WO2012036571A1

WO2012036571A1 - A process for treating meat using tasteless liquid smoke

Info

Publication number: WO2012036571A1
Application number: PCT/PH2010/000010
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ken'ichi Mogami; Hidehiro Kumazawa; Ernie B. Calamian
Original assignee: Friend, Richard Philip
Priority date: 2010-09-14
Filing date: 2010-09-14
Publication date: 2012-03-22
Also published as: JP2013537044A

Abstract

A meat product treated with a substantially tasteless liquid smoke and a method for treating meat to preserve the freshness and color without substantial smoke taste or odor is described. The method generally comprising burning organic material to produce smoke, removing substances in the smoke that impart smoke odor and taste to produce substantially tasteless smoke, dissolving the tasteless smoke in a liquid to produce tasteless liquid smoke and applying the tasteless liquid smoke to meat. The tasteless liquid smoke may be applied by injecting the tasteless liquid smoke into the meat, by immersing meat in the tasteless liquid smoke for an amount of time sufficient for the tasteless liquid smoke to diffuse into meat or by spraying the meat with the tasteless liquid smoke. The tasteless liquid smoke may also be applied by wrapping the meat with a material that is saturated with the tasteless liquid smoke.

Description

A process for treating meat using tasteless liquid smoke

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a product and process for treating meat in general, and seafood in particular, with a substantially tasteless liquid smoke, or smoke that has been purified to a level that utilization of the disclosed process does not impart a substantial smoke taste to the treated meat. Smoke is generated, purified and dissolved in liquid, then exposed to meat to preserve freshness and color. Meat that has been treated with tasteless liquid smoke will retain its color and freshness without substantial smoke taste or odor while stored frozen at conventional freezer temperatures and even after thawing. The claimed product and disclosed process makes it easy and inexpensive to transport and store meat, in particular seafood meat meant to be eaten raw such as in sushi or sashimi.

PRIOR ART AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As can been seen from the prior art and history of the technology, the smoking of meat and use of smoke to preserve the color and freshness of meat is an old and problematic issue.

U.S. Patent No. 5,484,619 entitled "Method for Treating Fish and Meat by Extra-Low Temperature Smoking" to Yamaoka et al teaches a process for preserving the freshness and color of tuna by applying wood smoke that has been filtered to impart an agreeable taste so that the tuna will retain its color even while frozen at conventional freezer temperatures and is suitable for being eaten raw as sashimi after thawing. While Yamaoka claims the process for treating tuna with gaseous smoke, Yamaoka also discloses a process for spraying traditional flavored liquid smoke on slices of tuna meat to add a distinct smoke flavor.

Nowhere does Yamaoka teach dissolving filtered smoke in water to create tasteless liquid smoke for application to meat. On the contrary , to the extent Yamaoka uses liquid smoke, it is a traditional flavored liquid smoke used for the stated purpose of adding smoke flavor. Yamaoka does not teach applying liquid smoke to promote color retention, only for the addition of flavor. Yamaoka's invention is directed to color retention through the application of gaseous filtered smoke. U.S. Patent No. 5,972,401 entitled "Process for Manufacturing Tasteless Super- Purified Smoke for Treating Seafood to be Frozen and Thawed" to Kowalski teaches a process for preserving the freshness and color of seafood by treating it with gaseous wood smoke that is purified so that smoke will not have any smoke taste and odor. Like the '619 patent, the '401 patent is directed to treating the seafood meat by direct exposure to purified wood smoke and does not teach or anticipate dissolving purified smoke in water to create tasteless liquid smoke and then applying it to seafood to preserve its color and freshness.

The drawback to using gaseous wood smoke is that it contains naturally-occurring concentrations of carbon monoxide as the primary ingredient to promote color retention. Use of gas containing carbon monoxide to treat meat for color retention is banned in certain countries, including Japan, the world's biggest and most lucrative seafood market. Both '619 and '401 patents result in wood smoke that contains gaseous carbon monoxide, rendering the commercial practice of either patents in Japan illegal under current regulations.

The science behind gaseous wood smoke's color-preserving properties is the same science that explains tasteless liquid smoke's ability to preserve the color of meat. Red pigments in meat are mainly composed of myoglobin (Mb), hemoglobin (Hb), and others containing heme iron. Tuna is a typical fish with red flesh. In the tuna meat, it has been known that normally more than 80 % of heme-iron is Mb and the rest is Hb. The core part of the fresh tuna meat exhibits a dark purple color. Mb is a reduced-type one (reduced Mb) containing ferrous ion (Fe²⁺). When the reduced-type Mb is exposed to an ambient air, it combines with oxygen (0₂) to change to brightly red oxymyoglobin (0₂Mb). This process is called oxygenation. But gradually Fe²⁺ in 0₂Mb is oxidized to ferric ion (Fe^J+) by auto-oxidation to form brown colored metmyoglobin (MetMb). The oxidation of red colored 0?Mb to brown colored MetMb is called browning or MetMb-formation. The tuna meat in a state of brightly red 0₂Mb looks fresh and favorable, and accordingly, possesses a high commercial value. However, tuna meat in the state of brown MetMb has no visual appeal at all, and the value is markedly decreased to about nil, even though the meat is kept fresh and safe to eat.

To prevent browning due to the formation of MetMb and to keep the red color of the flesh, tuna for use as sashimi is frozen at extra-low temperatures of between -45 ° C and -60 °C. The deterioration of each component in the tuna meat can be suppressed almost completely even at -18°C, the normal temperature of freezing compartments in household refrigerators worldwide. Nevertheless, the reason why extra-low temperature freezing is employed is due to the almost complete suppression of the browning of tuna meat at around -60 ° C. The browning due to MetMb formation results in a significant loss in commercial value of a sliced raw fish (sashimi). When tuna meat is stored at -18 ° C, MetMb formation occurs rather quickly. But it should be emphasized that the deterioration of each component in the tuna meat can be suppressed almost completely even at only - 18 °C storage. On the other hand, the formation of MetMb is very slow at -60 ° C, and the browning is only slightly caused during long-term storage. After thawing, the tuna meat turns brown gradually within 7 to 10 days, which is similar to untreated tuna.

However, the handling, storage and transportation of tuna frozen at extra-low temperature requires facilities that can handle, store and transport the tuna at the same extra-low temperatures at every step of the commerce stream, from the processing plant all the way to the retail store. This requires a huge investment in infrastructure and equipment that few companies outside Japan can ill afford. Even in Japan, such extra-low frozen tuna commands premium prices. A cheaper alternative to freezing at extra-low temperatures is to treat seafood meat with filtered wood smoke for color retention. As Kowalski pointed out in his ^;401 patent, when seafood meat is treated with wood smoke, the Mb molecules undergo a chemical reaction with a variety of compounds present in the smoke - O;, CO, NO, N0₂ and H₂0. When the Mb binds with 0₂ it produces oxymyoglobin, which is bright red; with CO it produces carboxymyoglobin, which is red; with NO and N0₂ it produces nitric oxide myoglobin and nitrogen dioxide myoglobin, which are also red; and with H₂0 it produces MetMb, which is brown.

