GB2237969A - Storing pre-cooked food - Google Patents

Storing pre-cooked food Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2237969A
GB2237969A GB8925420A GB8925420A GB2237969A GB 2237969 A GB2237969 A GB 2237969A GB 8925420 A GB8925420 A GB 8925420A GB 8925420 A GB8925420 A GB 8925420A GB 2237969 A GB2237969 A GB 2237969A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
food
temperature
storing
preparing
cooking
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB8925420A
Other versions
GB8925420D0 (en
Inventor
Ewan James Macdonald
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
UK Secretary of State for Defence
Original Assignee
UK Secretary of State for Defence
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by UK Secretary of State for Defence filed Critical UK Secretary of State for Defence
Priority to GB8925420A priority Critical patent/GB2237969A/en
Publication of GB8925420D0 publication Critical patent/GB8925420D0/en
Publication of GB2237969A publication Critical patent/GB2237969A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
    • B65D81/18—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient
    • B65D81/20—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas
    • B65D81/2007—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas under vacuum
    • B65D81/2023—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas under vacuum in a flexible container
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
    • A23L3/015—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by treatment with pressure variation, shock, acceleration or shear stress or cavitation
    • A23L3/0155—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by treatment with pressure variation, shock, acceleration or shear stress or cavitation using sub- or super-atmospheric pressures, or pressure variations transmitted by a liquid or gas
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
    • A23L3/16—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by heating loose unpacked materials
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
    • A23L3/34—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by treatment with chemicals
    • A23L3/3409—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by treatment with chemicals in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
    • A23L3/3418—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by treatment with chemicals in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor in a controlled atmosphere, e.g. partial vacuum, comprising only CO2, N2, O2 or H2O
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
    • A23L3/36—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
    • A23L3/363—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling the materials not being transported through or in the apparatus with or without shaping, e.g. in form of powder, granules, or flakes
    • A23L3/364—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling the materials not being transported through or in the apparatus with or without shaping, e.g. in form of powder, granules, or flakes with packages or with shaping in form of blocks or portions

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Nutrition Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • General Preparation And Processing Of Foods (AREA)
  • Freezing, Cooling And Drying Of Foods (AREA)

Abstract

A method of pre-preparing and storing food involves the steps of cooking the food, cooling the food and vacuum packing the food. The food is then stored at a temperature of not more than 3 DEG C, or frozen to and stored at a temperature of not more than -18 DEG C.

Description

PRE-PREPARING FOOD The present invention relates to the pre-preparation of food.
A great deal of food is today sold in a condition such that it can be served for eating after merely heating to the required temperature. The food is prepared for this by cooking, packaging, and then storing in conditions where bacterial reproduction will be minimised. This pre-preparation is conventionally carried out as a mass production process. Typically food is cooked at normal cooking temperatures for normal times, then transferred whilst hot to a plastic container which is vacuum sealed. The vacuum sealed food is then rapidly cooled to a temperature at which it can be stored for a period before being removed from the packing, re-heated to the appropriate temperature and eaten. There are two principal forms of pre-preparation and storage, known respectively as chillcook and freeze-cook.In chill-cook the pre-prepared food is rapidly cooled to a temperature of the order of 30, at which temperature it can be stored for a maximum of 5 days before use, and in freeze-cook the food is rapidly cooled to -180C, at which temperature it can be stored for up to 3 months before use.
Whilst pre-prepared food of this type is, in general, aimed at the home consumption market it is also ideal for outlets such as works canteens where intensive activity takes place over limited periods of time, and where individual normal cooking of items can be excessively labour intensive and time consuming. However, for such outlets the purchase of pre-prepared food from normal retail, or even wholesale, outlets can be excessively expensive.
It is, in theory at least, economically advantageous for the operators of an establishment such as a works canteen to bulk buy food, and to use the available staff (who are otherwise frequently under-employed at times where the establishment is not serving food) to carry out the pre-preparation. The food can then be stored, prepared for eating, and served in the usual manner. In practice, there are problems in carrying out this function. A very high standard of cleanliness is required from personnel involved with the pre-preparation of food. Also the pre-preparation methods used by large scale manufacturers, as described above, are not easily translated to the small scale.
There is therefore, a need for a method of food pre-preparation which minimises the personnel involvement with the process, which does not require any special kitting-out of personnel, and for which utensils normally available in establishments of the canteen type can be used or readily adapted to be used.
According to the present invention a method of pre-preparing and storing food includes the steps of cooking the food, chilling the food, vacuum packing the food and storing the food at a temperature of not more than 3"C. According to a further aspect of the invention the vacuum packed food is frozen to and stored at a temperature of not more than -180C.
Cooking will normally be carried our at 700-1000C.
The chilling is preferably carried out in a blast chiller where food temperature is reduced to about 30C, and the freezing is preferably carried out in a blast freezer where food temperature is reduced to -180C.
It will be realised that this method involves minimal handling of the food after it has been prepared for cooking, and also avoids the requirement to package hot food, a step which requires special clothing and equipment for personnel.
According to another aspect of the invention apparatus for prepreparing food includes cooking means whereby food can be prepared to a state ready for eating, means for rapidly cooling the food to a temperature of the order of 30C, means for vacuum packing the food, and means for rapidly freezing the vacuum packed food to a temperature of the order of -18 C.
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing of relevant apparatus.
A production line for use in the pre-preparation of food includes, in close conjunction, cooking means 10 such as a grill or stove; a blast chill unit 11; packing means 12; vacuum inducing means 13; and blast freezing means 14.
In use food is prepared for cooking and then cooked in the means 10 at a temperature and for a time appropriate to the food in question. The cooked food is then transferred to the blast chiller 11 where it is rapidly cooled to a temperature of 30C. Currently available blast chillers can easily accomplish this within a time of about 30 minutes. The chilled food is then removed and packed in appropriate quantities in bags 12. The bags 12 are evacuated on the vacuum inducing means 13, and transferred to the blast freezer 14 where the temperature is rapidly reduced to -180C. Currently available apparatus is capable of doing this within 45-50 minutes.
After freezing the food is transferred to a storage unit 15 of conventional type and stored until it is required. It is then transferred to a conventional type of cooking unit such as a microwave or other oven 16 where it is prepared for eating.
It will be realised that, other than the vacuum packing equipment, the apparatus used, such as the blast chiller and blast freezer, are very similar to apparatus with which staff of mass catering establishments will be familiar ( mainlyrefigerators and freezers).
As the vacuum packing process is undertaken at low temperatures it becomes a comparatively simple step. The method involves minimal direct handling of food once it has been prepared for cooking, and also required few personnel to be directly involved with the process, making it comparatively easy to ensure cleanliness.
It will be realised that, as is conventional, the food will be cooked at a temperature above that, 62.90C, at which bacteria can survive. The blast chilling rapidly cools the cooked food through the range, 62.90 to 5 C, at which bacteriological reproduction is most dangerous,to the comparatively safe temperature of 30C at which vacuum packing can easily be handled.
It will be realised that whilst the method and apparatus have been described for use in catering establishments they are also suitable for mass production.

