"PROCESS OF COOKING FOODS IN GENERAL IN AIR PACKING"

This Invention Patent application relates to an original "PROCESS OF COOKING FOODS IN GENERAL IN AIR PACKING", particularly to a process that covers general food cooking in flexible and airtight package, with the difference that the food in question is being cooked in the presence of air, by heat processing in the package itself. This process points out because it introduces a new concept of technique in the processing sector of these products, with explicit advantages in the extension of the shelf life of the refrigerated products, quality of the final product, cost reduction, increase of simplicity and flexibility of the food cooking processes, elimination of viruses and increase of practicality.

This invention shall be applied in the food industry, for cooking, conservation and distribution of refrigerated food, with shelf life of more than four months, preferentially. The cooking process can be used for some types of food products, such as for example, Brazilian black bean dish ("feijoada"), tripe stew ("dobradinha"), oxtail dish with sauce ("rabada em molho"), which are typical to the Brazilian cuisine, in addition to "cassoulet" of the French cuisine, "ossobuco" with sauce of the Italian cuisine, "puchero" of the Spanish cuisine and other kinds of food with similar concepts of the aforementioned dishes, or which contain a solid part and a liquid or pasty part (brine, broth, sauce, etc.). The said process can be applied to cooking, conservation and distribution of foods prepared partly with meat, such as for example, whole pork shank or in pieces with or without bone, beef top round, whole chicken or turkey or cuts of these birds with or without bones.

It is known that the distribution of pre-prepared foods of animal origin is a common practice in the market and that the current way of life contributed to the increase of

participation in this market.

In the present STATE OF THE ART ₅ the cooking processes of foods in airtight flexible packages, the conservation and distribution in the same package under refrigeration

(temperatures above 0 ⁰ C) is generally known as "cook-in" process, and there is also a variation of this process called as "sous-vide". In these processes there are several variations and applications, such as:

In the "cook-in" process, the cooking takes place in flexible packages, with extremely small quantity of inside air that usually requires special equipment for the removal of air before the package is closed. The packages are specific and interact with the product in order to avoid the exudation of the brine, such as in "cook-in" hams. The packages must also support the inside pressure that is caused by the process time and temperatures, usually two to four hours, and outside temperatures below 80°C. In this process the individual packages can be placed into pressed forms so that the product can have a defined form, such as in case of shaped ham packages. The products are maintained under refrigeration temperatures and the shelf life is about two to four months. The cooking is performed in flexible packages in the "sous- vide" process also. The residual air is extracted that requires special and expensive equipment, used before the package is closed. This process is widely used in smaller food portions, such as a half chicken breast without bones in sauce; a portion of rice; a portion of vegetables, etc, and also in individual or combined dishes. The cooking process is less intense than the "cook-in" process and the products are maintained under refrigeration, with shelf life of three to five weeks.

Thus in the known cooking processes of the present State of the Art, the product is

cooked in a package with maximum extraction of the inside air, before the package is closed.

The production process of the retortable pouch products can be also mentioned for comparison with the process in question. In the retortable pouch process, the cooking is

performed in the flexible package itself; however, the heat treatment is performed under pressure, during a time and at a temperature sufficient to reach the sterility for distribution that allows the conservation of the product under room temperature. Similarly to the previous processes, this process also requires the extraction of air from the package, in order to avoid sensorial changes of the products, look of a heated package, etc. Usually special packages are used to support the pressures and temperatures, and to avoid the interactions with the environment during the storage period. The equipment used for cooking is special too, as the cooking is performed under pressure. In this process, at product conservation room temperature, the presence of air inside the package is extremely undesirable, as it can cause the oxidation of the fat and other nutrients, and can also change the look of the packages, in addition to other disadvantages.

The most notorious deficiencies of the conventional processes in the first two aforementioned processes are related to the conservation of the product under refrigeration (temperatures above O ⁰ C), heat treatments that result in shelf lives usually less than four months, high investments required due to specific equipment used for the removal of air before the package is closed, and flexible, expensive films, in addition to the disadvantages listed below:

The lack of possibility of cooking of meat with bones, as the inside vacuum required by the process makes the package more susceptible to perforation by the bone tips, resulting in the loss of integrity of the food/package system;

The formation of internal anaerobic ambient that increases the risk of development of pathogenic microorganisms, especially, Clostridium Botulinum;

The disadvantage of the retortable pouch process, which prioritizes the microbiologic stability and results in a shelf life of longer than twelve months without need for refrigeration,

is the cost and the loss of sensorial quality of the product due the intensity of the heat treatment, which it was submitted to.

Having these problems in mind, the inventor, after numberless researches, created the process in question for the cooking, storage and distribution of several food products, with or without bones, which are packed in an air containing package, and are cooked inside the package for a period that is adequate to soften the meat until obtaining an adequate and uniform texture of all products that accompany the meat inside the said package, without losing the characteristics of aroma and juiciness. The process in question allows the conservation and distribution of the product in the same package it was prepared, with shelf lives of more than four months for refrigerated foods (0 to 4°C), with possibility of shelf lives of more than 12 months in case of some products.

