Packaged cooked meat and low pH sauce having extended refrigerated shelf life

Abstract

Control of the texture of meat cuts is accomplished so as to minimize the development of mealy, wet and soft texture of the meat cut, particularly when used in combination with a sauce having a relatively low pH of about 4.5 or below. The meat cuts are first fully cooked and chilled and then inserted, together with a low pH sauce, into a pouch and hermetically sealed within the pouch and stored under refrigerated, non-frozen conditions for at least 60 days without deterioration.

1 . A process for preparing a non-frozen packaged meat product having an extended refrigerated shelf life, comprising: 
 selecting an uncooked meat cut having an outer surface;    treating the uncooked meat cut with a marinade containing an organic salt, a lactate salt and a diacetate salt;    searing a substantial portion of said outer surface of the meat cut, and cooking the meat cut to provide a cooked meat cut having an internal temperature of at least 155° F. (68° C.);    cooling said cooked meat product to below room temperature and without internally freezing the cooked meat product;    placing the thus cooled cooked meat product into a pouch, and placing a low pH sauce into said pouch, said sauce having a pH of less than about 4.5;    sealing the pouch with the cooked meat product and the low pH sauce therewithin to provide a sealed pouch containing the cooked meat and low pH sauce; and    marketing said sealed pouch having a cooked meat and low pH sauce in a refrigerated, non-frozen condition, said meat and sauce having an extended refrigerated life.    
     
     
         2 . The process in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said placing includes sauce having a pH of 4.2 or lower.  
     
     
         3 . The process in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said placing includes sauce having a pH of 4.0 or lower.  
     
     
         4 . The process in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said placing includes sauce having a pH of 3.8 or lower.  
     
     
         5 . The process in accordance with  claim 1 , further including adding a caramel composition to said outer surface of the meat cut before completion of the cooking operation.  
     
     
         6 . The process in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said treating with a marinade includes treating with a phosphate salt.  
     
     
         7 . The process in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said extended refrigerated shelf life of said marketing is at least 60 days.  
     
     
         8 . The process in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said extended refrigerated shelf life of said marketing is at least 90 days.  
     
     
         9 . The process in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said selecting is of uncooked meat cuts having a length no less than one inch (2.54 cm).  
     
     
         10 . The process in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said selecting is of meat cuts of poultry whole muscle.  
     
     
         11 . The process in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said placing includes sauce having a water activity of about 0.92 or below.  
     
     
         12 . The process in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said placing includes sauce having a water activity of about 0.92 or below.  
     
     
         13 . The process in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said placing includes sauce having a water activity of about 0.9 or below.  
     
     
         14 . A process for preparing a non-frozen packaged meat product having an extended refrigerated shelf life, comprising: 
 selecting an uncooked meat cut having an outer surface;    treating the uncooked meat cut with a marinade containing an organic salt, a lactate salt and a diacetate salt;    searing a substantial portion of said outer surface of the meat cut, and cooking the meat cut to provide a cooked meat cut having an internal temperature of at least 155° F. (68° C.);    cooling said cooked meat product to below room temperature and without internally freezing the cooked meat product;    placing the thus cooled cooked meat product into a pouch, and placing a low pH sauce into said pouch, said sauce having a pH of 4.5 or lower;    sealing the pouch with the cooked meat product and the low pH sauce therewithin to provide a sealed pouch containing the cooked meat and low pH sauce;    providing a tray sized to accommodate said sealed pouch having the cooked meat and low pH sauce, and inserting said sealed pouch into said tray;    closing said tray so as to seal said pouch therewithin to provide a packaged cooked meat and sauce product; and    marketing said packaged cooked meat and sauce in a refrigerated, non-frozen condition, said packaged food product having an extended refrigerate shelf life.    
     
     
         15 . The process in accordance with  claim 14 , further including adding a sleeve over at least a portion of said packaged cooked meat and sauce product to provide a sleeved packaged food product as the packaged food product having an extended refrigerated shelf life.  
     
     
         16 . The process in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said tray has an internal volume which is sized in a manner to provide gas space between said sealed pouch and said tray.  
     
     
         17 . The process in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said placing includes sauce having a pH of 4.0 or lower.  
     
     
         18 . The process in accordance with  claim 14 , further including adding a caramel composition to said outer surface of the meat cut before completion of the cooking operation.  
     
     
         19 . The process in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said extended refrigerated shelf life of said marketing is at least 60 days.  
     
     
         20 . The process in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said selecting is of uncooked meat cuts having a length no less than one inch (2.54 cm).  
     
     
         21 . The process in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said selecting is of meat cuts of poultry whole muscle.  
     
     
         22 . A refrigerated packaged food product, comprising: 
 a tray having a bottom wall, an annular rim and a sidewall joining together said bottom wall and said annular rim, said tray being made of a material suitable for heating food therewithin by a microwave oven;    an indent within said annular rim of the tray;    a lid removably secured onto said annular rim of the tray and over said indent;    a releaseably sealed pouch positioned within said tray with said lid secured onto said annual rim;    a food product including cooked meat and a sauce having a low pH prior to its combination with the cooked meat, said food product being sealed within said pouch, said food product being at an unfrozen, refrigerated temperature;    free space between said sealed pouch and said tray sealed with the lid; and    a sleeve position over said tray which has the lid sealed thereonto.    
     
     
         23 . The refrigerated packaged food product in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein said low pH sauce has a pH of not greater than about 4.5.  
     
     
         24 . The refrigerated packaged food product in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein said low pH sauce has a pH of not greater than about 4.2.  
     
     
         25 . The refrigerated packaged food product in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein said low pH sauce has a pH of not greater than about 4.0.  
     
     
         26 . The refrigerated packaged food product in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein said cooked meat comprises a meat cut having a length of at least about 1 inch (2.54 cm).  
     
     
         27 . The refrigerated packaged food product in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein said cooked meat is a poultry whole muscle cut.  
     
     
         28 . The refrigerated packaged food product in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein said low pH sauce has a water activity of about 0.92 or below.  
     
     
         29 . The refrigerated packaged food product in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein said low pH sauce includes an inorganic salt at between about 2 and about 3 weight percent, based on the total weight of the low pH sauce.