WO2013008088A2

WO2013008088A2 - A process for preparing a food product

Info

Publication number: WO2013008088A2
Application number: PCT/IB2012/001370
Authority: WO
Inventors: James Mcloughlin; Rosaleen MCLOUGHLIN
Original assignee: Quality First Ltd
Priority date: 2011-07-11
Filing date: 2012-07-11
Publication date: 2013-01-17
Also published as: GB201111839D0; IE20120315A1; WO2013008088A3

Abstract

The process for manufacturing a pizza style food product having a meat base includes preparing a meat double base element comprising a pair of juxtaposed meat single base elements. An exterior of the meat double base element is coated in batter, then covered in crumb, and preferably flash fried and then chilled to below 4°C. The crumbed meat double base element is then divided into two separate single base elements, each having an untreated top face and a crumbed exterior below the top face. An edible topping material such as tomato sauce and selected pieces of cheese, vegetables and/or meat are applied to the top face to form the pizza style product.

Description

"A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A FOOD PRODUCT"

Introduction The present invention relates to a process for preparing a food product. In particular, it relates to a process for preparing a pizza style food product having a meat base with an edible topping on an upper face of the meat base.

Pizza is a very popular food. Traditionally, a pizza comprises a bread or dough base, having a tomato sauce and cheese thereon, with other toppings being applied optionally. Such toppings include meat, vegetable and fruit.

It is known to vary this traditional pizza configuration by providing a meat base rather than the traditional dough base. For example, Korean Patent Application Publication No. KR 20020093681 discloses a pizza that uses a patty formed from processed chicken meat, among other ingredients, instead of the traditional dough base. The patty is frozen and then fried before having pizza-like toppings applied. Similarly, German Patent Application Publication No. DE 102006034093 discloses a pizza having a base made from a kneaded minced meat, with optional other ingredients. European Patent Application Publication No. EP 0565222 discloses a process for manufacturing a fish based frozen food product having a plurality of stacked alternating layers of fish material and other edible material. A multi-layered laminate block is formed and encased in an outer coating, pre-fried, frozen and then sawn in two to expose the interior layered structure of the product to the consumer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved process for manufacturing a pizza type product having a meat base with a selected edible topping on an upper face of the meat base. Summary of the Invention

According to the invention, there is provided a process for manufacturing a pizza style food product having a meat base with an edible topping on an upper face of the meat base, the process including the steps: preparing a meat double base element comprising a pair of juxtaposed meat single base elements, coating an exterior surface of the double base element in batter to form a battered double base element, covering an exterior surface of the battered double base element in a crumb mixture to form a crumbed double base element, dividing the crumbed double base element into two separate single base elements, each having an untreated top face and a crumbed exterior below the top face, and applying a selected edible topping material to the untreated top face of each single base element.

Thus, advantageously, according to the process of the invention, a meat base is provided which has a crumbed coating on its exterior faces and comprises at least one uncrumbed top face suitable for receiving further ingredients. This allows the addition of topping material ingredients that will not be in contact with the crumbed coating. Crumbed coatings of this nature are considered tasty by many consumers and are therefore desirable. However, such crumbed coatings do not work well as a base for other ingredients, particularly moist ingredients, such as tomato sauce, for example, as the crumbed coating tends to become soggy and unappetising. Separating the meat double base element into two separate meat single base elements after battering and crumbing it as a single composite unit allows for the provision of an untreated face on each meat single base element portion for reception of the topping materials. The process of the invention therefore allows for the provision of a crumbed meat base that is suitable for the reception of further ingredients.

In one embodiment of the invention, the process includes the step of flash frying the crumbed double base element before dividing the crumbed double base element. Flash frying forms a crispy surface on the exterior face of the double base element. In this way, the appeal of the crumbed coating is increased by providing a crispy crumbed coating. Flash frying does not cook the meat, thereby ensuring that the meat portion of the food product does not become overcooked when prepared at a later stage by the consumer.