In the process in question the ingredients are packed in a flexible package, in tubes, bags or tinfoil. After the ingredients are placed into the package, the package is hermetically closed, without any special air extraction system, so the air remains inside the package, which is closed hermetically.

Afterwards the closed packages are cooked in steam or by another heating method. The referred to cooking can be performed at atmospheric pressure, or under pressure, during a time and at a temperature sufficient to assure the sensorial properties of softness, juiciness and taste, with the microbiological stability necessary to provide an adequate food safety for the product during the pre-established shelf life of that kind of product. The heat treatment is more than enough to destroy potential viruses, such as the virus of foot and mouth disease and bird flu, and to reduce the total microbiological count in a considerable way.

During the cooking process performed at atmospheric pressure, some pressure is generated inside the package, which is perfectly supportable by the flexible film, the adopted

closure method, the interaction of the ingredients with the package and the adopted cooking method.

In case of cooking under pressure, the external pressure can or cannot allow the expansion of the inside air of the package, depending on the pressure adopted in the cooking method.

The cooking process promotes a sufficient heat treatment and there is no possibility of product recontamination. The process is safe and efficient enough to ensure a long shelf life, which is more than four months in case of a product kept at temperatures between 0 and 4 ⁰ C.

The proposed process presents the following main advantages: - Maintenance of the Sensorial and Microbiological quality, for a period longer than four months in case of refrigerated products that can exceed twelve months; ^• - The concept of cooking with air inside the package breaks a paradigm existing for this kind of technology, as the presence of air does not affect the intrinsic qualities of the product; and to illustrate this, even pork skin with fat was kept in good condition of palatability after a time period of more than twelve months;

Increase of the microbiological safety of the product, due to the presence of air in the package, which minimizes the anaerobic conditions of the method, and makes the growth of anaerobic spores, including Clostridium Botulinum, more difficult.

- Total elimination of the virus of the foot and mouth disease and the virus of bird flu ^" (H5N1);

- Low initial investment in equipment and packaging;

- No need for special packaging material;

- Flexibility to develop new products;

- Possibility of cooking of products with bones, without risk of perforating the package;

- Flexibility of production in scales, either small, medium or big.

The process will become more fully understood from the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and in which:

Figure 1: Flowchart for the PROCESS OF COOKING FOODS IN GENERAL IN AIR PACKING, for products, such as black bean dish ("Feijoada"), "Puchero" and similar;

Figure 2: Flowchart for the PROCESS OF COOKING FOODS IN GENERAL IN AIR PACKING, for products in pieces or chunks or whole;

Figure 3: Drawing in perspective view, showing any packed product in a flexible, pouch kind package, or in a sealed bag, in the cooking phase at room pressure, with detail of the inside air;

Figure 4: Drawing in perspective view, showing any packed product in a flexible, tubular package, closed manually with knots in the cooking stage at room pressure, with detail of the inside air.

The "PROCESS OF COOKING FOODS IN GENERAL IN AIR PACKING", object to this Invention Patent application, consists essentially of a process that takes place in several stages (E) and that allows using equipment and packages (1), which are common in the market, for the cooking, conservation and distribution in refrigerated form of a large variety of food products, with or without bones, packed in the aforesaid flexible packages (1), with the

presence of air (A), hermetically closed in any volume that allows an extended shelf life more than enough for global distribution. The new process is capable of eliminating the virus of the

foot and mouth disease and bird flu, and appears to be solid enough for keeping the sensorial and microbiological qualities of the product during a long conservation period.

More particularly the process in question involves raw and/or pre-prepared ingredients, packed in flexible (1) and airtight (2) packages, without the exclusion of the inside air (A). The required quality of the food product types that can be cooked by this process allows the presence of inside air (A) in the closed package (1) during the cooking, conservation and distribution, and it points out due to the fact that no specific equipment is necessary to remove the air-before the closure of the referred to package (1).

The cooking may vary in time between two to seven hours, at an outside temperature of more than 80°C, using steam, hot water or other known heating method.

If the cooking takes place under pressure, the time can be further reduced. ^• The basic parameters to define the binomial of time x temperature in the cooking are the peculiarities of the cooked parts and the way of reaching the adequate level of palatability, especially softness and juiciness. In the cooking process at atmospheric pressure, as there is air inside the package, the raising temperature results in the natural increase of the inside pressure of the package during the cooking process that generates a desirable effect regarding the softness and texture of the ingredients (boneless meat pieces, bean, smoked sausage pieces, vegetable pieces, meat pieces with bone, seasoning, broths, sauces, etc.) until the desired point. The characteristics of aroma and juiciness are maintained inside the package, and there is no loss of sensorial qualities and weight during the cooking, conservation and distribution.

Should the cooking take place under pressure, logically the cooking time will be reduced and adjusted in order to obtain the same desired effects that were already mentioned above.

In addition to these positive aspects, the process allows the use of flexible packages (1) in the form of tubes, bags or tinfoil, which are hermetically (2) closed, using knots, metal or plastic clamps, or sealed.