Claims (14)

  1. What is claimed is 1. A method of pre-preparing and storing food including the steps of cooking the food, chilling the food and then vacuum packing the food.
  2. 2. A method of pre-preparing and storing food and claimed in Claim 1 wherein the vacuum packed food is stored at a temperature of not more than 30C.
  3. 3. A method of pre-preparing and storing food as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the vacuum packed food is frozen to and then stored at a temperature of not more than -180C.
  4. 4. A method of pre-preparing and storing food as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the food is chilled in a blast chiller.
  5. 5. A method of pre-preparing and storing food as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the vacuum packed food is dozen in a blast ~^ er.
  6. 6. A method of pre-preparing and storing food as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the cooking is carried out at 700C to 1000C.
  7. 7. Apparatus for carrying our the method of Claim 1 for prepreparing and storing food including cooking means, cocling means and vacuum packing means.
  8. 8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 including means for storing the vacuum packed food at a temperature of not more that 30C.
  9. 9. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 including means for freezing the vacuum packed food to a temperature of not more than -180C.
  10. 10. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 9 including means for storing the vacuum packed food at a temperature of not more than -180C.
  11. 11. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 9 wherein cooling means is a blast chiller.
  12. 12. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 9 wherein the freezing means is a blast freezer.
  13. 13. A method of pre-preparing and storing food substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
  14. 14. Apparatus for pre-preparing and storing food substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
GB8925420A 1989-11-10 1989-11-10 Storing pre-cooked food Withdrawn GB2237969A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8925420A GB2237969A (en) 1989-11-10 1989-11-10 Storing pre-cooked food

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8925420A GB2237969A (en) 1989-11-10 1989-11-10 Storing pre-cooked food

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB8925420D0 GB8925420D0 (en) 1989-12-28
GB2237969A true GB2237969A (en) 1991-05-22

Family

ID=10666070

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB8925420A Withdrawn GB2237969A (en) 1989-11-10 1989-11-10 Storing pre-cooked food

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2237969A (en)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES2127144A1 (en) * 1997-06-30 1999-04-01 Catering Casa Tomas S A Novel process for preserving cooked foods by means of aseptic packaging under vacuum and/or in a modified atmosphere
ES2127079A1 (en) * 1995-10-16 1999-04-01 Castano Juan Antonio Segura Installation for cooking foods continuously
ES2127080A1 (en) * 1995-10-16 1999-04-01 Castano Juan Antonio Segura Machine for cooking foods continuously
ITMI20121768A1 (en) * 2012-10-18 2014-04-19 Paolo Silvestri PROCEDURE FOR THE PREPARATION AND CONSERVATION OF A COLD PREPARED SEASONING

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1118694A (en) * 1966-03-24 1968-07-03 Lohmann & Co K G Method of making sterile, shaped bodies of chicken and the like meat suitable for direct consumption
GB1538428A (en) * 1975-03-26 1979-01-17 Unilever Ltd Food products
EP0055683A1 (en) * 1980-12-19 1982-07-07 R. FRITSCH S.A. Société Anonyme dite Method and apparatus for handling food in large-scale kitchens

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1118694A (en) * 1966-03-24 1968-07-03 Lohmann & Co K G Method of making sterile, shaped bodies of chicken and the like meat suitable for direct consumption
GB1538428A (en) * 1975-03-26 1979-01-17 Unilever Ltd Food products
EP0055683A1 (en) * 1980-12-19 1982-07-07 R. FRITSCH S.A. Société Anonyme dite Method and apparatus for handling food in large-scale kitchens

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES2127079A1 (en) * 1995-10-16 1999-04-01 Castano Juan Antonio Segura Installation for cooking foods continuously
ES2127080A1 (en) * 1995-10-16 1999-04-01 Castano Juan Antonio Segura Machine for cooking foods continuously
ES2127144A1 (en) * 1997-06-30 1999-04-01 Catering Casa Tomas S A Novel process for preserving cooked foods by means of aseptic packaging under vacuum and/or in a modified atmosphere
ITMI20121768A1 (en) * 2012-10-18 2014-04-19 Paolo Silvestri PROCEDURE FOR THE PREPARATION AND CONSERVATION OF A COLD PREPARED SEASONING

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8925420D0 (en) 1989-12-28

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