"SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method for treating meat products with carbon monoxide to obtain especially the microbe inhibiting benefits associated with carbon monoxide treatment while reducing or eliminating the problems associated withunnatural color in the uncooked and cooked meat product. The invention also encompasses apparatus for treating meat products with carbon monoxide. It is noted that the term "meat product" is used here and throughout this disclosure and the accompanyingclaims to refer to meat alone, including lean portions, fat, and related materials of beef, pork, poultry, or seafood, and to refer to meat that has been mixed with, or includes, additives such as flavorings, extenders, tenderizing agents, and othermaterials.
According to the invention, carbon monoxide is injected into the interior of the meat product along with other materials to produce a desired carbon monoxide saturation or content in the meat product. The amount of carbon monoxide in the addedfluid is controlled to produce a desired carbon monoxide saturation level distributed substantially evenly throughout the volume of the meat product. This desired saturation level may vary depending upon the nature of the meat product being treated,however, the saturation level will generally remain at less than 100% or complete saturation for most meat products. The fluid added to the meat product may be added simultaneously with the carbon monoxide or may be added as a pre-treatment beforeapplication of carbon monoxide or as a post-treatment after the application of carbon monoxide. Regardless of the order in which the fluid is added in relation to the carbon monoxide, the added liquid or gas dilutes the carbon monoxide and helpsfacilitate the substantially even distribution of the carbon monoxide throughout the volume of the meat product. In preferred forms of the invention, the amount of carbon monoxide added to the meat product compared to the total volume of added fluid isequal to an amount of carbon monoxide to produce a desired carbon monoxide saturation level in the volume of the meat product being treated.
As used in this disclosure and the accompanying claims, complete or 100% carbon monoxide saturation in a meat product refers the case where all of the available hemoglobin and myoglobin in meat product has been reacted with carbon monoxide toproduce carboxyhemoglobin and carboxymyoglobin respectively. It will be noted that this does not necessarily mean that all hemoglobin and all myoglobin has been reacted since some hemoglobin and myoglobin in a meat product may reside in a state in whichthe reaction with carbon monoxide may not occur and may thus not be available to react with the carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide saturation levels less than complete saturation may be described in this disclosure and the following claims as a percentagerelative to complete saturation. For example, as used in this disclosure and the accompanying claims, 50% carbon monoxide saturation means that one-half of the available hemoglobin and myoglobin in the meat product has been converted tocarboxyhemoglobin and carboxymyoglobin, respectively.
Carbon monoxide and added liquid is injected according to the invention through one or more injection conduits that are inserted into the meat product being treated. Meat products comprising relatively large cuts of meat may require a number ofinjection conduits inserted at spaced apart locations throughout the volume of the meat product to evenly distribute the carbon monoxide. Otherwise, a single injection conduit or relatively few injection conduits may be moved to various locationsthroughout in the meat product to inject the carbon monoxide and added gas and/or liquid so as to produce the desired even carbon monoxide distribution.
Post-treatment according to the invention may include the application of a vacuum to draw off excess carbon monoxide from the meat product, both from the surface of the meat product and from the interior volume of the meat product. Alternativelyor in addition to applying a vacuum, a flushing or rinsing fluid may be applied to the surface of the carbon monoxide treated meat product to remove excess carbon monoxide. This flushing or rinsing may remove excess carbon monoxide from the surface ofthe meat product and may also help remove unbound carbon monoxide from the interior of the meat product. After carbon monoxide treatment and any post-treatment, the treated meat product may be packaged or stored in a carbon dioxide atmosphere or othersuitable atmosphere.
Some forms of the invention may include injecting a pH modifying material, especially ammonia based pH modifying materials such as ammonium hydroxide solution or ammonia gas. Forms of the invention that include injecting a pH modifying materialmay inject the pH modifying material as a pre-treatment fluid, post-treatment fluid or in a treatment mixture with the carbon monoxide. Also, different pH modifying materials at different points in the treatment process to either raise the pH or lowerthe pH of the meat product. Carbon monoxide treatment according to the invention is particularly beneficial when combined with pH modifying treatments because it believed that the carbon monoxide affects the manner in which pH modifying materials areabsorbed into the meat products. In particular, it is believed that the carboxy forms of hemoglobin and myoglobin formed from carbon monoxide treatment does not allow certain constituents in the pH modifying material to be absorbed with the hemoglobinand myoglobin. These constituents of the pH modifying material are beneficially absorbed elsewhere in the meat product. It is also believed that when pH modifying material is used together with carbon monoxide, the pH modifying material may prevent thecarbon monoxide from binding strongly with the meat product thereby reducing the effect of the carbon monoxide on the color of the meat product and/or making the color change less permanent. Thus, carbon monoxide treatments according to the presentinvention may produce the desired microbe inhibiting effect without unduly maintaining the red color in the treated product which might mask spoilage or affect the appearance of the cooked product. "
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