After the cooking process the temperature of the package is quickly decreased to 0 to 1°C, within less than five hours. Pre-cooling can be performed by using water at room temperature, and then cold water or cold air, and then the product will be conserved in cold chambers until the consumption. During conservation and distribution, the product must be maintained at temperatures between 0 and 4 ⁰ C.

The binomial of time x temperature during refrigeration have its parameters defined by the balancing of economic characteristics of this stage of the process and the need for maintaining the microbiological and sensorial quality of the final product.

As the intensity of the heat treatment in the cooking process is relatively high and the process is maintained airtight during the cooking, conservation and distribution stages, the possibility of recontamination by microorganisms is avoided and the product is conserved and distributed at refrigeration temperatures, so that the sensorial quality and microbiological stability are maintained during periods of more than four months, which can be extended for more than twelve months, with excellent consumption quality standards. • The preparation of products, such as "feijoada", "puchero", and similar (Pl) takes place according to the stages described below: 1 ^st stage (El) - preparation of the individual portions of each component, according to the unit weight defined in the composition of the formula, taking into consideration the total weight of the package, and the ingredients must be cleaned, cut and divided in portions, according to the specification of the product standards;

2 ^nd stage (E2) - elaboration of the liquid part of the formula, in which the broths or sauces, added to the aforementioned individual portions are prepared;

3 ^rd stage (E3) - dosage of each component in the package, i.e. placement of the individual portions into the flexible package, either in tube, bag or tinfoil; 4 ^th stage (E4) - dosage of the liquid part, i.e. placement of the liquid part of the product into the package;

5 ^th stage (E5) - adjustment of the weight, i.e. weighing of the package and adjustment to the pre-defined weight, by adding more liquid component and depending on the difference, one of the solid components in form of food pieces; 6 ^th stage (E6) - airtight closure of the package that is nothing more than the closure of the package, depending on the chosen package type. In case of flexible tubes, the package can be closed manually with a knot; or by using metal or plastic clamps; or in case of pouches and tinfoil packages, by sealing or using clamps.

7 ^th stage (E7) - Cooking process, i.e. submitting the package to cooking at temperatures between 80 and 100°C, during a period of two to seven hours, depending on the size of the package and each type of product and their peculiarities. Temperatures above 100°C can be applied when the cooking is performed under pressure. In this case the binomial of time x temperature of cooking is adjusted to obtain the desired effects of microbiological and sensorial quality during the shelf life of the product; . 8 ^th stage (E8) - cooling, i.e. after the cooking the temperature is quickly lowered to a temperature of 0 to 1°C within less than five hours. Pre-cooling can be performed by using

water at room temperature, and then cold water or cold air;

9 ^th stage (E9) - conservation and distribution, i.e. the product is conserved at a refrigeration temperature of 0 to 4°C, and then distributed in the same package as it was

cooked. Obviously the product can be frozen without any prejudice to its microbiological qualities;

10 ^th stage (ElO) - preparation for consumption. At the time of the consumption, the package is opened and the product is heated in the traditional way, according to the devices available for this purpose (pans heated on a stove or on a hot plate, microwave, bain-marie in the package itself, etc.).

The preparation of the products in pieces or whole (P2), such as pork shank, beef top round or whole turkeys and similar, takes place according to the stages described below:

1 ^st stage (El) - preparation of the pieces, i.e. cleaning and weighing of the pieces to be cooked according to the specifications, regarding general look, appearing fat, weight of the piece, etc.;

2 ^nd stage (E2) - seasoning of the pieces according to the chosen methods, such as addition of dry condiments, immersion in solutions or injections of seasoned brines;

• 3 ^rd stage (E3) — placement of the pieces into the package, i.e. placement of the pieces into the defined flexible package, either tube, bag or tinfoil package;

4 ^th stage (E4) - adjustment of the weight, i.e. weighing of the package and adjustment to the pre-defined weight, by adding more liquid component, for example seasoned brine or sauce;-

5 ^th stage (E5) - airtight closure of the package that is nothing more than the closure of the package, depending on the chosen package type. The package can be closed manually with a knot; or by using metal or plastic clamps; or can be sealed;

' 6 ^th stage (E6) - Cooking process, i.e. submitting the package to cooking, at a temperature between 80 and 100 ⁰ C ₅ during a period of at least two hours that can reach seven hours, depending on the size of the package and each type of product and their peculiarities.

Temperatures above 100 ⁰ C can be applied when the cooking is performed under pressure that consequently reduces the cooking time. It is necessary to adjust the binomial of time x temperature of cooking in order to obtain the desired effects of microbiological and sensorial quality of the product; 7 ^th stage (E7) - cooling, i.e. after the cooking the temperature is quickly lowered to a temperature of 0 to 1°C within less than five hours. Pre-cooling can be performed by using water at room temperature and then cold water or cold air;

. 8 ^th stage (E8) - conservation and distribution, i.e. the product is conserved at a refrigeration temperature of 0 to 4 ⁰ C, and then distributed in the same package as it was cooked;

9 ^th stage (E9) - preparation for consumption. At the time of the consumption, the package is opened and the product is heated usually in a traditional oven until reaching the best looking outside color and adequate temperature for consumption.