Oxymyoglobin is not stable and quickly turns to MetMb. However,

carboxymyoglobin is quite stable. Moreover, the coordination of CO instead of 0₂ to Mb containing Fe²⁺ can greatly suppress the oxidation of Fe²⁺ in Mb to brown colored MetMb. Tuna meat treated with filtered wood smoke have been known to retain its color after being frozen for a year at -18°C and up to a week after it is thawed.

Besides filtered wood smoke, treatment with chemically-synthesized carbon monoxide has also been used. Tuna meat treated with CO can maintain its red color for up to 2 years at -18°C, and even after thawing, the red color can be maintained for several more weeks if the CO-treated tuna is kept at about 5 ° C in a household refrigerator. This is due to the fact that chemically-synthesized carbon monoxide has easily more than double the amount of CO compared to wood smoke, which results in artificial-looking cherry red colors in tuna meat. CO also has the ability to redden the color of tuna meat that otherwise would not if treated with wood smoke containing much lower concentrations of CO, making it appear of greater value than it actually is.

Since consumers use meat color as a vital indication of freshness, CO-treated tuna can give consumers the wrong impression about its freshness. However, as mentioned earlier, carbon monoxide is not approved as a food additive in Japan and its use on food to promote color retention is prohibited. Consequently, seafood meats treated with carbon monoxide are not allowed entry and commercial distribution in Japan.

Yellowfin tuna meat, a highly-valued Sashimi and sushi commodit in Japan, discolors in a relatively short period of time when exposed to air. Oxidation continues even when the tuna meat is frozen at conventional freezer temperatures of around - 25°C or lower. Since color is an important factor in determining freshness, oxidized brown-colored tuna loses its value as a sashimi commodity. It is crucial, therefore, for handlers of sashimi-grade fresh tuna to preserve the color and freshness of the tuna meat in order to protect its value.

Prior to the invention of treatment with filtered wood smoke, freezing at between - 45°C to -60°C was the only way to preserve freshness and red color of the tuna meat while frozen and after it is thawed. Furthermore, in order to minimize the risk of oxidation, tuna was not normally cut into fillets but shipped whole, skin on. This substantially increases labor costs for retailers, who have to hire extra staff to fillet the tuna. Moreover, the handling, transporting and storing of tuna at -45°C to -60°C requires a substantial investment in equipment and resources resulting in higher prices. Treating with filtered wood smoke allowed processors to remove the skin off the tuna and cut it into smaller retail sizes, freeze, transport and store the tuna pieces at conventional freezer temperatures of around -25°C or lower, affording great cost savings to processors and retailers that are passed on to consumers in the form of lower retail prices.

In the 1990s, many tuna processors began using filtered wood smoke to treat seafood with red-colored flesh, particularly yellowfin tuna meat, to promote color retention. Products treated with filtered wood smoke met with immediate commercial success in Japan and in the United States, but also led to increased public and government scrutiny of the process involved.

As discussed previously, wood smoke contains naturally-occurring concentrations of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is not recognized as a food additive and its use on food products in Japan is banned under Article 6 of Japan's Food Hygiene Law. In 1997 the Japanese government banned the importation and sale of tuna products that have been treated with filtered wood smoke because it contains a prohibited food additive - carbon monoxide gas. Since then, only fresh tuna and untreated frozen tuna products that have been frozen at -45°C to -60°C have been allowed entry into the Japanese market. Many tuna processors who had been making and selling filtered- smoke-treated tuna products at the time of the ban suddenly found themselves shut out of a lucrative market without a suitable alternative product. U.S. Pat. No. 6,936,293 entitled "Method for Preserving Tuna" (Yamaoka et al) teaches that tuna meat treated with intrinsic wood smoke whose residual CO concentration in the meat lies at a certain range (1 100 to 2400

has a similar color to naturally-bloomed tuna meat and the rate of color degradation of such processed tuna meat after thawing is similar to that of the natural tuna meat, that is, the browning occurs within 7 days. In sum, Yamaoka teaches that smoked tuna produced using intrinsic wood smoke has the following features: (1 ) the color of the tuna meat is similar to that of natural tuna one; (2) there is negligible browning of the smoked tuna meat stored at -18° C for about 3 months because browning due to MetMb formation can almost be completely suppressed during the storage even at - 18°C; (3) after thawing, the tuna meat treated with filtered wood smoke turns brown within 7 days as the natural tuna meat does, with the attendant loss in commercial value. Accordingly, there is little likelihood that consumers would have an incorrect impression about its freshness.

However, as previously discussed, wood smoke contains naturally-occurring concentrations of carbon monoxide as the primary ingredient to promote color retention. Accordingly, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan also prohibits the importation and sale of seafood products treated with filtered wood smoke to promote color retention, making no distinction at all between products treated with synthetic CO and products treated with filtered wood smoke. The governments of Canada and the European Union have followed Japan's lead and have likewise instituted a ban on tuna products treated with filtered wood smoke and carbon monoxide to promote color retention.

On the other hand, liquid smoke is specifically mentioned in the list of approved food additives in Japan, making its use on food products legal.

Tasteless liquid smoke works in the same way as filtered wood smoke or CO in inducing chemical reactions in the tuna meat to promote color retention. The presence of water in liquid smoke does not affect or prevent this chemical reaction. When CO gas comes into contact with tuna meat whose water content is more than 80 %, it first physically dissolves in the meat structure. The dissolution of CO in the tuna meat can be written as

CO(g)=CO(aq) where CO(g) refers to CO in the gas phase and CO(aq) refers to CO dissolved in the tuna meat structure. The reversible coordination reaction to Mb can be written as

Mb+CO(aq)=MbCO It should be noted here that CO(aq) instead of CO(g) coordinates to Mb, because Mb is distributed inside the tuna meat structure. For the tuna meat treated with the gas containing CO, two types of CO exist in the meat structure: physically dissolved CO, which is CO(aq); and Mb-coordinated (bound) CO, which is Mb(CO). The equilibrium of dissolution of CO in the tuna meat can be expressed by Henry's law like gas dissolution in liquid or in polymer:

where pco refers to the partial pressure of CO in the gas phase, [I] refers to the concentration of component I, and H is called Henry's law constant. The tuna meat structure can be simulated as water, because more than 80 % of tuna meat is water. Henry's law constant in this system can be approximated by that of CO in water, namely the solubility of CO in water. The straight line passing though the origin drawn in Fig. 1 represents the proportional relation of the concentration of physically dissolved CO versus the partial pressure of CO (i.e., the concentration of CO in the gas phase at 0.1013 MPa total pressure), that is, the concentration of CO residing by physical dissolution versus the concentration of CO in the treatment gas. The value of solubility of CO in water is known as 2.32x 10^"2 cm³N/cm³-water at 20°C. Accordingly, the concentration of physically dissolved CO is estimated to be 2,320 μg/kg at a concentration of CO (10 %) in the treatment gas.

