roast flavour.

10 In some embodiments, said liquid fermented milk product may comprise up to by weight of a pre-biotic additive such as a non-digestible carbohydrate.

An example of a pre-biotic carbohydrate is inulin. The fermented milk product may comprise 1-10 %wt inulin, which selectively promotes the activity of some health promoting bacteria in the colon.

Said fermented milk product may be injected into the meat piece using a single needle injector or a multi-needle injector. A suitable multi-needle injector is the injector that is commercially available from Schrdder Maschinenbau GmbH under the trade name "P6kelinjektor N120". The fermented milk product may be injected at a pressure of about 0.9 to 3.0 bar depending on the type of meat and injection rate. The meat may be injected more than once. In some 11 embodiments, the meat may be injected using tenderising needles.

After injection and mechanical processing, the product may be directly packaged if it is to be sold raw. Alternatively, the product may be coated with 5 spices and/or marinades and optionally cut prior to packaging. As a further alternative, the product may be cooked and optionally smoked and then

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packaged. As with the raw product, the meat may be further divided into portions or slices prior to packaging as required. In some embodiments, the product may be shaped into any desired shape. For instance, the meat, after 10 injection and tumbling, may be extruded to form an elongate log of generally circular or oval cross section using apparatus of the kind described in EP-A-0024790 or EP-A-0850566.

The meat piece may comprise meat from any kind of slaughtered animal. For instance, the meat may comprise red meat, such, for example, as beef, venison, lamb or pork; or poultry, such, for example, as turkey or chicken.

Following is a description by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings of methods of carrying the present invention into effect.

12 In the drawings: Figure 1 is a flow diagram of a process in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2a is a schematic plan view of a meat product in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2b is a schematic isometric view of a slice of the meat product of Figure 2a.

Figure 3a is a schematic side view of a different product in accordance with the present invention.

.*ooo Figure 3b is a schematic isometric view of a slice of the product of example 3a.

Example I A turkey breast steak with buttermilk product is made according to the following recipe: Turkey breast 75.0 kg Buttermilk mix for inection Buttermilk (pH 3.8-3.9) 20.0 kg Low fat yoghurt (pH approx. 4.0) 3.0 kg 5 Salt 1.7 kg Pepper 0.2 kg Flavouring 0.1 kg 100.0 kg 10 Buttermilk is prepared in the known manner from the residual milk that remains after butter churning. Said residual milk is soured using Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactig subso. lactis. Lauconostoc rneseriteroides subsp. cremoris and/or Lactococcus lactis sibsp. diacetylactis, as starter cultures until a pH of 3.8-3.9 is reached. As illustrated in Figure 1, said fermented buttermilk is then mixed with the yogurt, salt, pepper and other flavourings. Raw turkey breast is provided in the form of monolithic pieces.

Said pieces may be whole muscle or reformed pieces or alternatively said meat may be divided to form smaller pieces such as cubes or strips. The meat is weighed into portions of a predetermined weight, and is then combined with 14 the buttermilk using a multi needle injector, such as the "P6kelinjektor N120" available from Schr6der Maschinenbau GmbH. The buttermilk is injected into the meat at a pressure of about 0.9 to 3.0 bar depending on the size of the needles. After injection of the requisite amount of buttermilk, the product is tumbled to distribute the buttermilk substantially uniformly throughout the monolithic meat piece. The injected turkey breaststeak is then sliced into individual steaks and packaged. The resultant product is shown schematically in Figure 2a, and a slice through the product having approximately the weight of an individual portion is shown in Figure 2b.

10 Example 2 A pork steak with fermented whey product is made according to the following recipe: Boneless pork neck 80 kg Whey-brine for injection Fermented whey 16.1 kg Salt 1.6 kg Flavourings 0.3 kg Whey powder 2.0 kg 100.0 kg The whey brine is obtained as a by-product of fresh cheese manufacture in which whole milk is fermented using Lactococcus lactis subso. crermoris.

Lactococcus lactis suhsR. lactis, and/or Leuconostoc mesenteroides sub-sp.

=mri as cheese starter cultures in the presence of a curdling enzyme such as rennet. Thereafter the cheese is crushed mechanically and the liquid whey extracted from the cheese solids. The sour whey is then mixed with the whey powder, salt and other flavourings and injected into the pork neck as described in Example 1. The pork necks are then tumbled, sliced into individual steaks and packaged.