In another embodiment, the process includes the step of chilling the double base element after flash frying the double base element and before dividing the double base element. Preferably, the double base element is chilled to below 4°C. In another embodiment, the process includes chilling each single base element after applying the topping to the top face of the single base element. Preferably, each single base element is chilled to below 4°C.

In another embodiment, the double base element comprises a unitary double base element and the process includes dividing the double base element by cutting the double base element into two substantially equal pieces forming the two separate single base elements with a substantially flat cut face of each single base element forming the untreated top face of said single base element. In a further embodiment, the process includes cutting the double base element after coating the double base element.

In another embodiment, the process includes cutting the double base element before coating the double base element.

In another embodiment, the double base element comprises a pair of separate abutting juxtaposed single base elements.

In a further embodiment, the process includes preparing the meat double base element by stacking two single base elements one on top of the other.

In another embodiment, the or each base element comprises a unitary natural full muscle meat piece. ln another embodiment, the or each base element comprises a reconstituted meat patty.

In a further embodiment, the process includes the step of pressing the double base element for flattening the double base element prior to coating the double base element.

In a further embodiment, the process includes applying a tomato sauce based topping material to the top face of each single base element.

In another embodiment, the process includes the step of applying the tomato sauce based topping material to the top face of each single base element in the form of a powdered glaze.

In another embodiment of the invention, the selected edible topping material includes a tomato sauce based topping material. Tomato sauce is an important ingredient in a pizza-like product. The tomato sauce will not react adversely with the untreated top face of the single base elements.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the selected edible topping material comprises one or more of fruit, vegetables and meat. In this way, a pizza-like product may be provided, having a meat base with crumbed faces and underside, and standard pizza toppings on the top.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention there is provided a process further comprising the step of baking the food product. This allows the food product to be cooked similar to a standard pizza-type product.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a process further comprising the step of freezing the food product. In this way, the food product may be frozen for subsequent cooking by a consumer. Freezing the food product allows for the use of standard procedures for distributing and handling frozen foods.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a process for manufacturing a pizza-style food product having an edible base with an edible topping on an upper face of the base, the process including the steps of preparing a double base element comprising a pair of juxtaposed single base elements, applying an edible coating to an exterior surface of the double base element, dividing the coated double base element into two separate single base elements each having an untreated top face and a coated exterior below said top face, and applying a selected edible topping material to the untreated top face of each single base element.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a schematic flow diagram of a process according to the invention for manufacturing a pizza style food product;

Figs. 2(a), (b) and (c) illustrate meat base elements at different stages in the process of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a finished food product according to the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a schematic flow diagram of another process of the invention. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments Referring to the drawings, and initially to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, there is illustrated a process for manufacturing a pizza style food product according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 100. A meat double base element 200 is prepared and comprises a piece of meat, typically at least 1 cm thick. The outside surface of the meat double base element 200 comprises an upper face, a lower face and one or more side faces. The upper face and lower face are not always the same shape, particularly when a natural full muscle meat piece, such as chicken breast for example, is used to form the meat double base element 200. The sides may be substantially orthogonal to one or both of the top and bottom faces of the meat double base element 200. Alternatively, the sides may not be orthogonal to either of the top and bottom faces of the meat double base element 200.

In a first step 102, a raw meat double base element 200, for example a chicken breast, is sliced laterally in half from end to end to form two escallops of similar size, although some variation will be inevitable with natural full muscle meat pieces. This slicing forms two superposed meat portions (not shown), with overlapping and abutting cut faces comprising an upper meat portion and a lower meat portion, each of which forms a single base element, the pair of which, stacked one on top of the other, form the double base element 200. Each of the meat portions also comprises an upper face, a lower face and one or more side faces. The upper face of the upper meat portion is the upper face of the meat double base element 200. The lower face of the lower meat portion is the lower face of the meat double base element 200; the sides of the meat portions combine to form the sides of the meat double base element 200. However, the lower face of the upper meat portion rests on the upper face of the lower meat portion, such that these cut faces do not form part of the outside surface of the meat double base element 200.

