DESCRIPTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a frozen coated shelled egg product and a method for preparing it.

BACKGROUND

Eggs are encapsulated sources of macro and micronutrients that meet all requirements to support embryonic development until hatching. In human diet, eggs are a common food and one of the most versatile ingredients used in cooking and, as a result, they are important in many branches of the modem food industry.

The most commonly used eggs are those from birds, such as chicken, duck, and goose. Smaller eggs, such as quail eggs, are used occasionally as a gourmet ingredient in Western countries.

In view of their nutritional content, eggs are furthermore one of the few foods that should be classified as “superfoods”. Eggs remain indeed a food product of high nutritional quality for adults including elderly people and children and are extensively consumed worldwide; they are loaded with several and high-value nutrients, some of which are rare in the modern diet, such as vitamins (Vitamin A, B2, B5, B12), trace nutrients, phosphorous, selenium. They additionally are a gold standard food for proteins, providing one of the highest quality proteins of any natural food available.

Eggs are widely used in many types of dishes, both sweet and savory, including many baked goods. Despite this wide range of choices, the food industry is still in need of finding new forms and ways of using them, especially in ready-to-use preparations.

At the same time, due to the fragile and perishable nature of eggs there are significant limits in the production and distribution chain of the food industry, due to the unwanted breakage of the egg shell or to the difficulties in storing and transporting eggs under proper conditions in order to preserve their nutritional value and to allow a safe consume by the final user, after cooking. SUMMARY OF INVENTION

An object of the present invention is therefore that of providing a new egg-based food product, suitable as ready-to-use preparation and capable of overcoming the technical limits of production and distribution chains due to the fragile and perishable nature of eggs.

In a first aspect, therefore, the present invention refers to a method for preparing a frozen coated shelled egg product, comprising the steps of: a. providing at least one fresh egg; b. freezing the at least one fresh egg of step a. to a temperature lower than or equal to 0 °C, thus obtaining at least one frozen egg; c. removing the shell from said at least one frozen egg of step b., thus obtaining at least one frozen shelled egg; and d. applying at least one coating selected from the group consisting of breading and batter to said at least one frozen shelled egg or to a slice thereof, thus obtaining said frozen coated shelled egg product.

The Applicant has indeed surprisingly found out that through the method according to the invention a frozen coated shelled egg product is obtainable, addressing the needs of the food industry of providing a ready-to-use preparation and capable of overcoming the technical limits of production and distribution chains due to the fragile and perishable nature of eggs.

The frozen coated shelled egg product obtained by the method according to the invention provides indeed a ready-to-use food preparation that may be directly and easily cooked by the final user and that, preserving the nutritional value of fresh eggs and allowing a safe storage and transport by avoiding any unwanted breakage of the egg shell, addresses the need of providing a new egg-based food product suitable for human nutrition.

In a further aspect, the present invention relates also to a frozen coated shelled egg product, comprising an inner core comprising a frozen shelled egg or a frozen shelled egg slice and an outer coating selected from the group consisting of breading and batter. The advantages of the frozen coated shelled egg product according to this further aspect have been already outlined with reference to the above method according to the first aspect of the invention and are not repeated herewith.

The frozen coated shelled egg product according to the invention is suitable as ready- to-use food preparation and may be easily stored and transported in different way, without risks of unwanted breakage of the egg shell, and may be safely consumed by the end user, after cooking.

In a still further aspect, the present invention therefore relates also to a kit comprising at least one packaging means and at least one frozen coated shelled egg product according to the present invention, wherein said packaging means encloses said at least one frozen coated shelled egg product.

The advantages of the kit according to this further aspect have been already outlined with reference to the above method according to the first aspect of the invention and with reference to the coated shelled egg product according to the invention and are not repeated herewith.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a flow diagram of the method of the invention to produce a frozen coated shelled egg product comprising an inner core comprising a frozen shelled egg;

Figure 2 shows a front view of a chicken egg during steps a)-d) of the method of the invention to produce a frozen coated shelled egg product comprising an inner core comprising a frozen shelled egg;

Figure 3 shows a flow diagram of the method of the invention to produce a frozen coated shelled egg product comprising an inner core comprising a frozen shelled egg slice; and

