Method for manufacturing individually wrapped meat slices

A method for continuously manufacturing individually wrapped, single slice, firm bodied meat products comprising the steps of

• preparing a viscous, heat settable, non-syneresing meat emulsion, comprising from about 25 to about 65 percent total solids and from about 35 to about 75 percent water, said solids comprising at least about 5 percent protein, at least about 5 percent animal or vegetable fat, and up to about 5 percent by weight of a heat settable starch having a gelation temperature in the range of from about 80.degree. F. to about 180.degree. F., based on the total weight of the meat product emulsion,
• continuously forming a longitudinally sealed packaging material tube from a substantially gas impervious packaging material, continuously introducing the meat emulsion into the packaging material tube,
• continuously flattening the meat emulsion and packaging material tube and enclosed heat-settable meat emulsion prior to gelation of said starch to a thickness in the range of from about 1/16th to about 3/16th inch and a width of from about 2 to about 5 inches, to provide a flattened, continuously advancing, non-syneresing meat emulsion containing, substantially gas impervious film tube,
• continuously repetitively displacing the viscous heat settable meat emulsion from a cross sealing zone of the continuously advancing flattened packaging material tube and transversely sealing the packaging material tube to provide a successive plurality of sealed packages each containing the meat emulsion in sheet form, and
• continuously repetitively heating the respective meat emulsion of each of said successive plurality of sealed packages while compressing at least two opposing sides of each of the sealed packages to gel said starch and pasteurize and heat-set the meat emulsion contained in each sealed package, said compressing being carried out by subjecting the meat emulsion to a compressive force of at least about 5 pounds per square inch, applied by substantially flat, opposed parallel surfaces, while heat-setting the emulsion, to provide a plurality of flat, firm bodied, form-stable, heat coagulated single slice meat products each intimately surrounded by and in conforming contact with a surrounding, sealed, substantially gas impermeable package formed of said packaging material.