The relationship between the concentration of Mb-bound CO and the partial pressure of CO in the treatment gas at the equilibrium can be expressed as

[MbCO]=ATMb]o pcol{ +Kpco) where K refers to the equilibrium constant of reaction (2), and [Mb]o refers to the initial content of Mb in the tuna meat. The content of Mb in a typical tuna is reported to be 2 mg/g, and the average molar mass of Mb is known as 17,000 g/mol. When all of Mb are occupied (coordinated) by CO, the residual concentration of CO by the coordination to Mb is calculated to be 3,290 μg/kg.

In summary, CO gas first physically dissolves in the tuna flesh structure when it comes into contact with the tuna flesh. Afterwards, the dissolved CO diffuses into the tuna flesh structure to combine with Mb distributed inside the structure. This mechanism is termed solution-diffusion mechanism. On the other hand, when liquid smoke comes into contact with the tuna flesh, it (liquid smoke) diffuses directly into the tuna flesh without passing through the dissolution step as in the case of filtered wood smoke or CO. In either case, the coordination of CO to Mb results in the formation of carboxymyoglobin and suppresses the formation of MetMb. Therefore, the effect of the diffusion of liquid smoke in tuna meat is similar to that of filtered wood smoke and CO.

Externally, however, there is a crucial difference. In the case of filtered wood smoke or CO, the tuna flesh is exposed directly to the dry smoke or gas, triggering the chemical reactions described above. But in the case of tasteless liquid smoke, the dry smoke is first dissolved in water, creating tasteless liquid smoke, and it is this tasteless liquid smoke, not the dry smoke, that is diffused into the meat, triggering the same chemical reactions in the meat as if it were treated with dry smoke. This difference is crucial because the carbon monoxide in liquid smoke is not considered a food additive, which is banned in Japan, but rather an ingredient of liquid smoke, which is approved as a food additive, thereby allowing a product that has absorbed a substantial amount of carbon monoxide contained in the liquid smoke entry into a market that bans the use of carbon monoxide as a food additive. On April 21 , 2005, the Nagaoka Office of the Ministr of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, in response to an inquiry from enzo Sakurai of Onsui Corporation, defined liquid smoke as "liquid wherein smoke (sic) has been dissolved", confirming that wood smoke, generated by burning saw dust and filtering it to remove soot and tar at the minimum, when dissolved in water creates liquid smoke. Subsequent to this confirmation, Sakurai filed U.S. Pat. App. No. 2005/0226959 entitled "Fish

Processing Method Using Smoking Liquid into which Smoke-Dry Components are Dissolved" in October 2005. This application matured to U.S. Pat. No. 7,595,071. Further, as recently as May 12, 2010 the Uwajima Office of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry confirmed that the domestic sale of buri (large Japanese yellowtail) treated with liquid smoke as listed in the approved list of additives does not violate the Food Safety Law, and that buri so treated are properly classified as "unheated frozen food" and not as "frozen food for raw consumption." In his '071 patent, Sakurai teaches a process to manufacture liquid smoke by dissolving filtered wood smoke in water, thereby creating liquid smoke, and injecting such liquid smoke into the heart ventricle of live fish, utilizing the arteries of the living fish such as hamachi (Japanese yellowtail) and tilapia to perfuse the liquid smoke throughout the fish, quickly treating the meat of the entire fish with liquid smoke. In order to reach the heart ventricle, Sakurai teaches that the fish be cut open and the heart exposed. Sakurai also claims that this process can be used on big fish such as tuna.

However, while small fish such as hamachi and tilapia are relatively easy to handle, using it on a large fish such as tuna entails the herculean task of catching the large, agitated fish in the open seas, keeping it alive for the entire duration of the fishing trip until it finally reaches the processing plant, cutting it open to expose the living heart, and injecting liquid smoke into the heart ventricle, and repeating this process for all the tunas caught and brought into the plant alive. An operation of that scale is not commercially viable. The same is true even if tuna is farm raised.

Moreover, Sakurai does not teach that filtered wood smoke must be super-purified sufficiently to remove substances that impart a smoke taste and odor before it is dissolved in water to create liquid smoke. Adding a contact sleeve filter with a pore diameter of 0.3 μπι, while filtering off microbes and materials from clogging blood vessels, is certainly not enough to reduce the amount of phenols present in the smoke to below recognition threshold levels. In fact, Sakurai teaches the introduction of other components in addition to the filtered wood smoke into the water to create liquid smoke. Specifically. Sakurai teaches that the smoke dry components are dissolved into a solution into which necessary additives such as antioxidants, pH adjusters, condiments or the like are also dissolved.

Finally, although Sakurai mentions that fish fillets can be dipped in his liquid smoke solution, he does not explicitly teach that wood smoke is super-purified before dissolving it in water to make liquid smoke, resulting in fish fillets that have a smoke taste and odor.

Unlike Sakurai, Japanese Pat. No. 3976646 entitled "Method of Preserving Round Tuna" to Yamaoka et al specifically targets the tuna species and discloses a process for injecting a solution wherein filtered smoke gas containing carbon monoxide has been dissolved together with other ingredients into the arteries of live tuna or freshly killed whole tuna (or "round" tuna) before the blood has coagulated. For all the reasons previously discussed above, using live tuna is not commercially viable.

Furthermore, since tunas are normally killed when they are caught, the round tuna is long been dead by the time it is off loaded at the fish port and trucked to the plant for processing, rendering Yamaoka' s method impossible.

In contrast to Sakurai and Yamaoka, the present invention: (1 ) does not require live fish; (2) does not require the injection of liquid smoke into the heart or arteries of the fish to perfuse liquid smoke throughout the entire fish; (3) requires that filtered wood smoke be super-purified to remove substances that impart a smoke taste and odor before it is dissolved in water; (4) teaches that water wherein super-purified wood smoke will be dissolved be cooled to between above freezing point of the meat to ambient room temperature; (5) allows big fish such as tuna to be filleted and cut into smaller sizes, making treatment by tasteless liquid smoke easy and commercial mass production viable; (6) teaches a method for diffusing tasteless liquid smoke into the tuna flesh by wrapping it in an absorbent material saturated with tasteless liquid smoke; (7) teaches a method for effectively injecting tasteless liquid smoke into meats that are too thick for liquid smoke to permeate completely; (8) teaches that meats treated with tasteless liquid smoke be allowed to cure for 24 hours or less under chilled conditions to facilitate curing and preserve the freshness of the meat; (9) teaches a dewatering process to purge excess liquid from treated meats following injection with and immersion in tasteless liquid smoke.

