1536results about "Meat/fish preservation" patented technology

An automated food preparation system is described. It allows precise, automated control of the food preparation process, and has the ability to perform an automated cleanup. It comprises at least one manipulator to process and move ingredients, a control system, an autonomously accessible ingredient storage system, and at least one cooking receptacle.

A highly palatable and long lasting dog chew for pets has been developed by combining a formulation and processing sequence which results in a highly palatable meat based filling being incorporated into the center of a preformed rawhide stick or rawhide roll. Such outside rawhide fraction is extremely tough and chewy which results in a dog chew which takes a long period of time for the dog to consume. The inside meat filling is highly palatable which results in the animal maintaining interest in the treat until nearly the entire chew has been consumed. The interior meat filling is preserved by reduced water activity to below 0.85 as a result of incorporating of salt, sugars and natural humectants. Said filling is formulated and processed in such a manner that the water phase is bound within the filling and does not pass by capillary action to the outside rawhide fraction. This results in the outer rawhide shell maintaining a tough and chewable texture until such point as the dog is offered the finished chew.

An automatic cooking and vending machine, for preparing, dispensing, and vending a plate of cooked food to a paying customer, comprising a food storage compartment mounted to a rectangular housing. The food is prepared within the housing, under the direction of a computer. Additionally, the customer utilizes the computer to place an order for a particular plate of food. The food storage compartment has a plurality of different food storage containers. The housing encloses two movable cooking pots, a quantity measuring device for measuring and dispensing a precise quantity of different foods into one of the cooking pots, two movable gas burners for heating the food within the cooking pots, and a plate dispensing system for shuttling an empty plate underneath the cooking pot to receive the prepared dish and then, to the customer receiving platform extending from the housing.

The disclosed inventions include microalgal biomass high in protein and fiber, wherein the biomass has been manufactured through heterotrophic fermentation. The materials provided herein are useful for the manufacture of meat substitutes and meat enhancers, as well as other food products that benefit from the addition of digestible protein and dietary fiber. Structural properties of foods are enhanced through the use of such materials, including texture and water retention properties. High in protein and fiber food materials of the invention can be manufactured from edible and inedible heterotrophic fermentation feedstocks, including corn starch, sugar cane, glycerol, and depolymerized cellulose.

An automated system of preparing food designed with the preparation of Chinese food in mind, the system can be adapted to whatever type of food is desired by the user. The system uses one or more robots as the “chefs”. A heating element heats a cooking pan to a desired temperature. The cooking pan includes a temperature sensing element to monitor heating of the pan and cooking of the food. When the pan is fully heated, a delivery arm empties the contents of the bowl into the cooking pan to being the actual cooking. When the contents of the pan have reached the correct temperature to be “done”, the robot empties the contents into a serving dish, and the food is ready to be eaten.

A speed cooking ovens is disclosed comprising a cooking cavity, thermal heating source, air movement and directing means, air flow control means, an air delivery means, and a vent assembly. The speed cooking oven may additionally utilize air flow control mechanisms and be practiced as a single rack speed cooking oven or a multi rack speed cooking oven. Hot gas is circulated to and from the oven cavity via air delivery means, such that turbulently mixed glancing, conflicting and colliding air flows mix at and about the surfaces of the food product. The turbulently mixed air flows are spatially averaged over the surface area of the food product producing high heat transfer and moisture removal rates, thereby optimizing speed cooking of the food product.

A modular outdoor grill for cooking over a bed of combustible fuel or by means of convection heating from an externally mounted firebox. The modular grill comprises a housing with an outwardly, horizontally pivotal food-supporting tray, a vertically extending standard for supporting said housing, and either a horizontally reciprocating fuel-supporting grate or an externally mounted firebox.

A meal kit for preparing at least two different distinct hot meals in which the meal kit comprises an outer container, a plurality of ingredients in individual containers placed within the outer container, and a set of instructions contained on or within the outer container describing at least two different ways of combining the plurality of ingredients to form at least two distinct hot meals, wherein different non-overlapping preparation times are associated respectively with the at least two different ways of combining the plurality of ingredients to make distinct hot meals. The meal kits provide savory, and conveniently and flexibly prepared, one-stop meal kits for consumers.

A refrigerator and a method for keeping food using the same are disclosed, in which freshness is maintained for a long time through an improved structure and decrease of nutritive elements contained in food is inhibited. The refrigerator includes a main body, keeping compartments provided in the main body, keeping food, and irradiation devices irradiating light of a visible ray area to the keeping compartments. The irradiation devices switch a wavelength of irradiated light depending on a set standard. The refrigerator further includes a sensor sensing whether food is contained in the keeping compartments. The refrigerator further includes purification devices provided in the keeping compartments to remove ethylene generated from the food kept in the keeping compartments. The irradiation devices switch the wavelength of the light to correspond to color of the food kept in the keeping compartments.

