BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a proteinaceous material suitable as a red meat substitute and to its preparation, and more particularly to a fin fish-derived proteinaceous material which is both economically and characteristically desirable as a substitute for ground red meat in various food preparations.

Many people prefer fish over red meat due to economic and other considerations. There are numerous popular food products utilizing ground red meat such as taco fillings, pizza toppings, spaghetti sauces, chili and sloppy joe. Those preferring fish over red meat would therefore consider it highly desirable to be able to provide fish-derived substitutes for ground red meat in these food products.

The present inventor has already discovered and patented a poultry-derived ground meat substitute and its method of manufacture (U.S. Patent NO. 5,202,144) . The poultry used in that invention is typically about 15% fat . This level of fat provides mouthfeel and flavor characteristics quite different from fish which has far less fat. Also, fish typically has a strong fish flavor which is difficult to mask. Thus, the development of a

fish-derived substitute for ground meat presents a significant challenge.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to present a process for the production of a fish-derived proteinaceous material which is suitable as a red meat substitute.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a process for the production of a fish-derived proteinaceous material which is economically advantageous and comparable in both quality and texture to ground red meat .

It is a further object of this invention to provide fish-derived proteinaceous material which is suitable as a red meat substitute. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinafter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For purposes of the present invention, the term "fish" is to be understood to encompass fin fish, mainly aquatic, cold-blooded vertebrates equipped with fins and usually scales. The finned vertebrates among this group include but are not limited to salt water fish such as bass, blue fish, butter fish, cod fish, croakers, flounder, grouper, haddock, halibut, hake, herring, mackerel, mullet, pompano, red snapper, sable, salmon, shad, smelts, sole, sword fish, kyle fish, and whiting.

Fresh water finned vertebrates include but are not limited to bass (black or white) , bullhead, catfish, chubs, crappies, herring, mullet, perch, piccolo, pike, sheephead, spoonbill, sunfish, trout, tulibees and whitefish.

In accordance with the present invention, salt soluble fish proteinaceous material (myosin) is extracted by blending ground fish muscle with an aqueous mixture of salt, phosphate, flavoring and coloring, cooked and then ground. In a preferred embodiment, the source of fish protein is mechanically deboned fish or fish "sawdust" which comprises trimmings and fines remaining from cutting blocks of fish for preparing, e.g., portion control fish products. Mechanically deboned mullet and cod are particularly preferred. In another preferred embodiment, the cooking step is carried out in the presence of a low concentration of a food grade acid to produce a firmer textured end product. Alternatively, the cooking step may be carried out using dry heat . In yet another preferred embodiment, the ground extracted proteinaceous material is subjected to a second heat processing step--most preferably in the presence of a low concentration of a food grade acid--also to produce a firmer textured end product. Upon removing the flesh from fish, a significant amount of edible fish flesh remains on the carcass. Such fish muscle can be recovered as "mechanically deboned

fish" , in a process which calls for grinding the fish carcass into a homogenous mass which is forced against a plate with small orifices. The fish proteinaceous material and marrow pass through the orifices, while all of the bones, tendons, and solid material are held back and discarded. The resulting fish proteinaceous material is comparable to the consistency of peanut butter.

Thus, in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention, salt-soluble proteinaceous material is extracted by blending the deboned fish with an aqueous mixture of salt, phosphate, flavorings, seasonings and coloring. The level of salt relative to mechanically deboned fish should be in the range of about 0.1 to about 5.0 percent by weight salt to deboned fish, and preferably about 0.5 to about 2.5 percent by weight. The flavorings which may be used include standard red meat flavorings and seasonings. Caramel and other F, D, and C approved food colorings are used to give the resultant product a ground red meat appearance, with caramel coloring presently preferred. The mixing time will vary depending upon the type of equipment used and the desired texture, but will typically be in the range of about 1 to 15 minutes and preferably about 3 to 10 minutes.

After it is extracted, the proteinaceous material is cooked at a temperature of about 140° to 500°F, and preferably about 200-300°F, until gelled and browned. Dry heat is the preferred means of cooking the product

because dry heat deepens the color and gives the proteinaceous material a more desirable flavor. As the proteinaceous material cooks, it gels into a solid mass.

If a firmer texture is desired, the heating step may be carried out in the presence of a low concentration of a food grade acid such as citric, tartaric, succinic, adipic, fumaric or malic. Citric acid is presently preferred. The acid, when used, should be at a level sufficient to achieve a Normality of about 0.003 to 0.645N and preferably 0.161 to 0.322N. When citric acid is used, this would correspond to levels, by weight, of 0.01 to 2.0% and 0.5 to 1%, respectively.

After cooking, the proteinaceous material (while it is still hot or after it has cooled) is run through a grinder plate to obtain comminuted pieces of the desired size.

