Smoked food, method for smoking food and apparatus therefor

Abstract

Food for human consumption is smoked by providing smoke, removing one or more polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the smoke and contacting the food with the treated smoke, or smoking the food and then removing the PAHs from the smoked food. PAH removal is selective, to remove the PAHs that contain 4 or more benzene rings, in particular without significantly changing the volatile profile of the smoked food. A selective filter is provided, as is apparatus comprising a smoke generator, a chamber in which to smoke food, and the selective filter, disposed between the smoke generator and the chamber.

1 - 64 . (canceled) 
     
     
         65 . A method of preparing a smoked food, comprising:
 (a) providing a food,   (b) filtering smoke with a size exclusion filter comprising pores having sizes in the range of 0.3 nm to 1 nm so as to selectively remove one or more polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that contain 4 or more benzene rings therefrom, and   (c) contacting the treated smoke of (b) with the food of (a), thereby providing the smoked food.   
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein filtering the smoke selectively removes the PAHs that contain 4 or more benzene rings in greater proportion than the removal of naphthalene from the smoke. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein filtering the smoke selectively removes the PAHs that contain 4 or more benzene rings in greater proportion than the removal of phenanthrene from the smoke. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 65 , comprising selectively removing (i) one of the PAHs benzo(a)pyrene, benz(a)anthracene, dibenz(a,h)anthracene, (ii) two of those PAHs, or (iii) all three of those PAHs. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 65 , comprising generating smoke from a composition comprising (i) a filter comprising pores of size in the range of 0.3 nm to 1 nm, and (ii) combustion material from which smoke for smoking food for human consumption can be generated. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the combustion material comprises one or more or all of wood chips, wood dust and wood shavings. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the level of the one or more PAHs is reduced by in excess of 50% compared with untreated smoke. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the level of the one or more PAHs is reduced by in excess of 80% compared with untreated smoke. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the filter comprises a zeolite. 
     
     
         74 . A composition, comprising an intimate mixture of (i) a size exclusion filter comprising pores having sizes in the range of 0.3 nm to 1 nm, so as to selectively remove one or more PAHs that contain 4 or more benzene rings from smoke, and (ii) combustion material from which smoke for smoking food for human consumption can be generated. 
     
     
         75 . The composition of  claim 74 , wherein the combustion material comprises wood. 
     
     
         76 . The composition of  claim 74 , wherein the filter comprises a zeolite. 
     
     
         77 . A method of preparing a food, comprising:
 (a) providing a food,   (b) filtering smoke to selectively remove one or more PAHs that contain 4 or more benzene rings in greater proportion than the removal of naphthalene and/or phenanthrene from the smoke, and   (c) contacting the treated smoke of (b) with the food of (a), thereby providing a smoked food,   wherein the method comprises generating smoke from a source comprising a mixture of (i) a filter comprising zeolite, and (ii) combustion material from which smoke for smoking food for human consumption can be generated.   
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein the mixture of filter and combustion material is an intimate mixture. 
     
     
         79 . Apparatus for smoking food for human consumption, comprising;
 a smoke generator,   a chamber in which to smoke food, and   a size exclusion filter disposed between the smoke generator and the chamber and comprising pores of sizes in the range of 0.3 nm to 1 nm, so as to selectively remove one or more PAHs that contain 4 or more benzene rings from smoke.   
     
     
         80 . The apparatus of  claim 79 , wherein the filter comprises zeolite. 
     
     
         81 . The apparatus of  claim 80 , wherein the zeolite has been heated at a temperature of 150 degrees C. for a period of 30 minutes or more. 
     
     
         82 . The apparatus of  claim 80 , wherein the zeolite has been treated with ammonium ions and then heated at a temperature of 150 degrees C. for a period of 30 minutes or more.