U.S. Pat. App. No. 2003/0044497 to Kowalski, now abandoned, discloses a process and apparatus for introducing tasteless smoke or carbon monoxide gas into the respiratory system of fish so that it is absorbed into the edible muscle tissue through the circulatory system. Kowalski also discloses an embodiment wherein filtered smoke or carbon monoxide is dissolved in water in which fish are swimming and the fish are gradually killed by carbon monoxide asphyxiation. Like Sakurai and

Yamaoka above, Kowalski requires relatively small, live fish and does not anticipate the present invention.

U.S. Pat. App. No. 2003/0054075 entitled "Processing Wrap Containing Coolant" to Dinh-Sybeldon et al, now abandoned, teaches a process for treating food by wrapping the food with paper or cellophane impregnated with liquid smoke, thereby imparting a smoky color and flavor to the food. However, it does not mention wood smoke or super-purifying wood smoke before dissolving it in water to create tasteless liquid smoke. U.S. Pat. App. No. 2006/01 17964 entitled "Method for Generating a Smoke" to Cauchois et al, is a pending tasteless smoke application. It mentions diffusion but does not mention treating meats with tasteless liquid smoke.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,777,012 entitled "Seafood Preservation Process" to Olson et al teaches a process for preserving the color and freshness of fish products by treating it with filtered wood smoke that imparts a smoke taste and odor and then further treating it with ozone to remove the smoke odor. Olson does not teach super purifying wood smoke or treating seafood with tasteless liquid smoke. U.S. Pat. No. 6,936,293 entitled "Method for Preserving Tuna" to Yamaoka et al teaches a process for injecting filtered wood smoke directly into the meat flesh using a needle injection device such that the residual carbon monoxide concentration in the meat is between 1 , 100 to 2,400 μg/kg. The '293 patent does not teach injecting tuna with tasteless liquid smoke. U.S. Pat. App. No. 2005/0208187 entitled "Process and apparatus to inject fluids" to Kowalski, now abandoned, discloses a process for injecting fluids into the meats using a multiplicity of needles. Kowalski does not mention manufacturing tasteless liquid smoke and injecting it into the meat.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,1 16 entitled "Method for Far-Infrared Drying of Food Under Reduced Pressure at Low Temperature" to Ono teaches a method for sterilizing and dewatering food to prolong shelf life. Ono's method is effective in dewatering tuna after treatment with tasteless liquid smoke, although a less costly and equally effective method is also described in the present invention.

As can be seen from the prior art and history of the industry, there is a need for a product and process which utilizes the preservative qualities of natural smoke and the treatment methodologies of liquid smoke yet without the flavoring and coloring of traditional flavored liquid smoke such that the treated meat retains fresh like qualities.

Traditional flavored liquid smoke is a dark brown liquid produced from wood smoke passed through water. Wood chips or sawdust are burned to produce smoke. The smoke is then passed through water to capture both flavor imparting components and other smoke components. The result is a dark liquid with a wide variety of components and gases found in smoke.

Traditional flavored liquid smoke is commonly used commercially in making smoked meats such as bacon or sausage. Some traditional flavored liquid smokes contain only water and smoke components including substantial smoke flavoring. Other traditional flavored liquid smokes contain water, smoke components including substantial smoke flavoring, and other ingredients such as vinegar, molasses, caramel or caramel color, salt, spices, sugar and vegetable protein. Traditional flavored liquid smoke has a distinctive and dominating smoke flavor and odor. This is the primary purpose of traditional flavored liquid smoke. The goal of traditional flavored liquid smoke is to capture a wide variety of smoke components in liquid form by passing the smoke through water and then using the traditional flavored liquid smoke as a flavoring and coloring agent to give meat products a smoked look and taste without the need to actually expose the meat to smoke. This permits a wider and more convenient imparting of traditional smoke flavoring and coloring to meats without the need to actually burn wood or organic material at the time and place of the processing of meats. The purpose of traditional flavored liquid smoke is to produce a product that appears to have been traditionally smoked, preserving as many characteristics of the traditional smoking process as possible including maximizing the traditional smoked flavor imparted by smoking.

Consequently, traditional flavored liquid smoke is not used to treat meat intended to be eaten raw such as in sushi, sashimi or carpaccio because such products are traditionally prepared with a meat that tastes fresh and is generally without a strong smoke flavor or odor.

The tasteless liquid smoke described in the present invention differs from traditional flavored liquid smoke in that it uses organic smoke such as wood smoke that has been sufficiently filtered or purified to remove substances that impart a smoke taste and odor to a level that, when dissolved in a liquid and applied to meat, no substantial smoke taste or odor will be imparted to the treated meat. The result is a substantially tasteless liquid smoke that does not impart smoke taste or odor yet retains

preservative qualities associated with smoking.

Liquid smoke without smoke taste has no commercial value and applicability on food products that are traditionally smoked, but as the inventors have surprisingly discovered, it is very effective in preserving the freshness and meat color of meat such as tuna, even while frozen at conventional freezer temperatures without imparting a . smoke taste or odor, thereby allowing the meat to be eaten raw as a sashimi or carpaccio. Many meats will turn brown when exposed to water and lose their fresh appearance. Contrary to what a person skilled in the art would expect, meat that is susceptible to browning upon contact with water - such as tuna - does not turn brown when exposed to tasteless liquid smoke. Such meat retains its original color when treated with tasteless liquid smoke, i.e., even without other component added to the tasteless liquid smoke. Further, also contrary to what a person skilled in the art would expect, meat treated with tasteless liquid smoke does not result in a soggy meat product as the mere dewatering of the meat to purge any excess liquid as a result of the meat's absorption of the tasteless liquid smoke prevents the meat from being soggy and preserves the intensity of the meat's natural flavor.

As such, the disclosed invention provides a new, non-obvious, effective and economical product and process to preserve the freshness and color of meat such as tuna.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to preserve the meat color of seafood by manufacturing tasteless liquid smoke and applying it to the meat so that the meat does not discolor while stored frozen at conventional freezer temperatures and retains a natural color after thawing. Another object of this invention is to preserve the freshness and natural taste of meat and seafood by manufacturing tasteless liquid smoke that uses filtered wood smoke that has been purified to remove substances that could impart a smoke taste or odor to the meat so that the meat treated with tasteless liquid smoke does not have a smoke taste or odor and is suitable for being eaten raw as sushi, sashimi or carpaccio.

It is further the object of this invention to allow meat and seafood products to be transported and stored at conventional freezer temperatures without losing its freshness and retaining its natural color while frozen and after it is thawed, thereby substantially reducing storage and shipping costs while preserving the market value of the meat.