Figure 4 shows a front view of a sliced frozen shelled chicken egg (letter a), a schematic transversal section of a frozen shelled chicken egg in which the slicing lines are visible (letter b), the top view of four slices of a frozen shelled chicken egg (letter c), and two perspective views of a coated frozen shelled chicken egg product comprising an inner core comprising a frozen shelled egg slice (letters d and e). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the present invention refers to a method for preparing a frozen coated shelled egg product, comprising the steps of: a. providing at least one fresh egg; b. freezing the at least one fresh egg of step a. to a temperature low lower than or equal to 0 °C, thus obtaining at least one frozen egg; c. removing the shell from said at least one frozen egg of step b., thus obtaining at least one frozen shelled egg; and d. applying at least one coating selected from the group consisting of breading and batter to said at least one frozen shelled egg or to a slice thereof, thus obtaining said frozen coated shelled egg product.

The Applicant has indeed surprisingly found out that through the method according to the invention a frozen coated shelled egg product is obtainable, addressing the needs of the food industry of providing a ready-to-use preparation and capable of overcoming the technical limits of production and distribution chains due to the fragile and perishable nature of eggs.

Within the framework of the present description and in the subsequent claims, except where otherwise indicated, all the numerical entities expressing amounts, parameters, percentages, and so forth, are to be understood as being preceded in all instances by the term "about". Also, all ranges of numerical entities include all the possible combinations of the maximum and minimum values and include all the possible intermediate ranges, in addition to those specifically indicated herein below.

The present invention may present in one or more of the above aspects one or more of the characteristics disclosed hereinafter.

The method according to the present invention comprises a step a. of providing at least one fresh egg.

Advantageously, the method according to the invention therefore uses as starting product fresh eggs, not therefore adding long and expensive pretreatments to the food production chain. Said fresh egg may be any fresh egg suitable for the food chain of human nutrition and in particular may be an organic egg, an egg enriched with Vitamin E, omega-3, yellow- fleshed egg, antibiotic-free egg, free-range egg.

Preferably, said at least one fresh egg is a bird egg.

Preferably, said bird egg is selected from the group consisting of chicken, duck, goose, quail, guinea fowl, turkey, pigeon, and ostrich egg.

Bird eggs are indeed the most used type of eggs in food industry and the method according to the invention is therefore advantageously widely applicable to the existing food production chains.

Advantageously, said fresh eggs may preliminarily be washed and cleaned only, according to the usual food production treatment chain requirements.

Preferably said step a. comprises at least one preliminary operation on said at least one fresh egg selected from the group consisting of: sterilizing, cleaning, washing, and pastorizing.

Preferably, said preliminary operation of sterilizing is carried out with radiofrequencies or with ultraviolet radiation. Suitable machineries for said preliminary operations are for example UV or radio frequency sterilizes available from Sanovo technology group or Innovo solutions.

The method according to the present invention comprises a step b. of freezing the at least one fresh egg of step a. to a temperature lower than or equal to 0 °C. In this way, at least one frozen egg is obtained by step b. of the method according to the invention.

Preferably, the step of freezing of the method according to the invention allow to bring the at least one fresh egg to a temperature lower than or equal to -5 °C, even more preferably lower than or equal to -18 °C, still even more preferably lower than or equal to -30 °C, preferably in a period of time of from 90 minutes to 240 minutes.

Said step of freezing may be carried out according to any one of the suitable freezing techniques or by means of any one of the suitable freezing machines routinely used in food processing. By way of example, said step of freezing may be carried out with an industrial blast chiller or by contacting said at least one fresh egg with a cooling agent (liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide). Suitable industrial blast chiller are for example tunnel blast chillers available from Sanovo technology group, Tecnomac, or Thermogel.

Freezing does not only slow any degradation process of the fresh egg, but harden the shell and the inner part of the egg, thus facilitating the subsequent steps of the method according to the invention, but helps in preserving the organoleptic and nutritional properties of the final egg product.

Preferably, said step b. of freezing is carried out by means of a chiller or by contacting said at least one fresh egg with a cooling agent, preferably selected from liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide.

Preferably, in said step b. said at least one fresh egg is kept at a temperature lower than or equal to 0 °C, more preferably lower than or equal to -5 °C, even more preferably lower than or equal to -18 °C, still even more preferably lower than or equal to -30 °C, for a period of time of from 90 to 400 minutes.

