WO2006072735A1 - Method and installation for making an elongated food product using a restriction device and resulting food product - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for making an elongated food product (8) comprising a fibrous or pasty base (801), coated with a synthetic or natural coating (800), which consists in: a) forming said material into said elongated shape with shaping means (1) by passing said fibrous material through a device with a restricted diameter (6) inside said tubular mold (110), and b) cutting segments of said material thus shaped and coating same with said coating, before, during and/or after cutting. The invention is characterized in that it consists in passing said fibrous material (801) in said tubular orifice (601) of said restriction device (8) whereof the inner diameter is less than ?, preferably, less than 1/3 of the inner diameter of the parts of said tubular mold (110, 7) immediately upstream and downstream of said restriction device. The present invention provides an elongated food product comprising a fibrous or pasty food-grade substance, characterized in that it has a reduced dimension for cooking, lengthwise as well as in cross-section, and preferably a curved shape, more preferably still in the shape of a sausage wrapped in a natural casing.

Description

 Method and installation for manufacturing an elongated food product using a restriction device and a food product obtained

The present invention relates to a method and installation for manufacturing an elongated food product, in particular based on fibrous material or fine paste, and obtained product coated with an envelope, in particular a product, in particular of the sausage type, wrapped with a gelled composition of calcium alginate gel type thus forming a so-called vegetable envelope.

It is known to make sausages by wrapping flesh in a casing. This is a "preconstituted" envelope into which the flesh is introduced. The use of natural casings, of animal origin, is thwarted by the risks of disease transmission, especially infectious diseases attributed to prions. The use of synthetic casings, especially of the collagen type, requires a heat treatment of the products, followed by a separation (or peeling) of the casing and the flesh, and harms the appearance of the products obtained.

It is also known from the publication of patent EP 29806 a process for manufacturing sausages without an envelope, in which flesh is filled with tubular molds, the flesh is heated in the mold to coagulate the sausages on the surface, and then the sausages are ejected molds: this process requires a complex apparatus which has a relatively low productivity; in addition, the use of heat treatment alters the organoleptic properties of the flesh.

It is known to apply a coating composition over the material constituting the sausage, during manufacture, to form an envelope in situ. This is an "unprepared" envelope. This composition may be applied by spraying, coating, dipping or coextrusion, in particular with the aid of a composition intended to gel, collagen type or calcium alginate gel, and this during, before and / or after cutting the food material into sections.

More particularly, it has been proposed in WO 2004/010801, an improved method for manufacturing sausages and similar food products, coated with a vegetable shell constituted by a gelled composition of the calcium alginate type and a simple apparatus for implementing this method.

In WO 2004/010801, there is described a food product formed and / or molded, consisting essentially of flesh, pulp or pasty and / or fibrous substance, generally raw, which has mechanical characteristics allowing its handling, without being wrapped in a casing .

In WO 2004/010801, an envelope is applied by coating on a food product of a gelled composition devoid of extracts of animal origin, which does not melt during cooking, and which contributes to the cohesion of the product.

Preferably, the gelled composition enveloping the product comprises calcium alginate. It has been found that this product based on seaweed extracts, improves the cohesion and the mechanical strength of the flesh that it wraps without being mixed. This envelope also makes it possible to avoid the mutual bonding of the wrapped products and facilitates their handling.

More preferably, the composition of which the food product is coated comprises proteins of plant origin, dextrose and maltodextrin, which improve the cooking behavior of the food product and give it more flexibility.

The wrap is done in two successive stages:

1 - the food product is first covered with a film of a first aqueous composition - in particular water - in which is dispersed a sodium alginate powder, as well as proteins, sugars and / or starch, in a wrapping unit,

2- the hardening of this substantially liquid envelope is caused by contacting the product covered with the film with a second aqueous composition containing a calcium salt in a soaking unit; this salt, in particular calcium chloride, reacts with the sodium alginate present in the film coating the food product, to form a calcium alginate gel ensuring the cohesion of the food product, without it being necessary to make subject to the product heat treatment; the gel thus formed around the flesh is resistant to cooking heat.

