IT9067994A1 - LOW CALORIC MEAT PRODUCTS AND PROCEDURE FOR THEIR PRODUCTION - Google Patents

Abstract

A LOW CALORIE MEAT PRODUCT COMPRISING COMMINUTED LEAN MEAT AND A VEGETABLE FAT REPLACEMENT INGREDIENT COMPRISING DIETARY FIBER AND STARCH IN A WEIGHT RATIO WHICH IS IN THE RANGE OF 1:32-1:1, THE PROPORTION OF THE DIETARY FIBER BEING AT LEAST 5% BY WEIGHT, AND THE PROPORTION OF THE STARCH BEING AT LEAST 50BY WEIGHT, OF THE FAT REPLACEMENT INGREDIENT DRY MATTER, THE PROPORTION OF THE VEGETABLE FAT REPLACEMENT INGREDIENT BEING IN THE RANGE OF 5-80% BY WEIGHT, CALCULATED ON THE MIXTURE, THE PRODUCT WHEN IT COMPRISES A COHERENT FORCEMEAT MIXTURE HAVING A CONTENT OF FAT WHICH IS LESS THAN 10% BY WEIGHT AND WHEN IT IS A HAMBURGER PRODUCT A FAT CONTENT WHICH IS LESS THAN 10% BY WEIGHT AND WHEN IT IS A HAMBURGER PRODUCT A FAT CONTENT WHICH IS LESS THAN 50% BY WEIGHT, AND A PROCESS FOR PREPARING THE LOW CALORIE MEAT PRODUCT.

Description

DESCRIPTION of the industrial invention entitled:

"Low calorie meat products and process 829187 / HS / SA for their production"

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a product

low calorie meat, including a vegetable fat-replacing ingredient. In a particular aspect of the invention, the low meat product

calorie content is a pet food or

a ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat consumer meal or part of it. Further, a process is provided for preparing a low calorie meat product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a growing consumer demand for low-calorie meat products. This

demand is encouraged by the accumulating evidence in the scientific literature that high consumption of

animal fat, especially fat with a high proportion of saturated fatty acids, represents a significant danger

PA / cc

for health, for example in connection with the development of cardiovascular disease. Other health concerns associated with high-fat meat products are their high cholesterol content and the addition of relatively high amounts of salt, which are added for the purpose of improving binding characteristics, as the salt helps to extract from the meat the native water-binding myosin component. Furthermore, a large proportion of consumers find meat products containing chemical additives such as water-binding agents, including phosphates, emulsifying and antioxidant additives, less acceptable.

However, the presence of fat in traditional meat products has a considerable and desirable influence on their texture and flavor. Thus, meat products having a substantially reduced fat content tend to become dry, limey and less succulent and the consumer will consider such products less tasty than similar products having a higher fat content. In some countries it is considered that, for example, breakfast sausages with a fat content of less than 35% are less tasty due to their dryness and tenderness. In a recent publication by Wirth (Fleischwirtschaft, 1988, 68, 1153-1156) it is concluded that a certain fat content is essential for the consistency of the products and that the preparation of meat products with a reduced fat content requires special technology. of procedure. By applying this technology it is possible, according to Wirth, supra, to prepare, for example, frankfurters with a low fat content up to 103⁄4 or liver sausages with a maximum fat content of 15%, without deteriorating the texture and flavor of the products. Wirth indicates that the preferred methods to compensate for the technological function of the non-present fat would be: an increased activation of myosin in order to increase the water binding capacity and the addition of collagen substances and water.

There have been numerous attempts to reduce the fat content of meat products. The above publication is an example of an approach, which consists simply of reducing or "diluting" a high proportion of fat by adding water and water binding agents to a high fat content product mix. Other examples - are found in GB 1423 608, which describes the addition of a dry gelling agent comprising a cellulose ether and a digestible carbohydrate, which is added in concentrations as high as 15% together with added water and in EP 0 319 987, which discloses a process for producing processed minced meat foods, comprising the addition, to the minced meat, of an alkaline gel comprising up to 11 parts by weight of gel-forming materials including konjak-mannan, up to 0.04 parts by weight of an alkaline substance and from 15 to 50 parts by weight of water. The use of an alkaline konjak-mannan gel as a calorie reducing agent in meat products has also been described in GB 2224 629.

Another approach to providing low calorie meat products is to reduce the amount of fat by including non-meat ingredients in meat products, while still attempting to retain flavor, aroma, texture and appearance in such products comparable to those of traditional meat products. with a high fat content. Thus, US 3.74B.148 describes a process for producing sausages with a reduced cholesterol content, in which 20-30% Brazil nuts are mixed with lean meats as a substitute for animal fat. The purpose of this disclosure is to provide sausages with a reduced content of animal fat (including cholesterol). However, the relatively high proportion of oil-containing nuts does not provide a true low-fat meat product. US 4,504,515 describes a process for the preparation of low-fat meat products comprising mixing a mixture containing 13-40% by weight of frozen skimmed milk, or whole milk, and 55-80% by weight of meat lean in the presence of less than 5% by weight of condiments and / or preservatives.

In U.S. 4,735,819 low-calorie sausages are disclosed comprising 40-90% lean meat and 2-35% cooked rice and having a fat content in the range of 4 to 35% by weight. Sausage samples are evaluated by a jury based on texture, aroma and appearance. However, ratings are relatively poor for products with a high rice content and low fat content. Accordingly, the preferred rice content is 10% by weight and the preferred range of fat content is 10-25% by weight, the most preferred value being 20%. It is therefore obvious that these inventors have not solved the problem of being able to produce meat products with a fat content of less than 20% by weight and at the same time preserve the flavor, texture and appearance of the meat products. high fat content.

In several cases, low-cost meat products have been prepared, in which the fat is moderately reduced by the addition of various non-meat thinners. The main purposes of using these diluents are to facilitate the absorption of fat and the absorption of added water in the resulting mixture of meat product, in order to obtain meat products with high finishing cooking yields; add protein value to products; or improve the emulsion stability in products having low meat content. Examples of such non-meat thinners can be mentioned breadcrumbs, cereals, potato starch, milk powder and vegetable protein.

The addition of plant ingredients containing dietary fiber and starch, for example in the form of cooked vegetables, to meat products is known. Therefore, it is not uncommon to add smaller amounts of boiled potatoes to certain traditional homemade products having a relatively high fat content, such as liver paste, sausages or meatball mixes. The purpose of this addition is primarily to achieve improved absorption of added fat and water and to reduce cooking shrinkage. Furthermore, this addition of boiled potatoes contributes to obtaining a greater volume of the finished product, thus allowing the required quantity of the expensive meat ingredient to be reduced. GB 1 310348 describes a process for the production of dehydrated meat products, such as meatballs, in which a pre-cooked dried vegetable material, which has preserved the cellular structure of the vegetable, preferably dehydrated potatoes, is added to minced meat containing fat in quantity oscillating between 5 and 15% by weight. The main purpose of adding the plant material is to improve the rehydration characteristics of the dried finished products. It is stated that it may be necessary to increase the intrinsic fat content in products, which derives from the meat ingredient containing fat and is typically 8-13%, up to for example 20-30% by adding fat in order to reduce the time of rehydration. An analogous use of carbohydrate materials, such as mashed boiled potatoes, in the preparation of cooked, dehydrated, instantly reconstitutable meat products, is described in GB 1022 170;

SU 1 266 503 discloses a process for the preparation of cooked sausage, in which a "structuring agent" comprising a 1: 1 mixture of mashed potatoes with milk and waste from the manufacture of corn flakes is added to the minced meat. The object of the invention is to reduce the meat content by 35-40%. SU 1296 083 describes a process for the preparation of sausage products, in which an emulsion comprising 8-10% by weight of a rehydrated dried plant material, such as potatoes and other roots, and farm fat in a proportion of between 1: 1 and 1: 0.5 referring to the vegetable ingredient, is added to minced meat to form a sausage mix.

The Applicant has now found that low-calorie meat products can be industrially prepared economically using meat, from which substantially all the attached fat has been mechanically removed and replacing the fat thus removed with an ingredient containing dietary fiber and starch and again obtaining meat products, which have substantially the same taste, texture / texture and appearance as similar types of meat products prepared from meat having a high fat content. Employing this novel process it has now been made possible to provide nutritiously highly desirable meat products having a fat content which is less than 15%, the fat content being even as low as 2-3% by weight and, in the same time, maintaining the same protein content of meat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a low calorie meat product, comprising a mixture comprising shredded lean meat substantially free of visible fat, its proportion being in the range of 20 to 95% by weight, calculated on the mixture, a vegetable ingredient replacing fat comprising dietary fiber and starch in a weight ratio that is in the range of 1:32 to 1: 1, the proportion of dietary fiber being at least 5% by weight of the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient when determined as non-starch polysaccharides and the proportion of starch being at least 50% of the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient, said fat replacement ingredient in the blend having, or being capable of being brought into, a homogeneous consistency substantially without sensorially recognizable particles, the proportion of the ingredient being located in the range from 5 to 80% by weight, calculated on the mixture, optionally added salt, the proportion of which, when added, is. located in the range of 0.1 to 4% by weight, calculated on the mixture, and optionally added water, the proportion of which, when added, is in the range of 5 to 50% by weight, calculated on the mixture, and optionally one or more further ingredients, the proportion of which, when added, is in the range of 1 to 15% by weight, the low calorie meat product having a fat content which is at most 15% by weight when the product is a hamburger product, the fat content being at most 10% by weight when the product is not a hamburger product, with the proviso that (i) the fat, when the product is a product in which the lean meat is fish meat , does not include hardened fat and (ii) the dietary fiber is not konjak-mannan.

The products according to the invention have substantially the same taste, texture, appearance and ability to bind water as similar high-fat meat products prepared in a classical way.

The total proportion of fat in the low calorie product is preferably less than 12% by weight, most preferably less than 10% by weight, most preferably less than 7% by weight, most preferably less than 5% by weight and in particular less than 3% by weight. Lean shredded meat can be derived from any edible animal species including mammals, birds and fish.

In a further aspect, low calorie meat products may constitute ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat consumer meals or form part thereof. In yet another aspect, the low calorie meat product can be a pet food.

The present invention also relates to a process for the preparation of a low-calorie meat product, a process which substantially comprises the preparation of a mixture by mixing minced lean meat substantially free of visible fat; a vegetable fat replacement ingredient comprising dietary fiber and starch in a weight ratio that is in the range of 1:32 to 1: 1, the proportion of dietary fiber referred to the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient being at least 5% and the proportion of the starch being at least 50% of the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient and said fat replacement ingredient in the coherent mass having, or being capable of being brought into, a homogeneous consistency substantially without sensory particles recognizable, said ingredient being miscible with the other ingredients; optionally added salt; and optionally added water, mixture in which the proportion of shredded lean meat substantially free of visible fat is in the range of 20 to 95% by weight, the proportion of the fat replacement ingredient is in the range of 5 to 80% by weight, the proportion of water added, when added, is in the range of 10 to 50% by weight and the proportion of salt added, when added, is in the range of 0.1 to 4% by weight. One or more further ingredients are optionally added to the resulting mixture, thus obtaining a meat product mixture in which the proportion of the further ingredients is in the range of 1 to 15% by weight, this being followed by distribution of the product mixture. of meat thus obtained in appropriate packages and optionally exposure of the meat product mixture to a preservation and / or cooking treatment before or after its distribution in the packages, to obtain a low calorie meat product having a fat content that is at most 15% by weight when the product is a hamburger product, the fat content being at most 10% by weight when the product is not a hamburger product, with the proviso that (i) the fat, when the product is a product in which the lean meat is fish meat, does not include hardened fat and (ii) the dietary fiber is not konjak-mannan.

In a still further aspect, the present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a low calorie spreadable meat product, a process which comprises, as a first step, the formation of an emulsion comprising an edible oil, water having a temperature of at least 50 ° C and a protein powder and, subsequently, the mixing of the resulting emulsion with the ingredients as defined above, the proportion of the emulsion obtained from the first stage constituting at most 5% by weight of the resulting mixture. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention provides a low calorie meat product comprising: a) a blend comprising

(1) shredded lean meat substantially free of visible fat, its proportion being in the range of 20-95% by weight, calculated on the blend, (2) a vegetable fat replacement ingredient comprising dietary fiber and starch in a ratio which is in the range of 1:32 to 1: 1, the proportion of dietary fiber being at least 5% by weight of the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient when determined as non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and the proportion of the starch being at least 50% of the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient, said fat replacement ingredient being capable of having, or being brought into, a homogeneous consistency substantially without sensorially recognizable particles in the mixture, the proportion of said vegetable fat replacement ingredient being in the range of 5-80% by weight, calculated on the blend,

(b) optionally added salt, its proportion, when added, being in the range of 0.1-4% by weight, calculated on the mixture, and

(c) optionally added water, the proportion of which, when added, is in the range of 5-50% by weight, calculated on the mixture and

(d) optionally one or more further ingredients, the proportion of which lies in the range of 1-15% by weight referring to the meat product, the product having a fat content which is at most 15% by weight, when the product is a hamburger product, the fat content being at most 10% by weight, when the product is not a hamburger product,

with the proviso that (i) when the product is a product where the lean meat is fish meat the fat does not include hardened fat and (ii) the dietary fiber is not konjakmannan.

It is preferred that the low calorie meat product substantially comprises all of the native water of the above defined ingredients of the product. However, one or more of the ingredients, before mixing them, may have been subjected to treatments that lead to a partial elimination of the original water content, found in nature, present in the ingredients, such as cooking or frozen storage, so that 1- 20% by weight of the native water content can be lost, for example by evaporation or leaching. In the context of the present invention, it is considered advantageous for the low calorie meat product to substantially comprise the totality of the native water content of the ingredients, said native water content of the ingredients in the product being at least 60% by weight, preferably at least 70. % by weight, most preferably at least 80% by weight and in particular at least 90% by weight.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a low calorie hamburger product is provided. In the present context, the term "hamburger product" designates a meat product comprising as an essential ingredient shredded meat having particle sizes that allow for the formation of coherent hamburger buns, said particle sizes being typically located in the range of 2-10 mm, i.e. example 3-5 mm. When a hamburger product blend is prepared, the ingredients are mixed substantially without further mincing of the meat for a period of time sufficient to achieve uniform distribution of the ingredients in the resulting consistent burger blend.

Traditional, industrially prepared burgers may comprise ground beef as the sole ingredient, the fat content of the beef typically being in the range of 20-30% by weight. However, such burgers are subject to considerable shrinkage during cooking, inter alia due to the escape of the melted fat and, in addition, the remaining fat content will contribute to a high calorie content of the products. In other types of traditionally prepared burgers, a mixture is prepared which, in addition to the minced meat containing fat, includes meat thinners such as vegetable proteins, for example soy protein, added water, added salt and seasoning ingredients. By incorporating such non-meat ingredients, the proportion of meat can be greatly reduced, the proportion typically being in the range of 60-80% by weight, calculated on the product. The resulting fat content of such hamburger products is typically in the range of 18-25% by weight.

The present invention provides low calorie hamburger products according to the invention, products comprising only shredded meat, substantially free of visible fat, and the aforementioned fat replacement ingredient, as well as hamburger products which, in addition to said shredded meat and The fat replacement ingredient comprise one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of added salt, added water and further ingredients as defined hereinafter. Although the preferred source of burger meat is beef, other edible meats derived from other animal species, such as veal, pork, and lamb, can be used in burgers.

In another embodiment of the invention, a low calorie meat product is provided, in which the mixture is a consistent meat filling mixture. In the present context, the term "a coherent meat filling blend" is used to mean a low calorie meat product blend that forms a homogeneously integrated stable mass, in which the minced meat substantially free of visible fat and the added vegetable ingredient to replace the fat during mixing are subjected to mechanical forces, so that the particle size of the ingredients is reduced to levels, in which these ingredients are no longer visually recognizable and in which, together with added salt, added water and optionally further ingredients as defined herein, they form the above defined integrated mass having a coherent homogeneous consistency substantially without visually recognizable particles. It is also understood that this coherent structure of the mixture is preserved during cooking and storage of the final products. Typical examples of such coherent meat filling blends are blends for the preparation of sausage products, slicable meat products, and spreadable meat products.

When preparing classic sausage products, slicable meat products and spreadable meat products, comprising a substantial proportion of fat, the mixing of the ingredients leads to the formation of a consistent filling mixture in the form of a stable fat-water emulsion. protein. It has now surprisingly been found that a consistent filling mixture, as defined above, can be obtained even if substantially all of the fat is replaced by a vegetable fat replacement ingredient according to the invention. It will be understood that the physical nature of the resulting low calorie meat filling mixture according to the invention differs fundamentally from a traditional water-protein fatty meat product emulsion.

Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, a low calorie meat product is provided, the product comprising:

a) a consistent meat filling mixture comprising (1) shredded lean meat substantially free of visible fat, its proportion being in the range of 20-90% by weight, calculated on the mixture,

(2) a vegetable fat replacement ingredient comprising dietary fiber and starch in a weight ratio that is in the range of 1:32 to 1: 1, the proportion of dietary fiber being at least 5% by weight based on dry matter of the glaze replacement ingredient when determined as non-starch polysaccharides (NPS) and the proportion of starch being at least 50% by weight of the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient, said fat replacement ingredient being capable of having, or to be brought into, a homogeneous consistency substantially without sensorially recognizable particles in the coherent mixture, the proportion of said vegetable fat-replacing ingredient being in the range of 5-80% by weight, calculated on the mixture,

(3) added salt, its proportion being in the range of 0.1-4% by weight, calculated on the mixture, (4) added water, the proportion of which is in the range of 10-50% by weight, calculated on the mixture, e

(b) optionally one or more further ingredients, the product having a fat content, which is at most 10% by weight.

It is preferred that the total proportion of fat, in the resulting products comprising the consistent meat filling mixture, is less than 8% by weight, said proportion being most preferably less than 7% by weight, even more preferably less than 6% by weight, still more preferably lower than 5% by weight, most preferably lower than 4% by weight and in particular lower than 3% by weight.

As defined above, the low-calorie meat products according to the invention comprise a vegetable ingredient as a substitute ingredient for fat, the proportion of which, calculated on the mixture, is in the range of 5-80%. It will be understood that the desired proportion of the plant ingredient in a particular product may depend, among other things, on the proportions of dietary fiber and starch in the selected plant ingredient.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the total amount of dietary fiber and starch present in the vegetable fat replacement ingredient is at least 5% by weight, calculated on the product. It is further contemplated that, for the preparation of certain types of low calorie meat products, an even higher minimum total amount of dietary fiber and starch, such as at least 7% by weight or even more preferably at least 10%, may be desirable. % by weight.