More preferably, said at least one fresh egg is kept at a temperature lower than or equal to 0 °C, more preferably lower than or equal to -5 °C, even more preferably lower than or equal to -18 °C, still even more preferably lower than or equal to -30 °C, for a period of time of from 180 to 300 minutes, optimally of about 240 minutes.

The method according to the present invention comprises a step c. of removing the shell from said at least one frozen egg of step b. In this way, at least one frozen shelled egg is obtained by step c. of the method according to the invention.

Said step of removing the shell may be carried out according to any one of the techniques or or by means of any one of the machines routinely used in food processing for the purpose. By way of example, said step of removing the shell may be carried out with an egg peeling machine, for example an industrial boiled egg peeling machine. Suitable peeling machines are for example available from Sanovo technology group, or Innovo solutions.

Preferably, in said step c. said at least one frozen egg is washed with water before removing the shell. Preferably, said washing with water is carried out by immersing the at least one frozen egg in water, preferably maintained at a temperature of from 26 °C to 30 °C, and for a time more preferably of from 30 seconds to 60 seconds. Such washing operation facilates the removal of the shell from the at least one frozen egg. The broken shell may be easily removed and the shelled frozen eggs thus obtained are advantageously conveyed to the following step d. of the method according to the invention. Suitable washing machines are available from Sanovo technology group.

The method according to the present invention comprises a step d. applying at least one coating selected from the group consisting of breading and batter to said at least one frozen shelled egg or to a slice thereof. In this way, the frozen coated shelled egg product according to the invention is obtained.

Said step of applying at least one coating may be carried out according to any one of the suitable techniques or by means of any one of the suitable machines routinely used in food processing. By way of example, said step of coating may be carried out with an industrial breading-battering machine, for example one of those available from Sanovo technology group or Nilma SpA.

Compositions for batter and breading coatings may be prepared according to any one suitable recipe known to the skilled person, depending on the specific application requirements. Batters, typically but not exclusively, are made for example of flour, by combining dry flours with liquids such as water, milk or eggs, or by soaking grains in water and grinding them wet, whereas breedings, typically but not exclusively, are dry mixtures of flour, starch, bread crumbs, and seasonings, coarse in nature. The skilled person may of course modify or add to the batter and breading recipes any additional ingredient that is needed, depending on the specific application requirements.

In step d. of the method according to the invention, a coating is applied on said at least one frozen shelled egg.

Preferably, in said step d. said at least one coating is applied by means of at least one operation selected from the group consisting of: pouring at least one coating on said at least one frozen shelled egg or slice thereof, dipping said at least one frozen shelled egg or slice thereof in said at least one coating, laying said at least one frozen shelled egg or slice thereof in said at least one coating, mixing said at least one frozen shelled egg or slice thereof with said at least one coating. In an embodiment of the method according to the present invention, said step d. comprises applying at least one batter coating, and applying at least one breading coating after said at least one batter coating.

In an embodiment of the method according to the present invention, in said step d. said at least one frozen shelled egg is sliced before applying said at least one coating.

In other words, before applying the at least one coating, the frozen shelled egg is sliced, so that slices of the frozen shelled egg are coated in step d. of the method.

Said slicing may be carried out according to any slicing technique known to the skilled person. For examples, the frozen shelled egg slices may be taken along the longest side of the frozen egg and the slices may have a flat or wavy or otherwise shaped surface, depending on the profile of the slicing blade.

Said slicing of the at least one frozen shelled egg may be carried out according to any one of the suitable techniques or by means of any one of the suitable machines routinely used in food processing.

Preferably, step d. of the method according to the invention comprises keeping said at least one frozen shelled egg or slice thereof to a temperature lower than or equal to 0 °C, more preferably lower than or equal to -5 °C, even more preferably lower than or equal to -18 °C, still even more preferably lower than or equal to -30 °C, once it has been coated.

In this way, the method according to the invention allows keeping the coated shelled egg product in a frozen state, which is a form easier and safer to store and transport and that preserves the organoleptic and nutritional properties of the starting fresh egg.

Preferably, the method according to the invention comprises a step e. of enclosing said at least one frozen coated shelled egg product in at least one packaging means.

Preferably, said packaging means includes at least one primary and optionally at least one secondary packaging means, and is more preferably selected from the group consisting of: a wrap, a box, a container, a pouch, a tray, a sack, or a bag.

