# US 6,406,728 B1 · Method for treating ammoniated meats > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,406,728 B1 - Document ID: US6406728B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 09/579,783 - Filed: 2000-05-26 - Granted: 2002-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 1999-04-06 - Inventors: Eldon Roth - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6406728B1 ## CPC - A23B 4/18: in the form of liquids or solids (apparatus therefor A23B4/26, A23B4/32) - A23B 2/704: in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor - A23B 2/725: in the form of liquids or solids - A23B 4/16: in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor - A23B 4/26: Apparatus for preserving using liquids {; Processes therefor} - A23G 3/0012: {with introduction or production of gas or under vacuum; Whipping; Manufacture of cellular mass} - A23G 3/0221: {with introduction or production of gas or under vacuum; Whipping; Manufacture of cellular mass} - A23G 9/20: the products being mixed with gas, e.g. soft-ice - A23L 13/432: {Addition of inorganic compounds, e.g. minerals; oligo-elements} - A23L 13/60: Comminuted or emulsified meat products, e.g. sausages; Reformed meat from comminuted meat product - A23L 13/67: {Reformed meat products other than sausages} - A23B: PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES - A23G: COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF - A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B) ## Abstract An initial comminuted meat product (21) is exposed to ammonia to produce an ammoniated meat product. The ammoniated meat product is further comminuted in a comminuting device (12) to produce a further comminuted meat product (22). The ammonia exposure to the original comminuted meat product (21) is controlled to result in a pH of at least around 6.0 in the further comminuted meat product (22). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of treating comminuted meat made up of a plurality of initial pieces of meat, the method comprising the steps of: (a) exposing at least a portion of a quantity of comminuted meat to a quantity of ammonia; and (b) after exposing at least a portion of the quantity of comminuted meat to ammonia, further comminuting the meat to reduce the size of each initial piece of meat and thereby produce a further comminuted meat. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the quantity of ammonia comprises a quantity sufficient to raise the pH of the further comminuted meat to a pH of at least 6.0. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of exposing at least a portion of the comminuted meat to ammonia comprises the step of: (a) enabling gaseous ammonia to flow into a containment arrangement containing the quantity of comminuted meat. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: (a) displacing the quantity of comminuted meat through a conduit; and (b) wherein the step of exposing at least a portion of the comminuted meat to ammonia comprises the step of enabling gaseous ammonia to flow into the conduit as the quantity of comminuted meat is displaced therethrough. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of further comminuting the quantity of comminuted meat comprises: (a) grinding the comminuted meat with a meat grinder. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of further comminuting the quantity of comminuted meat comprises: (a) chopping the comminuted meat in a bowl chopper. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the quantity of comminuted meat comprises meat which has been ground at a first grind size and wherein the step of further comminuting the meat comprises: (a) grinding the comminuted meat with a grinder at a second grind size, the second grind size being smaller than the first grind size. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the first grind size is in the range of approximately one-half (½) inch to approximately three-eighths (⅜) inch in diameter and the second grind size is no greater than approximately three sixteens ({fraction (3/16)}) of an inch in diameter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: (a) at least during the step of further comminuting the meat, maintaining the temperature of the comminuted meat at a temperature at which at least one meat component in the comminuted meat remains in a liquid state. ### Claim 10 A method of treating comminuted meat, the method comprising the steps of: (a) displacing a quantity of comminuted meat, composed of initial meat pieces, through a conduit; (b) enabling gaseous ammonia or ammonia in solution with water to flow into the conduit as the quantity of comminuted meat is displaced therethrough; and (c) after exposing the quantity of comminuted meat to ammonia, further comminuting the meat to reduce the size of the initial meat pieces and to produce a further comminuted meat. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the step of further comminuting the quantity of comminuted meat comprises: (a) grinding the comminuted meat with a meat grinder. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the step of further comminuting the quantity of comminuted meat comprises: (a) chopping the comminuted meat in a bowl chopper. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the quantity of comminuted meat comprises meat which has been ground at a first grind size and wherein the step of further comminuting the meat comprises: (a) grinding the comminuted meat with a grinder at a second grind size, the second grind size being smaller than the first grind size. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the first grind size is in the range of approximately one-half (½) inch to approximately three-eighths (⅜) inch in diameter and the second grind size is no greater than approximately three sixteens ({fraction (3/16)}) of an inch in diameter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of: (a) at least during the step of further comminuting the meat, maintaining the temperature of the comminuted meat at a temperature at which at least one meat component in the comminuted meat remains in a liquid state. ### Claim 16 A method of treating comminuted meat, the method comprising the steps of: (a) exposing, comminuted meat composed of initial meat pieces, to ammonia; (b) after exposing the comminuted meat to ammonia, further comminuting the meat to reduce the size of the initial meat pieces and; and (c) maintaining the temperature of the comminuted meat at a process temperature during the step of further comminuting the meat, the process temperature being a temperature at which a liquid phase remains in the comminuted meat. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of: (a) displacing the comminuted meat through a conduit; and (b) wherein the step of exposing the comminuted meat to ammonia comprises the step of enabling gaseous or aqueous ammonia to flow into the conduit as the quantity of comminuted meat is displaced therethrough. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the step of further comminuting the meat comprises: (a) grinding the comminuted meat with a meat grinder. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the step of further comminuting the meat comprises: (a) chopping the comminuted meat in a bowl chopper. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the process temperature comprises a temperature above 32 degrees Fahrenheit.