Process for the preparation of food products

Abstract

Process for the preparation of food products, comprising the steps of: preparing at least one tray (1 ) internally defining a containment volume (2) of a food product (3); inserting said food product (3) into the tray (1 ) in a quantity and shape equal to said containment volume (2); thermally conditioning said food product (3) contained in the tray (1 ); extracting at least a part (3a) of said food product (3) from the tray (1 ); housing said at least one part (3a) inside a substantially box-like element (4); and at least partially inserting a plurality of stick-shaped elements (7) inside the part (3a) of food product (3) contained in the box-like element (4); carrying out inside the box-like element (4) a first cutting step for obtaining parallel slices (10) of food product (3) and subsequently extracting the slices (10) from the body (4) to carry out a second cutting step for forming a plurality of portions (8) of said part (3a) of product (3), each portion (8) having a respective stick-shaped element (7); and extracting said plurality of portions (8) from the box-like element (4).

Description

[0001] PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF FOOD PRODUCTS

[0002] The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of food products.

[0003] In particular, the invention falls within the scope of methods for preparing dishes generally referred to as 'finger-food', viz., suitable for practical consumption, by hand, without the use of cutlery.

[0004] In fact, food products are known which are mostly characterised by particularly simple recipes in order to be consumed in different contexts, as a quick and convenient meal, without the need for plates and cutlery.

[0005] Such products are mostly made in skewered form, viz., by using skewers which support the food product and at the same time provide an end of engagement for the user.

[0006] An example of such skewered products are the known arrosticini, typical of Abruzzo cuisine.

[0007] The skewered products therefore provide an excellent solution precisely because of their practicality for use as 'finger food' and at the same time for their preparation, which simply involves inserting the food product onto the wooden or metal rod defining the skewer.

[0008] Therefore, in order to ensure a stable engagement of the product to be consumed to the stick of the skewer, foods with chemical and structural features suitable for their use are preferred.

[0009] In other words, only foods in solid or semi-solid form and with special chemical features which allow them to remain adhering to the material (typically wood or metal) forming the stick of the skewer are selected.

[0010] Thereby, the skewer with its food product can be easily handled and consumed, preventing the food from separating from the skewer and falling therefrom.

[0011] Such food products, although very practical in their use and preparation, nevertheless have important limitations mainly related to the limited variety of foods suitable for preparation in skewers. In fact, it should be noted that, as specified above, in order to ensure a stable engagement of the food on the skewer, foods with specific chemical and physical features are used. In this context, therefore, a multitude of foods are excluded and the production of skewered products is limited to compounds which are very similar to each other.

[0012] For example, the preparation of meat is particularly suitable for consumption on a skewer. However, meat cooked, for example, with recipes which include viscous or liquid products is excluded precisely because of the difficulty of ensuring a stable engagement of the less solid products on the skewer.

[0013] For this reason, food products of the prior art, ready-to-use and typically skewered, are limited to only certain types of foods.

[0014] However, as specified above, the use of the skewer is also restricted to the possible processing of foods adapted to change the chemical-physical structure thereof.

[0015] In this context, it is therefore impossible to obtain a finger-food product for certain foods and for certain recipes where the use of cutlery is necessary. It should also be specified that in the context of the industrial preparation of skewered foods, a cutting step is implemented after or at the same time as the skewering step. In this context, foods that are too brittle or less structurally stable can be damaged during the cutting step, resulting in an aesthetically inconvenient situation, as well as in the food product becoming detached from the respective skewer.

[0016] In this context, the technical task underlying the present invention is to propose a process for the preparation of food products which is free from the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above.

[0017] In particular, the aim of the present invention is to propose a process capable of expanding the variety of foods that can be prepared as fingerfood, and in particular in the form of a skewer. A further aim of the present invention is to provide a process which is also suitable for elaborate finger-food recipes, without however altering the organoleptic qualities of the food products.

[0018] Furthermore, it is an aim of the present invention to propose a process for the preparation of finger-food products, in particular skewered, which can be implemented at an industrial level and is widely versatile in that it can be adapted to different foods.

[0019] Lastly, an aim of the invention is to propose a process for the preparation of finger-foods that is easy to implement, fast and inexpensive.