According to the invention, it is possible to provide low calorie meat products in which substantially all the fat is replaced by a vegetable fat replacement ingredient as defined above, such that the resulting products have the desired associated sensory and physical characteristics. with similar types of meat products with a high fat content prepared in the traditional way. Furthermore, it can be contemplated that due to their significantly reduced fat, cholesterol and calorie content and optionally reduced salt content, the meat products according to the invention are more nutritiously beneficial, especially for consumers who are susceptible to develop cardiovascular disorders or wish to maintain or reduce their body weight. Furthermore, it may be considered advantageous by many consumers that the products as described herein can be prepared with a reduced content of chemical additives, such as phosphates or antioxidants, which are commonly used in classical high-calorie meat products, having a high fat content. The low calorie meat products according to the invention have the desired characteristics with respect to texture, flavor, aroma, cooking yield, freezing and thawing stability and appearance, associated with similar types of high quality meat products. fat content classics.

In the present context, the term "low caloric content" is intended to indicate that the total quantity of metabolizable energy contained in the meat products according to the invention is considerably reduced, compared with the energy content of the meat products prepared in the traditional way. Overall, the energy content of a food product comes mainly from its protein, carbohydrate and fat content. However, the contribution of the fat part of a food product to the total energy content, compared to the other ingredients, is, per unit of weight, more than double. Consequently, the proportion of fat, for example in meat products, is quite decisive for the energy content of the products, the energy content being generally referred to as calories or Joules per unit of weight. In western industrialized countries such as the U.S., the fat in the average diet contributes about 40% of the total energy intake. It is recommended by dieticians that this contribution be reduced to at least 30%.

In low calorie meat products <'> as defined above, the fat content is reduced to such an extent that the total energy content can be reduced to less than half, preferably to about one third of the energy content of meat products prepared in a classical way, having a fat content that typically varies between 25 and 50% by weight. The low calorie meat products according to the present invention have a total energy content lower than 700 kJ / 100 g, preferably lower than 600 kJ / 100 g, most preferably lower than 500 kJ / 100 g and in particular lower than 400 kJ / 100 g. The contribution of the fat content of the low-calorie meat products according to the invention to the total energy content of the same is less than 50%, preferably less than 40%, more preferably less than 30% and in particular less than 20%.

Examples of recipes of carrier ingredients for meat products having the desired low calorie contents indicated are set forth below. It will be understood that the actual energy contribution from fat will depend on the quantities and types of the other ingredients in a given meat product. In the present context, the term "low calorie" is used specifically to describe meat products having a total fat content (w / w) of less than 15%, preferably less than 10%, most preferably less than 7. %, most preferably lower than 5% and in particular lower than 3%.

Characteristics of the vegetable fat replacement ingredient

In order to obtain a low calorie meat product comprising a blend as defined above, it is essential to choose an appropriate vegetable fat replacement ingredient, which gives the final low calorie meat products the physical and sensory characteristics of substantially the same nature as those of similar traditional high-fat meat products. The vegetable fat replacement ingredient according to the invention can be a single ingredient ορρμτβ a mixture of ingredients comprising dietary fiber, present in a proportion of at least 5% by weight based on the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient, and starch , the proportion of which is at least 50% by weight based on the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient. In the vegetable ingredient, the weight ratio of dietary fiber and starch is in the range of 1:32 to 1: 1, a preferred range being 1:20 to 1: 2, a more preferred range being 1:15 to 1: 3 and a most preferred range being 1:10 to 1: 4.

The vegetable ingredient according to the invention has, or is capable of being brought into, a homogeneous consistency without sensorially recognizable particles, is substantially fat-free and has a neutral flavor and color, so that it does not affect the desired sensory characteristics of the anti-results. meat products. In the present context, a neutral flavor means that the flavor of the fat replacement ingredient, even when present in a low calorie meat product in the maximum proportion as defined above, does not affect the resulting flavor of the low calorie meat products. caloric content according to the invention, so that said low-calorie meat products, when tested by a jury for sensory tests, cannot be recognized as having a less acceptable taste than that of similar high-fat meat products.

A further feature of the fat replacement ingredient is that it is miscible with the other ingredients, so that a consistent blend is obtainable. The term "miscible" is used to describe the fact that when the fat replacement ingredient is mixed with the other ingredients of the coherent blend, a smooth, homogeneously integrated mass is formed and in this coherent blend all of the added water is been stably absorbed.

The vegetable fat replacement ingredient containing dietary fiber and starch, which when used for the preparation of low-calorie meat products in the quantities defined above gives the products the desired characteristics indicated above, is mainly chosen on the basis of the quantity and chemical and physical characteristics of the dietary fiber and starch contained therein.

Characteristics of the starch component of the fat replacement ingredients.

Starch is a naturally occurring, high-polymer carbohydrate that makes up the reserve carbohydrate of plants. Starch is found in plant material in the form of white granules, usually consisting of both a linear polymer (amylose) and a branched polymer (amylopectin). Starches of different botanical origins have differences in their physical characteristics and chemical composition. The starch granules coming from grains such as rice and maize vary in the average size of their maximum diameter between 3 and 20 micrometers and those coming from roots and tubers such as tapioca, "arrowroot" or potatoes between 10 and 100 µm. Thus, for example, rice starch has an average grain size of about µm, wheat starch of about 14 µm and potato starch of about 100 µm. The starch granules gradually swell in water as the temperature is increased up to around 60-70 ° C. This swelling phenomenon is an indication of the bond between water and starch. Above this temperature level, the granules undergo gelatinization, conformation of a paste or sol. In general, small granules swell and gelatinize more slowly and at a higher temperature than large granules. The structure of the individual granules can be broken down by mechanical means. After breaking, the granules tend to swell and gelatinize even in cold water. Large grains, such as those of potato starch, are more fragile than small grains, such as rice starch. Starches which have been pregelatinized by heat treatments and subsequently dried, such as commercial starch products, swell and gelatinize rapidly at temperature levels lower than those indicated above for untreated starches.

Furthermore, starches of different botanical origins can vary in their chemical composition. Thus, the distribution between amylose and amylopectin can vary and the lipid content can be different. In the latter respect, there is a characteristic difference between the amides of grains and the starches derived from tubers and roots. In the starches of grains, the amylose is in the form of a lipid-amylose complex, while in the starches of tubers and roots the amounts of lipids are negligible. Thus, wheat starch contains 0.23% of ether-extractable components, while potato starch contains only 0.12%. The relatively high lipid content of grain starches can affect their technological properties, for example as regards their use as water-binding ingredients in meat products, as the degreasing of such starches has been reported to increase their capacity. water binding and swelling power (Lorenz et al., 1983, Starch / Starke, 35, 123—129).

On the basis of these physical and chemical characteristics of the different botanical forms of native starch, it is contemplated that a vegetable fat-replacing ingredient particularly suitable for the preparation of low-calorie meat products according to the invention contains starch, which, in the its native form comprises granules having average sizes located in the range of about 10-200 µm, preferably in the range of about 50-150 µm and which is substantially fat free. The term "substantially fat free" herein means that the total amount of ether extractable starch components is less than about 0.15% by weight.

The starch or the fractions of starch, amylose and amylopectin, can be modified by heating with or without the addition of chemical reagents. This treatment can lead to starch products having properties useful in the present invention. By way of example, the treatment of starch with acids such as sulfuric acid causes a partial hydrolysis thereof, so that "fluid-boiling" starches are obtained. The starches can also be oxidized, for example by treatment with hypochlorite, thus chlorinated starches being produced.

Furthermore, the starch derivatives can be useful components of a fat replacement ingredient according to the invention. Such derivatives can be starch esters, such as starch acetates and carbamates or its fractions or starch ethers such as hydroxy-alkyl-starch. In the context of the present invention, the term "starch" is intended to include modified starch or modified starch fractions as defined above, as well as starch derivatives defined above.

When subjected to physical or chemical treatment, starch can be degraded to smaller molecules of varying sizes, for example as a result of hydrolysis. Starch can be hydrolyzed by chemical treatment with organic or inorganic acids or bases. Also, starch hydrolysis can be the result of treatment with starch hydrolyzing enzymes, such as amylase or glucanase. An example of a chemical or enzymatic hydrolyzate of starch, which is useful in the food industry, is maltodextrin. This term is used to describe a product comprising a mixture of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, resulting from the chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis of starches. A typical maltodextrin product contains less than 5% by weight of <1> disaccharides and trisaccharides and about 95% by weight of higher saccharides. In the context of the present invention, the term starch is intended to include maltodextrins as defined above.

During their experimentation, the present inventors have found that attempts to replace fat in meat products with maltodextrin alone were unsuccessful, as such products do not have the same consumer-acceptable organoleptic characteristics as those of meat products. high fat content. However, when a blend of maltodextrin and dietary fiber, in the same weight ratios as those defined below for useful starch and dietary fiber blends, is used to replace fat, the resulting low calorie products have substantially the same flavor. , texture and appearance of similar types of high-fat meat products. Therefore, a blend of maltodextrine and dietary fiber is an interesting vegetable fat replacement ingredient in low calorie meat products according to the invention.

Vegetable materials comprising at least 50% by weight of starch in the dry matter are suitable as fat replacement ingredients according to the invention. However, in particular low calorie meat products it may be more preferred that the starch proportion be at least 60% or even more preferred that it be at least 70%. However, it will be understood that the addition of plant materials comprising a proportion of starch, in the dry matter, which is less than 50%, can equally lead to low-calorie meat products, which have acceptable organoleptic and physical characteristics according to the definitions previously defined.

Potato starch has several characteristics, which make it particularly suitable in the preparation of low calorie meat products, which involves the preparation of a consistent meat product mixture. In such blends, the water binding capacity is an essential factor. In order to form a smooth coherent mixture, which strongly binds native and added water, sufficient quantities of substances or ingredients having binding activity must be present. The meat itself contains a native water-binding component, namely myosin. Myosin is extracted during the mixing process when salt is present. In several types of meat product recipes, this native water binding system is not sufficiently effective, so that additional water binding agents are added to the mixture. Such water binding agents can be selected, for example, from hydrocolloids, egg albumin, gelatin, cereal flours, starch or collagen.

Potato starch has, of any starch, the highest water binding capacity, since it has the least degree of association between starch molecules. For this reason, potato starch has been used in traditional high-fat meat products to facilitate water binding, in smaller quantities usually ranging from 1 to 5% by weight based on the meat product. It will be understood that this known use of potato starch as a water binding ingredient in the preparation of meat products is in no way comparable to its use in the context of the present invention. When used in high-fat meat products, potato starch is not intended to replace fat, although it will be understood that any addition of ingredients, other than high-fat meat, to the base mix will high fat content will lead to an indirect reduction of the final fat content, proportional to the amount of any additional added ingredient.

Characteristics of the dietary fiber component, fat replacement ingredients.

During their experimentation, the present inventors have found that the replacement of fat with a vegetable ingredient essentially comprising starch or maltodextrin does not regularly lead to low-calorie meat products having the aforementioned desired organoleptic and physical characteristics. However, these characteristics are consistently achieved when a vegetable fat replacement ingredient is used which, in addition to starch in a proportion of 50% or more of the dry matter, includes at least 5% of dietary fiber in its dry matter. A dietary fiber: starch weight ratio particularly useful in the fat replacement ingredient is in the range of 1:20 to 1: 2, preferably in the range of 1:15 to 1: 3 and most preferably in the range between 1:10 and 1: 4.

Basically all plant materials contain dietary fiber, particularly in their cell walls. In the present context, dietary fiber is used to describe a plant material that resists digestion by human food enzymes.

Dietary fiber is an umbrella term that includes several outstanding chemical structures and characteristic physical properties. The main components of dietary fiber are major structural components of plant cell walls: cellulose, non-cellulosic polysaccharides, mainly hemicellulose and pectic substances, and lignin.

All components of dietary fiber, apart from lignin, are non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs). The term NSP is often used as a practical indication of the dietary fiber content of a plant material. However, it should be noted that NSP does not include lignin. The cell walls of immature plants consist of approximately 253⁄4 cellulose, 60% non-cellulosic polysaccharides and traces of lignin, while the mature cell wall contains approximately 38% cellulose, 43% non-cellulosic polysaccharide and 17% lignin .

In the present context, the term dietary fiber includes native or synthetic polysaccharides such as pectin, carrageenan, gum (including gum arabic, carob gum, guar gum, tragacanth, karaya gum), mucilage, algae polysaccharides such as alginates, and cellulose modified including aliphatic cellulose ethers such as methyl and ethyl ethers, hydroxy-substituted ethers such as hydroxypropylmethyl ether, methyl hydroxyethyl ether, carboxymethyl ether, hydroxymethyl ether and mixtures of such ethers.

A particular type of dietary fiber, namely konjakmannan which has a very high content of glucomannans (over 80% by weight of dry matter), has been proposed as a gelling agent in certain food products. This fiber product, however, is not useful in the present invention as a dietary fiber component in a vegetable fat replacement ingredient. When, for example, konjak-mannan is mixed with minced meat and subjected to gelatinization before or after mixing, the consistency of the resulting product is severely affected due to a very high viscoelasticity. Furthermore, it is known that the ability of konjak-mannan to retain water deteriorates considerably when a gel thereof, or a meat product comprising such a gel, is frozen and thawed, so that the gel transforms into a spongy substance. It has been proposed to solve these problems by adding konjak-mannan, either alone or in combination with a carbohydrate substance, to the meat product compositions in the form of a strongly alkaline gel or paste having a pH between 9.0 and 10.4. Depending on the amount of the alkaline konjac component added, such an addition will lead to an increase in the pH in the meat product which is of the order of 0.5. Such additions of strongly alkaline substances to meat products, however, are not allowed in most countries. Finally, it must be considered that the incorporation of such alkaline ingredients in meat products can lead to abnormal organoleptic characteristics of the meat product. Finally, a process for the preparation of a meat product comprising the preparation of an alkaline konjak gel will be inconvenient and therefore less cost-effective compared to the process according to the invention. For the aforementioned reasons, Konjakmannan is not part of the present invention.

The usual sources of dietary fiber are: cereals, especially the parenchymatous endosperm and the walls of the seeds; fruits and vegetables, especially the parenchymatous pulp, the partially lignified vascular tissues and the cutinized epidermal tissues; and seeds in parenchymatous cotyledons and thickened endospermic walls.

The proportion of dietary fiber in plant materials varies according to the botanical species and the maturity of the plant. By way of examples, potatoes contain about 2.5% by weight corresponding to about 11.6% by weight based on dry matter and carrots about 2.1% NSP on a fresh weight basis, corresponding to about 18, 3% by weight based on dry matter and dried materials such as soybean meal and dried peas contain about 14% and 19%, respectively, of NSP on a dry weight basis. Among the cereal materials, white wheat flour has an NSP content of about 3.3%, whole wheat flour. one of about 10.4% and wheat bran one of about 41.7%, all figures being on dry weight. The proportion of NSP in the dry matter of brown rice is about 2.1% by dry weight.

Dietary fibers have multiple physical properties, which individually or in combination, in the presence of a high proportion of starch, may contribute to their usefulness as a component of a fat replacement ingredient. From a technological point of view, two main groups of dietary fiber components can be distinguished: (1) water-soluble components, which include gums, pectins, carrageenans, mucilages and alginates. Such components are widely used in the food industry as thickening, gelling or stabilizing agents due to their ability to form hydrocolloids and (2) substantially water insoluble dietary fiber components, including hemicellulose and cellulose. A common feature of water-insoluble fibers is their ability to swell when mixed with water. This swelling property is also referred to as water holding capacity, which indicates the amount of water that can be absorbed onto the fiber. An important property in this respect is the hydratability which, among other things, is a function of the three-dimensional structure of the fiber. Hydratability is reflected in a high capacity to retain water. Particularly commercially interesting water-insoluble dietary fiber products useful in the present invention include pea fiber, potato fiber, tapioca fiber, beet fiber and cereal bran.

Both groups of dietary fibers as defined above are useful as components of a vegetable fat replacement ingredient according to the invention. Examples of use of both groups are shown below.

The use of the fat replacement ingredients comprising a proportion of dietary fiber lying in the range of 8-12% by weight of dry matter results in meat products of the desired quality. However, consumer preferences regarding the texture and texture of meat products can vary considerably in different market places. Since the proportion of dietary fiber can affect the characteristics of these products, the appropriate proportion of dietary fiber in the fat replacement ingredient can vary considerably. In general, a minimum proportion of 5% NSP related to the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient is considered to be necessary to obtain an optimal low calorie meat product. However, it is not excluded that a lower proportion of NSPs in the coherent blend may lead to a satisfactory quality of certain meat products. It is contemplated that a proportion of dietary fiber of less than 5% NPS in the fat replacement ingredient may be appropriate in particular product types, where food additives belonging to the group of compounds previously defined as dietary fiber are used as supplementary ingredients. It is believed that the dietary fiber type additive in such products, in addition to its specific effect as a food additive, when added to the coherent blend can contribute to obtaining a low calorie meat product having the aforementioned desired characteristics. In other types of low-calorie meat products, a significantly higher proportion of dietary fiber, for example, greater than 15% NSP, may be appropriate.

Dietary fiber can be in a native form, a term indicating that it is present in the state in which it occurs in nature and that it has not been modified by chemical processes such as the replacement of certain groups with others; treatment with acids, bases or enzymes; or esterification.

Useful vegetable fat replacement ingredients in accordance with the invention

The vegetable fat replacement ingredient according to the invention may be an unfractionated native plant material having a water content of at least 70% by weight, i.e. fresh material in which the natural relative composition of the components has not been modified. Such fresh plant materials include vegetable fruits such as pumpkins. The preferred native, non-fractionated vegetable fat replacement ingredients according to the invention are selected from plant tuber materials such as potatoes and plant root materials such as tapioca, cassava and arrowroot roots. Such fresh, unfractionated plant material can be used as a fat replacement ingredient without any pretreatment. However, it is believed that a precooking of the material is advantageous in order to obtain an appropriate coherent blend. It is contemplated that, inter alia, the swelling of the starch resulting from the heat treatment significantly increases the water binding capacity of the fat replacement ingredient. The appropriate time / temperature conditions for pre-cooking vary according to the type of fat replacement ingredient and the type of meat product being prepared. As an example, the peeled potatoes are pre-cooked by boiling in the open air for about 20 minutes or in a pressure cooker for a period of time sufficient to obtain the same softness obtained by the aforementioned boiling in the open air. It may be advantageous to shred an unfractionated, raw or pre-cooked plant material prior to preparation of the mixture. For example, boiled potatoes can be added in the form of chopped or mashed potatoes which, for example, can be prepared by mixing the boiled potatoes with all or part of the added water. The appropriate temperature of a suitable fresh unfractionated plant material, such as a boiled potato ingredient, when added to the mixture can vary according to the type of product being prepared. With certain types of product, it is advantageous to add the fat replacement ingredient, boiled, at a temperature located in the range of 0-25 ° C, while with other types of product, those a paste product, the boiled ingredient is added while it is still hot.

When the chosen fat replacement ingredient is a native, unfractionated plant material, as defined above, a particularly useful proportion thereof in the coherent blend is in the range of 10-70% by weight, preferably in the range of 15-60. % by weight and most preferably in the range of 20-50% by weight.