The meat double base element 200 is also pressed so that it becomes somewhat flattened, with the meat becoming reduced in thickness and more spread out. Preferably, the slicing and pressing are carried out at substantially the same time. The alco Cordon- Bleu-Slicer, type ACB, is particularly suitable for carrying out this operation.

In step 104, the exterior surface of the meat double base element 200, comprising the pair of superposed meat portions, is coated in batter to form a battered meat double base element 200. Next in step 106, the exterior surface of the battered meat double base element 200 is coated in bread crumb, forming a crumbed meat double base element 200. Next, in step 108 the crumbed meat double base element 200 is flash fried for approximately 1 minute to form a fried meat double base element 202. This results in a crispy crumb coating all over the outside of the fried meat double base element 202. However, the inside of the fried meat double base element 202 remains uncooked. Such a fried meat double base element 202 is shown in Fig. 2(b). After the meat double base element has been flash-fried, it is chilled in step 110 to below 4°C, preferably using an in-line process such as a spiral freezer or a tunnel freezer. ln step 112, the fried meat double base element 202 is separated into its two single base element meat portions 204a, 204b, as shown in Fig. 2(c). Despite having been sliced in two, the meat double base element 200 has heretofore been treated as a single unit, such that the exterior including the upper face, lower face and side faces of the meat double base element 200 are each coated in the fried combination of batter and crumb. However, the upper face of the lower single base element meat portion and the lower face of the upper single base element meat portion have not been exposed and are therefore not coated. These are faces of substantially raw meat. Therefore, after separation, each single base element meat portion 204a, 204b, forms a meat base having an untreated top face 208a, 208b and a crumb coated exterior below the top face 208a, 208b that is having a lower fried face (not shown), fried sides 206 and a raw, untreated upper face 208a, 208b.

In steps 114 and 116, further topping material ingredients such as tomato sauce and selected other edible toppings are applied to the upper faces 208a, 208b of each single base element 204a, 204b.

Referring in particular to Fig. 3, there is shown a pizza style food product, indicated generally by the reference numeral 300, made according to the process of the invention. The food product 300 comprises a meat single base element 204 having battered, crumbed and fried lower face (not shown) and sides 206. The food product 300 further comprises a layer of tomato sauce 302 spread across the upper face 208 thereof. Toppings 304, for example, pieces of selected vegetables, meat, cheese and fruit have been scattered on top of the tomato sauce 302. The food product 300 essentially comprises a pizza having a meat base. The food product 300 may now be chilled or frozen and packaged for distribution. The food product 300 must be cooked prior to consumption.

In an alternative embodiment of the process of the invention, the meat double base element 200 is not sliced in two at the start of the process, but sliced in two just prior to separation into single base element meat portions. In this way, the meat double base element 200 comprises a single piece of meat during the battering, crumbing and frying stages, and the single base element meat portions are not defined until the meat double base element 200 is ready to be separated into the two single base element meat portions. In this embodiment, the step of flattening the meat portion may be omitted.

In a further alternative embodiment, the meat double base element comprises a pair of superposed formed meat blocks or patties. The blocks may be formed in the shape of discs, but may be formed into other suitable shapes, for example an oval to resemble the shape of a full muscle chicken fillet. A stack of two formed meat blocks forms a double base element which is then put through the steps of the process as previously outlined. In this embodiment, the step of flattening the meat assembly is omitted.

In any of the embodiments of the invention, the step of flash frying the meat assembly may be omitted. In this way, the batter and crumb combination will not become crispy until the foodstuff is cooked by the consumer. In any of the embodiments of the invention, the step of chilling the meat assembly after the flash frying may be omitted.