Preferably, said packaging means is a vacuum packaging means.

The frozen coated shelled egg product obtained by the method according to the invention provides a ready-to-use food preparation that may be directly and easily cooked by the final user and that, preserving the nutritional value of fresh eggs and allowing a safe storage and transport by avoiding any unwanted breakage of the egg shell, addresses the need of providing a new egg-based food product suitable for human nutrition.

The frozen coated shelled egg product obtained by the method according to the invention may be cooked by any one of the cooking techniques known for that purpose, and which may be suitably adapted by the final user.

In a further aspect, the present invention relates to the frozen coated shelled egg product obtainable by means of the method according to the first aspect of the invention.

In a further aspect, the present invention relates also to a frozen coated shelled egg product, comprising an inner core comprising a frozen shelled egg or a frozen shelled egg slice and at least one outer coating selected from the group consisting of breading and batter.

The advantages of the frozen coated shelled egg product according to this further aspect have been already outlined with reference to the above method according to the first aspect of the invention and are not repeated herewith.

Preferably, the frozen coated shelled egg product according to the invention may show one or more of the preferred features obtainable by any one of the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the invention, which can be combined depending on the application requirements.

The frozen coated shelled egg product according to the invention is suitable as ready- to-use food preparation and may be easily stored and transported in different way, without risks of unwanted breakage of the egg shell, and may be safely consumed by the end user, after cooking.

Surprisingly, the inventors also found out that also the frozen shelled egg before coating in step d. is an egg product providing a ready-to-use food preparation that may be directly and easily cooked by the final user and that, preserving the nutritional value of fresh eggs and allowing a safe storage and transport by avoiding any unwanted breakage of the egg shell, addresses the need of providing a new egg-based food product suitable for human nutrition. In a still further aspect, therefore, the present invention relates also to the frozen shelled egg product obtainable by means of steps a.-c. of the method according to the first aspect of the invention. Said frozen shelled egg product may be cooked by any one of the cooking techniques known for that purpose, and which may be suitably adapted by the final user.

The advantages of the frozen shelled egg product according to this further aspect have been already outlined with reference to the above method according to the first aspect of the invention and are not repeated herewith.

Preferably, the frozen shelled egg product according to this further aspect of the invention may show one or more of the preferred features obtainable by any one of the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the invention, which can be combined depending on the application requirements.

In a still further aspect, the present invention therefore relates also to a kit comprising at least one packaging means and at least one egg product selected from the group consisting of a frozen coated shelled egg product according to the present invention and a frozen shelled egg product according to the present invention, wherein said packaging means encloses said at least one egg product.

The advantages of the kit according to this further aspect have been already outlined with reference to the above method according to the first aspect of the invention and with reference to the frozen coated shelled egg product according to the invention and are not repeated herewith.

In a preferred embodiment of this further aspect, the kit according to the invention comprises at least one packaging means and at least one frozen coated shelled egg product according to the present invention an, wherein said packaging means encloses said at least one frozen coated shelled egg product.

Preferably, the kit according to the invention may show one or more of the preferred features obtainable by any one of the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the invention or one or more of the preferred features of the frozen coated shelled egg product according to the invention, which can be combined depending on the application requirements. Specific embodiments of the invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

With initial reference to Figure 1 , a method according to the invention to produce a frozen coated shelled egg product comprising an inner core comprising a frozen shelled egg is represented.

The first step 100 of the method of the invention includes the provision of a plurality of fresh eggs. Fresh eggs to be used in the method of the invention preferably include fresh chicken eggs. Figure 2, letter a) shows a front view of a chicken egg in step 100 of the method of the invention. Preferably, in step 100, the plurality of fresh eggs is cleaned and washed with water, in order to remove any undesired material.

The method includes a further step 101 in which the plurality of fresh eggs are fed to chiller, in which they are brought to a temperature of - 30 °C. In this way, a plurality of frozen eggs is obtained. Figure 2, letter b) shows a front view of a frozen chicken egg in step 101 of the method of the invention. In step 101 , the frozen eggs are then kept at a temperature of -30 °C for a period of time of from 150 to 400 minutes, for example 240 minutes.