In one embodiment of the invention, the fat-replacing plant ingredient may be a dry plant material having a water content of at most 20% by weight. When such a dry material is used, the amount of water added to the mixture must be substantially increased compared to the amount required when a fresh plant material is used. In general, the required additional amount of water added corresponds to the difference between the water content of a fresh plant material and that of the particular dry fat replacement ingredient. When the vegetable fat replacement ingredient selected is a dry ingredient as defined above, a preferred useful proportion thereof in the consistent blend is in the range of 5-15% by weight and most preferably in the range of 5- 10% by weight.

A dry fat-replacing plant ingredient suitable for use according to the invention may be an unfractionated plant material selected from plant tubers, root products, cereal grains and seeds of dicotyledonous plants having in their dry matter a starch content of at least 50% by weight and a dietary fiber content of at least 5% by weight. Examples of such materials include: dried potatoes, lentils, wheat grains, rye grains, barley flakes and whole wheat flour. It will be understood that such dry plant materials may be dehydrated, pre-cooked and / or subdivided into fine particles, prior to use, in order to obtain a coherent blend in which the fat replacement ingredient is found without organoleptically recognizable particles. When an unfractionated dry plant material selected from cereal grains and dicotyledonous plant seeds is used as a fat replacement ingredient according to the invention, it may preferably be in the form of particles having a maximum diameter of 2 mm at most. As defined hereinabove, the fat replacement ingredient according to the invention is an ingredient which, when present in the blend, is capable of having, or being brought into, a homogeneous consistency with no sensorially recognizable particles. This characteristic is considered to be an essential prerequisite for obtaining the low calorie meat product having a consistency that cannot be distinguished from that of a similar product having a high fat content. A vegetable ingredient having a water content of less than 20% by weight and selected from cereal grains and seeds of dicotyledonous plants, which has a particle size greater than 2 mm such as rolled oats, cannot be brought into the homogeneous consistency desired when certain classical mixing procedures are used.

From a manufacturing point of view, it may be particularly advantageous to use a fat replacement ingredient having a water content of at most 20% by weight as defined hereinabove, which is a mixture of separated dry starch and separated dietary fiber. dry. It is possible to compound such starch / dietary fiber blends, which when used as fat replacement ingredients according to the invention result in low calorie meat products having the sensory and physical characteristics defined above. Particularly useful starches for such compounded fat replacement ingredients are corn flour starches such as wheat starch, potato starch and tapioca starch. In general, commercial starch products have not been treated under swelling conditions. However, it may be advantageous to use starch which, before compounding, has been pre-boiled and / or subsequently dried.

In the present context, useful dietary fiber products are potato fiber, potato pulp, beet fiber, pea fiber, bean fiber and tapioca fiber. As used herein, the term potato pulp is meant to describe the part of a potato that remains when the starch has been partially extracted from raw potatoes in an industrial potato starch manufacturing process. A typical composition of an industrially prepared potato pulp is the following (w / w): starch 30%, cellulose 25-30%, hemicellulose 10-15%, pectic substances 15%, ash 5% and protein 5%.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the fat replacement ingredient is obtained by integrating a native unfractionated plant material, of which the dry matter proportion of the dietary fiber is less than 5% by weight and / or of which the dry matter proportion of the starch is less than 50%, with a sufficient amount of separated dietary fiber and / or separated starch to lead to a substitution of the vegetable fat according to the invention.

As an example, carrots that have a high dietary fiber content, but a low starch content, can be supplemented with a sufficient amount of a separate starch material. Similarly, polished (white) and brown rice which are grains rich in starch but with a dietary fiber content of only about 0.8% and about 2.4% by weight, respectively, may be useful as a starch component. a useful fat replacement ingredient according to the invention when supplemented with one or more dietary fiber components as defined above. When employing a blend of rice and a dietary fiber component as a fat replacement ingredient, it is preferred that at least the creudo rice be boiled before being added to the other ingredients of the consistent blend. It may be appropriate to use pre-boiled or partially boiled rice, as the boiling time in the production plant is significantly reduced.

When traditional high-fat meat products are prepared, it is common to add ingredients containing starch and dietary fiber, for example in the form of cereal flours and potato starch, as auxiliary ingredients in smaller quantities, such as 2-3% by weight , calculated on the product, their main purpose being to improve the absorption of added water. Such ingredients can also be added to the low-calorie meat products according to the invention. It will be understood that when such ingredients are present, they are part of the vegetable fat replacement ingredient as defined above.

In order to obtain low calorie products according to the invention having a desirable shelf life, it is essential that the vegetable fat replacement ingredients have a low content of contaminating spoilage microorganisms. It may therefore be required that the ingredients, before being used in production, have undergone a chemical or physical decontamination treatment, leading to a desired low level of microorganisms. Examples of useful decontamination treatments are mechanical removal of adherent dirt, removal of outer layers (peeling), washing, heat treatment, treatment with decontaminating gases such as ethylene oxide and ionizing irradiation.

When used in accordance with the invention, the starch and dietary fiber containing ingredients as defined above meet all the requirements of a highly appropriate fat replacement ingredient: the flavor and aroma of the aforementioned fat replacement ingredients and their color are neutral, which is why they can make up relatively large proportions of recipes for low calorie meat products without affecting the desired flavor and aroma associated with the meat, seasonings and spices. It has also been found that the quantities of seasonings and spices can be considerably reduced in meat products prepared according to the process of the present invention, as compared with classic high-fat meat products. It is contemplated that this surprising effect can be attributed to the reduced fat content, which generally diminishes the intensity of flavor and aroma imparted by the added flavor regulating ingredients.

Furthermore, the vegetable fat replacement ingredients have desirable technological characteristics when applied according to the invention. The ingredients bind to the meat and other ingredients, including added water, to provide a consistent meat product blend that results in texture, appearance, cooking yield and stability in the finished meat product. freezing which are at least equivalent to what is achievable for high-fat meat products. It has even been found that the water binding activity of the fat replacement ingredients is so high that the addition of the traditionally employed water binding agents, such as phosphates, can be reduced or omitted.

It has surprisingly been found that a sensory essay panel is unable to distinguish, with the senses, the fat replacement ingredient present in a low calorie meat product prepared according to the invention from the fat globules present. in a high-fat meat product prepared in a classic way. It is contemplated that a prerequisite for this is that the fat replacement ingredient have a homogeneous consistency, without sensory recognizable particles, when added to the mixture or that during the process according to the invention it is readily disintegrated into particles which are not sensory. recognizable.

The required amount of the vegetable fat replacement ingredients as defined above depends on the particular type of meat product being prepared, the maximum allowable cost price and the quantities and characteristics of the other ingredients including the additional ingredients defined below. As explained hereinabove, the compositions of the fat replacement ingredients vary considerably, particularly in terms of starch, fiber and dry matter content. Accordingly, the required amount of vegetable fat replacement ingredients may equally vary according to the composition of the selected fat replacement ingredient. By way of example, the same technological characteristics and qualities of a particular low calorie meat product can be obtained with two different fat replacement ingredients used in different proportions. The meat ingredient of low calorie meat products.

In the mixture of the meat product as defined above, the proportion of minced lean meat, substantially free of fat, is in the range of 20-95% by weight calculated on the mixture, preferably in the range of 25-70% by weight and in particular in the range of 30-50% by weight. In the present context, meat is defined as animal tissues predominantly consisting of muscles and / or edible residues from the group of organs consisting of liver, kidneys, spleen, brains, tongues or sweetbreads, said animal tissues having a substantially equal water content the water content of the tissues when they are present in the live animal. Meat can be chosen from any animal species, whose meat is considered edible according to cultural or religious traditions. To be suitable for use according to the invention, the meat must be lean and substantially free of visible fat.

When the low calorie meat product is a pet food, intended for feeding carnivorous pets such as dogs and cats, less valuable meats may be used including residual products that are generally less acceptable as human food products, such as intestines , stomach, genital or respiratory organs.

In the meat industry, the term "lean" is generally used to describe meat predominantly comprising muscle tissue with connective tissue attached and several smaller proportions of surrounding fat attached. It will be understood that the degree of thinness can vary considerably. As used herein, however, the term lean meat is intended to designate meat substantially comprising muscle or giblet tissue with associated connective tissues and from which the surrounding natural fat has been mechanically removed, for example by cutting, to an extent that substantially eliminates all visible fatty tissue. It will be understood, however, that meats having a fat content which, when the proportion of meat in a particular product recipe is taken into account, will lead to a total fat content of the meat product falling within the range defined hereinabove, are included in the scope of the present invention. However, most animal muscle tissue contains fat in the cells (intracellularly) and drowned between the muscle cells (intercellularly). The content of this "internal" fat, which cannot be removed by mechanical means, typically constitutes 1-10% by weight, the level depending on the animal species, the age and feeding conditions of the animal and the anatomical position of the animals. particular muscles. It will be understood that internal fat is included in the term "lean meat substantially free of visible fat".

The meat thus defined can be used raw or, when appropriate in the preparation of a particular type of product, the meat can be cooked prior to preparing the meat product mixture as required, by an appropriate cooking procedure such as boiling. , frying or pressure cooking. When used, the meat ingredient can have any temperature between 0 and 100 ° C or it can even be frozen.

To achieve a consistent blend it is essential that the meat, when added, has been minced into small particle sizes, allowing for an effective blending process during which further mincing can take place. The comminution is carried out by cutting with knives or medium-sized grinding in a suitable grinding apparatus, the particle size being thus reduced to 5 mm or less. It is considered essential that the minced meat has not been, at any stage, subjected to complete or partial dehydration, it being well known in the art that dehydrated meat, when reconstituted, does not regain the desired physical properties of non-dehydrated meat, such as the ability to bind water.

The proportion of shredded lean meat, substantially free of visible fat, in the low calorie blend defined above is in the range of 20-95% by weight, the actual proportion mainly depending on the required type of meat product and the maximum tolerable cost price. The meat for a particular type of meat product can be chosen from a single animal species, in which case it is possible to choose a specific muscle size or different muscles and / or tissues of fragaglia of the chosen animal species, while in other cases it may be desirable. use, in a meat product according to the invention, a combination of meat from more than one animal species.

The added water referred to here can be ordinary tap water, mineral water or water in which meat or vegetables have been cooked, with which the mixture is fed low molecular weight flavoring substances, minerals and vitamins dissolved therein. .

As an example, potato cooking liquid can be used. It may be advantageous to keep the temperature low in the mixture during mixing. Cooling of the mixture can be achieved by adding all or part of the water in the form of ice, preferably in the form of crushed ice. According to the invention, the proportion of added water used in the process is in the range of 10-50% by weight, preferably 15-40% by weight and in particular 20-35% by weight, the actual proportion depending mainly on the particular type of product and the maximum cost price of the product you are aiming for.

Salt ingredient of low calorie meat products.

In the present context, the term "added salt" means a food grade composition comprising essentially sodium chloride, a food grade composition comprising sodium chloride and additional salts, or a food grade composition comprising one or more alkali metal salts. or alkaline earth metal, compositions comprising salts other than sodium chloride having substantially the same salty taste as sodium chloride. A usual term for a salt composition comprising essentially sodium chloride is common silica.

Salt, as defined above, is added to most meat products for several purposes: it facilitates the extraction of myosin from the meat, so that the bond of water in the product is enhanced. Furthermore, the addition leads to a salty taste which is preferred by most consumers and finally the presence of salt in meat products has a preservative effect due to the partial or complete inhibition of spoilage microorganisms. According to the present invention, the coherent mixture comprises salt added in the range of 0-4% by weight, preferably in the range of 0.5-3% by weight and in particular in the range of 1-2% by weight.

For some meat products, it may be advantageous to add salt, as defined above, supplemented with nitrites and / or nitrates for example in the form of alkali metal salts such as sodium or potassium nitrites and / or nitrates. In the meat industry, such salt compositions are referred to as "conditioning rooms". The added nitrites and / or nitrates exert a preservative effect, in particular against undesirable anaerobic microorganisms such as Clostridium botulinum. Furthermore, the presence of nitrites and / or nitrates in red meat products helps to preserve the natural red color of these meat. The proportion of nitrites and / or nitrates in the conditioning salts is suitably located in the range of 0.5-2.0% by weight.

Thus, the conditioning salt used in the specific embodiments of the present invention contains 0.6% by weight of sodium nitrite.

While it is generally desirable, for the reasons stated above, to incorporate a certain proportion of added common salt into meat product recipes, a high dietary intake of sodium ions in the form of common salt can be a matter of considerable health concern. In industrialized countries, the intake of sodium ions from the daily diet is considerably higher than what is physiologically required and desirable and, at the same time, the proportion of other cations such as potassium is often lower than their recommended intake. This disproportionate cationic composition of the diet is generally attributed to the increasing addition of common salt to food products and to the fact that, for example, cereal products become increasingly refined so that, in particular, the potassium ion content in the overall diet is significantly reduced. . This disproportionate cationic composition is believed to lead to cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension and degenerative diseases. There is therefore a need to reduce dietary sodium intake and / or increase potassium intake.

One way to meet this need is to reduce the common salt content in meat products. It has been found by the present inventors that it is possible to obtain low-calorie meat products according to the invention, products in which the proportion of common salt is lower than those typically used in meat products with a high fat content, substantially without compromising the above desired effects of added common salt, including salty taste. In addition to this, replacing the fat with a plant ingredient containing dietary fiber / starch can considerably help to correct the disproportionate cation composition in the diet, i.e. when the fat replacement ingredient is one having a high proportion of potassium to fat. As an example, potatoes contain about 400 mg of potassium / 100 g, while the content in pork fat is only about 25 mg / 100 g.

Another approach to satisfying the desire to reduce the sodium content in present low calorie meat products is to add food grade salt compositions having an acceptable salty taste, in which most or at least some of the ions sodium was replaced with other cations. Such food grade salt compositions having reduced sodium content can be designated as common salt substitution compositions. In these compositions the cations can be selected from alkali metals such as potassium and / or from alkaline earth metals including magnesium and calcium. The cations are added in the form of organic salts such as lactates or tartrates or in the form of inorganic salts including chlorides and sulfates. It will be understood that the exact composition of such salt compositions with reduced sodium content for use according to the invention can be infinitely varied, the composition chosen depending on the particular product and the preference of the consumer in the particular market places.

Low calorie food products for pets.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the low calorie meat product is a low calorie pet food product. In the present context, the term pet is used to designate carnivorous animals such as cats and dogs. There are some notable differences between the compositions of meat products for human consumption and pet food products. Unlike meat products intended for human consumption, most industrially prepared pet food products are full meal products, the composition of which must be balanced to cover all the nutritional requirements of the pet in question. Additionally, typical complete pet meal foods have a relatively low fat content. Thus, by way of example, a complete meal food composition for dogs can comprise the main nutritional ingredients in the following ranges (3⁄4 by weight): protein 7.0-13.0%, fat 4.0-6.0 %, carbohydrates 2.0-7.0%, water 71.0-84.5% and ash 2.5-3.0%. A fat content in the ranges indicated, however, contributes greatly to the total energy content of the product and there is a considerable need to develop dog food compositions having a lower fat content than the above proportions.

An important requirement that pet food products must meet is a high degree of pet satisfaction. In the pet food industry, the products are therefore usually tested by a group of the animals in question to prove that the product has the desired rating. In the context of the present invention, it is therefore intended that low calorie meat products which are pet foods, when tested in satisfaction studies such as usually used in industry, have substantially the same degree of satisfaction as products in industry. in which the fat has not been replaced with a fat replacement ingredient as defined herein.

The main contributor to the fat content of pet food comes from offal, protein-containing ingredients from the slaughterhouse and fish industry such as lungs, throats, liver, poultry carcasses and fish carcasses. The fat content of these raw materials can vary considerably. Thus, by way of examples, the fat content of chicken carcasses, as supplied, can vary within the range of 8-35% by weight and the fat content of pork lungs within the range of 3-9. % by weight. It is generally not possible to mechanically eliminate this fat content.

In the context of the present invention, a low calorie meat product that is a pet food is intended to designate a pet food, wherein the lean meat substantially free of visible fat is made up of protein containing ingredients that have been selected. so as to have a fat content which, when the ingredients are added to the mixture in the proportions defined above, leads to a low calorie food product, for pets, having a fat content that is at most 10% by weight, preferably at most 7% by weight, most preferably at most 5% by weight, most preferably at most 4% by weight, even more preferably at most 3% by weight, most preferably at most 2% by weight and in particular at most 1.5% by weight.

Process for the preparation of low-calorie meat products.

In a further aspect, the present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a low-calorie meat product, said process substantially comprising the steps of:

1) prepare a mixture by mixing chopped lean meat substantially free of visible fat; a vegetable fat replacement ingredient comprising dietary fiber and starch in a weight ratio that is in the range of 1:32 to 1: 1, the proportion of dietary fiber being at least 5% by weight of the dry matter of the vegetable ingredient of fat replacement when determined as non-starch polysaccharides (NPS) and the proportion of starch being at least 50% of the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient, said fat replacement ingredient being able to have, or be carried in, a homogeneous consistency substantially without sensorially recognizable particles, said ingredient being miscible with the other ingredients; salt added optionally; and optionally added water, mixture in which: (a) the proportion of chopped lean meat substantially free of visible fat is in the range of 20-95% by weight,

(b) the proportion of the vegetable fat replacement ingredient is in the range of 5-80% by weight, (c) the proportion of water added, when added, is in the range of 10-50% by weight ,

(d) the proportion of the added salt, when added, is in the range of 0.1-4% by weight,

blending, when the low calorie meat product to be prepared is a spreadable meat product, being carried out in the following stages:

(i) mixing a vegetable oil, the quantity of which is in the range of 0.5-3%, calculated on the coherent mixture, water having a temperature of at least 50 ° C and a protein powder to obtain a first premix in the form of emulsion,

(ii) add to said emulsion lean meat substantially free of visible fat, vegetable fat replacement ingredient, added salt and added water, the total proportion of the added ingredients being at least 95% by weight of the ingredients from (i) and (ii) ,

(iii) mixing the ingredients obtained from (i) and (ii) to obtain a second premix, called the second premix comprising coarse, evenly distributed particles of meat and fat replacement ingredient having a maximum average diameter of at least 5 mm And

if necessary, grind the resulting second premix by sending the mixture through a high-speed grinding device, to obtain the mixture,

2) optionally adding one or more further ingredients to the mixture, thus obtaining a mixture of meat product, in which the proportion of the further ingredients is in the range of 1-15% by weight, preferably in the range of 2-12% by weight and in particular in the range of 3-10% by weight,

3) distribute the resulting mixture of meat product in packages of the appropriate size e

4) optionally subjecting the meat product mixture to a preservation and / or cooking treatment before, or after, its distribution in packages of the appropriate size, to obtain a low calorie meat product having a fat content which is at most 15% by weight when the product is a hamburger product, the fat content being at most 10% by weight when the product is not a hamburger product, with the proviso that (i) when the product is a hamburger product , where the lean meat is fish meat, the fat does not include hardened fat, and (ii) the dietary fiber is not konjak-mannan.

