Method and apparatus for analysis of meat products

In a method of controlling the duration of application of microwave heating energy to a sample of food material containing moisture and fat which are heat releasable respectively in vapor and liquid form in order to obtain a relatively constant chemical analysis of the residue of said sample, said method including the steps of (a) locating said sample on the weighing platform of a weighing device, (b) applying microwave energy to said sample to heat the same and cause moisture in said sample to be released as a vapor and fat in said sample to be rendered as a liquid, (c) monitoring the weight change of said sample during the applying of said energy thereto, and (d) terminating the applying of energy to said sample when the time rate of change of the weight of said sample reaches a predetermined rate, the improvement comprising:

• collecting said fat rendered from said sample as liquid in a container which is supported independently of said weighing platform of said weighing device during the applying of said energy to said sample and monitoring of the weight loss of said sample, whereby the weight loss being monitored is attributable both to vaporization of moisture and rendering of fat from said sample and thereby enhances the reliability of accurately determining when the predetermined time rate of change in weight loss of said sample occurs.

In a method of determining the amount of fat in a meat product sample, said method including the steps of (a) locating said sample of meat on the weighing platform of a weighing device, (b) weighing said sample, (c) applying microwave energy to said sample to be released as a liquid, (d) monitoring the weight change of said sample during the applying of energy thereto and (e) terminating the applying of energy to said sample when the time rate of change of the weight of said sample reaches a predetermined rate, the improvement comprising:

• collecting said fat rendered as a liquid in a container which is supported independently of said weighing platform of said weighing device during the applying of said energy to said sample;
• and
• after terminating said applying of energy to said sample, placing the collected fat on said weighing platform of said weighing device and determining the amount of fat in said sample.

In an apparatus for controlling the duration of application of microwave heating energy to a sample of food material containing fat which is heat releasable in liquid form in order to obtain a relatively constant chemical analysis of residue of said sample, said apparatus including a weighing device having a weighing platform, means for locating said sample on said weighing platform of said weighing device, means for applying microwave energy to said sample to heat the same and cause fat in said sample to be rendered as a liquid, and means for monitoring the weight change of said sample during the applying of energy thereto, the improvement comprising:

• container means for collecting the fat rendered from said sample as liquid and means for supporting said container means relative to said weighing platform so that said container means is independent of said weighing platform during the applying of said energy to said sample by said energy applying means and the monitoring of the weight loss of said sample by said monitoring means, to minimize the spattering effect of the rendered fat from adversely affecting the weighing operation and monitoring of weight change of said sample.

A method of controlling the duration of application of microwave heating energy to a sample of food material containing moisture and fat which are heat releasable respectively in vapor and liquid form in order to obtain a relatively constant chemical analysis of the residue of said sample comprising the steps of (a) locating said sample on the weighing platform of a weighing device (b) applying microwave energy to said sample to heat the same and cause moisture in said sample to be released as a vapor and fat in said sample to be rendered as a liquid, said vapor and said fat being removed from said weighing platform (c) monitoring the weight change of said sample during the applying of said energy thereto, the weight loss monitored being attributable both to vaporization of moisture and rendering of fat from said sample, and (d) terminating the applying of energy to said sample when the time rate of change of the weight of said sample reaches a predetermined rate.