A programmable temperature controller with dual temperature probes for food cooking, comprising: (a) an AC power supply for providing power supply to the programmable temperature controller, a smoker cooker, and a smoke generator, (b) a plurality of temperature probe inputs, (c) a smoker cooker power supply, (d) a smoker cooker cooling fan power supply, (e) a smoke generator control, (f) a plurality of user input keys, and (g) a plurality of information displays, wherein the cooking is divided into several phases and these phases can be terminated by either a predetermined cooking time or a predetermined food internal temperature, and the user uses the plurality of user input keys to program the programmable temperature controller, the programmable temperature controller controls the smoker cooker, and the smoke generator according to the plurality of the temperature probe inputs and cooking duration programmed into the programmable temperature controller to obtain optimal cooking results.

An automated food preparation system is described. It allows precise, automated control of the food preparation process, and has the ability to perform an automated cleanup. It comprises at least one manipulator to process and move ingredients, a control system, an autonomously accessible ingredient storage system, and at least one cooking receptacle.

A system and method directed to a countertop oven comprising a powerhead or power unit, a dome, and a base, which may include a stainless steel pan, and / or a plastic base, adaptable to receive a dehydrating adapter, base, and / or one or more dehydrator trays. According to exemplary embodiment, the powerhead may include a sensor to detect when the powerhead has been inserted in the dehydrator adapter, according to an exemplary embodiment. The power unit may be detachably connectable to the dehydrating enclosure and a cooking enclosure dome. The power unit and the cooking enclosure may collectively combine into a multi-stage counter-top electric oven. The power unit and the dehydrating enclosure may also collectively combine into a dehydrator. The dehydrating enclosure may include a plurality of stackable dehydrating trays through which dehydrating air is circulated from the power unit.

Liquid center filled confections, such as gummy or jelly candies or fruit snacks are continuously produced by co-deposition into a mold without candy tailing to obtain products with substantially uniform top and bottom walls and little, if any, shell breakage and liquid filling leakage or bleed-out problems. Excessive vertical decentering of the filling caused by substantial differences in specific gravity between the liquid filling component and the shell component and its accompanying production of thin or weak shell walls is substantially reduced or eliminated. A non-gellable liquid filling is deposited vertically off-center within a gellable shell, and the amount of sinking or floating is controlled so as to achieve an at least substantially centered product. The filling migration is limited by rapidly cooling the shell component below its gelling or setting temperature by use of a much colder filling component which itself does not gel or set at low temperatures.

From dietary health to product diversity, Lacteal Coated Pizzas outperform the venerable four-hundred year old ethnic (Italian) pizzas. Lacteal Coated Pizzas are comprised of soft leaven dough / sourdough that is topped with a delicious, nutritious Lacteal Batter, and a conventional topping. The present invention's Lacteal Batters are innovative, heat-stable, hydrocolloidal-proteineous mixtures that possess unique performance-enhancing, rheological properties.

The present invention provides processed meat compositions comprising structured protein products having substantially aligned protein fibers and reprocessed meat products. The processed meat products of the invention have improved nutritional profiles and favorable textural characteristics.

A self-venting microwaveable pouch, a food product, and a method of preparing a food product utilizing a rupturable or vent seal that is formed in the pouch and along an aperture formed by the pouch. Multiple pouch products can be stored or displayed by placing hanger or hook through apertures defined by the pouch panels, such as apertures in the top sections of the panels. A vent seal is formed along the aperture. Flexible insets extend between bottom sections of the panels. The insets and bottoms of the panels and outwardly extendable to form a base to support the pouch in an upright position. In use, when a food item is heated in a microwave oven, the rupturable seal is reliably broken before other pouch seals. As a result, the pouch can be conveniently shipped and displayed, and the food item can be properly cooked and maintained within the container.

The invention provides dried food compositions. In particular, the dried food compositions generally contain a structured protein along with other macronutrients and micronutrients.

A portable batch pasteurizer for pasteurization or other heat treatment of contained fluids for consumption by animals or humans provides a heat transfer coil through which hot or cold fluids are pumped to heat or cool the fluid in which it is immersed. An impeller circulates the fluid in which the fluid is contained to ensure even heating or cooling.

Center filled confections, such as gummy or jelly candies or fruit snacks are continuously produced by co-deposition into a mold without candy tailing to obtain products with substantially uniform side walls and little, if any, shell breakage and filler leakage or bleed-out problems. Decentering of the filler and its accompanying production of thin or weak shell walls is avoided by at least substantially preventing excessive flow of a fluid or liquid shell component along a single side of shell introduction into the manifold nozzle or nozzle cavity. At least substantially uniform flow of the shell component in an annular passageway of a co-deposition nozzle assembly may be achieved with an apertured disk insert, a plurality of manifold bores, or opposing shell component entry points to evenly distribute the shell component and prevent or substantially reduce filler leakage or bleed-out.