As defined above, in one aspect the invention provides a low calorie meat product, in which the blend is a consistent meat stuffing blend. Consequently, the invention also provides a process for preparing a coherent meat filling mixture, said process comprising the steps of:

1) prepare a consistent meat filling mixture by mixing chopped lean meat substantially free of visible fat; a vegetable fat replacement ingredient comprising dietary fiber and starch in a weight ratio that is in the range of 1:32 to 1: 1, the proportion of dietary fiber being at least 5% by weight of the dry matter of the vegetable ingredient of fat replacement, when determined as non-starch polysaccharides (NPS), and the proportion of starch being at least 50% of the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient, said fat replacement ingredient being able to have, or being brought to a homogeneous consistency substantially without sensorially recognizable particles, said ingredient being miscible with the other ingredients; added salt; and added water, a mixture of coherent meat filling in which:

(a) the proportion of shredded lean meat substantially free of visible fat is in the range of 20-90% by weight,

(b) the proportion of the vegetable fat replacement ingredient is in the range of 5-80% by weight, (c) the proportion of the added water is in the range of 10-50% by weight,

(d) the proportion of the added salt is in the range of 0.1-4% by weight,

blending, when the low calorie meat product to be prepared is a spreadable meat product, being carried out in the following stages:

(i) mixing a vegetable oil, its quantity being located in the range of 0.5-3%, calculated on the coherent mixture, water having a temperature of at least 50 ° C and a protein powder to obtain a first premix in the form of an emulsion, (ii) add to said emulsion lean meat substantially free of visible fat, the vegetable fat replacement ingredient, added salt and added water, the total proportion of the added ingredients being at least 95% by weight of the obtained ingredients from (i) and (ii),

(iii) mixing the ingredients obtained from (i) and (ii) to obtain a second premix, called the second premix comprising coarse, evenly distributed particles of meat and fat replacement ingredient having on average a maximum diameter of at least 5 mm and

if necessary grind the resulting second premix by sending the mixture through a high speed grinding apparatus, to obtain the consistent meat filling mixture,

2) optionally adding to the coherent filling mixture one or more further ingredients, so that a mixture of meat product is obtained, in which the proportion of the further ingredients is in the range of 1-15% by weight, preferably in the range of 2-12% by weight and in particular in the range of 3-10% by weight, 3) distribute the resulting mixture of meat product in packages of the appropriate size and

4) optionally subjecting the meat product mixture to a preservation and / or cooking treatment, before or after its distribution in appropriately sized packages, to obtain a low calorie meat product having a fat content that is less than 10% by weight.

When classical meat products comprising a considerable proportion of fat are prepared, the mixing of the ingredients leads to the formation of a homogeneous and adequately stable fat-water-protein emulsion. The main technological problems to be solved in the production of such classic meat products with a high fat content are the absorption of water by the meat and other ingredients and the emulsification of the fat in the mixture. The absorption of water is obtained through various mechanisms, one of which is the release of the myosin muscle component that binds the native water, which takes place when the meat is chopped and cut in the presence of free water and saddles and a another is the direct addition of water binding ingredients. Most commonly, both mechanisms are used at the same time. Traditional water-binding ingredients are phosphates, particularly polyphosphates, cereal flours or potato starch. To achieve stable emulsification in high-fat meat products, appropriate emulsifying ingredients must be added to the mixture, although native meat protein will contribute to some extent. The added emulsifiers can be chosen from a large group of chemical additives. Their addition to meat products, however, is subject to strict dietary requirements and their presence in meat products is rejected by large consumer groups. The natural emulsifying ingredients commonly used in the production of meat products belong to the group of proteins, which can be of animal origin such as milk proteins in the form of milk powder or caseinates or they can be of vegetable origin, such as the protein of soy.

However, these technological processes applied in the industrial production of traditional high-fat meat products are not immediately applicable to the preparation of low-fat meat products, such as those given here. The composition of the consistent blend, as defined above, differs from that of a high-fat meat product blend in several important respects: the fat content is so low that the blend does not constitute a fat emulsion. water-protein, the total water content can be significantly higher as a result of replacing the fat having a high dry matter content by a fat replacing ingredient having a relatively low dry matter content. It will be appreciated that the latter problem is particularly acute in products in which a high proportion of fat is substituted with the vegetable fat replacement ingredient. In the course of developing the process for preparing low calorie meat products, the present inventors therefore encountered multiple technological problems in order to provide a coherent blend as defined above, the solution of which could not be found in the current technology of high-fat meat products.

According to the process of the present invention, these problems have been solved in a way that simultaneously provides several advantages, including the ability to eliminate or reduce the additions of ancillary technological ingredients. Thus, by reducing the proportion of fat to the low levels defined hereinabove, there is correspondingly a reduction in the need to add emulsifying or antioxidant ingredients to the mixture. Furthermore, the water-binding capacity of the vegetable, fat-replacing ingredient containing dietary fiber and starch is so high that the need to incorporate additional water-binding ingredients, as defined above, is greatly reduced or even eliminated. A further aspect of the present invention is that the low fat content, in the meat products prepared according to the invention, allows a reduced content of seasoning agents and spices without affecting the desired aroma, associated with the high content meat products. of fat traditionally prepared. This is economically and hygienically advantageous, as these ingredients are relatively expensive and often contaminated with a large number of microorganisms, for example spore-forming bacteria, which are difficult to eliminate. Finally, the high water binding capacity of the preferred fat replacement ingredients means that the salt content can be reduced to significantly lower levels than classic high fat meat products. In the latter products, the salt content is generally located in the range of 2-5 percent by weight, while in the products prepared according to the present invention, it is preferably located in the range of 1-2%.

It will be appreciated that the precise recipe of the ingredients and the exact technological procedure can be varied in many ways, without departing from the scope of the invention. From a technological and consumer point of view, meat products can be classified, for example, as sausage products; sliced meat products such as cervellata; spreadable products which are defined as products having a creamy consistency which can be easily distributed in a continuous layer on, for example, bread, by means of a knife, including for example liver pastes,. meat pastes, Spalmi di carne e. pate; and burgers.

Each of these product categories has characteristic common properties, which derive from the particular compositions of ingredients and the way in which the specific process steps are carried out. By way of example, one can have the purpose of providing sausages, having a texture which, upon chewing, provides a sensation of "resistance". In such products, the step of preparing the coherent mixture is carried out in such a way that the resulting mixture contains particles of dimensions that make them sensorially recognizable, for example over 0.5 mm. In a high-fat sausage recipe, this strength is often achieved by incorporating fat-containing rind or other structuring fabrics such as chicken skin. The present inventors have achieved the same texture in low calorie sausages by adjusting the degree of grinding during mixing so as to obtain meat particles of the previously defined dimensions and / or with the addition of appropriate structuring agents such as granulated proteins.

An interesting characteristic of the low-calorie spreadable meat products, prepared according to the present invention, is that their consistency, and therefore spreadability, is not substantially affected by low storage temperatures. It is contemplated that this advantageous feature is primarily a result of the low fat content of the products. Conversely, high fat spreadable meat products tend to become hard and therefore less spreadable when kept cold due to hardening of the fat.

In traditional high-fat meat products preparation processes, it is a rather critical factor that the temperature during mixing of the ingredients is kept low, preferably in the range of 0-10%, in order to obtain a fat emulsion - stable aquaprotein. To keep the temperature within this range it may be necessary to add ice during mixing. However, the present inventors have found that a coherent low calorie blend as defined above can be obtained without the need to take special precautions to keep the temperature within the rather narrow range indicated above. Thus, an appropriate coherent blend can be obtained at mixing temperatures located in the range of 0-25 ° C.

In particular embodiments of the invention, the process may comprise the addition, to the coherent mixture, of one or more further ingredients selected from the following groups of ingredients: cooked or uncooked vegetables having sensorially recognizable particles, water binding agents, structuring agents , preservatives, flavoring agents, spices, meat thinners, flavor enhancing agents, sweetening agents, coloring agents, vitamins, smoke and conditioning agents, thus obtaining a mixture of meat product, in which the proportion of the additional ingredients is located in the range of 1-15% by weight, preferably 2-12% by weight, in particular 4-10% by weight.

Vegetables are included in many meat products as a source of nutrition or as flavoring ingredients, for example in certain types of sausages, meat pies, fish pies or meatballs. Any suitable vegetable or a mixture of several vegetables can be used. If necessary or desired, ingredients having favorable water binding characteristics such as cereal flours, polyphosphates, gelling agents including carrageenan or starch can be added. The choice of flavoring agent (s) and / or spices will depend on the specific product type and consumer taste preferences. By way of examples, but not limited to, the flavoring agents can be chosen from onion, garlic, celery, parsley or paprika and spices from pepper, sage, ginger, thyme or mace. Other additional ingredients that can be added as desired are meat thinners (such as cereals, cereal derivatives, structured vegetable proteins, milk derivatives); flavor enhancing agents (such as MSG, hydrolyzed plant / vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast extract); sweetening agents including natural or artificial sugars, dextrose, synthetic sweeteners such as cyclamates; coloring agents such as natural or synthetic dyes; vitamins; the smoke; and conditioning agents such as sodium nitrite. Suitable preservatives include chemical preservatives such as benzoic acid and serbic acid and bacterial cultures which, when added to the coherent mixture, produce organic acids such as attic acid or acetic acid.

In particular low calorie meat products, it may be desirable to add additional animal tissue ingredients to the mixture as a function of flavoring agents. By way of example, the addition of liver to a sausage or meat pie may be desirable in order to obtain a particularly desired flavor and aroma.

The resulting mixture of meat product can be distributed in packages of the appropriate size. Such appropriate packages are similar to the packages used for traditionally prepared meat products and the choice of the most preferred package for a particular product according to the invention will be based on the general criteria known in the art.

The process may optionally include, if desirable, a preservation treatment of the resulting mixture of meat product, before or after its distribution in the packages, said treatment leading to an extension of the shelf life of the product mixture or of the product in comparison. with product mixtures or non-preserved products. Preservative treatment includes heat treatment, freezing, canning, irradiation or smoking processes.

These treatments can be carried out according to the procedures traditionally used in the food industry. In some cases, the preservation treatment leads to a ready-to-eat product, while in other cases the resulting preserved product must undergo an additional cooking process, such as immersion in boiling water, frying, grilling, baking and processing. in a microwave oven, before being consumed.

In a particular embodiment, the invention provides low calorie meat products in which the total proportion of fat is less than 10% by weight and which have substantially the same taste, texture, water binding capacity and appearance as analogues. high-fat meat products prepared in a classical way and which have been prepared according to a process substantially similar to the process of the invention as defined above.

Since the process as described above is suitable for the preparation of a wide range of types of low calorie meat products having substantially the same, or better, organoleptic and technological characteristics as similar types of high content meat products low-fat meat products according to the invention comprise any type of meat product, for which it is desirable to obtain a low-calorie substitute of the type of classic high-fat meat product. fat. Examples of such low calorie meat products are: sausages, pastas, meat buns, meats for snacks, meatballs, fish creams, fish patties, focà-Cte burgers, meat pies and meatballs. However, it will be understood that other types of product can be prepared without departing from the scope and idea of the invention.

The preparation process as defined herein leads to low-calorie meat products having substantially the same characteristics as the classic high-fat product types, in terms of flavor, texture, water binding capacity and appearance. As has been explained in detail above, the basic composition of the products prepared as defined, when compared with products having a high fat content, implies several nutritional advantages such as lower metabolizable energy content, reduced fat content, including cholesterol, optionally reduced levels of salt and other additives, for example water binding agents or emulsifying agents. A high water binding activity is an important factor determining the cooking yield, which is defined as the weight difference between the unfired and cooked product. During the cooking of traditional high-fat meat products, there may be losses of water, protein and fat, the amount of which depends on the stability of the protein-fat-water emulsion. In the products according to the invention, there will be practically no fat loss, given its low content. It has also been shown that the losses of water and protein in the form of "meat jelly" are similar or even lower than those found for classic high-fat meat products, even when the addition of water binding agents is reduced or omitted. The high ability to bind water is also reflected in a high degree of stability to repeated freezing and thawing events, in the present context the term stability means that the texture characteristics of the products remain unchanged and that there is no significant dripping of water. . Process of preparing low-calorie spreadable meat products.

It has been found that the processes for the preparation of low-calorie sausage-type meat products, sliced products and hamburgers, as defined above, are not immediately applicable in the preparation of low-calorie spreadable meat products such as liver paste, especially when such spreads include an edible oil. It has been found, however, that the incorporation, in low calorie spreadable meat products, of an edible oil whose quantity lies in the range of 0.5-5% by weight, calculated on the products, greatly facilitates the obtaining a desired spreadability.

When attempting to prepare low calorie spreadable meat products comprising an edible oil according to such processes, a consistent blend as defined above is not routinely obtained. However, by carrying out further experimentation it was found, for example, that a consistent mixture for liver paste can be obtained when the process is carried out in the following stages: (1) mixing a small amount of edible oil, boiling water and a caseinate in in order to obtain a smooth, stable emulsion, (2) add liver in the form of whole livers, a fat-replacing plant ingredient consisting of unfractionated, native plant material, without any prior comminution and optionally additional ingredients and mix these ingredients in a container having a rotating propeller at the bottom, the rotation of which leads to the division of the liver and the vegetable fat replacement ingredient into coarse particles, which are uniformly distributed in the emulsion coming from step (1), (3) grind the mixture resulting from step (2) by passing the mixture through a grinding apparatus at high speed fixed to the bottom outlet of the mixing vessel, the passage through the grinding apparatus being carried out by applying vacuum to the vessel fitted at the bottom with a rotating propeller, this being followed by transfer of the resulting paste mixture of coherent low-calorie liver, ground, to a loading apparatus, loading the mixture into suitable containers and baking the liver paste. This process is also expected to be useful for the preparation of other low calorie spreadable meat products.

Thus, the vegetable fat replacement ingredient, having the composition and characteristics defined above, is a suitable vegetable ingredient in the preparation of spreadable meat products according to the invention, the addition of the vegetable ingredient in the quantities defined below leading to spreadable meat products having the desired sensory and structural qualities, including the absence of a tendency for the lipids contained in the products to separate, and a desirable spreadability.

In the present context, the term "spreadable meat product" designates a product containing edible meat having basically a creamy consistency, which can be easily distributed in a continuous layer, for example on bread by means of a knife. Examples of spreadable meat products are meat pastes including liver paste, meat spreads and pates. It will be understood that spreadable meat products having basically a creamy texture may contain larger sized pieces, as is classic in certain types of pastas and pates.

There are several widely varying processes for preparing spreadable meat products at home and it has also been proposed to prepare Danish liver paste (a spreadable product) according to the following recipe

500 g of pork liver

200 g of boiled potatoes

1 onion

0.4 liters of milk

1 egg and 2 egg whites

salt and pepper

chopping the liver, potatoes and onion twice through a meat grinder and adding salt and pepper, eggs (beaten) and milk while stirring and then cooking the resulting mixture in the oven for about an hour at 170 ° C. The industrial production of spreadable meat products, however, requires a certain standardization and simplification of both the processes and the variety of ingredients included (eggs are not usually desired as their ingredients) and the cost of the individual ingredients and of the production stages is also of decisive importance. In practice, the spreadability of industrially prepared spreadable meat products often depends on the presence of a certain amount of an edible oil. The industrially classic way of preparing spreadable meat products is to mix the different ingredients, such as edible oil, water, starch, meat, etc., if necessary, grind the resulting mixture and subject the mixture to a subsequent conservation or cooking treatment. such as an oven treatment.

However, as mentioned above, this traditional technique does not always lead to a satisfactory quality of the finished spreadable meat products with regard to the physical structure and organoleptic characteristics, a drawback being that edible oil or animal fat derived from meat such as defined above have a tendency to separate or ooze from the resulting spreadable meat product, with the result that the oil and / or animal fat collect on the surface of the product.

According to the present aspect of the invention, low calorie spreadable meat products which do not have the aforementioned disadvantageous characteristics can be prepared in a highly desirable and economical way when a vegetable ingredient as defined above is incorporated and the mixing is carried out in two stages. , with an initial formation of an emulsion of edible oil, water and a protein component and subsequent mixing of this emulsion with the meat, a vegetable ingredient as defined below, additional water, salt and, optionally, others ingredients such as will be explained later.

By carrying out the process in this way, an effective incorporation of the edible oil is obtained, so that it will perform its ability to confer spreadability without substantially any tendency to ooze or separation of the edible oil and a very economical process is obtained, which leads to a highly prized organoleptic product.

Thus, in this aspect the present invention can be defined more in detail as a process for the preparation of a low-calorie, spreadable meat product, said process comprising the following steps:

(1) mixing an edible oil, water having a temperature of at least 50 ° C and a protein powder having a water content of at most 20% by weight, calculated on the protein powder, to obtain a first mixture in the form of emulsion,

(2) mix the emulsion of step (1) with

lean meat substantially devoid of visible fat, its proportion being in the range of 20-90% by weight, calculated on the product,

a vegetable fat replacement ingredient comprising dietary fiber and starch in a weight ratio which is in the range of 1:32 to 1: 1, the proportion of dietary fiber being at least 5% by weight of the dry matter of the vegetable ingredient, when determined as non-starch polysaccharides (NPS), and the proportion of starch being at least 50% by weight of the dry matter of the vegetable ingredient, said vegetable ingredient being an ingredient which is capable of having, or being brought into, a homogeneous consistency substantially without sensorially recognizable particles in the spreadable meat product, the quantity of said ingredient being located in the range of 50-80% by weight, calculated on the product,

water, its proportion being in the range of 10-50% by weight, calculated on the product, rises, its proportion being in the range of 0-4% by weight, calculated on the product

and optionally one or more additional ingredients, their total proportion being in the range of 1-15% by weight, calculated on the product, the emulsion of step (1) constituting at most 5% by weight of the resulting mixture,

and if necessary grinding the resulting mixture to obtain a mixture comprising particles of meat and vegetable ingredients distributed in a substantially uniform manner, in which the meat particles have a maximum diameter of, at most, 1 cm,

(3) optionally mix additional additional ingredients into the resulting mixture from step (2)

(4) optionally distribute the resulting mixture into packages of the appropriate size e

(5) optionally subjecting the resulting mixture, distributed in packages, to a preservation and / or cooking treatment.

In Japanese Application No. 63,990, it has been proposed to employ an emulsified composition containing edible fats and oils as a replacement ingredient for fat and oils in the preparation of a paste product comprising low-fat meat, the proportion of the emulsified composition being located in the range of 5-15% by weight of the product. In the context of the present invention, however, it is important to note that the step (1) emulsion is not added as a fat replacement ingredient, but as a means of achieving a desired spreadability. This effect is obtained when the proportion of the emulsion according to the present invention is added in proportions that are at most 5% by weight of the product, a preferred proportion being located in the range of 2-4% by weight. The addition of proportions higher than those defined above would be disadvantageous, since it would significantly increase the caloric content of the low-calorie meat products according to the invention.

