Meat tenderization

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for tenderizing meat comprising contacting meat with a tenderizing-effective amount of a thermolabile protease having limited substrate specificity, wherein the limited substrate specificity is the digestion of only one of the two major protein components of meat.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
     
     
         21 . A method for tenderizing meat, said method comprising contacting meat with a tenderizing-effective amount of a protease having limited substrate specificity, wherein said limited substrate specificity is the digestion of only one of the two major protein components of meat.  
     
     
         22 . A method as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said protease has a limited substrate specificity.  
     
     
         23 . A method as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said protease is derived from a  Rhizomucor  species.  
     
     
         24 . A method as defined in  claim 23 , wherein said  Rhizomucor  species is  R. miehei.    
     
     
         25 . A method as defined in  claim 24 , wherein said protease is treated with peroxy acids prior to said contacting.  
     
     
         26 . A method as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said protease is derived from a mammal.  
     
     
         27 . A method as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said mammal is bovine.  
     
     
         28 . A method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said protease is chymosin.  
     
     
         29 . A method as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said protease is obtained from a recombinant host cell transformed with a nucleic acid encoding said protease.  
     
     
         30 . A method as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said meat after tenderization exhibits a relative shear force of between about 50% and about 90% of said meat prior to tenderization.  
     
     
         31 . A method as defined in  claim 30 , wherein said meat after tenderization exhibits a relative shear force of between about 60% and about 80% of said meat prior to tenderization.  
     
     
         32 . A method as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said contacting comprises injection or marination.  
     
     
         33 . A method as defined in  claim 32 , further comprising tumbling said meat.  
     
     
         34 . A method as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said meat is contacted with said protease at a ratio of between about 0.001 and about 0.05 AU/g meat.  
     
     
         35 . A method as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said meat is selected from the group consisting of fresh meat, frozen meat, freeze-dried meat, and restructured meat.