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AssigneeTransfresh Corporation
InventorsRichard E. Woodruff, John H. Silliker
Estimating the term…
Good color in fresh meat, fresh poultry, and fresh fish is established and maintained by subjecting such meat, poultry and fish to an atmosphere containing a low oxygen concentration to convert oxymyoglobin on the surface of the meat and poultry to reduced myoglobin, and both oxymyoglobin and oxyhemoglobin in fish to reduced myoglobin/hemoglobin, respectively, then subjecting the fresh meat, fresh poultry and fresh fish to a modified atmosphere containing a small amount of carbon monoxide to convert the reduced myoglobin to carboxymyoglobin to a depth of not more than about 0.375 inch below the surface of the meat and poultry, and to convert the reduced myoglobin/hemoglobin to reduced carboxymyoglobin/carboxyhemoglobin in the fish. The modified atmosphere is a new composition of matter. During or after the conversion, the fresh meat, fresh poultry and fresh fish may be maintained at temperatures above freezing in an atmosphere that contains more than about 10% carbon dioxide by volume to inhibit bacterial growth, or, alternatively, the fresh meat, fresh poultry and fresh fish may be frozen and maintained frozen in normal air atmosphere.
A process comprising subjecting fresh meat, fresh poultry or both to reduction for a time sufficient to change the red oxymyoglobin on and below the surface of said fresh meat, fresh poultry, or both, to visually-perceptible purple myoglobin, then subjecting said fresh meat, fresh poultry, or both, to a modified atmosphere including a concentration of carbon monoxide in the range of about 0.10% to about 3% by volume to convert said visually-perceptible purple myoglobin to visually-perceptible red carboxymyoglobin to a depth of not more than about 0.375 inch below the surface of said fresh meat, fresh poultry, or both.
A process comprising subjecting fresh fish to reduction for a time sufficient to change the visually-perceptible red oxymyoglobin and visually-perceptible red oxyhemoglobin on and below the surface of said fresh fish to visually-perceptible purple myoglobin and visually-perceptible purple hemoglobin, and then subjecting said fresh fish to a modified atmosphere including a concentration of carbon monoxide in the range of about 0.25% to about 1.5% by volume to convert said visually-perceptible purple myoglobin and visually-perceptible purple hemoglobin to visually-perceptible red carboxymyoglobin and visually-perceptible red carboxyhemoglobin to a depth of not more than about 0.375 inch below the surface of said fresh fish.
A process comprising subjecting fresh meat, fresh poultry, or both, to reduction for a time sufficient to change the red oxymyoglobin at desired sites on and below the surface of said fresh meat, fresh poultry, or both, to visually-perceptible purple myoglobin, then subjecting said fresh meat, fresh poultry, or both, to a modified atmosphere including a concentration of carbon monoxide in the range of about 0.10% percent to about 3% by volume to convert said visually-perceptible purple myoglobin to visually-perceptible red carboxymyoglobin to a depth of not more than about 0.375 inch below the surface of said fresh meat, fresh poultry, or both, at said sites.
A process comprising subjecting fresh fish to reduction for a time sufficient to change the visually-perceptible red oxymyoglobin and visually-perceptible red oxyhemoglobin at desired sites on and below the surface of said fresh fish to visually-perceptible purple myoglobin and visually-perceptible purple hemoglobin, and then subjecting said fresh fish to a modified atmosphere including a concentration of carbon monoxide in the range of about 0.25% to about 1.5% by volume to convert said visually-perceptible purple myoglobin and visually-perceptible purple hemoglobin to visually-perceptible red carboxymyoglobin and visually-perceptible red carboxyhemoglobin to a depth of not more than about 0.375 inch below the surface of said fresh fish, at said sites.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.