As for edible oil, any fatty acid ester, including animal fat and vegetable fat and oils, which is liquid at ambient temperatures usually encountered in meat processing plants, i.e. typically in the range of 10- 20 ° C, such as a vegetable oil comprising sunflower oil, soybean oil, olive oil or grape seed oil or an animal lipid having a melting point equal to or lower than the above defined ambient temperatures.

According to the desired total lipid content of the spreadable meat products to be prepared, the amount of added vegetable oil can preferably be in the range of 0.8-3% by weight, calculated on the product and most preferably in the range of 1. -2% by weight.

To obtain a useful emulsion in step (1), it is advantageous to add the water at a temperature not lower than 50 ° C, the preferred water temperature being located in the range of 70-100 ° C. When a precooked vegetable ingredient is used in step (2), the water added in step (1) and step (2) can advantageously be the cooking liquid in which 1 <1> vegetable ingredient has been precooked. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the amount of water that is added in step (1) is located in the range of 1-3% by weight, calculated on the product. The amount of water which is added in step (1) is preferably located in the range of 1-3% by weight, calculated on the product.

The protein powders which are useful in step (1) can be any dry, food grade, animal or vegetable protein powder such as caseinates, globins, soy protein or pea protein, an essential requirement for such compositions being, however, that their flavor and aroma, when added in the maximum quantities indicated above, do not give the spreadable meat product an unacceptable flavor and aroma. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, caseinate is used. The amount of the protein powder having a water content of less than 20% by weight which is added in step (1), is preferably located in the range of 0.2-2% by weight, calculated on the product and more particularly preferred in the range of 0.3-1% by weight, calculated on the mixture.

While in low calorie meat products other than spreadable meat products it is usually preferred that the lean meat substantially free of visible fat is shredded prior to the preparation of the coherent mix, the meat used in the preparation of the spreadable low calorie meat product it can be added, to be mixed with the emulsion of step (1), in the form of pieces or blocks. Such pieces or blocks of meat are usually supplied in the meat industry when specific cuts of meat are trimmed. Typically, these meat cuttings have a maximum diameter located in the range of 5-15 cm. Furthermore, a piece of meat herein may be a whole piece of edible offal such as a whole liver or a whole kidney.

In step (2) of the process for the preparation of a low calorie, spreadable meat product according to the present invention, the emulsion coming from step (1) and the meat, the vegetable ingredient, the supplementary water, the salt and optionally one or more further ingredients are mixed and, if necessary, the resulting mixture is ground to obtain a mixture comprising substantially uniformly distributed meat particles and vegetable ingredients, a mixture in which the meat particles have a maximum diameter of , at most, 1 cm.

In a particular embodiment of the process, such a mixing is obtained by preparing the emulsion in a cylindrical blender container having a bottom part of conical shape provided with a rotating propeller with two blades with beveled edges and subsequently mixing the emulsion with the meat and the vegetable ingredient in the form of whole meat blocks such as whole pork livers or whole vegetables such as whole boiled potatoes, additional water, salt and optionally one or more additional ingredients. The rotation of the propeller leads to a partial mincing of the meat and / or the vegetable ingredient, a. coarse particles of the size defined above.

The aforementioned resulting mixture may be, if desirable, further comminuted by grinding which, in a preferred embodiment, is carried out by sending the resulting mixture through a suitable grinding apparatus to obtain a more finely shredded spreadable meat product mixture. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the low calorie, spreadable meat product mixture is passed through a high-speed grinder having a 3mm opening plate, grinder which is attached to the conical underside of the cylindrical vessel, the transition being carried out by applying vacuum to the grinder fixed to the vessel. It will be understood that grinding into finer particles can be achieved by selecting a grinding apparatus having a plate with apertures of less than 3 mm in diameter.

Optionally, further ingredients selected from the group defined hereinabove can be added to the aforementioned spreadable meat product mixture, to obtain particular mixtures for specific types of spreadable meat products.

In further optional subsequent stages, the low calorie spreadable meat product mixture can be distributed in packages of the appropriate size as defined hereinabove and subjected to a preservation and / or cooking treatment, chosen from the treatments defined above. .

In a further aspect, the present invention relates to a spreadable meat product prepared according to the process as defined above. A typical example of such products is constituted by the meat paste comprising liver paste. In the present context, a spreadable meat paste product is intended to designate a spreadable meat product having a paste-like consistency and not containing visually recognizable particles. Meat pulp products can contain any type of meat derived from edible mammals, poultry or fish, including liver. Spreadable meat products without liver are often referred to as "spreads" of meat. Further interesting examples of spreadable meat products are so-called pate, a term that is generally used to describe spreadable meat products which comprise as a base a mixture of spreadable meat product similar to pasta, to which one or more additional ingredients have been added in particles, typically having particle sizes in the range of 0.5-10 mm, particles which in the final spreadable paste can be visually recognizable. Examples of such additional particulate supplementary ingredients are: shredded vegetables, shredded meat and shredded fruit including nuts.

In a further embodiment of the invention, a process is provided for the preparation of a low calorie meat product, in which the resulting product is a pet food, a process according to which the lean meat added to the mixture in the proportions defined above leads to a low calorie pet food product having a fat content which is at most 10% by weight, preferably at most 7% by weight, most preferably at most 5% by weight, in still more preferably at most 4% by weight, even more preferably at most 3% by weight, most preferably at most 2% by weight and in particular at most 1.5% by weight. The lean meat ingredient is preferably selected from the low-cost offal of the slaughter and fish industry such as blood, intestines, stomach, genital organs, bird or lean fish carcasses or respiratory organs.

In a further aspect, again, the present invention relates to a low calorie meat product as defined herein and prepared according to the processes as defined herein, a product which is a dried, rehydratable product which has been dried by a process of drying which does not lead to any substantial coagulation of the meat protein, e.g. freeze drying.

The machinery, equipment and tools which can be appropriately applied in the process defined herein are the same traditionally used in the preparation of meat products and such machinery, equipment and tools are per se known to those skilled in the art. In Example 16 described in detail in the following, several details relating to the machinery, equipment and suitable tools are reported, which may also be illustrative with reference to this aspect of the present invention.

The invention is further illustrated in the following examples.

EXAMPLE 1

Preparation of hot-dog sausages

For hot-dog sausages the following recipe of ingredients is prepared:

Lean pork from which all the

visible fat 7,000 kg Cooked "Bintje" potatoes, peeled 3,000 kg Wheat flour 0,400 kg Potato flour 0,400 kg Frozen water (3 kg of crushed ice

2 1 of water) 5,000 kg Conditioning salt (0.56% sodium nitrite) 0.140 kg Common salt 0.140 kg Dried skimmed milk 0.500 kg Phosphate 0.050 kg Condiments 0.040 kg

Lean pork and peeled, cooked potatoes are cooled to about 5 ° C and ground separately through a 3 mm plate in a meat grinder. 4 kg of the ground pork is transferred to a high-speed mixer and the meat is further chopped by running the grinder at high speed during three revolutions of the cup, followed by the addition of all the phosphate, half of the conditioning salt and common salt, combined, and half the water, frozen. The operation of the high-speed grinder is then continued until the meat has absorbed all of the water, after which the skimmed milk powder, wheat flour and potato flour are added together with the remaining half of the ice water. The high speed grinder runs until the last ice water added has been absorbed by the mix. The remaining 3 kg of lean pork are added to the mixture and the grinding is continued until the temperature in the mixture has risen to 10-12 ° C.

Finally, the seasoning ingredients (salt, celery, white pepper, mace, paprika and cardamon) are added along with the cooked potatoes. The high speed grinder is then operated until a meat filling mixture having a consistent smooth texture is formed, at this stage the internal temperature being about 14-16 ° C.

The resulting sausage mix is then piped into a sausage filling machine and stuffed into wrappers. The stuffed sausages are subsequently dried and smoked at a temperature of 80 ° C for about 30 minutes, this being followed by cooking in a water bath having a temperature of about 80 ° C, for about 10 minutes. After cooling, the sausages are left to air dry and packaged in plastic foil bags which are evacuated.

In the resulting hot dog sausages, the composition of the ingredients is as follows (w / w): lean pork 24.1%, cooked peeled potatoes 18.1%, ice water 30.0%, dried skimmed milk powder 3.0 %, wheat flour 2.4%, potato flour 2.4%, flavorings and spices 0.23% and salt (including sodium nitrite) 1.7%. As a result, the basic ingredients of the blend (lean meat, added water and fat replacement ingredient, i.e. cooked peeled potatoes) make up 91.9% in total and the additional ingredients 8.1%.

The total energy content of the finished hot dog sausages is 407 kJ per 100 g. The distribution of the main energy-providing ingredients is as follows (% w / w): protein 10.7, carbohydrates 9.0 and fat 1.9. The low fat content indicated in the sausages according to this example implies that the relative contribution of the fat content to the overall energy content is only 18%.

Sausages are subjected to sensory testing by a panel of consumers comprising 42 randomly selected subjects, who are asked to rate the flavor, texture and appearance of low-calorie hot dog sausages compared to hot sausages -dogs prepared in the traditional way, in which no fat replacement ingredients are included and in which the meat consists of pork cuts with a fairly high fat content. The jury receives instructions to evaluate each of the following characteristics: (a) flavor, (b) texture, (c) appearance and (d) overall impression according to the following hedonic scale: significantly lower (1), lower (2), slightly lower (3), the same as the reference example (4), slightly better (5), better (6) and noticeably better (7). The figures in parentheses indicate the numerical transformation values for qualitative evaluations, values that are used in statistical analyzes of differences. For these analyzes the mean scores and the standard error of the means are calculated and the data are subjected to a Student's t test.

The main composition of the control sausages is as follows: energy content 1180 kj / 100 g, protein 13% by weight, carbohydrates 3% by weight and fat 24% by weight. Before the test, both types of sausages are heated for a few minutes by immersing them in boiling water in order to obtain an appropriate drinking temperature.

The consumer jury is unable to distinguish between hot-dog sausages prepared according to the invention and high-fat hot-dog sausages prepared in the traditional way, with regard to flavor, texture or appearance.

The assay is repeated after the sausages have been frozen and thawed three times. Even after this treatment, there are no detectable differences between the low calorie sausages and the high fat control sausages, with reference to the above parameters. This indicates, among other things, that the water binding capacity of the low fat hot dog sausage recipe is equivalent to that of a classic high fat hot dog sausage recipe.

EXAMPLE 2

Preparation of grilled sausages

For grilled sausages, the following recipe of ingredients is prepared:

Lean pork from which everything has been eliminated

visible fat 3,500 kg Cooked "Bintje" potatoes, peeled 1,500 kg Conditioning salt (0.56% sodium nitrite) 0.080 kg Common salt 0.050 kg Frozen water (1.4 kg of crushed ice in

0.6 liters of water) 2.000 kg Dried skimmed milk 0.250 kg Phosphate 0.035 kg White pepper 0.010 kg Mace 0.002 kg Ginger 0.002 kg Coriander 0.002 kg

The preparation process is substantially the same as that described in Example 1. In the resulting grilled sausages, the composition of the ingredients is as follows: lean pork 47.1%, cooked peeled potatoes 20.2%, ice water 26.9 %, dried skimmed milk powder 3.4%, salt including sodium nitrite 1.8%, phosphate 0.5% and flavorings and spices 0.22%. Consequently, the basic ingredients of the mixture constitute 96.0% in total and the additional ingredients 4.0%.

The total energy content of finished grilled sausages is 364 kJ per 100 g. The distribution of the main energy-providing ingredients is as follows (% w / w): protein 12.6, carbohydrates 6.0 and fat 1.4. Thus, the relative contribution of the fat content to the overall energy content is only 14%.

Grilled sausages are tested by a consumer jury as described in <1> Example 1 and the jury is unable to distinguish between sausages prepared according to 1 <1> invention and traditionally prepared grilled sausages having a high fat content, neither in the test immediately after preparation, nor after the sausages have been frozen and thawed three times.

EXAMPLE 3

Preparation of meat for snacks

A test batch of meat for low-calorie snacks is prepared, in which the commonly used ingredient, consisting of abdominal cuttings of fat

pork, was replaced with cooked peeled potatoes.

As a reference product, a batch of meat is prepared

for snacks without cooked potatoes, but containing clippings

of fat. The recipes of ingredients are as listed

afterwards (all quantities listed are percentages in

weight / weight):

Practice match Reference match

Meat of shank

lean pork 9,000 kg (45.0%) 9,000 kg (45.0%)

Fat scraps 6,000 kg (30.0%)

Peeled potatoes,

cooked 6,000 kg (30.0%)

Conditioning salt 0, 340 kg (1.7%) 0.300 kg (1.5%)

Common salt 0.240 kg (1.2%)

Ice water 4.360 kg (21.8%) 4.154 kg (20.8%)

Phosphate 0.100 kg (0.5%) 0.100 kg (0.5%)

Sugar 0.200 kg (1.0%) 0.200 kg (1.0%)

Sodium ascorbate 0.006 kg (0.03%)

Total 20,000 kg (100.0%) 20,000 kg (100.0%)

From the previous recipes it appears that the batch of

test snack meat, low calorie, contie¬

only 1.7% conditioning salt, while the reference product has a total salt content of 2.7%. Furthermore, the test batch does not contain antioxidant agent (sodium ascorbate). Ingredients omitted in the test batch are replaced by the corresponding amount of water.

As a first step in the preparation of snack meat batches, pork shank is conditioned for 24 hours by adding 180 g of conditioning salt (2% by weight), with subsequent grinding through a plate having 5 openings. mm. Half of the minced meat is transferred to a high-speed mixer and the phosphate and the remaining salt are added. The resulting mixture is further comminuted by running the mixer for 60 seconds at 1400 rpm, during which a quarter of the ice water is added. After the mixer has stopped, the sugar and the cooked potatoes, ground, cooled to 5 ° C (test batch) or the scraps of fat, ground, are added to 5 ° C (reference batch), after which the mixer is operated at 2800 rpm for 60 seconds while adding two quarters of the ice water. Subsequently, the remaining half of the meat is added and the mixer is operated at 2800 rpm for 120 seconds, while the remaining 1/4 of the ice water is added. All ingredients have an initial temperature of 5 ° C. The final temperature of the resulting snacking meat mix is 14 ° C. This moderate temperature rise is achieved by using a mixture of ice and water.

The meat filling mixture is conveyed to a filling machine from which the mixture is loaded into tin cans containing 450 g and having a diameter of 72 mm. After sealing the boxes, they are treated in an autoclave for 70 minutes at a pressure of 2.1 bar (121.6 ° C) with subsequent cooling in cold water.

The resulting batches of meat for canned snacks are subjected to chemical analysis using techniques known per se and, on the basis of these analytical data, the total energy contents and the relative contributions to them of carbohydrates, protein and fat are calculated:

The total energy content of the meat for low calorie snacks is only about 40% of that of the reference product. In the latter meat product, the high fat content contributes 77.9% to the total energy content, while in the test product the fat content contributes only 39%.

The organoleptic quality of the meat for test snacks, low in fat, compared to that of the classic reference product is tested as defined in Example 1. The results of the sensory evaluations are summarized in the following Table:

In general, the members of the sensory assay panel assessed the quality of the meat for the snacks under review to be similar or slightly lower than that of the reference product. However, no statistically significant differences were found in terms of flavor, texture and overall impression.

As an indication of the emulsion stability of meat mixes for snacks, the release of meat jelly and fat after autoclaving of the cans is measured by carefully scraping off the separate layers of meat jelly and fat, respectively. collected at the top after autoclaving, this being followed by weighing these layers and calculating their proportions referring to the total weight of the products. In the low calorie snack meat boxes, 4.2% by weight of meat jelly is collected and there is no measurable release of fat. On the other hand, 8.3% by weight of meat gelatine and 0.6% by weight of fat are collected in the reference product. Based on these data, the emulsion stability of the meat for low-fat snacks appears to be superior to that of the classic high-fat reference product. This finding is surprising when one considers that the salt content of the product concerned is approximately 40% lower than that of the reference snacking meat product.

EXAMPLE 4

Preparation of beef burger scones

A test batch of low calorie beef burger buns and a reference batch of buns with a fat content of 20.5% are prepared. The recipes of the ingredients of the two matches are reported in the following:

Muffins of Muffins

test reference

Beef, 5% fat 13.794 kg (69.0%) - Beef, 24% fat - 17.932 kg (89.7%)

Peeled potatoes

cooked 4,138 kg (20.7%)

Water / ice 2.068 kg (10.3%) 2.068 kg (10.3%)

The cooked beef and potatoes, both ingredients at a temperature of 5 ° C, are ground separately through a plate with 3 mm openings. For the preparation of low calorie scones, low-fat ground beef and ground cooked potatoes are mixed in a meat mixer at 20 rpm for 5 minutes, during which water is added. with melting ice. After mixing, the temperature is about -4 ° C. The muffins (82-85g) are formed on a Formax muffin former and are subsequently frozen and packed in a cardboard box. The resulting batches of hamburger buns are subjected to chemical analysis to determine the content of ca: rbohydrates, protein and fat using techniques known per se and on the basis of these analytical data, the total energy contents and the relative contribution to them are calculated. carbohydrates, protein and fat:

TABLE 3

Compositions (% in w / w) of batches of hamburger buns and their energy content.

Test match Reference match%% of energy%% of the already total energy

Carbohydrates 2.3 8.0 0.6 0.9 Protein 15.6 57.9 16.0 26.5 Fat 4.3 34.1 20.5 72.6 Total energy, kJ

per 100 g 491 1099

The total energy content is reduced by about 55% in low calorie scones in comparison with the classic reference product. Furthermore, the contribution of fat to the total energy content, in the batch of scones under consideration, is only 34.1%, while the corresponding value in the reference product is as high as 72.6%.

The beef hamburger buns are thawed at room temperature and then fried in the classic way on a pan until they are well cooked before being subjected to the sensorial quality test by a jury of consumers, basically according to the procedure described above. The results of the sensory assessments are summarized as follows:

TABLE 4

Organoleptic characteristics of low-calorie beef hamburger buns comprising 20.7% by weight of peeled cooked potatoes, compared with the characteristics of traditionally prepared hamburger buns containing 20.5% fat

N SEM score Significant medium

Flavor 41 5.15 1.54 *** Texture 41 5.15 1.39

Appearance 41 5.00 1.15 ***

Overall impression 40 4.88 1.38 ***

N: Number of subjects in the jury * p <0.05 SEM: Mean standard error ** p <0.01 ns: Not statistically different *** p <0.001

Overall, the low calorie beef hamburger buns are evaluated by the jury as slightly better than the classic reference product, for all the organoleptic characteristics evaluated. All differences found are statistically significant at a level of 0.1%.