Example 3 A sliceable, cooked, chicken product is manufactured according to the following recipe: Chicken breast 70.0 kg Buttermilk.- brine for iection Buttermilk 25.0 kg Curing salt 2.0 kg Sodium ascorbate 0.3 kg Sugar mix 2.0 kg Spices 0.5 kg Tarragon flavour 0.2 kg 100.0 kg Buttermilk is produced and soured as disclosed in Example 1 above to a mild pH of 5.2 or more, using slow working souring cultures. Said buttermilk is mixed with the curing salt, sodium ascorbate, sugar mix, spices and tarragon flavour, and then injected into the chicken breast as described in Example 1 10 above. Said chicken breast is then tumbled, extruded into a flexible, shirred casing form a product as shown in Figure 3a. Said extruded product is then steam-cooked and chilled. After cooling, the casing is stripped-off and the product is sliced as 'cold cut' sliced meat product, as shown in Figure 3b, and packaged.

Example 4 A sliceable roast beef with kefir product is made according to the following recipe: Beef rump 75.0% I a a o oo Kefir brine for injection Kefir (pH 4.8 or more) 15.0% Water 5.7% Salt 1.8% 5 Sugar Spices 100% A beef rump trimmed to 95 VL is used as raw material. Fermentation of the 10 kefir is stopped at pH 4.8. Said kefir is then mixed with the water, salt, sugar and other spices and injected into the raw beef rump as described in Example 1. After injection the beef rumps are tumbled, manually stuffed into fibrous casings, cooked and cooled. Prior to slicing they are fried on the outside.

Example A cooked pork ham with sour cream product is prepared according to the following recipe: Pork top and silversides 75,0% Brine for injection Sour cream (pH 4.8 or more) 10.0% Water 10.4% Curing salt 1.8% 5 Sodium ascorbate 0.3%1 Sugar mix Spices 100% 10 For this product well trimmed pork topsides and silversides are used as raw material. The fermentation of the sour cream is stopped at pH1 4.8. The soured cream is then weighed, mixed with water, curing salt, sodium ascorbate, sugar mix and spices and injected into the raw pork topsides and silversides as disclosed in Example 1. After injection the pork is tumbled, packed into mnoulds, cooked and cooled. After cooling, the ineat is removed from the moulds and sliced for use as a cold-cut.

Claims

1. A meat product comprising a monolithic piece of meat, wherein said piece has been injected with a liquid fermented milk product and then processed mechanically to distribute said fermented milk product substantially uniformly throughout the piece, wherein said fermented milk product is one or o*o more selected from buttermilk, soured cream milk, soured milk, fermented whey and kefir.

2. A meat product as claimed in claim 1, comprising 5 to 50% by weight of injected, fermented milk product.

3. A meat product as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 which is raw.

4. A meat product as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fermented milk product has a pH of less than 5.2, preferably 3.8 to 3.9. A meat product as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said product is cooked.

6. A meat product as claimed in claim 5, wherein the product has a pH of not less than 5.0, preferably at least

7. A meat product as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein said fermented milk product contains an edible alkaline additive for neutralizing the acidity of said fermented milk product. S* 8. A meat product as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said fermented milk product comprises 5 to 25% by weight of additional flavourings 10 and/or condiments.

9. A meat product as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said fermented milk product comprises up to 10% by weight of pre-biotic additive.

10. A process for making a meat product, comprising injecting a monolithic piece of meat with a liquid, fermented milk product, said fermented milk product is one or more selected from buttermilk, soured cream milk, soured milk, fermented whey and kefir, and thereafter mechanically processing the meat to distribute the fermented milk product substantially uniformly throughout the meat. 21

11. A process as claimed in claim 10, wherein said fermented milk product is distributed further throughout the piece of meat by tenderising and/or tumbling.

12. A process as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, comprising 5 to 50% by weight injected fermented milk product. 4

13. A process as claimed in claim 10, claim 11 or claim 12, wherein said fermented milk product has a pH of less than 5.2, preferably 3.8 to 3.9. S

14. A process as claimed in claim 10, claim 11 or claim 12, further comprising cooking the meat product.

15. A process as claimed in claim 14, wherein said product has a pH of not less than 5.0, preferably at least

16. A process as claimed in claim 15, wherein the monolithic piece of meat is injected with a fermented milk product having a pH of 4.8 to 5.1.

17. A process as claimed in any of claims 10 to 16, wherein prior to injection the fermented milk product is treated to destroy starter cultures and 22 any other bacteria present in the fermented milk product.

18. A process as claimed in claim 17, wherein the fermented milk product is treated by chilling to a temperature in the range -2 to 6°C. S

19. A process as claimed in claim 17, wherein the fermented milk product is treated by heating to a temperature in the range 65 to 70 0 C.

20. A process as claimed in any of claims 10 to 19, wherein the fermented 10 milk product is made using slow working starter cultures.

21. A process as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the fermented milk product comprises an edible alkaline additive to neutralise the acidity of the fermented milk product.

22. A process as claimed in any of claims 10 to 21, wherein the fermented milk product is injected into the meat piece using a single needle injector or a multi-needle injector. DATED THIS 11 DAY OF AUGUST 2000 BERNARD MATTHEWS PLC Patent Attorneys for the Applicant:- F.B.RICE CO