A method for preparing a flavored slurried confection includes the use of a disposable serving container holding an individual serving of a neutral flavored mix which has a freezing point temperature lower than normally found for that of water. A large supply of the mix filled containers is stored in a storage freezer for maintaining the neutral flavored mix at a storage temperature, such as is typical of a food storage freezer for a restaurant. A desired quantity of the mix filled containers is then transferred from the storage freezer to a tempering freezer, generally close to a preparation and serving area, for maintaining the neutral flavored mix at a desirable blending temperature. The mix filled container is then removed from the tempering freezer for preparation of a flavored confection, such as a flavored shake. In preparing the flavored confection, a small quantity of a selected syrup is pumped from a selected bag-in-the-box styled carton into the mix filled container for blending the selected syrup with the neutral flavored mix while the mix remains chilled at the blending temperature. The small quantity of syrup adds provides the selected flavor to the neutral flavored mix for forming the flavored slurried confection which is then served within the disposable serving container.

The invention provides protein compositions containing structured protein products having protein fibers that are substantially aligned.

Disclosed is an electric pressure cooker with a removable flip cover comprising a cooker body (1) and cooker cover (2), wherein a supporting arm (3) is provided on the surface of the cooker cover (2), a positioning seat (5) corresponding to the supporting arm (3) is arranged at the edge of the cooker body (1), a positioning and supporting point (7) is provided on the positioning seat (5), and the lower part of the supporting arm (3) movably slips over and slidably contacts the positioning and supporting point (7). The electric pressure cooker has a simple structure and it is convenient to wash the flip cover without the need for special parts.

This invention is a modular, adjustable, easy to maintain, portable or fixed food sanitation tunnel, comprising an enclosing means for subjecting food to sanitizers including UV light, ozone, hydroperoxides, superoxides and hydroxyl radicals, and a method for using the system. The enclosing means includes one or more UV radiation sources and one or more target rods located within a tunnel, such as a c-shaped shell. The UV radiation sources are preferably UV light sources that emit UV light of approximately 185 to 254 nm. The target rods are approximately up to 0–30% titanium dioxide, up to 0–30% silver and up to 0–30% copper, by weight. The system may include a mister for the efficient production of hydroxyl radicals by the UV light sources. Parts of the system are easily removable for cleaning and for maintenance. Also, in an alternative embodiment, the tunnel is located on a frame, and the frame is on wheels.

An apparatus for pasteurizing a dry food product comprises an impingement chamber, a conveyor for conveying the dry food product through the impingement chamber; a heater and water supply assembly for generating heated, moist air, and a fan for circulating the heated, moist air through the impingement chamber and onto the dry food product. In operation, the moisture in the heated, moist air condenses on the surface of the dry food product and produces a heat of condensation which heats the surface of the dry food product. Moreover, this heat of condensation is sufficient to kill a percentage of any pathogenic microorganisms which may be present on the surface of the dry food product.

The present invention relates to a container and a method for cooling the container contents by microwave radiation. The container (10) includes a lid (20), at least one integrated electrical cooler (70), at least one integrated microwave receiving rectenna (50), and at least one integrated microwave shield (60) for shielding microwaves from reaching the interior of the container (10). The invention also relates to the method of cooling including the steps of sealing the container (10) through closing the container lid (20), and applying microwave radiation onto the outer surfaces of the container by utilizing a microwave oven. The container incident microwaves are received and converted into direct-current voltage through the rectenna (50), which powers the electrical cooler (70) for cooling the interior of the container (10) and its contents.

There is provided a short-range wireless communication apparatus and a cellular phone terminal that can surely and immediately notify a user of the optimum distance between a contactless IC card reader / writer and a contactless IC card not through an MPU or a CPU and if the contactless IC card function is locked, surely notify the user as such. In an RFID card, a magnetic field strength / brightness conversion section adjusts the brightness of two LEDs in accordance with the detected magnetic field strength of a carrier wave. A blink generation circuit detects whether the RFID card is in a communication state and blinks the LEDs if so. A function combining section combines the functions to indicate the magnetic field strength and the communication state with the brightness and blinking of the LEDs. An LED with another color illuminates only when an RFID function LSI is in a lock state.

There is provided a method and system for identifying food products according to a specific nutritional code such that a consumer of the products will be able to readily ascertain whether the products meet his / her own personal nutritional lifestyle. The method and system defined herein also enables both the food manufacturer and the food retailer to have inputs to the database of the system, thus further assuring effective implementation thereof.

Nutritional compositions and formulations that optimize nutritional contents are provided. Dietary compositions and methods for tailoring such compositions to optimize levels of nutrients that have beneficial effects within specific ranges are provided. Dietary plans, and formulations comprising dietary products that comprise optimized levels of nutrients derived from phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, probiotics, prebiotics, microorganisms and fiber. Diet plans and modular nutritional packages comprising food and drink items tailored according to consumer patterns typed by diet, age, size, gender, medical conditions, family history, climate and the like are provided.