EXAMPLE 5

Preparation of a low calorie chicken pie.

A test batch of a low calorie chicken pie is prepared comprising 24.4% cooked peeled potatoes. The characteristics of this meat product are compared with those of a classic reference chicken pie, containing about 22% by weight of fat. The recipes of ingredients for the two batches of chicken pie are as indicated in the following:

caloric is prepared using the following technique: pork shank is ground through a plate with 3 mm openings. Chicken skin and peeled potatoes are boiled for 20 minutes immediately before use and transferred, while still hot, to a preheated high-speed grinder. After adding the following ingredients: dried skimmed milk, common salt, dried onions, glucose, Madeira and white pepper, the grinder is operated for two revolutions of its cup while the knife is operated at 2800 rpm. After this operation, boiling water is added and the grinder is further activated for about 80 seconds. How

and the maritza spice blend are added to the resulting blend, followed by running the grinder at high speed at 2800 rpm, for 5 revolutions of the cup. The resulting pie mixture, which has reached a temperature of about 50 ° C, is distributed in aluminum foil trays, each containing 200 g. Finally, the trays filled. they are baked in the oven placed in a water bath at 180 ° C for about 45 minutes, with subsequent cooling to 5 ° C.

The reference batch is prepared in substantially the same way, the ground boiled potatoes being however replaced with the same amount of similarly ground pieces of fat.

The resulting batches of chicken pie are analyzed by techniques known per se to determine the contents of the main energy-providing ingredients, namely carbohydrates, protein and fat. The total energy contents of the matches and the relative contributions to them of carbohydrates, protein and fat are calculated according to these analytical data. The resulting figures are summarized as follows:

The total energy content of the chicken pie batch in which the pork fat scraps were replaced with an equal quantity of cooked potatoes is reduced by about 43% compared to the reference pie batch.

The test batch of low-calorie chicken pie and the reference batch, cooked in the oven, are tested for their organoleptic qualities according to the procedure described above. The results of these sensory assessments are summarized in the following Table 6:

TABLE 6

Organoleptic characteristics of the low-calorie chicken pie containing 24.4% by weight of peeled cooked potatoes, compared with the characteristics of the traditionally prepared chicken pie containing 21.9% by weight of fat.

For all the organoleptic characteristics examined by the jury, the low-heat chicken pie

co is rated better than the reference chicken pie. The identified differences are all statistically significant.

EXAMPLE 6

Preparation of fish balls

A low calorie test batch and a classic reference batch of fish balls are prepared with the following ingredient recipes:

The two batches of fish balls are prepared using the following procedure: cod fillets and peeled cooked potatoes, cooled to about 4 ° C, are ground separately through a plate having 3 mm openings. The ground cod fillets are transferred to a high-speed grinder along with the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. The high-speed grinder is operated at 2800 rpm for 5 revolutions of its cup.

After stopping the grinder, the whole eggs are added followed by the grinder operating at 2800 rpm for 30 seconds. Subsequently, the grinder is operated at low speed (1400 rpm) for 3 seconds, during which mineral water is added, after which the grinder is operated for a further 30 seconds at 2800 rpm and stopped. Finally, the ground cooked potatoes are added to the resulting mixture and the grinder is operated for 60 seconds at 2800 rpm. The resulting mixture of fish dough, which has a final temperature of 4 ° C, is transferred to a muffin former and formed there into fish balls which are subsequently fried in a 1: 1 mixture of vegetable oil and margarine at 160 ° C for 5 minutes, with subsequent baking in the oven at about 220 ° C for about 15 minutes, when the core temperature has reached 92 ° C.

The two resulting batches of fish balls are analyzed using techniques known per se to determine their carbohydrate, protein and fat contents. The total energy content in fish balls and the related contributions to the aforementioned carbohydrate, protein and fat contents are calculated based on these data. The results are reported in the following:

The total energy content in low calorie fish dough balls is reduced by approx

45% compared to the reference batch containing lard.

The organoleptic quality of fish balls a

low calorie is evaluated by a jury of

consumers as described in the previous examples. The results-. t of these sensory evaluations are summarized in

following Table 8:

For all the organoleptic characteristics, the jury found that the low calorie fish dough balls are slightly better than the reference meatball batch. For appearance and overall impression, the differences in favor of the product concerned are statistically significant.

EXAMPLE 7

Emulsion stability of low calorie sausages comprising different proportions of cooked potatoes.

Four test batches of low calorie sausages comprising varying proportions (% w / w) of cooked peeled potatoes, i.e. 40%, 30%, 20% and 10%, respectively, are prepared substantially as described in Example 1. At the same time, four corresponding batches of reference sausages are prepared, in which the cooked potatoes are replaced by exactly the same proportions of pork abdominal fat scraps. All test batches as well as reference batches include lean pork in the form of shank meat as an additional ingredient, from which substantially all visible fat has been removed. Its proportion is increased proportionally with decreasing proportions of cooked potatoes (test batches) or fat scraps (reference batches).

Below are the recipes of ingredients for the test batch comprising 40% by weight of cooked potatoes and for the corresponding reference batch comprising 40% by weight of fat scraps>

The quantities of conditioning salt are equal in the two batches, while the quantities of common salt and spice ingredients are reduced in the batch of low-calorie sausages compared to the corresponding traditional reference batch. In the previous recipe for the test batch, the omitted weight of the above ingredients which have been reduced is replaced with a corresponding additional weight of shank meat (0.580 kg). In the remaining recipes of this example, all the ingredients apart from shank meat, cooked potatoes and trimmings of fat, are as listed in the above recipes.

All batches are prepared essentially in the same way: as an initial stage, the cooked shank meat and peeled potatoes are pre-ground through a plate with 5 mm openings. Half of the meat is transferred to a high-speed grinder, along with the phosphate and half of the salt. The grinder is then operated at 2800 rpm for 60 seconds, during which half of the ice water is added. The grinder is stopped and then activated at 1400 rpm for 30 seconds, during which the dried skimmed milk powder and the remaining ice water are added and the grinder is activated for another 30 seconds at 2800 rpm and stopped. The remaining half of the meat and salt are added, with subsequent operation of the grinder for 30 seconds at 2800 rpm. After stopping the grinder, the ground cooked potatoes (test batches) or pork fat scraps (reference batches) are added to the mixture together with the flavoring ingredients and the grinder is operated for 60 seconds at 2800 rpm to obtain the final sausage mixes. At the time of addition, the meat, cooked potatoes and fat scraps have a temperature of about 5 ° C and the temperature of the final sausage mixes is 12-14 ° C.

Sausage mixes are transferred to a sausage filling machine and stuffed into 22mm collagen wraps. The sausages thus obtained are subsequently subjected to a smoking and cooking treatment comprising the following stages:

Finally, the sausages are dried and further cooled in a cold chamber and vacuum-packed in plastic-foil.

The test batches and reference batches described are examined to determine their emulsion stability, according to two different procedures that are generally used in the art:

(1) Determination of weight loss during cooking Sausages are weighed immediately before cooking (initial weight). The cooking is done in a way that is classic in domestic use, by frying on a pan using a moderate amount of melted and hot margarine. When the sausages are cooked, their weight (cooked weight) is determined again. The weight reduction (initial weight - cooked weight) is calculated as a percentage of the initial weight. The results are reported in the following Table 9.

(2) Determination of the release of meat jelly and fat during autoclaving Before stuffing the freshly prepared sausage mixture into the wrappers, a quantity of it is loaded into cans holding 450 g and subsequently autoclaved basically as described in Example 4. The quantities of meat jelly and fat that collect at the top are measured as described in <1> Example 3. The results, expressed as percentages of the initial weight of the sausage mixes, are summarized in the following Table 9:

It appears from these results that the stability of the emulsion of the sausage mix in the reference batch comprising 40% by weight of fat scraps is significantly impaired in comparison with the corresponding low calorie batch under examination and in comparison with all the other batches examined. . With proportions of 30% by weight or less of cooked potatoes and fat clippings, respectively, the emulsion stability appears to be substantially the same for test batches and reference batches at the same level of cooked potato / fat clippings proportion. and also at their different levels.

EXAMPLE 8

Effect of the proportions of salt, phosphate, skim milk powder and wheat flour on the emulsion stability of low calorie sausage mixes.

Three different test batches of low calorie sausages including varying proportions of water binding ingredients: salt, phosphate, skim milk powder and wheat flour and varying proportions of spices and flavoring ingredients; are prepared substantially according to the procedure described in Example 7. Concurrently, three batches of reference sausages are prepared, which have the same ingredient recipes as the test batches, except that the peeled cooked potatoes are proportionally replaced with scraps of fat pork and the quantities of spices and flavoring ingredients are about 3 times higher.

The three test matches have the following ingredient recipes:

*) White pepper, mace, ginger, coriander seeds

The above test batches and reference batches are examined to determine their emulsification stability according to the procedure for determining the mass

free of meat and fat jelly as described

in Example 7. The results of these measurements are summarized

in the following:

It appears that a decrease in the quantities of water binding ingredients in the test batches, as well as in the reference batches, leads to decreased emulsion stability of the sausage mixes. However, the decrease in emulsion stability is consistently higher in the reference batches compared to the stability of the corresponding test batches. It can therefore be concluded that replacing the fat in low calorie sausages with an equal quantity of cooked, peeled potatoes improves the stability of the emulsion even when the water-binding ingredients that are traditionally used in the art are omitted. These results clearly indicate that the vegetable fat replacement ingredient has a remarkable ability to bind water.

EXAMPLE 9

Preparation of low calorie sausages comprising different vegetable fat replacement ingredients and their emulsion stability characteristics.

Three batches of low-calorie sausages are made, in which the same proportion of three different vegetable fat replacement ingredients are added. Lot 1 comprises 39.0% w / w of cooked peeled potatoes; batch 2 comprises 39.0 w / w% potato pulp, i.e. the material that remains after substantially all the starch has been washed off with water and the remaining material has been drained; Lot 3 comprises 39.0% by weight / weight of an aqueous suspension comprising 2.6% by weight of potato fibers, 18.2% by weight of commercially available potato starch and 79.2% by weight of water tap. The general ingredient recipe (% w / w) is shown in the following:

The matches are basically prepared as described in Example 8.

All three batches of sausage mixes are examined to establish their emulsion stability characteristics by determining the release of meat jelly and fat after autoclaving, as previously described. The results of these tests are summarized in the following Table 11.

TABLE 11

Indications of the emulsion stability of low calorie sausage mixes with different fat replacement ingredients derived from potato, as determined by freeing meat jelly and fat during autoclaving

The above results illustrate the fact that potato pulp and aqueous suspensions of potato fiber and potato starch are suitable fat replacement ingredients in low calorie meat products, both ingredients being substantially on par with the cooked peeled potatoes with respect to the characteristics of the emulsion stability.

EXAMPLE 10

Preparation of low-calorie cervellata, with boiled potatoes.

Lean meat and pre-cooled boiled potatoes to about 5 ° C are minced by grinding through a plate having 3 mm openings (stage a). Half of the minced meat and 4 kg of ice water are transferred to a high speed mixer having 6 rotating knives, together with the conditioning salt, common salt, coloring agent and phosphate and these ingredients are further minced by operating the high speed mixer during 30 bowl revolutions (stage b). The mixer is stopped and the soy protein, potato starch and the remaining ice water are added, followed by actuation of the mixer during another 30 revolutions of the cup (step c). As a final mixing stage, the pre-minced boiled potatoes and the remaining half of the pre-minced lean meat are added to the resulting mixture and the mixer is operated during 20 cup revolutions (stage d) to obtain a coherent mixture per cervellata, which is stuffed into casings. of 52 mm and subsequently immersed in water having a temperature of about 80 ° C for about 75 minutes.

As a reference product, a batch of cervellata, in which 24% fat is added instead of boiled potatoes, is prepared substantially according to the process described above.

The resulting batches of cervellata are subjected to chemical analysis using techniques known per se and on the basis of these analytical data their total energy contents and the relative contributions of carbohydrates, protein and fat are calculated:

The total energy content of the low calorie brawn is only about 43% of that of the reference product. In the latter meat product, the high fat content contributes 74.4% to the total energy content, while in the product concerned the fat content contributes only 24.9%.

EXAMPLE 11

Low calorie cervellata preparation comprising potato fiber and potato starch as a fat replacement ingredient.

In the recipe of ingredients of this product, the boiled potatoes as included in the recipe of Example 10 are replaced with 5.77% by weight of a potato starch product containing about 82% of starch, 0.8% by weight of a potato fiber product containing about 75% dietary fiber and 17.43% by weight of water. Consequently, this fat replacement ingredient contains 9.1% by weight of dietary fiber and 70.0% by weight of starch in its dry matter. These proportions are chosen on the basis that they correspond to the average values found in potatoes.

The preparation process comprises a stage a) and a stage b) as defined in Example 10. In stage c) of the present process, the soy protein, the potato starch, the potato starch product and the product of Potato fiber are added to the mixture along with 13.372 kg of ice water. Step d) and the subsequent bagging and cooking stages are as defined in Example 10.

The resulting batch of cervellata is subjected to chemical analysis using techniques known per se and on the basis of these analytical data the total energy content and the relative contributions, to the same, of carbohydrates, protein and fat are calculated. The data is compared with the corresponding data for the reference product of Example 11:

The total energy content of the low calorie brawn is only about 44% of that of the reference product. In the latter meat product, the high fat content contributes 74.4% to the total energy content, while in the product concerned the fat content contributes only 22.9%.

EXAMPLE 12

Low calorie cervellata preparation comprising potato fiber and wheat starch as a fat replacement ingredient.

In the recipe of ingredients of this product, the boiled potatoes as included in the recipe of Example 10 are replaced with 5.77% by weight of a wheat starch product containing about 82% of starch, 0.8% by weight of a potato fiber product containing about 75% dietary fiber and 17.43% by weight of water. Accordingly, this fat replacement ingredient, such as that of Example 11, contains 9.1% by weight of dietary fiber and 70.0% by weight of starch in its dry matter. The preparation process comprises a stage a) and a stage b) as defined in Example 10. In stage c) of the present process, the soy protein, the potato starch, the wheat starch product and the product of Potato fiber are added to the mixture along with 13.372 kg of ice water. Step d) and the subsequent bagging and cooking stages are as defined in Example 10.

The resulting batch of cervellata is subjected to chemical analysis using techniques known per se and on the basis of these analytical data the total energy content and the relative contributions, to the same, of carbohydrates, protein and fat are calculated. The data is compared with the corresponding data for the reference product of Example 10:

The total energy content of the low calorie brawn is only about 44% of that of the reference product. In the latter meat product, the high fat content contributes 74.4% to the total energy content, while in the product concerned the fat content contributes only 23.5%.

EXAMPLE 13

Low calorie cervellata preparation comprising pea fiber and potato starch as a fat replacement ingredient.

In the recipe of ingredients of this product, the boiled potatoes as included in the recipe of Example 10 are replaced with 5.77% by weight of a potato starch product containing about 82% of starch, 0.8% by weight of a potato starch product. pea fiber product containing about 75% dietary fiber and 17.43% by weight of water. Accordingly, this fat replacement ingredient, like that of Example 12, contains 9.1% by weight of dietary fiber and 70.0% by weight of starch, in its dry matter. The preparation process comprises a stage a) and a stage b) as defined in Example 10. In stage c) of the present process, the soy protein, the potato starch, the potato starch product and the product of pea fiber are added to the mixture along with 13.372 kg of ice water. Step d) and the subsequent bagging and cooking stages are as defined in Example 10.

The resulting batch of cervellata is subjected to chemical analyzes using techniques known per se and on the basis of these analytical data the total energy content and the relative contributions, to the same, of carbohydrates, protein and fat are determined. The data is compared with the corresponding data for the reference product of Example 10:

TABLE 15

Composition of a batch of cervellata with 24% by weight of a fat replacement ingredient comprising in the dry matter a proportion of 9.1% of dietary pea fiber and a proportion of 70.0% of potato starch and its energy contents .

The total energy content of the low calorie brawn is only about 44% of that of the reference product. In the latter meat product, the high fat content contributes to the total energy content for 74.4%, while in the product concerned the fat content contributes only 22.8%.

EXAMPLE 14

Low calorie cervellata preparation comprising pea fiber and wheat starch as a fat replacement ingredient.

In the recipe of ingredients of this product, the boiled potatoes as included in the recipe of Example 10 are replaced with 5.77% by weight of a wheat starch product containing about 82% of starch, 0.8% by weight of a pea fiber product containing about 75% dietary fiber and 17.43% by weight of water. Consequently, this fat replacement ingredient, like that of Example 11, contains in its dry matter 9.1% by weight of dietary fiber and 70.0% by weight of starch. The preparation process comprises a stage a) and a stage b) as defined in Example 10. In stage c) of the present process, the soy protein, the potato starch, the wheat starch product and the product of pea fiber are added to the mixture along with 13.372 kg of ice water. Step d) and the subsequent bagging and cooking stages are as defined in Example 10.

The resulting batch of cervellata is subjected to chemical analysis using techniques known per se and on the basis of these analytical data the total energy content and the relative contributions, to the same, of carbohydrates, protein and fat are calculated. The data is compared with the corresponding data for the reference product of Example 10:

The total energy content of the low calorie brawn is only about 44% of that of the reference product. In the latter meat product, the high fat content contributes 74.4% to the total energy content, while in the product concerned the fat content contributes only 22.7%.

EXAMPLE 15

Low calorie cervellata preparation comprising beet fiber and tapioca starch as a fat replacement ingredient.

In the recipe of ingredients of this product, the boiled potatoes as included in the recipe of Example 10 are replaced with 5.77% by weight of a tapioca starch product containing about 82% of starch, 0.8% by weight of a beet fiber product containing about 75% dietary fiber and 17.43% by weight of water. Consequently, this fat replacement ingredient, such as that of Example 10, contains in its dry matter 9.1% by weight of dietary fiber and 70.0% by weight of starch. The preparation process comprises a stage a) and a stage b) as defined in Example 11. In stage c) of the present process, the soy protein, the potato starch, the tapioca starch product and the product of beet fiber are added to the mixture along with 13.372 kg of ice water. Step d) and the subsequent bagging and cooking stages are as defined in example 10.

The resulting batch of cervellata is subjected to chemical analysis using techniques known per se and on the basis of these analytical data the total energy content and the relative contributions, to the same, of carbohydrates, protein and fat are calculated. The data is compared with the corresponding data for the reference product of Example 10:

The total energy content of the low calorie brawn is only about 44% of that of the reference product. In the latter meat product, the high fat content contributes 74.4% to the total energy content, while in the product concerned the fat content contributes only 24.3%.

EXAMPLE 16

Preparation of a low calorie liver paste comprising boiled potatoes as a vegetable fat replacement ingredient.