It is therefore another object of this invention to offer tuna processors all the cost benefits and advantages of treating seafood meats with filtered wood smoke to preserve the freshness and meat color of red-colored seafood flesh by using the tasteless liquid smoke of this invention as an alternative to filtered wood smoke to overcome the restrictions of Japan's Food Hygiene Law on the importation and sale of smoke-treated seafood products in Japan. It is further the object of this invention to allow meat and seafood products to be cut into smaller retail sizes such as steaks, saku, tesshin, and sushi slices while preserving the freshness and color of the meat even after it is frozen and thawed, affording great savings in labor costs and handling to the retailer.

According to the invention, there is provided a method for treating meat comprising: burning an organic material to produce a smoke; removing substances in the. smoke that impart smoke odor and taste to produce a tasteless smoke; dissolving the tasteless smoke in a liquid to produce liquid smoke; and applying the liquid smoke to meat.

The liquid smoke is applied preferably by injecting the liquid smoke into the meat. Sliced meat is treated with liquid smoke preferably by immersing the slice of meat in the liquid smoke for an amount of time sufficient for the liquid smoke to diffuse into the inside of the slice of meat or by spraying all sides of the slice of meat with the liquid smoke. Sliced meat may also be treated with liquid smoke preferably by wrapping the slice of meat with an absorbent material that is saturated with the liquid smoke, enclosing the wrapped slice of meat in a bag and vacuum sealing the bag containing the wrapped slice of meat. The wrapped slice of meat is preferably treated further with tasteless smoke by cutting a small opening in the bag, dispensing the tasteless smoke through the opening in the bag and resealing the bag.

Meat treated with the liquid smoke is preferably further processed by enclosing the meat in a bag, sealing the bag and chilling the bag at a temperature above the freezing point of the meat to 4.4°C for 24 hours or less for curing. The meat is preferably put on an absorbent pad inside the bag. Curing may also be done at a temperature ranging from just above the freezing point of the meat being cured to below ambient room temperature.

The liquid is preferably water and the meat is preferably seafood meat, in particular tuna.

The tasteless smoke is dissolved in water preferably at a temperature ranging from ambient room temperature to above its freezing point. The tasteless smoke is dissolved in water preferably by drawing the tasteless smoke stored in a receiving ba» into the water in an enclosed air-deprived container through the use of a compressor, suctioning off any undissolved tasteless smoke escaping out of the water back into the receiving bag, recycling the undissolved tasteless smoke back into the water container again in repeating cycles until the receiving bag is empty and the tasteless smoke is completely dissolved in the water.

The container is preferably cooled externally so that the water in the container is chilled to a temperature ranging from below ambient room temperature to above its freezing point.

In producing the liquid smoke, preferably at least 3 grams of the tasteless smoke are dissolved per 250 grams of water.

In injecting the meat with liquid smoke, preferably 1 cc of liquid smoke is injected per 1 cm² of meat.

The water where the tasteless smoke is to be dissolved preferably contains up to 2% of sodium chloride. In purifying the smoke, activated carbon is preferably used to remove the substances that impart smoke odor and taste from the smoke.

After treating the meat with the tasteless liquid smoke, the meat is preferably dewatered after curing for 24 hours or less by applying suction.

In purifying the smoke, alternatively, the smoke is not sufficiently purified to below recognition thresholds for smoke taste and/or odor before it comes into contact with the liquid to create liquid smoke. After the meat has been treated with liquid smoke and cured for 24 hours or less, the meat is preferably further treated with ozone to remove any smoke taste and/or odor so that the meat will not have any detectable smoke taste or odor. Another method of treating meat comprise wrapping a slice of meat in an absorbent material saturated with water, enclosing the wrapped slice of meat in a bag, vacuum sealing the bag, cutting a small opening in the bag, dispensing smoke removed of substances that impart smoke odor and taste through the opening in the bag and resealing the bag. Under this method, the meat is preferably further processed by chilling the bag at a temperature above the freezing point of the meat to 4.4°C for 24 hours or less for curing. The smoke used in this method may also be not sufficiently filtered to below recognition thresholds for smoke taste or odor. Also, under this method, after the meat has been treated with liquid smoke and cured for 24 hours or less, it is preferably further treated with ozone to remove any smoke taste and/or odor so that the meat will not have any detectable smoke taste or odor.

In purifying the smoke, alternatively, the substances that impart smoke odor and taste are sufficiently removed such that no odor or taste of smoke is imparted to the meat.

These and other underlying purposes and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood upon a perusal of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a sketch of the predicted relationship between the residual concentration of CO (composed of Mb-coordinated CO and physically dissolved CO) in a typical tuna flesh whose Mb content is 2 mg/g and the concentration of CO in treating gas.

FIG. 2 shows a process to manufacture tasteless liquid smoke.

FIG. 3 shows a process to purge liquid from the meat of a piece of tuna cut in the form of a saku.

DESCRIPTION In order to achieve the above objectives, a process to treat seafood meat containing red-colored flesh according to this invention comprises the steps of manufacturing tasteless liquid smoke by dissolving super-purified wood smoke in water, thereby creating tasteless liquid smoke, treating the seafood meat with the tasteless liquid smoke, and allowing the treated meat to cure at a temperature above the freezing point of the meat to 4.4°C for 24 hours or less.

Dissolving super-purified wood smoke in water can be accomplished in two ways. One method involves bringing super-purified wood smoke into contact with an absorbent material that is saturated with water, thereby creating tasteless liquid smoke inside the absorbent material. This tasteless liquid smoke can permeate a thin slice of tuna and effectively treat it, but it is recommended that this process be done under chilled conditions in order to facilitate the curing and preserve the freshness of the raw tuna meat.