[0020] The specified technical task and aims are substantially achieved by a process for the preparation of food products as described in one or more of the accompanying claims.

[0021] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the approximate and thus non-limiting description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a process for the preparation of food products.

[0022] Such description will be set forth herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings, provided for merely indicative and therefore nonlimiting purposes, wherein:

[0023] - Figure 1 and Figure 2 show perspective views of two preliminary preparation steps of the food product;

[0024] - Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a box-like element for the preparation of skewered food products; and

[0025] - Figures 4 to 9 show in sequence the respective steps for obtaining individual skewers with the aforesaid food product.

[0026] With reference to the accompanying figures, the sequence of operational steps forming the process for the preparation of food products according to the present invention is illustrated by way of example.

[0027] In particular, the present invention relates to a process for the preparation of finger food products, which can therefore be consumed without the use of cutlery. Even more in particular, the present invention relates to a method for the preparation of skewered food products, i.e., food products which are anchored to the skewer stick and can thus be consumed by manually holding one end of the skewer.

[0028] The process first comprises the step of preparing a tray 1 , internally defining a containment volume 2 of a food product 3. A tray 1 having a substantially rectangular shape is illustrated in the accompanying figures. In this case, the volume 2 is defined by a space having a parallelepiped shape with a rectangular cross-section. However, the shape and size of the tray 1 , which therefore defines the volume 2, can be any according to the specific preparation needs of the product 3 which is to be obtained in the form of a skewer.

[0029] Subsequently, the food product 3 is housed in the tray 1 in the same quantity and shape as the aforesaid containment volume 2 (Figure 1 ). In other words, the tray 1 is completely filled with the product 3 so that the product 3 also takes the form of the volume 2 (parallelepiped in the example solution in the figures). The food product 3 can be a finished product and thus already processed and cooked according to a specific recipe. Alternatively, the product 3 can be a semi-finished, uncooked product. In this latter case, the product 3 is cooked in the respective tray 1 to obtain the finished product.

[0030] Next, the thermal conditioning step of the food product 3 contained in the tray 1 is implemented.

[0031] Such a conditioning step comprises at least one cooling step of the product 3. Such a cooling step is implemented according to predefined temperature sequences below room temperature.

[0032] Preferably, the cooling step is implemented by inserting the tray 1 inside a cold room for one or more predetermined times depending on the food product 3 contained therein.

[0033] Advantageously, the product 3 is cooled at a temperature less than 5 °C and greater than -10 °C for a time comprised between 18 and 36 hours depending on the type of product 3.

[0034] The temperature and residence time values of the cooling step are given below by way of non-limiting example: for breaded products, temperature comprised between +5 °C and -7 °C and residence time in the blast chiller minimum 18 hours and maximum 30 hours; for non-breaded products (such as pasta), temperature comprised between +5 °C and -4 °C and residence time in blast chiller minimum 18 hours maximum 24 hours; for sweet products, temperature comprised between +3 °C and -10 °C and residence time in blast chiller minimum 18 hours maximum 36 hours.

[0035] At the end of the cooling step, the product 3 is extracted from the tray 1 and housed inside a substantially box-like element 4 illustrated in Figure 3. The step of extracting the product 3 from the tray 1 can be implemented by removing the entire product 3 or by removing at least a part 3a of the product 3 as illustrated in Figure 2.

[0036] In accordance with a first solution, the part 3a extracted from the tray 3 has a shape and volume equal to the shape and containment volume 4a of the box-like element 4 (Figure 4).

[0037] In this case, the part 3a occupies the entire volume 4a, which is illustrated in the form of a parallelepiped with a square base by way of example. Also in this case, however, the box-like element 4 and the respective volume 4a can have any shape, depending on the specific preparation requirements of the skewered product.

[0038] Alternatively, the entire product 3 extracted from the tray has a shape and volume equal to the shape and containment volume 4a of the box-like element 4. Therefore, in this situation the entire product 4 is housed in the box-like element 4.

[0039] Again, in accordance with a further embodiment solution, a plurality of parts 3a are extracted from the tray 1 and housed one above the other inside the box-like element 4. In this case, the plurality of mutually overlapping parts 3a have a shape and volume equal to the shape and containment volume 4a of the box-like element 4. Consequently, the individual parts 3a are obtained with dimensions equal to a fraction of the volume 4a of the element 4.