The recipe of the ingredients of the liver paste is as follows:

The potatoes come in the form of preless whole peeled potatoes, packaged in plastic bags with the water they were boiled in by soaking the bags in boiling water for 20 minutes. Before use, the bags are opened and the potatoes are transferred to a container containing boiling water and kept there for about 5 minutes in order to obtain a temperature of about 90 ° C.

1.6% of the boiling water of cooking potatoes, calculated on the final product, and the caseinate are transferred to a blender KS (Karl Schnell) comprising a cylindrical container having a lower part of a conical shape equipped with a rotating propeller with two blades, having beveled edges. After blending for 20 seconds, sunflower oil is added and blending is continued for another 40 seconds to obtain a stable smooth emulsion (stage i). Whole liver, hot whole potatoes and remaining ingredients, including the rest of the boiling potato liquid, are added (step ii), followed by mixing for 2 minutes, mixing during which the liver and potatoes are disintegrated. , from the rotating helix, in coarse particles having a maximum average diameter of at least 5 mm and which thanks to the rotation of the helix are uniformly distributed in the emulsion. Finally, this second mixture is passed, from the mixing vessel, through a high speed grinder having a plate with 3 mm openings, plate which is fixed to the conical lower part of the mixing vessel, the passage leading to the formation of a mixture consistent as defined herein above containing the additional ingredients (step iv). The passage of the aforementioned mixture through the grinder is carried out by applying a vacuum to the container. After passing through the high speed grinder, the coherent blend containing the additional ingredients is transferred to a filling apparatus and dispensed into 500ml aluminum foil containers and subsequently baked, in a preheated oven, at 190 ° C for approximately 1 hour. .

EXAMPLE 17

Influence, on the texture of the meat product, of the amount of vegetable fat replacement ingredient and the weight ratio of dietary fiber / starch

Substantially as defined in Example 10, five series each consisting of six low-calorie slicable sausage products are prepared. The series includes products, which contain the following proportions of a vegetable fat-replacing ingredient, comprising the total amount of carrageenan and potato starch in the form of dry powder: 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 and 12.5% by weight, calculated on the products. In each of these series, the dietary fiber / starch weight ratio is varied to obtain the following ratios: 1: 1, 1: 2, 1: 4, 1: 8, 1:16 and 1:32. A reference product is also prepared having the following composition:

lean pork (8% fat) 50%

lard 25%

water 21.7%

salt 1%

conditioning rooms 1%

seasoning ingredients 0.6%

In the test product, the lard is replaced by

above indicated quantities of dry replacement ingredients

of fat and additional water up to 25%.

The consistency of low-calorie products

it is evaluated by a jury of 7 widely experienced people

in the evaluation of the organoleptic quality of the products

of meat. The consistency of the product is evaluated according to

a scale, of hedonic evaluation. Each category has a value

numeric attributed ranging from -5 to 5, where among other things 0 indicates

good quality, -1 insignificant defects and -2 slight defects.

The results are summarized in the following table

18:

s) spongy consistency

d) dry consistency

As it turns out, with a dry fat replacement ingredient, comprising a combination of carrageenan and potato starch, the best results are obtained when the ingredient is added in amounts ranging from 2.5 to 7.5% and when the fiber ratio dietary / starch is located in the range of 1: 1 to 1: 4,

However, acceptable products are still obtained in some cases outside these ranges. It is clearly demonstrated that a certain proportion of dietary fiber with respect to the starch component is required to avoid the occurrence of a spongy consistency in low-calorie meat products and, furthermore, that a dry consistency is found at the higher quantities. high levels of dry fat replacement ingredient.

In this experiment, the consistency quality of the test products is rated slightly lower than that of the reference product, whose average rating is 0.4 1.1 (s.d.).

EXAMPLE 18

Preparation of low calorie cervellata products comprising various vegetable fat replacement ingredients and sensory examination of the products,

A series, comprising five low calorie test products and a reference product containing 25% fat, is prepared substantially according to the process defined in Example 10. All products comprise a total of 6.1% by weight of the following dry ingredients: conditioning salt, common salt, phosphates, dye, soy protein, sodium ascorbate and spices. The products include the following main ingredients:

The test products and the reference product are subjected to a sensory examination using a jury of 26 consumers. In each separate trial, half of the

jury members evaluate 2 identical test product samples and 1 reference product sample and the other half evaluates 2 identical reference samples and 1 test product sample. Samples are evaluated for (1) overall impression, (2) texture, (3) taste and (4) appearance, according to a hedonic scale indicating whether the products are: very poor (1), poor (2), neither poor nor good (3), good (4) and excellent (5). Figures in parentheses indicate numerical transformation values, which are used for calculations of mean ratings and differences in average ratings. The results of the sensory examination are reported below as differences between the average ratings of each test product and the reference product.

In conclusion, the test product is rated slightly lower than the reference product. However, the differences are not statistically significant, except for sample No. 4. This product comprising cooked carrots is clearly rated as less acceptable due to a poorer appearance. This is most likely due to the strong coloring resulting from the carrots. This problem can be solved by adjusting the quantity and type of food grade coloring agents. It was, interestingly, found that sample ratings No.

4 relating to flavor and texture are practically at the same level as the reference product. Furthermore, it was surprisingly found that 1 <1> incorporation of supplemental dietary fiber in sample No. 2 compared to sample 1 improves overall flavor and ratings significantly.

EXAMPLE 19

Preparation of low-calorie burgers and measurement of weight losses in the cooking process.

Two series (A and B) of hamburgers are prepared according to the recipes defined in what follows. Series A includes a reference product and four test products. Series B includes a reference product and three test products.

The recipes of ingredients are as follows:

Burgers in Serie A are prepared as follows:

The beef is ground together with the ice through a plate having 3 PII openings and subsequently transferred to a Palmia mixer. Dry ingredients or boiled potatoes are added and the ingredients are mixed twice for 2.5 minutes and at approximately 0 ° C to obtain a consistent burger mix, which is transferred to a Formax muffin maker. After forming, the hamburger buns are transported on a conveyor through a freezer and finally packed in cartons for storage at -25 ° C,

Series B burgers are prepared according to the following procedure:

The beef is ground together with the ice through a plate having 3mm openings and the ground beef is transported to a Palmia mixer. Soy protein (80%), common salt and seasoning are added before blending for 2.5 minutes. Finally, soy protein (58%) pre-impregnated in water is added, followed by blending for another 2.5 minute period to obtain a consistent burger blend. The resulting mixture is formed and packaged as described above.

The hamburgers of both series, including the high-fat reference products, are examined by a panel for sensory tests essentially in the manner defined in Example 18. Before the examination, the hamburger buns are cooked without the use of no fat or oil in a Turbo deep fryer for 90 seconds. Cooked burgers are served to jury members in the manner of "burger" meals including cooked hamburger buns, flatbreads, lettuce and a mild salad dressing. In relation to the test, the weight loss of the burgers, resulting from the cooking process, is recorded.

The results of the organoleptic tests are summarized in the following tables, illustrating the differences between the average ratings of each test product and the reference product.

The average ratings for the four low calorie test burger products are: 3.06, 3.30, 3.33, and 2.78%, respectively. In this series, 3/4 of the low calorie test burgers are rated higher than the high fat reference product. For all test samples, flavor and texture are rated higher than the reference. As a result of the cooking process, the reference burger exhibits a weight loss of 28.5%. The corresponding figures for test samples 1-4 are: 13.0, 7.8, 11.2 and 12.3%, respectively. These results clearly indicate that cooking losses are significantly reduced in burgers, where the predominant part of the fat has been replaced with a vegetable fat replacement ingredient.

Overall, the differences in valuation are insignificant. The average ratings for the three low calorie hamburger products are: 3.00, 2.70 and 3.09%, respectively.

The reference hamburger buns show a loss on cooking of 8.6% by weight, while test samples 1 - 3 show losses of 10.8, 4.6 and 5.3%, respectively.

Claims (1)