Although it is possible to dissolve super-purified wood smoke in water at ambient temperatures, it is our experience that super-purified wood smoke dissolves faster in water that has been chilled. Therefore, chilling the water where the paper towel will be soaked to below ambient room temperature, preferably at a range of 0°C to 4.4°C, and curing the meat inside a chilling room at a temperature above the freezing point of the meat and below ambient room temperature, preferably at 0°C to 4.4°C for 24 hours or less, is effective in preserving the freshness of the meat and producing fresh- tasting, bright red tasteless-liquid-smoke-treated tuna products. Curing at ambient room temperature is also possible, but the freshness of the meat will be compromised if exposure at ambient temperature is prolonged. Moreover, U.S. FDA HACCP regulations require that fresh seafood meats be kept at 4.4°C or below during various stages of processing, although temporary exposure to temperatures above 4.4°C is permitted. The recommendation, therefore, to chill the water wherein super-purified smoke is to be dissolved, and to effect curing at a temperature range of 0°C to 4.4°C is not a reflection of any inherent limitation of the effect of tasteless liquid smoke, but to comply with government health regulations to follow the best practice to preserve the freshness of raw products. An example of how this could be done is to take a small, thin slice of tuna, wrap it completely in an absorbent material such as a paper towel that has been soaked in water that has been chilled to 0°C to 4.4°C such that no part of the meat is exposed, putting the wrapped piece of tuna inside a plastic bag, vacuum sealing the plastic bag. inserting a needle-type dispenser into the plastic bag and flushing the plastic bag with super-purified wood smoke, resealing the plastic bag, and then bringing the plastic bag containing the tuna meat to a chilling room with the thermostat set at 0°C to 4.4°C for 24 hours to cure. In the foregoing example, it is crucial that no part of the meat to be cured is directly exposed to the super-purified wood smoke. Direct exposure to super-purified wood smoke would render the meat as having been treated with wood smoke containing carbon monoxide gas and therefore prohibited from entry into the Japanese market. The other method involves injecting super-purified wood smoke directly into a container of water that has been chilled to below ambient room temperature but above freezing point. Not all super-purified wood smoke dissolves instantly when it comes into contact with the chilled water; a certain amount does not dissolve and escapes out of the water into the air. To prevent this escaping super-purified wood smoke from going to waste, it is necessary to catch this super-purified smoke and recycle it back into the water by using an air compressor that will suction off the super-purified smoke into a receiving bag before shooting it back into the water. So as not to dilute the smoke concentration with ambient air, it is necessary to enclose the entire system and suction off any air within before attempting to dissolve the super-purified wood smoke in water.

An example of this method requires the setting up of an apparatus comprising an air pump (or air compressor), a bladder-type super-purified wood smoke receiving bag, and a fully enclosed water tank two-thirds filled with water sitting on a larger tub filled with enough ice slurry to cool the water in the water tank to below ambient room temperature but above freezing point. A rubber hose connects the receiving bag and water tank to the air compressor. Before starting, an operator uses the air pump to suction off ambient air. Then the air pump is operated to draw the super-purified wood smoke from the receiving bag to the water tank. Any undissolved super-purified smoke rises above the water and is suctioned off back into the receiving bag before being recycled back into the water tank. This process is repeated until the receiving bag is empty and all the super- purified wood smoke is dissolved in the water. The resulting tasteless liquid smoke is now ready to be applied to tuna meat in several ways:

1. Soaking a piece of absorbent material with tasteless liquid smoke, wrapping a piece of meat in this soaked absorbent material completely so that no part of the meat is exposed, placing the wrapped meat inside a plastic bag, sealing the bag, placing the bag inside a chilling room at a temperature above the freezing point of the meat to below ambient temperature, preferably at 0°C to 4.4°C for 24 hours to cure.

This mode is ideal for treating small pieces of tuna no larger than rectangular blocks called saku.

2. Filling an injection device with tasteless liquid smoke and injecting it directly into the meat. The meat is placed inside a plastic bag, which is then sealed.

The plastic bag is placed inside a chilling room at a temperature above the freezing point of the meat to below ambient temperature, preferably at 0°C to 4.4°C for 24 hours to cure. This mode is used for treating tuna meats with a thickness of over 2.5 cm, such as tuna loins.

3. Filling a basin with tasteless liquid smoke and completely immersing a thin piece of meat in the tasteless liquid smoke for around 5 seconds, and up to a minute or longer for bigger slices. The meat is placed inside a plastic bag. which is then sealed. The plastic bag is placed inside a chilling room at a temperature above the freezing point of the meat to below ambient temperature, preferably at 0°C to 4.4°C for 24 hours to cure. This mode can be used for treating small pieces of tuna such as sushi slice and sticks called tesshin.

4. Laying a thin slice of meat on an absorbent pad, spraying generous amounts of tasteless liquid smoke on the top and bottom sides of the meat, placing the meat inside a plastic bag, which is then sealed. The plastic bag is placed inside a chilling room at a temperature above the freezing point of the meat to below ambient temperature, preferably at 0°C to 4.4°C for 24 hours to cure. This mode can be used for treating pieces of tuna smaller than sushi slices and sticks.

Whichever mode of delivery of tasteless liquid smoke to the meat is chosen, it is highly recommended that the meat undergoes a dewatering process to purge the excess liquid as a result of the meat's absorption of tasteless liquid smoke, which could make the meat soggy and lessen the intensit of the meat's natural flavor.

Dewatering also has the added benefit of prolonging the natural shelf life of the raw product by decreasing bacteria count as bacteria tends to propagate in moist conditions and the purging of liquid from the meat substantially reduces the area for bacteria to multiply.

Dewatering can be accomplished by putting the cured tuna meat inside a plastic bag into which a hose that is connected to an air compressor is attached. The air compressor is turned on and applies suction pressure of up to 0.98 kgf/cm² on the meat for 3 minutes. This is sufficient for purging anywhere from 1 to 4% of the excess liquid from a small piece of tuna meat such as saku. Larger tuna pieces may require greater suction pressure and dewatering times in excess of 3 minutes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The process of manufacturing tasteless liquid smoke to treat seafood begins with producing super-purified wood smoke that will be dissolved in water to produce tasteless liquid smoke. Super-purified wood smoke is produced by thermally combusting organic material such as saw dust in an oxygen-deprived combustion chamber at temperatures ranging from 250-400°C, passing the generated smoke through filters that remove substances in the smoke that could impart a smoke taste, flavor or odor to the meat. The super- purified wood smoke is then stored at room temperatures in bladder-type receiving bags typically measuringl .8288 m x 4.572 m with a storage capacity of 3.8228 m³.

The use of activated carbon has been found to be effective in removing smoke-taste- and-odor-imparting substances such as phenols found in wood smoke to below recognition thresholds for smoke taste and smell, thereby "super purifying" the wood smoke.

Examples of methods to generate super-purified wood smoke are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,484,619 (Yamaoka et al) and 5,972,401 (Kowalski). Japanese Patent No. JP3559093 (Sakurai) describes a smoke generating machine that produces filtered smoke which can then be super-purified following the teachings of the '619 and '401 patents. Furthermore, the art of manufacturing super-purified wood smoke that does not impart a smoke taste and odor to the meat is well known in the industry, having been practiced as far back 1993 with the development of U.S. Patent No. 5,484,619 and its reduction into practice by Yamaoka Nippon Corporation (later Pescarich Manufacturing Corporation).

A rectangular piece of yellowfin tuna meat commonly called saku in the industry measuring 4.5-6.0 cm x 15.0-16.0 cm with a thickness of 2.5 cm is prepared and wrapped individually in paper towel measuring 20.0 cm x 31.5 cm which has been soaked in water that has been chilled to below ambient room temperature but above freezing point. The wrapping must be carefully done so that no part of the saku is exposed. The wrapped saku is then put inside a plastic bag. The plastic bag is vacuum sealed to remove any air inside the bag. A small opening is cut in the plastic bag and a needle-type dispenser connected by a hose to a compressor and a bladder bag containing the super-purified wood smoke is inserted into the opening. The plastic bag is flushed with super-purified wood smoke and quickly resealed to prevent the super-purified wood smoke from escaping through the opening. The plastic ba« is brought to a chilling room where the thermostat has been preset at 0°C to 4.4°C and left to sit for 24 hours to allow curing. After curing, the saku, which by now has bloomed to a beautiful bright red color, is taken out of the plastic bag and put into the final package and either frozen or chilled and shipped.