[0040] As shown in the accompanying figures, the box-like element 4, which has a substantially cubic shape, comprises a support base 5 of the food product 3 and four side walls 6. Each side wall has passage slots for the subsequent cutting steps better detailed below. The four walls 6 also define an open face of the element 4 to which the respective volume 4a can be accessed.

[0041] Next, a plurality of stick-shaped elements 7 are at least partially inserted inside the part of the food product 3a contained in the box-like element 4.

[0042] In particular, each stick-shaped element 7 constitutes the support skewer of the food product 3. Such an element 7 has a rod-like shape with a pointed end to penetrate inside the product 3. The part opposite the pointed one remains outside the product 3 and constitutes the gripping and retaining section of each individual skewer. Preferably, the elements 7 are made of wood or another material suitable for the food industry and for coupling with the food products, such as metal or plastic.

[0043] With reference to Figure 5, the step of inserting the stick-shaped elements 7 is implemented by arranging said elements 7 parallel to each other and equidistant to define a series of parallel rows. Such rows define a respective slice 10 of product 3 as will be better described below.

[0044] The elements 7 develop inside the entire containment volume 4a of the box-like element 4.

[0045] Furthermore, the stick-shaped elements 7 are inserted through the open face of said box-like element 4 up to the respective bottom wall 5, which is provided with special slots for the pointed ends of the elements 7.

[0046] Preferably, to avoid deforming the food product inside the box-like element 4, the stick-shaped elements 7 are not inserted at the same time but according to a predefined sequence and in parallel rows. Thereby, the insertion and perforation of the product takes place in parallel rows, corresponding to the aforesaid slices 10, until the total housing of the stick-shaped elements 7.

[0047] Next, a plurality of portions 8 of the product part 3a are made, wherein each portion 8 has a respective stick-shaped element 7.

[0048] The preparation of portions 8 takes place in a chilled condition of the food product 3.

[0049] With reference to Figure 6, a first step of cutting the food product part 3a is carried out inside the box-like element 4 to obtain a plurality of slices 10 each having a plurality of stick-shaped elements 7 arranged aligned on each slice 10.

[0050] In particular, the first cutting step is implemented by a plurality of blades 9 parallel to each other to simultaneously implement a series of parallel cuts defining the aforesaid slices 10.

[0051] The blades 9 are passing through inside the box-like element 4 to implement the slices.

[0052] Subsequently, the plurality of slices 10 are extracted from the box-like element 4 (Figure 7).

[0053] Thereby, as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, a second step is implemented of cutting each slice 10 to obtain a plurality of portions 8 each of which presenting a respective stick-shaped element 7.

[0054] It should be noted that even during the second cutting step, the product 3 is still in the respective cooling condition.

[0055] Furthermore, the second cutting step is implemented by at least a second knife 11 , outside the box-like element 4, to separate each slice 10 into individual portions 8.

[0056] Preferably, the second cutting step is carried out simultaneously on all the slices 10 by means of parallel and orthogonal cuts with respect to the cuts of the first cutting step.

[0057] Furthermore, preferably the second knife 11 is an ultrasonic blade for obtaining an extremely precise cut, avoiding any deformation of the food product 3 during the aforesaid cutting steps.

[0058] Thereby, portions 8 of the same size and shape are obtained, as well as a flat and constant lateral profile, free of burrs or aesthetic imperfections.

[0059] Advantageously, the first and second cutting steps separate each portion 8 on four sides, which is defined as having a substantially prismatic development with a square section. The aforesaid stick-shaped element 7 is housed inside each portion.

[0060] After the cutting step, the portions 8 are separated, ready for any packaging and / or consumption.

[0061] It should be noted that such a process allows to obtain skewered food products, wherein each portion 8 defines the individual skewer.

[0062] Advantageously, the thermally conditioned food product 3, viz., cooled inside the tray 1 , is configured at a chemical-physical state adapted to adhere to the stick-shaped elements 7. Thereby, each portion 8 comprises the food product 3 adhering to the respective stick-shaped element 7 and extending along the longitudinal development of the stick 7 itself.