CLAIMS - Low calorie meat product comprising (a) a mixture comprising (1) shredded lean meat substantially free of visible fat, its proportion being in the range of 20-95% by weight, calculated on the mixture, (2 ) a vegetable fat replacement ingredient comprising dietary fiber and starch in a weight ratio that is in the <1> range of 1:32 to 1: 1, the proportion of dietary fiber being at least 5% by weight of the dry matter of the ingre -. fat replacement dient when determined as non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) and the proportion of starch being at least 50% of the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient, the fat replacement ingredient it is capable of having, or of be brought to, a homogeneous consistency substantially without sensorially recognizable particles in the mixture, the proportion of said fat-replacing vegetable ingredient being in the range of 5-80% by weight, calculated on the mixture, (b) optionally added salt, the its proportion, if added, being located in the range of 0.1-4% by weight, calculated on the mixture, (c) optionally added water, the proportion of which, if added, is in the range of 5-50% in weight, calculated on the blend and (d) optionally one or more additional ingredients, the product having a fat content which is at most 15% by weight when the product is a hamburge product r, the fat content being at most 10% by weight when the product is not a hamburger product, with the proviso that (i) the fat, when the product is a product in which the lean meat is fish meat, does not include hardened fat and (ii) the dietary fiber is not konjakmannan. 2 - A low calorie meat product according to claim 1, comprising at least 60% by weight of the native water content of its ingredients. 3 - A low calorie meat product according to Claims 1 or 2, which is a hamburger product or a product selected from the group consisting of sausage products, slicable meat products and spreadable meat products. 4 - A low calorie meat product according to claim 3, wherein the hamburger product, in addition to the shredded meat and the vegetable fat replacement ingredient, comprises one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of added salt, added water and additional ingredients. 5 Low calorie hamburger product according to claims 3 or 4, wherein the total proportion of fat is less than 12% by weight. 6 Low calorie meat product according to claim 5, wherein the total proportion of fat is less than 10% by weight, preferably less than 7% by weight, most preferably less than 5% by weight and in particular less to 3% by weight. 7 A low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the blend is a consistent meat blend mixture. 8 Low calorie meat product according to claims 1 or 7, the product comprising: a) a coherent meat filling mixture comprising (1) chopped lean meat substantially free of visible fat, its proportion being in the range of 20-90% by weight, calculated on the blend, (2) a vegetable fat replacement ingredient comprising dietary fiber and starch in a weight ratio, which is in the range of 1:32 to 1: 1, the proportion of the fiber dietary being at least 5% by weight of the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient when determined as non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and the proportion of starch being at least 50% of the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient, replacement ingredient of the fat that is capable of having, or being brought into, a homogeneous consistency substantially without sensory recognizable particles in the coherent mixture, the proportion d said fat-replacing vegetable ingredient being in the range of 5-80% by weight, calculated on the mixture, (3) added salt, its proportion being in the range of 0.1-4% by weight, calculated on the mixture, (4) added water, the proportion of which is located in the range of 10-50% by weight, calculated on the mixture and b) optionally one or more additional ingredients, the product having a fat content, which is at most 10 % by weight. Low calorie meat product according to claim 8, which is a product selected from the group consisting of sausage products, slicable meat products and spreadable meat products. - Low calorie meat product according to claims 7 or 8, wherein the total proportion of fat is less than 7% by weight. - Low calorie meat product according to claim 10, wherein the total proportion of fat is less than 5% by weight and preferably less than 3% by weight. - Low calorie meat product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the proportion of shredded lean meat substantially free of visible fat in the mixture or in the consistent meat stuffing mixture is in the range of 25-70% by weight and preferably in the range of 30-50% by weight. Low calorie meat product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the total amount of dietary fiber and starch present in the vegetable fat replacement ingredient is at least 5% by weight, calculated on the product. - Low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio dietary fiber / starch in the vegetable fat replacement ingredient is in the range of 1:20 to 1: 2, preferably in the range of 1 : 15 to 1: 3 and most preferably in the range of 1:10 to 1: 4. Low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of the dietary fiber in the fat replacement ingredient is at least 10% by weight. 16.) - A low calorie meat product according to claim 15, wherein the proportion of the dietary fiber in the fat replacement ingredient is at least 15% by weight. 17 - A low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the dietary fiber and starch are unmodified native dietary fiber and starch. 18.) - Low calorie meat product according to claim 1, in which the vegetable fat replacement ingredient is an unfractionated native vegetable material having a water content of at least 70%. 19 - Low calorie meat product according to claim 18, wherein the proportion of the vegetable fat replacement ingredient in the mixture is in the range of 10-70% by weight, preferably in the range of 15-60% by weight and most preferably in the range of 20-50% by weight. 20 - Low calorie meat product according to claims 18 or 19, wherein the vegetable fat-replacing ingredient is selected from the vegetable tuber materials and the vegetable root materials. 21.) - A low-calorie meat product according to claim 20, wherein the vegetable tuber material consists of potatoes. Low calorie meat product according to claim 20, wherein the plant root material is selected from the group consisting of tapioca roots, cassava roots and arrowroot. 23. I - A low calorie meat product according to claim 18, wherein the native plant material is precooked. 24. A low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the vegetable fat replacement ingredient has a water content of, at most, 20% by weight. 25 - Low calorie meat product according to claim 24, wherein the proportion of the vegetable fat-replacing ingredient in the mixture is in the range of 5-15% by weight and preferably in the range of 5-10% by weight. 26.) - Low calorie meat product according to claims 24 or 25, wherein the fat replacement ingredient is an unfractionated native plant material selected from cereal grains and dicotyledonous plant seeds. 27A - A low calorie meat product according to claim 26, wherein the fat replacement ingredient is in the form of particles having a maximum diameter of, at most, 2 mm. 28 - A low calorie meat product according to claims 24 or 25, wherein the fat replacement ingredient is a mixture of separated starch and separated dietary fiber. 29 - Low calorie meat product according to claim 28, wherein the separated starch is selected from corn flour starch, potato starch and tapioca starch. Low calorie meat product according to claim 28, wherein the separated dietary fiber is selected from potato dietary fiber, potato pulp, beet fiber, pea fiber, bean fiber and tapioca fiber. 31 - A low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the fat replacement ingredient is obtained by integrating an unfractionated native plant material whose dry matter proportion of dietary fiber is less than 5% by weight or the dry matter proportion of starch is less than 50% by weight, with a sufficient amount of separated starch or separate dietary fiber to lead to a vegetable fat replacement ingredient as defined in claim 1. 32 - Meat product a low calorie content according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of water added, in the mixture, is in the range of 15-40% by weight and preferably in the range of 20-35% by weight. 33. A low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the added water is the water in which the vegetables or meat were cooked. Low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of salt added, in the mixture, is in the range of 0.5-3% by weight and preferably in the range of 1-2% by weight. Low calorie meat product according to claim 34, wherein the added salt is selected from the group consisting of a food grade composition essentially comprising sodium chloride, a food grade composition comprising sodium chloride and additional salts and a composition of food grade comprising one or more alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salts, said food grade compositions comprising salts other than sodium chloride having substantially the same salty taste as sodium chloride. 36 - A low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the meat is selected from muscle tissue and edible offal including liver, kidneys, spleens, brains, tongues or sweetbreads. 37 - A low calorie meat product according to claim 36, wherein the meat is a mixture of meat from two or more animal species. Low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the product comprises one or more further ingredients, the total proportion thereof being in the range of 1-15% by weight based on the meat product. Low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the further ingredients are selected from the following groups of ingredients: vegetables, cooked or uncooked, having sensorially recognizable particle sizes, water binding agents selected from hydro- colloids, egg albumin, gelatin and collagen, structuring agents, preservatives, flavoring agents, spices, flavor enhancing agents, sweetening agents, coloring agents, vitamins, smoke and conditioning agents. 40.7 - Low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the total energy content is less than 700 kJ / 100 g. 0 - Low calorie meat product according to claim 40, wherein the total energy content is less than 600 kJ / 100 g, preferably less than 500 kJ / 100 g and most preferably less than 400 kJ / 100 g. - Low calorie meat product according to claims 40 or 41, wherein the contribution of its fat content to the total energy content is less than 50%, preferably less than 40%, most preferably less than 30% and in particular less than 20%. - Low calorie meat product according to claim 1, having, when examined by a sensory assay panel, in comparison with a similar traditionally prepared high fat reference meat product, substantially the same flavor, texture and look like the reference product. - Low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the total proportion of meat jelly and fat released from the product after autoclaving of the product, canned in cans containing 450 g, for 70 minutes at a pressure of 2, 1 bar, is less than 6% by weight referring to the total quantity of the product loaded into the can. - Low calorie meat product according to claim 1, wherein the meat product has been distributed in a package. - Low calorie meat product according to claim 1, which has been subjected to a preservation and / or cooking treatment. - Low calorie meat product according to claim 1, which constitutes a ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat consumer meal or is part of it. - Low calorie meat product according to claim 1, which is a food for small pets. - Low calorie meat product according to claim 48, wherein at least part of the meat is edible butchery offal selected from the group consisting of blood, intestines, stomach, genital and respiratory organs. - Process for the preparation of a low-calorie meat product, said process essentially comprising the steps of: 1) preparing a mixture by mixing minced lean meat substantially free of visible fat; a vegetable fat replacement ingredient comprising dietary fiber and starch in a weight ratio that is in the <1> range of 1:32 to 1: 1, the proportion of dietary fiber being at least 5% by weight of the dry matter of the ingredient of fat replacement when determined as non-starch polysaccharides (NPS) and the proportion of starch being at least 50% of the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient, fat replacement ingredient that is capable of having, or being brought to a homogeneous consistency substantially without sensorially recognizable particles in the coherent mixture, said ingredient being miscible with the other ingredients; optionally added salt: and optionally added water, mixture in which: (a) the proportion of chopped lean meat substantially free of visible fat is in the range of 20-95% by weight, (b) the proportion of the vegetable ingredient of fat replacement is in the range of 5-80% by weight, (c) the proportion of added water, if added, is in the range of 10-50% by weight, (d) the proportion of added salt, when added, blending is located in the range of 0.1-4% by weight, when the low-calorie meat product to be prepared is a spreadable meat product, preferably being carried out in the following stages: (i) blending of a vegetable oil, its quantity being located in the range of 0.5-3% by weight, calculated on the mixture, boiling water and protein powder to obtain a first premix in the form of an emulsion, (ii) added, to said emulsion, of lean meat substantially free from visible fat, fat replacement vegetable ingredient, added salt and added water, the total proportion of the added ingredients being at least 95% by weight of the ingredients obtained from (i) and (ii), (iii) mixing of the ingredients obtained from (i) and (ii) to obtain a second premix, said second premix comprising evenly distributed coarse particles of meat and fat replacement ingredient averaging a maximum diameter of, at least, 5 mm and grinding the resulting second premix by passing said premix through a high-speed grinder, to obtain the mixture, 2) optionally adding one or more further ingredients to the mixture, thus obtaining a mixture of meat product, in which the proportion of the further ingredients is located in the range of 1-15% by weight, preferably in the range of 2-12% by weight, in particular in the range of 3-10% by weight eso, 3) distribute the resulting mixture of meat product in packages of the appropriate size, optionally together with other edible components and 4) optionally subject the mixture of meat products to a preservation and / or cooking treatment before, or afterwards to, its distribution in packages of appropriate size, to obtain a low calorie meat product having a fat content which is at most 15% by weight, when the product is a hamburger product, the fat content being at most 10 % by weight, when the product is not a hamburger product, with the proviso that (i) the fat, when the product is a product in which the lean meat is fish meat, does not include hardened fat and (ii) dietary fiber is not konjak-mannano. Process according to claim 50, wherein the resulting low calorie meat product comprises at least 60% by weight of the native water content of its ingredients. Process according to claims 50 or 51, wherein the resulting low-calorie meat product is a hamburger product. Process according to claim 52, wherein the hamburger product mixture, in addition to the shredded meat and the vegetable fat replacement ingredient, comprises one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of added salt, added water and further ingredients. Process according to claims 52 or 53, wherein the total proportion of fat in the resulting hamburger product is less than 12% by weight. - Process according to claim 54, wherein the total proportion of the fat in the resulting hamburger product is less than 10% by weight, preferably less than 7% by weight, more preferably less than 5% by weight and in particular less than 3 % by weight. 56 - A process according to claim 50 wherein the resulting blend is a consistent meat filling blend. 57 - Process according to claims 50 56, the process comprising the steps of: 1) preparing a coherent meat filling mixture by mixing chopped lean meat substantially free of visible fat; a vegetable fat replacement ingredient comprising dietary fiber and starch in a weight ratio that is in the range of 1:32 to 1: 1, the proportion of dietary fiber being at least 5% by weight of the dry matter of the replacement ingredient of fat when determined as non-starch polysaccharides (NPS) and the proportion of starch being at least 50% of the dry matter of the fat replacement ingredient, fat replacement ingredient that is capable of having, or being brought into , a homogeneous consistency substantially without sensorially recognizable particles in the coherent mixture, said ingredient being miscible with the other ingredients; added salt; and added water, consistent meat filling mixture in which: (a) the proportion of shredded lean meat substantially free of visible fat is in the range of 20-903⁄4 by weight, (b) the proportion of the vegetable ingredient of fat replacement is located in the range of 5-80% by weight, (b) the proportion of added water is located in the range of 10-50% by weight, (d) the proportion of added salt is located in the range of range of 0.1-4% by weight, blending, when the low-calorie meat product to be prepared is a palmable meat product, preferably being carried out in the following stages: (i) blending a vegetable oil, its quantity being located in the range of 0.5-3% by weight, calculated on the mixture, boiling water and a protein powder to obtain the first premix in the form of an emulsion, (ii) addition, to said emulsion, of substantially lean meat free from visible fat, vegetable ingredient of so constitution of the fat, added salt and added water, the total proportion of the added ingredients being at least 95% by weight of the ingredients obtained from (i) and (ii), (iii) mixing of the ingredients obtained from (i) and (ii) in such as to obtain a second premix, said second premix comprising uniformly distributed coarse particles of meat and fat replacement ingredient having on average a maximum diameter of at least 5 mm and, if necessary, grinding the resulting second premix by passing said mixture through a high-speed grinder, to obtain the coherent meat filling mixture, 2) optionally add one or more additional ingredients to the coherent meat filling mixture, thus obtaining a meat product mixture in which the proportion of the additional ingredients is situated in the range of 1 - 15% by weight, preferably in the range of 2-12% by weight, in particular in the range of 3 - 10% by weight, 3) distribute the resulting meat product mixture in packages of suitable size, optionally together with other edible components and 4) optionally subject the meat product mixture to a preservation and / or cooking treatment prior to, or subsequent to its distribution in packages of appropriate size, to obtain a low-calorie meat product having a fat content which is less than 10% by weight. Process according to claim 57, wherein the resulting low calorie meat product is a product selected from the group consisting of sausage products, slicable meat products and spreadable meat products. Process according to claims 56 or 57, wherein the total proportion of fat in the resulting low calorie meat product is less than 7% by weight. - Process according to claim 59, wherein the total proportion of the fat is less than 5% by weight and preferably less than 3% by weight. 61.) - A process according to claim 50, wherein the proportion of minced lean meat substantially free of visible fat in the mixture is in the range of 25-70% by weight and preferably in the range of 30-50% by weight. - Process according to any one of claims 50 to 61, wherein the total amount of dietary fiber and starch present in the vegetable fat replacement ingredient is at least 5% by weight, calculated on the product - Process according to claims 50 or 62, in wherein the dietary fiber / starch ratio in the vegetable fat replacement ingredient is in the range of 1:20 to 1: 2, preferably in the range of 1:15 to 1: 3 and most preferably in the range of 1:10 to 1: 4. 64 - A process according to claim 50 wherein the proportion of the dietary fiber in the fat replacement ingredient is at least 10% by weight. 65 - A process according to claim 64 wherein the proportion of dietary fiber in the fat replacement ingredient is at least 15% by weight. 66 - A process according to claim 50 wherein the dietary fiber and starch are native unmodified dietary fiber and starch. 67. A process according to claim 50, wherein the fat-replacing plant ingredient is a native unfractionated plant material having a water content of at least 70%. 68 - A process according to claim 67, wherein the proportion of the vegetable fat-replacing ingredient in the mixture is in the range of 10-70% by weight, preferably in the range of 15-60% by weight, and more particularly preferable in the range of 20-50% by weight. (69 - Process according to claim 67 or 68, wherein the vegetable fat substitute ingredient is selected from vegetable tuber material and plant root materials. - Process according to claim 69, wherein the vegetable tuber material is selected between potatoes, sweet potatoes and their mixtures. - Process according to claim 69, in which the plant root material is selected from tapioca roots, cassava roots and arrowroot. - Process according to claim 67, in which the native plant material is 73. - Process according to claim 50, wherein the vegetable fat substitute ingredient has a water content of, at most, 20% by weight - Process according to claim 73, wherein the proportion of vegetable fat replacement ingredient in the mixture is in the range of 5-15% by weight and preferably in the range of 5-10% by weight. - Process according to claims 73 or 74, in which the fat replacement ingredient is an unfractionated native plant material chosen from cereal grains and dicotyledonous plant seeds. A process according to claim 75, wherein the grease replacement ingredient is in the form of particles having a maximum diameter of, at most, 2 mm. 77 - A process according to claims 73 or 74, wherein the fat replacement ingredient is a mixture of separated starch and separated dietary fiber. 78 Process according to claim 77, wherein the separated starch is selected from corn flour starch, potato starch and tapioca starch. 79.) - Process according to claim 77, wherein the separated dietary fiber is selected from potato dietary fiber, beet fiber, pea fiber, bean fiber and tapioca fiber. 80). Process according to claim 50, wherein the fat-replacing ingredient has been obtained by integrating an unfractionated native plant material, of which the dry matter proportion of the dietary fiber is less than 5% by weight and / or the proportion of dry matter of the starch is less than 50% by weight, with a sufficient amount of separated starch and / or separated dietary fiber to lead to a vegetable fat replacement ingredient as defined in claim 50. 81.) - Process according to claim 50, wherein the proportion of water added to the mixture is in the range of 15-40% by weight and preferably in the range of 20-35% by weight. 82.) - Process according to claim 50, wherein the water added is water in which vegetables or meat have been cooked. 83 - A process according to claim 50, wherein the proportion of salt added to the mixture is in the range of 0.5-3% by weight and preferably in the range of 1-2% by weight. Process according to claim 83, wherein the added salt is selected from the group consisting of a food grade composition essentially comprising sodium chloride, a food grade composition comprising sodium chloride and additional salts and a food grade composition comprising one or more plus salts of alkali metals or alkaline earth metals, said food grade compositions comprising salts other than sodium chloride having substantially the same salty taste as sodium chloride. 85 - Process according to claim 50, wherein the meat is selected from muscle tissue and edible offal including kidneys, spleens, brains, tongues or sweetbreads. - Process according to claim 85, wherein the meat is a mixture of meat from two or more animal species. 87 - Process according to claim 50, wherein the further ingredients are selected from the following groups of ingredients: cooked or uncooked vegetables having sensorially recognizable particle sizes, water binding agents selected from hydrocolloids, egg albumin, gelatin and collagen, structuring agents, preservatives, flavoring agents, spices, flavor enhancing agents, sweetening agents, coloring agents, vitamins, smoke and conditioning agents. Process according to claim 50, wherein the resulting meat product has a total energy content of less than 700 kJ / 100 g. Process according to claim 88, wherein the total energy content is less than 600 kJ / 100 g, preferably less than 500 kJ / 100 g and more preferably less than 400 kJ / 100 g. 901 - Process according to claims 88 or 89, wherein the contribution of the fat content of the resulting low-calorie meat product to its total energy content is less than 50%, preferably less than 40%, more preferably less to 30% and in particular less than 20%. A method according to claim 50, wherein the resulting low calorie meat product when examined by a panel for sensory testing, in comparison with a similar traditionally prepared high fat reference meat product, has substantially the same characteristics as same flavor, texture and appearance as the reference product. Process according to claim 50, wherein the total proportion of meat jelly and fat released from the resulting low calorie meat product after autoclaving the canned product in a can containing 450 g, for 70 minutes at a pressure of 2 , 1 bar, is less than 6% by weight referring to the total quantity of product loaded into the can. Process according to claim 50, wherein the package in which the meat product is distributed is selected from the group consisting of sausage wrappers, plastic containers, tin cans, glass containers and metal foil containers. Process according to claim 50, wherein the resulting meat product mixture is subjected to a preservation and / or cooking treatment. Process according to claim 50, wherein the meat, when the low-calorie meat product to be prepared is a spreadable meat product, consists of liver. - Process for the preparation of a low-calorie, spreadable meat product, said process comprising the following steps of: (1) mixing an edible oil, water having a temperature of at least 50 ° C and a protein powder having a of a maximum of 20% by weight of water, calculated on the protein powder, to obtain a first mixture in the form of an emulsion, (2) mixing the emulsion of step (1) with lean meat substantially free of visible fat, its proportion being located in the range of 20-90% by weight, calculated on the product, a vegetable fat replacement ingredient comprising dietary fiber and starch in a weight ratio which is located in the range of 1:32 to 1: 1 , the proportion of dietary fiber being at least 5% by weight of the dry matter of the vegetable ingredient when determined as non-starch polysaccharides (NPS) and the proportion of starch being at least 50% by weight of the dry matter of the vegetable ingredient, a vegetable ingredient that is capable of having, or of being brought into, a homogeneous consistency substantially without sensorially recognizable particles in the spreadable meat product, the amount of said ingredient being located in the range of 5-80% in weight, calculated on the product, water, its proportion being located in the range of 10-50% by weight, calculated on the product, rises, its proportion being located in the range of 0.1-4% by weight, calculated on the product and optionally one or more additional ingredients, their total proportion being in the range of 1-15% by weight, calculated on the product, the emulsion of step (1) constituting at most 5% by weight of the resulting mixture, and if necessary, grind the resulting mixture to obtain a mixture comprising particles, substantially uniformly distributed, of meat and vegetable ingredients, a mixture in which the meat particles have a or a maximum diameter of, at most, 1 cm, (3) optionally mix additional supplementary ingredients into the resulting mixture from step (2) (4) optionally distribute the resulting mixture into appropriately sized packages and (5) optionally submit the resulting mixture , distributed in packs, to a preservation and / or cooking treatment, to obtain a low-calorie spreadable meat product having a fat content that is less than 10% by weight. Process according to claim 96, wherein the mixture resulting from mixing the emulsion, from step (1), with the meat, the vegetable fat replacement ingredient, additional water, salt and optionally additional ingredients is ground claim 100, wherein the amount of protein powder added in step (1) is in the range of 0.2-2% by weight and preferably in the range of 0.3-1% by weight. A process according to claim 96, wherein the total proportion of fat in the resulting low calorie spreadable meat product is less than 7% by weight. A process according to claim 105, wherein the total proportion of fat in the resulting low calorie spreadable meat product is less than 5% by weight and preferably less than 3% by weight. 107./ - Process according to claim 96, wherein the proportion of minced lean meat substantially free of visible fat which is added in step (2) is in the range of 25-70% by weight and preferably in the range of 30-50% by weight. 108j - A process according to claims 96 or 105, wherein the total amount of dietary fiber and starch present in the vegetable fat replacement ingredient is at least 5% by weight, calculated on the product. 109. A process according to claims 96 or 108, wherein the dietary fiber / starch ratio in the vegetable fat replacement ingredient which is added in step (2) is in the range of 1:20 to 1: 2, preferably in the range of 1:15 to 1: 3 and most preferably in the range of 1:10 to 1: 4. 110 '. A process according to claim 96, wherein the proportion of dietary fiber in the fat replacement ingredient is at least 10% by weight. 111.) - A process according to claim 110, wherein the proportion of the dietary fiber in the fat replacement ingredient is at least 15% by weight. - Process according to claim 96, wherein the dietary fiber and starch are unmodified dietary fiber and starch. 113. The process of claim 96 wherein the fat-replacing plant ingredient is a native unfractionated plant material having a water content of at least 70%. [114. Process according to claim 113, wherein the proportion of the starch-containing vegetable fat replacing ingredient in the mixture is in the range of 10-70% by weight, preferably in the range of 15-60% by weight and in most preferably in the range of 20-50% by weight. - Process according to claims 113 or 114, wherein the vegetable fat replacement ingredient is selected from vegetable tuber material and vegetable root materials. 116 i - Process according to Claim 115, in which the vegetable tuber material is selected from potatoes, sweet potatoes and their mixtures. 117 - A process according to claim 115, wherein the plant root material is selected from tapioca roots, cassava roots and arrowroot. - Procedure according to. claim. 113, in which the native plant material is precooked. 119 - Process according to claim 96, wherein the vegetable fat replacement ingredient added in step (1) has a water content of at most 20% by weight. A process according to claim 119, wherein the proportion of the vegetable fat replacing ingredient is in the range of 4-15% by weight and preferably in the range of 5-10% by weight. 121 '. Process according to claims 119 or 120, wherein the vegetable fat replacement ingredient is an unfractionated native vegetable material selected from cereal grains and dicotyledonous plant seeds. 122 - Process according to Claim 121, wherein the vegetable fat-substituting ingredient is in the form of particles having a maximum diameter of, at most, 2 mm. 123 - Process according to Claims 119 or 120, wherein the The fat replacement ingredient is a blend of separate starch and separate dietary fiber. 124 - Process according to claim 123, wherein the separated starch is selected from corn flour starch, potato starch and tapioca starch. 125. Process according to claim 123, wherein the separated dietary fiber is selected from potato dietary fiber, beet fiber, pea fiber, bean fiber and tapioca fiber. 126./ - Process according to claim 96, wherein the fat-replacing ingredient has been obtained by integrating a native unfractionated plant material, of which the dry matter proportion of the dietary fiber is less than 5% by weight and / or the dry matter proportion of the starch is less than 50% by weight, with a sufficient amount of separated starch and / or separated dietary fiber to lead to a vegetable fat replacement ingredient as defined in claim 96. 127 - Process according to claim 96, wherein the proportion of water added in step (2) is in the range of 15-40% by weight and preferably in the range of 20-35% by weight. 128 '- Process according to claim 96, in which the water added in step (2) is water in which vegetables or meat have been cooked. - Process according to claim 96, wherein the proportion of salt added in step (2) is in the range of 0.5-3% by weight and preferably in the range of 1-2% by weight. 130 - A process according to claim 129, wherein the added salt is selected from the group consisting of a food grade composition comprising essentially sodium chloride, a food grade composition comprising sodium chloride and additional salts and a food grade composition comprising a or more alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salts, said food grade compositions comprising salts other than sodium chloride having substantially the same salty taste as sodium chloride. - Process according to claim 96, wherein the meat added in step (2) is selected from muscle tissue and edible offal including kidneys, spleens, brains, tongues or sweetbreads. - Process according to claim 131, wherein the meat is a mixture of meat from two or more animal species. - Process according to claim 96, wherein the additional ingredients added in step (2) are selected from the following groups of ingredients: cooked or uncooked vegetables having sensorially recognizable particle sizes, water binding agents selected from hydrocolloids, egg albumin , gelatin and collagen, structuring agents, preservatives, flavoring agents, spices, flavor enhancing agents, sweetening agents, coloring agents, vitamins, smoke and conditioning agents. Process according to claim 96, wherein the resulting spreadable meat product has a total energy content of less than 700 kJ / 100 g. - Process according to claim 134, wherein the total energy content is lower than 600 kJ / 100 g, preferably lower than 500 kJ / 100 g and more preferably lower than 400 kJ / 100 g. 136. A process according to Claims 134 or 135, wherein the contribution of the fat content of the resulting low-calorie spreadable meat product to the total energy content thereof is less than 50%, preferably less than 40%, more significantly preferably less than 30% and in particular less than 20%. | 137 |. - A method according to claim 96, wherein the resulting low calorie spreadable meat product, when examined by a jury for sensory testing, in comparison with a similar high-fat reference meat product prepared in the traditional way, has substantially the same flavor, texturing the process according to any one of claims 50 to 142, the product being a rehydratable dried product, the drying having been carried out by a process which does not lead to any substantial coagulation of the meat protein, such as drying by freezing. born, by passing the mixture through a grinder to obtain the mixture comprising particles, substantially uniformly distributed, of meat and vegetable ingredients, a mixture in which the meat particles have a maximum diameter of, at most, 1 cm. Process according to claim 96, wherein the quantity of the edible oil is in the range of 0.5 - 5% by weight, calculated on the product. 99 - Process according to claim 96, wherein the amount of water added in step (1) is in the range of 1-10% by weight, calculated on the product. 100 - A process according to claim 96, wherein the amount of the protein powder is in the range of 0.1 - 5% by weight, calculated on the product. 101 - Process according to claim 96, wherein the spreadable meat product to be prepared is selected from the group consisting of meat pastes such as liver pastes, spreads and pates. - Process according to claim 98, wherein: L the quantity of edible oil added in step (1) is in the range of 0.8-3% by weight, preferably in the range of 1-2% by weight. 103 Process according to claim 99, wherein the amount of water that is added in step (1) is located in the range of 1-3% by weight. and look like the reference product. 138. A process according to claim 96, wherein the total proportion of meat jelly and fat released from the resulting low calorie meat product after autoclaving the product, when canned in a can containing 450 g, for 70 minutes at a pressure of 2.1 bar is less than 6% by weight referred to the total quantity of the product loaded into the can. - Process according to claim 96, wherein the resulting spreadable meat product mixture, obtained from step (2) or (3), is subjected to a preservation and / or cooking treatment. 140.) - A process according to claim 96, wherein the meat added in step (2) consists of liver. 141 - Low calorie spread meat product, prepared according to the process as defined in any one of claims 96 to 140. 142.1 - Low calorie spread meat product according to claim 141, which is selected from the group consisting of pastas of meat such as liver paste, spreads and meat pâté. 143.- Low calorie meat product corresponding to any of the products according to any one of claims 1 to 49 or prepared by means of