The mode described above is an efficient and cost-effective way to treat seafood meat with a thickness of no greater than 2.5 cm. However, when the thickness of the meat is greater than 2.5 cm as in the case of center cut loins for instance, mere external application of the tasteless liquid smoke on the meat is not sufficient to allow the tasteless liquid smoke to fully permeate the meat all the way to the core. In this case, injecting the tasteless liquid smoke deep into the meat is effective in delivering the tasteless liquid smoke to all parts of the loin that would otherwise be beyond the reach of tasteless liquid smoke that is applied only externally. In the mode described above, tasteless liquid smoke is created only when super- purified wood smoke comes into contact with the water in the paper towel. It is necessary, therefore, to manufacture tasteless liquid smoke by dissolving super- purified wood smoke in water as a preliminary step in order to make delivery of tasteless liquid smoke by injection possible.

To produce such tasteless liquid smoke efficiently, care must be taken to ensure that super-purified wood smoke is fully dissolved in the water and does not escape out into the air. This requires an air-deprived, closed system as illustrated in Fig.2 consisting of a gas receiving bag 1 with a capacity of 3.8228m^J containing 4.8 kilograms of super-purified wood smoke, an enclosed, stainless steel water tank 2 on a stand 19 with a holding capacity of 300 liters two-thirds filled with water and half-submerged inside a larger tub 3 filled with ice and water 4 to cool the water inside the water tank 2 to below ambient room temperature but above freezing point, an air compressor or air pump 5, and a vacuum pump 6. A thermometer 7 is installed to monitor the water temperature inside the water tank 2. A pneumatic hose 8 with coupling 9 connects the gas receiving bag 1 and air compressor/air pump 5, the air compressor/air pump 5 and sparger 10, the water tank 2 and the gas receiving bag 1 , the vacuum pump 1 1 and water tank 2. An operator first opens ball valve 12 and turns on the vacuum pump 1 1 to suction off any ambient air through the air suction hose 19 in the enclosed water tank 2. Ball valve 12 closes and vacuum pump 1 1 shuts off when pressure gauge 4 reaches -0.06 MPa. Air pump 5 is switched on to draw super-purified wood smoke from the gas receiving bag 1 and push through pressure regulator 13 at 0.20 MPa to the sparger 10 located at the bottom of the water tank 2 where it is dispersed into the water as fine bubbles. Any undissolved super-purified wood smoke rises above the water and creates pressure up to 0.18 MPa (or 1.90 kgf/cm²). Pressure relief valve 14 controls and releases the undissolved super-purified wood smoke back into the gas receiving bag 1 where it is recycled back into the water tank 2. This cycle is repeated until all the super-purified wood smoke is dissolved in the water. Approximately 24 grams of super-purified wood smoke are dissolved per liter of water in this process. In the above example, 4.8 kilograms of super-purified smoke dissolved in 200 liters of water creates 204.8 liters of tasteless liquid smoke.

Once all the super-purified wood smoke has been dissolved, the air pump 5 is turned off and ball valve 15 is opened to release tasteless liquid smoke through TLS outlet 16. To refill the water tank, the ball valve 17 is opened and water flows into the water tank 2 through water supply line 18 up to the desired level by checking water level gauge 20. The empty gas receiving bag 1 is detached and replaced by another bag filled with super-purified wood smoke. The entire process can then be repeated to the extent that there is sufficient removal of the substances that impart smoke odor and taste from the smoke such that no odor or taste of smoke is imparted when the liquid smoke is applied to meat.

Next, a basin measuring 22.0cm x 28.0cm with a depth of 5.0cm is filled with tasteless liquid smoke. A sakii measuring 4.5-6.0 cm x 15.0-16.0 cm with a thickness no greater than 2.5 cm is prepared and wrapped individually in a paper towel measuring 20.0cm x 3 1.5cm and which has been soaked in the basin containing the tasteless liquid smoke. The sakit is wrapped completely in this soaked paper towel so that no part of the saku is exposed, placed inside a plastic bag, vacuum sealed. flushed with super-purified wood smoke in the same way as described above, resealed, and then placed inside a chilling room with a thermostat preset to 0°C to 4.4°C for 24 hours to cure.

If the tuna meat to be cured is thin such as a sushi slice measuring 0.35 cm x 3.5 cm x 6.5 cm, an alternative to wrapping it in absorbent material is to immerse the tuna slice in a basin filled with tasteless liquid smoke for 2-5 seconds. Afterwards, the tuna slice is laid on an absorbent pad of a size appropriate for the tuna slice and placed inside a plastic bag, which is then sealed. The plastic bag is brought into a chilling room with the thermostat preset at 0°C to 4.4°C for 4-24 hours to cure.

Still another alternative would be to spray generous amounts of tasteless liquid smoke on the top and bottom side of the tuna slice. In this example, a tuna slice measuring 0.35 cm x 3.5 cm x 6.5 is laid on an absorbent pad measuring 20.0 cm x 31.5 cm. An operator fills a spray bottle with tasteless liquid smoke and sprays the top and bottom sides of tuna slice. The tuna slice is laid on an absorbent pad of a size appropriate for the tuna slice and placed inside a plastic bag, which is then sealed. The plastic bag is brought into a chilling room with the thermostat preset at 0°C to 4.4°C for 4-24 hours to cure. Spraying with or immersing in tasteless liquid smoke is not recommended for meat cuts larger than a thin slice as in the example above as the tasteless liquid smoke may not permeate the meat completely, resulting in partially cured meats where the surface has bloomed to a bright red color but the inner part has not. When the thickness of the meat is greater than 2.5 cm such as, for instance, a center cut loin with a thickness of 1 cm, an operator injects 1 cc of tasteless liquid smoke per 1 cm² of meat into the meat at multiple places all around the loin using a needle injection device as described in U.S. Patent No. 6,936,293 and U.S. Patent App. No. 2005/0208187.