The proteinaceous material may then be chilled or mixed with other seasonings or with sauces to create final products such as taco fillings, pizza toppings, spaghetti sauces, chili and sloppy joes.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a firmer end product may be obtained by further cooking the comminuted pieces obtained in the grinding step. This may be done by adding water to the comminuted material and then heating to produce an internal temperature of the comminuted material of at least 220°F for at least

about 1 minute. In a preferred embodiment, the internal temperature of the comminuted material will be raised to at least about 240°F for about 30 minutes.

In yet another alternative embodiment, the water which is added to the comminuted material before heating, as just described, is acidified with a low level of a food grade acid such as tartaric, succinic, adipic, fumaric or malic acid. Among these, citric acid is preferred. Sufficient acid should be used to achieve a Normality of about 0.003 to 0.645N and preferably 0.161 to 0.322N. When citric acid is used, this would correspond to levels, by weight of 0.01 to 2.0% and 0.5 to 1%, respectively.

EXAMPLES The following examples are intended to be illustrative of the present invention and to teach one of ordinary skill how to make and use the fish proteinaceous material. These examples are not intended to limit the invention or its protection in any way.

EXAMPLE 1

Mechanically deboned fish is combined with the following ingredients:

Ingredient Weight

(lbs.) Mechanically deboned fish 100.0000

Salt 1.000

Dextrose .5000

Phosphate .2500

Beef-type flavoring .2500 Hydrolyzed vegetable protein .2500

Garlic Powder .0625

Caramel color .0625

The above ingredients are mixed to extract and flavor salt-soluble proteinaceous material which is then cooked, ground through a one-half inch plate, and chilled.

EXAMPLE 2 Taco Mixture

The fish proteinaceous material of Example 1 is mixed with the following ingredients to make a taco filling:

Ingredient Weight

(lbs . )

Cooked fish proteinaceous material 4 . 80 Water . 500 Tomato paste . 300

Taco seasoning . 306

All of the ingredients are blended and simmered to 180°F, The resulting product is aesthetically and

organoleptically indistinguishable from its ground red meat-based counterpart.

EXAMPLE 3

Chili The fish proteinaceous material of Example 1 is mixed with the following ingredients to create chili:

Weight Ingredients (lbs . ) (αms)

Cooked fish proteinaceous material 3.0 Crushed tomatoes in sauce 3.5

Canned kidney beans 3.0

Chopped onion 75.0

Chili seasoning 35.0

Ground cumin 1.50 Granulated garlic 1.0

The onion is rehydrated before cooking. All of the ingredients are blended and simmered for one hour. The resulting product is aesthetically and organoleptically indistinguishable from its ground red meat-based counterpart.

EXAMPLE 4

The fish proteinaceous material of Example 1 is substituted or combined with ground red meat and with appropriate seasonings or sauces to create final food products, these will likewise be aesthetically and organoleptically indistinguishable from their ground red meat-based counterparts.

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EXAMPLE 5

This example paralleled to Example 1, except that the extracted protein was cooked using a small steam kettle with solutions of: Water 97.0%

Citric Acid 0.5% (0.161N) and 1.0% (0.322N) Flavor 2.5%

The ingredients were cooked in the acidified solutions until an internal temperature of 160°F was obtained in the extracted proteinaceous material .

The resulting products exhibited a modified, slightly firmer texture than that prepared in Example 1. Additionally, if the product of this Example were allowed to stand for an extended period it would show greater resistance to oxidation than that of Example 1.

EXAMPLE 6

The cooked and ground, blended fish proteinaceous material of Example 1 could be subjected to a retort cook in the presence of acid, as described below. For example, five different concentrations of citric acid could be used: 0.125% (0.04N) , 0.25% (0.08N) , 0.5% (0.161N), 1.0% (0.322N), 1.5% (0.483N) , and 2.0% (0.645N) . The samples of the cooked and ground blended fish proteinaceous material could be retorted at 240°F for 45 minutes. A sensory evaluation ranking test could then be conducted to determine how the cooked and ground, blended fish proteinaceous material that was retorted in

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0.5%, and 1.0% citric acid solutions ranked in firmness compared to the control (no acid, only water) .

This procedure would demonstrate that the cooked and ground, blended fish proteinaceous material retorted in a 0.5% solution of citric acid was significantly firmer than the cooked and ground, blended fish proteinaceous material which was retorted in water alone. The cooked and ground, blended fish proteinaceous material that was retorted in a 1.0% solution of citric acid would be significantly firmer than that which was in water alone.

While the invention is described above in connection with preferred or illustrative embodiments, the embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the invention. Rather the invention is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents included within its spirit and scope, as defined by the appended claims.