Further, the method of the invention includes a step 102 of removing the shell from the plurality of frozen eggs obtained in step 101 , thus obtaining a plurality of frozen shelled eggs. Figure 2, letter c) shows a front view of a frozen shelled chicken egg in step 102 of the method of the invention. In step 102, the plurality of frozen eggs are washed with water before removal of the shell.

After step 102, the method of the invention includes a step 103 in which a coating is applied on the plurality of frozen shelled eggs. Preferably, in step 103 the frozen shelled eggs are coated with a batter and a breading. Figure 2, letter d) shows a front view of a frozen coated shelled chicken egg in step 103 of the method of the invention. A coating application operation that may be used in the method of the invention comprises pouring a batter on the frozen shelled eggs, then subsequently dipping the same in a breading coating, so as to cause adhesion of the coating to the outer surface of the frozen shelled eggs.

After application of the coating, in step 103 of the method of the invention the plurality of frozen coated shelled eggs are kept at temperature of -30 °C, and so stored before being sent to the downstream packaging operation, in step 104, in which said plurality of frozen coated shelled eggs are enclosed ina suitable packaging means. Packaging means that may be used in step 104 of the method according to the invention include wraps, boxes, containers, pouches, trays, sacks, or bags.

With reference to figure 3, a method according to the invention to produce a frozen coated shelled egg product comprising an inner core comprising a frozen shelled egg slice is represented.

The steps 100, 101 , 102 of figure 3 are respectively the same of steps 100, 101 , and 102 of figure 1 and of figure 2, letters a), b) and c). After step 102 of figure 3, the plurality of frozen eggs are fed to step 203. Step 203 of figure 3 comprises step 203a in which the plurality of frozen shelled eggs are sliced and, downstream to step 203a, step 203b in which the slices thus obtained are coated with a batter and a breading. Figure 4, letter a) shows a front view of a sliced frozen shelled chicken egg in step 203a, letter b) shows a schematic transversal section of a frozen shelled chicken egg in which the slicing lines are visible (dotted lines), letter c) shows the top view of four slices of a frozen shelled chicken egg obtained in step 203a, and letter d) and e) show two perspective views of a coated frozen shelled chicken egg slices obtained from step 203b. In Figure 4 letter e) a portion of the outer coating of the frozen coated shelled egg product is removed, and the frozen shelled egg slice inside is visible.

A coating application operation that may be used in the method of the invention comprises pouring a batter on the slices of frozen shelled eggs, then subsequently dipping the same in a breading coating, so as to cause adhesion of the coating to the outer surface of the slices of frozen shelled eggs. The frozen coated shelled egg slices are then kept at temperature of -30 °C, and so stored before being sent to the downstream packaging operation, in step 204, in which said plurality of frozen coated shelled eggs are enclosed in a suitable packaging means. Packaging means that may be used in step 204 of the method according to the invention include wraps, boxes, containers, pouches, trays, sacks, or bags.

Further features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following description of some preferred embodiments thereof, made hereinafter by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the following exemplary examples.

EXPERIMENTAL PART Example 1 - preparation of a frozen coated shelled egg product according to the invention

12 fresh chicken eggs with sterilized shell were placed in a tray, in vertical position so as to have the internal air chamber at the bottom.

Then the tray with the fresh eggs was placed in a blast chilling machine set up a - 30 °C and then left at said temperature for 240 minutes.

The frozen eggs were taken out from the chilling machine and then immersed in a tank of water at a temperature 26°C for 60 seconds.

The frozen eggs were then fed to an egg peeling machine to remove the shell.

Once shelled, the frozen eggs were then fed to a breading-battering machine, where they were floured and then a coating of bread crumbs was applied.

In order to fix the coating on the frozen shelled eggs, the same were fed to a blast chilling machine set up a - 30 °C and then left at said temperature for 240 seconds.

The frozen coated shelled eggs thus obtained were then packaged and then stored in a freezer, ready for the distribution.

The frozen coated shelled eggs in such conditions had a shelf life of approximately 1 year.

Example 2 - preparation of a frozen coated shelled egg product according to the invention

Example 1 was repeated with the only difference that before feeding the eggs to the breading-battering machine, the frozen shelled eggs were fed to the industrial slicing machine, positioned horizontally to be sliced into 4 parts towards the longest side, in order to feed said slices to the breading-battering machine.