It will be understood by the person skilled in the art that the term meat double base element as used herein may refer to a single piece of natural full muscle meat, or may refer to two stacked pieces of meat resting one on top of the other. Furthermore, the term meat double base element may refer to one or two units of formed meat, either separate or superposed on each other. Formed meat refers to a reconstituted meat patty having a composition of meat pieces, for example, minced or ground meat, typically comprising further ingredients such as flavourings and binders to allow the formed meat to be formed into a desired shape. Any suitable meats may be used with the invention to form the base, including chicken, turkey and other poultry; beef; pork; lamb; fish and the like. It is also envisaged that combinations of two or more types of meat may be used in forming the base. Referring now to Fig. 4, there is schematically illustrated a process according to another embodiment of the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 400. In this case, at a preparation station 402, a meat double base element is prepared. The meat double base element may comprise a single unitary natural full muscle piece, or a unitary reconstituted meat patty. The meat double base element is passed through a batter enrober 404 for coating the meat double base element with batter. Then the battered double base element is delivered through a crumb applicator 406 for coating an exterior surface of the battered double base element with crumb. Optionally, and preferably, the crumbed double base element passes through a fryer 408 which flash fries the crumbed double base element for about 60 seconds until golden brown. The fried crumbed double base element is then chilled to below 4°C in a chiller/freezer 410. Then the fried crumbed double base element is sliced laterally in two at a cutting station 411 and separated 412 to form the two single base element meat portions 204a and 204b, previously described, each having an untreated top face 208a, 208b and a crumbed exterior below the top face 208a, 208b. Selected edible topping material 416 is then applied to the untreated top face 208a, 208b of each single base element meat portion 204a, 204b. The toppings include a tomato sauce layer 302 and selected cheese, meat, vegetable or fruit pieces 304, as previously described. Conveniently, the tomato sauce based topping material may be applied to the top face 208a, 208b of each single base element 204a, 204b in the form of a powdered glaze.

In an alternative arrangement, the crumbed double base element may be delivered 417 directly from the crumb applicator 406 to the cutting station 411 , if desired. In a further variation of the process, the fried crumbed double base element may be delivered 418 from the fryer 408 to the cutting station 411 without passing through the chiller/freezer 410.

In the specification the terms 'comprise', 'comprises', 'comprised' and 'comprising' or any variation thereof and the terms 'include', 'includes', 'included' or 'including' or any variation thereof are considered to be totally interchangeable and they should all be afforded the widest possible interpretation.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described, but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

A process for manufacturing a pizza style food product having a meat base with an edible topping on an upper face of the meat base, the process including the steps: preparing a meat double base element comprising a pair of juxtaposed meat single base elements, coating an exterior surface of the double base element in batter to form a battered double base element, covering an exterior surface of the battered double base element in a crumb mixture to form a crumbed double base element, dividing the crumbed double base element into two separate single base elements, each having an untreated top face and a crumbed exterior below the top face, and applying a selected edible topping material to the untreated top face of each single base element.

The process as claimed in claim 1 , further including the step of flash frying the crumbed double base element before dividing the crumbed double base element.

The process as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the process includes the step of chilling the double base element to below 4°C, after flash frying the double base element and before dividing the double base element.

The process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the process includes chilling each single base element to below 4°C, after applying the topping to the top face of the single base element.

5. The process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the double base element comprises a unitary double base element and the process includes dividing the double base element by cutting the double base element into two substantially equal pieces forming the two separate single base elements with a substantially flat cut face of each single base element forming the untreated top face of said single base element.

6. The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the process includes cutting the double base element after coating the double base element.

7. The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the process includes cutting the double base element before coating the double base element.

8. The process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the double base element comprises a pair of separate abutting juxtaposed single base elements.

9. The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein the process includes preparing the meat double base element by stacking two single base elements one on top of the other.

10. The process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each base element comprises a unitary natural full muscle meat piece.

11. The process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the or each base element comprises a reconstituted meat patty.

12. The process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the process includes the step of pressing the double base element for flattening the double base element prior to coating the double base element.

13. The process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the process includes applying a tomato sauce based topping material to the top face of each single base element.

14. The process as claimed in claim 13, including the step of applying the tomato sauce based topping material to the top face of each single base element in the form of a powdered glaze.