Finely Textured Beef Product Fat Separation and pH Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing finely textured beef do not effectively enhance the water binding characteristics and cohesive properties of final meat products, leading to unpredictable cook yields, which are critical for businesses that serve cooked meat products.
Innovation Solution
A process involving heating animal trimmings to liquefy fat, separating the fat from the lean meat, and adding sodium carbonate to the lean textured beef slurry in specific amounts to create a finely textured beef product with improved protein content and cohesive properties, thereby enhancing cook yield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional rendering process is used to separate fat from lean meat, then fat content is reduced, but water binding characteristics and cohesive properties are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the pH of the lean textured beef slurry through addition of碱性 substances (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or sodium carbonate). This pH adjustment transforms the chemical state of the meat proteins, enhancing their water binding capacity and cohesive properties. The specific pH range of 6.0-8.0 is established to optimize these functional properties while maintaining product quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system by combining lean textured beef with specific alkaline substances (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or sodium carbonate) at controlled concentrations. This composite approach produces a synergistic effect where the alkaline additives enhance the functional properties of the meat proteins, resulting in improved water binding and cohesiveness that neither component achieves alone.
2Quantity of substance
If conventional rendering process is used to separate fat from lean meat, then fat content is reduced, but cook yield predictability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the pH of the lean textured beef slurry through addition of碱性 substances (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or sodium carbonate). This pH adjustment transforms the chemical state of the meat proteins, enhancing their water binding capacity and cohesive properties. The specific pH range of 6.0-8.0 is established to optimize these functional properties while maintaining product quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control by establishing specific parameter ranges (pH 6.0-8.0, alkaline substance concentration 0.01-0.5% w/w) and cooking temperature ranges (140-180°F). These controlled parameters ensure consistent product performance and predictable cook yield. The feedback mechanism involves monitoring and adjusting pH and additive concentrations to maintain optimal functional properties.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If pH increasing gas (NH3) is used to contact meat surface, then pathogenic microbe content is reduced, but water binding and cohesive properties are not improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the pH of the lean textured beef slurry through addition of碱性 substances (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or sodium carbonate). This pH adjustment transforms the chemical state of the meat proteins, enhancing their water binding capacity and cohesive properties. The specific pH range of 6.0-8.0 is established to optimize these functional properties while maintaining product quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses alkaline substances (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or sodium carbonate) as intermediaries to achieve dual objectives. These substances serve as mediators that simultaneously improve water binding characteristics, cohesive properties, and provide pathogen control through pH elevation, replacing the need for separate ammonia gas treatment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The addition of sodium carbonate significantly improves the water binding and cohesive properties of meat products, resulting in increased cook yield and predictability, which is valuable for businesses serving cooked meat products.
Implementation Method 1
heating ground animal trimmings to a temperature sufficient to liquefy fat in the animal trimmings
Implementation Method 2
addition of sodium carbonate during preparation of finely textured beef greatly improves not only the water binding characteristics of final mixed meat products
Implementation Method 3
additionally improves the cohesive properties of final mixed meat products (i.e., binding of meat products)
Data Source
AI summary
Animal trimmings are converted to a finely textured beef product by heating ground animal trimmings to a temperature sufficient to liquefy fat in the animal trimmings and less than a temperature to significantly cook the animal trimmings thereby forming a heated slurry, separating at least a portion of the liquid fat from the heated slurry to form a lean textured beef slurry having a fat content of less than about 30% by weight and adding sodium carbonate to the lean textured beef slurry in an amount sufficient to provide a finely textured beef product comprising sodium carbonate in an amount of from about 0.02 to about 0.1% by weight. Finely textured beef products and mixed meat products comprising the finely textured beef products are also described.