It is highly recommended that meats that have been immersed in, sprayed with, or injected with tasteless liquid smoke be dewatered to purge excess liquid from the meat. This is done by applying suction pressure of 0.98 kgf/cm² on the meat. Fig. 3 shows how this is done on cured sak . The cured saku 21 is wrapped in a dry paper towel 22 and placed inside a plastic bag 23 where a small opening 24 has been made to insert the suction hose 19 connected to the air compressor 5. An operator turns on the air compressor 5 for 3 minutes during which time the air compressor 5 applies suction pressure of up to 0.98 kgf/crn^" on the meat. This dewatering process purges up to 4 % in liquid from the weight of the meat. If the amount of liquid purged is not enough, then the dewatering process can be repeated or it can be done for a period longer than 3 minutes at a time. U.S. Patent No. 5,939, 1 16 describes a vacuum cooled infrared drying process that utilizes a pressurized chamber to effectively purge up to 4 % of the meat weight. Use of the machine described in this patent is effective in dewatering many pieces of meat at once and achieving the same consistent result each time.

A color and taste comparison between yellowfin tuna treated with filtered wood smoke/tasteless smoke and yellowfin tuna treated with tasteless liquid smoke was conducted. Yellowfin tuna treated with filtered wood smoke/tasteless smoke was bright red in color and had a slightly sour taste. On the other hand, yellowfin tuna treated with tastless liquid smoke applied by: (a) wrapping the yellowfin tuna with paper towel soaked in tasteless liquid smoke; (b) spraying the tasteless liquid smoke thereon; and (c) immersing the yellowfin tuna in tasteless liquid smoke resulted in a meat product that is bright and translucent red in color and with a taste that is similar to fresh newly sliced yellowfin tuna meat. Yellowfin tuna injected with tasteless liquid smoke resulted in a meat product that is bright burgundy red in color that is similar to the natural bloom of untreated tuna and with a taste that is similar to fresh newly sliced yellowfin tuna meat.

Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is therefore intended to encompass within the appended claims all such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

What is claimed is: 1. A method for treating a meat comprising: burning an organic material to produce a smoke; removing substances that impart smoke odor and taste from the smoke to produce a tasteless smoke; dissolving the tasteless smoke in a liquid to produce a liquid smoke; and applying the liquid smoke to the meat.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid smoke is applied by injecting the liquid smoke into the meat.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the meat is a slice of meat and the liquid smoke is applied by immersing the slice of meat in the liquid smoke.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the meat is a slice of meat and the liquid smoke is applied by spraying the slice of meat with the liquid smoke.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid smoke is applied by: applying the liquid smoke to an absorbent material; and wrapping the meat with the absorbent material.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: enclosing the meat in a bag; sealing the bag; and chilling the bag at a temperature above the freezing point of the meat for curing.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising: cutting a small opening in the bag; dispensing the tasteless smoke through the opening in the bag; and resealing the bag.

8. The method of claim 5 or 7, further comprising chilling the bag at a temperature above the freezing point of the meat to 4.4°C for 24 hours or less for curing.

9. The method of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7, wherein the liquid is water.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the liquid is water.

1 1. The method of claim 8, wherein the liquid is water.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the tasteless smoke is dissolved in water at a temperature ranging from ambient room temperature to above its freezing point.

13. The method of claims 6 or 8, wherein the tasteless smoke is dissolved in water at a temperature ranging from ambient room temperature to above its freezing point.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the tasteless smoke is dissolved in water by: drawing the tasteless smoke stored in a receiving bag into the water in an enclosed air-deprived container through the use of a compressor; suctioning off any undissolved tasteless smoke escaping out of the water back into the receiving bag; recycling the undissolved tasteless smoke back into the water container again in repeating cycles until the receiving bag is empty and the tasteless smoke is completely dissolved in the water.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the container is cooled externally so that the water in the container is chilled to a temperature ranging from below ambient room temperature to above its freezing point.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein the meat is put on an absorbent pad inside the bag. which is then closed and placed inside a chilling room at a temperature above the freezing point of the meat to 4.4°C for 24 hours or less to cure.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein at least 3 grams of the tasteless smoke are dissolved per 250 grams of water.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein a volume of up to 1 cc of liquid smoke is injected per 1 cm² of meat.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the water where the tasteless smoke is to be dissolved contains up to 2% of sodium chloride.

20. The method of claims 1 , 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein activated carbon is used to remove the substances that impart smoke odor and taste from the smoke.

21. The method of claim 6 , wherein the meat is dewatered after curing for 24 hours or less by applying suction pressure of up to 1.9 kgf/cm² on the meat for up to 3 minutes or more.

22. The method of claim 8 , wherein the meat is dewatered after curing for 24 hours or less by applying suction pressure of up to 1.9 kgf/cm² on the meat for up to 3 minutes or more.

23. The method of claim 6, wherein the curing occurs at a temperature ranging from just above the freezing point of the meat being cured to below ambient room temperature.

24. The method of claim 8, wherein the curing occurs at a temperature ranging from just above the freezing point of the meat being cured to below ambient room temperature.

25. The method of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the smoke is filtered but not sufficiently purified to below recognition thresholds for smoke taste and/or odor before it comes into contact with the liquid to create liquid smoke.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein after the meat has been treated with liquid smoke and cured for 24 hours or less, it is further treated with ozone to remove any smoke taste and/or odor so that the meat will not have any detectable smoke taste or odor.

27. A method for treating meat comprising: wrapping a slice of meat in an absorbent material saturated with water; enclosing the wrapped slice of meat in a bag; vacuum sealing the bag; cutting a small opening in the bag; dispensing a smoke removed of substances that impart smoke odor and taste through the opening in the bag; and resealing the bag.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising chilling the bag at a temperature above the freezing point of the meat to 4.4°C for 24 hours or less for curing.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the smoke is filtered but not sufficiently purified to below recognition thresholds for smoke taste or odor.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein after the meat has been treated with liquid smoke and cured for 24 hours or less, it is further treated with ozone to remove any smoke taste and/or odor so that the meat will not have any detectable smoke taste or odor.

31. The method of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21 , 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29 or 30, wherein the meat is a seafood.

32. The method of claim 6, wherein the meat is a seafood.

33. The method of claim 8, wherein the meat is a seafood.

34. The method of claim 9, wherein the meat is a seafood.

35. The method of claim 13, wherein the meat is a seafood.

36. The method of claim 20, wherein the meat is a seafood.

37. The method of claim 25, wherein the meat is a seafood.

38. The method of claim 31 , wherein the seafood is a tuna.

39. The method of claims 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 or 37, wherein the seafood is a tuna.

40. The method of claim 1 , wherein there is sufficient removal of the substances that impart smoke odor and taste such that no odor or taste of smoke is imparted to the meat.

41. The method of claim 5, comprising the further steps of: enclosing the meat wrapped with the absorbent material in a bag; and vacuum sealing the bag containing the wrapped meat.

42. A product produced by the method of claims 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 1 1 , 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40 or 41.

43. A product produced by the method of claim 6.

44. A product produced by the method of claim 8.

45. A product produced by the method of claim 9.

46. A product produced by the method of claim 13.

47. A product produced by the method of claim 20.

48. A product produced by the method of claim 25.

49. A product produced by the method of claim 3 1.

50. A product produced by the method of claim 39.