[0063] In other words, the thermal treatment adapts the food product to an optimal condition, depending on its nature, to adhere to the stick-shaped element 7 thus enabling the formation of a skewer.

[0064] Advantageously, the process described above allows the variety of foods that can be prepared as finger-food to be expanded, and in particular in skewered form. As specified above, the conditioning action adapts the product 3 to the specific use on a skewer.

[0065] It is therefore possible to expand the range of foods for this type of application, and to envisage various, even particularly elaborate, recipes with a semi-solid composition.

[0066] It should also be noted that the process does not involve the use of nonnatural or aggregating additives adapted to thicken the food product. Therefore, the organoleptic qualities typical of natural food products are maintained, with the resulting advantages in terms of the quality of the finished product.

[0067] A further important advantage of the above-described process is derived from the two cutting steps, whereby the first inside the box-like body 4 compacts the food product 3 and forms the relative slices 10, while the second cutting step allows the portions 8 to be obtained in a precise manner by using the ultrasonic blade. Thereby, the individual portions 8 have particularly homogeneous lateral cutting surfaces, lacking damage or burrs caused precisely by the separation of the food product 3. Finally, another important advantage of the present invention is the industrial feasibility of the process as well as its ease of implementation, which is particularly fast and cost-effective.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . Process for the preparation of food products, wherein it comprises the steps of:- preparing at least one tray (1 ) internally defining a containment volume (2) of a food product (3);- inserting said food product (3) into the tray (1 ) in a quantity and shape equal to said containment volume (2);- thermally conditioning said food product (3) contained in the tray (1 ) by cooling to a temperature less than 5 °C and greater than -10 °C;- extracting at least a part (3a) of said product (3) from the tray (1 );- housing said at least one part (3a) inside a substantially box-like element (4); and- at least partially inserting a plurality of stick-shaped elements (7) inside the part (3a) of the food product (3) contained in the box-like element (4);- carrying out inside the box-like element (4) a first cutting step of the part (3a) of food product to obtain a plurality of slices (10) each of which is provided with a plurality of stick-shaped elements (7) arranged aligned on each slice (10);- extracting said plurality of slices (10) from the box-like element (4); and- carrying out a second cutting step of each slice (10) to obtain a plurality of portions (8) each of which having a respective stick-shaped element (7).

2. Process according to the preceding claim, wherein said part (3a) extracted from the tray (1 ) has a shape and volume equal to the shape and to the containment volume of the box-like element (4).

3. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the entire product (3) is extracted from the tray (1 ) and housed in the box-like element (4), said product (3) having a shape and volume equal to the shape and to the containment volume of the box-like element (4).

4. Process according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of parts (3a) are extracted from the tray (1 ) and wherein said plurality of parts (3a) is housed in said box-like element (4), said plurality of parts (3a) having a shape and volume equal to the shape and to the containment volume of the box-like element (4).

5. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said cooling step comprises inserting the tray (1 ) inside a cold room for a predetermined time depending on the food product (3) contained therein, said time being comprised between 18 and 36 hours.

6. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first and second cutting step is implemented in a chilled condition of the food product (3).

7. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said step of at least partially inserting a plurality of stick-shaped elements (7) is implemented by arranging said elements parallel to each other and equidistant within the containment volume of the box-like element (4).

8. Process according to the preceding claim, wherein said stick-shaped elements (7) are inserted through an open face of said box-like element (4).

9. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first cutting step is implemented by means of a plurality of blades (9) parallel to each other in order to simultaneously implement a series of parallel cuts defining the aforesaid slices (10); said blades passing through inside the box-like element (4).

10. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said second cutting step is implemented by at least a second knife (11 ) to separate each slice (10) into individual portions (8); said second cutting step being carried out simultaneously on all slices (10).

11. Process according to the preceding claim, wherein said second knife (11 ) is an ultrasonic blade.

12. Process according to claim 7, wherein said stick-shaped elements (7) are inserted into the food product (3) according to a predefined sequence and in parallel rows corresponding to the aforesaid slices (10).

13. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said product (3) thermally conditioned inside the tray (1) is configured to adhere to the stick-shaped elements (7); each portion (8) having the product (3) adhering to the respective stick (7) and extending along the longitudinal development of the stick (7) itself.

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