The coating of the food product with the first composition containing sodium alginate comprises a wrapping step before and during the cutting, then by immersing the food product in a first bath after cutting, and bringing the produced with the second composition containing a calcium salt also comprises a step of immersion in a second bath. Preferably, the immersion of the product in the first bath is preceded, completed and / or followed by an application to the product of the first composition containing sodium alginate.

In step 1 -, the formed pulpit is pushed into the envelope, which is applied before cutting into sections of the formed pulpit.

More specifically, the method according to the invention comprises successively the following steps:

* form a roll of flesh, pulp or paste by passing through a tubular mold,

this bead is optionally pushed into a first composition containing sodium alginate so that the envelope is applied before and during cutting, and the section is cut into sections whose ends are preferably rounded,

the sections are moved by coating them with a first composition containing sodium alginate, so as to complete the wrap of the sections of a film of this first composition,

the wrapped sections are brought into contact with a second composition containing a calcium salt so as to obtain the formation of a layer of a calcium alginate gel enveloping the sections.

The food products thus molded, consisting of fibrous material, such as meat or fish flesh muscle fibers, tend to reduce cooking, essentially or only in length presumably because of the alignment of the fibers substantially all in the same longitudinal direction of said food product, corresponding to the transfer direction in said tubular mold.

For sausages wrapped in a "preconstituted" envelope in the form of a natural or synthetic casing, the casing shrinks in all dimensions and deforms the food material that it covers, so that a reduction of length and a reduction in diameter of the product when cooked. The term "envelope which retracts during cooking is understood here to mean a preconstituted casing of the casing type which is reduced in all its dimensions with sufficient force to deform the said material.

For the same food material, and therefore for the same volume of loss of material during cooking, the reduction in length is therefore less with a pre-formed shell of the casing type than with a non-preconstituted synthetic casing, in particular an envelope obtained by coating such as as described in WO 2004/010801, but also by spraying, dipping or coextrusion, in particular with the aid of a composition intended to gel of the collagen or calcium alginate type. In WO 2004/010801, there has been proposed a method of manufacturing molded food products based on fibrous food material, by passing said food material in a tubular mold, to form an extruded coil, in which a contraction of the coil is caused, said contraction being intended to cause a transverse orientation of the fibers of the fibrous flesh, so that during the cooking of the product, the contraction of the fibers promotes the reduction of the diameter of the food product as much as the shrinkage (in the direction of the length) of the product.

More specifically, the wall of the mold comprises an annular portion which is projecting internally with respect to the inner face of the tube. This results in a decrease in the passage diameter facing this inner annular projection, compared with the upstream diameter and / or downstream of the mold. This narrowing of the mold makes it possible to improve the cohesion of the flesh after passing through this narrowing, but only makes it possible to orient transversely only a small portion of the fibers so that a reduction in the length of the food product is observed. after cooking still large and unsatisfactory and substantially no reduction in diameter.

A first object of the present invention is to provide an elongated food product of sausage or other type based on fibrous material and which has improved properties in terms of length reduction during cooking and, in particular, whose reduction in length after cooking when the casing is an "unprepared" casing which does not shrink during cooking (as opposed to a casing), in particular a casing consisting of a gel of the sodium alginate type is similar to or close to that of a sausage wrapped in a natural gut.

On the other hand, the natural products of elongated sausage-like shape have a curved shape due to the natural curved shape of the natural casings which constitute the envelope, especially after the cooking. But the wrapping method described in WO 2004/010801, or any other method of coating with a "non-preconstituted" synthetic envelope, does not provide a product which has this curved shape especially after firing.

Another object of the present invention is also to provide an elongated food product based on fibrous or pasty food material, in particular of the sausage type, which has a curved shape of the type of that of a sausage wrapped in a natural gut, and this, even when it is coated with an "unprepared" synthetic envelope, more particularly when this synthetic envelope is a vegetal envelope of the type based on calcium alginate gel or based on collagen.

More particularly, an object of the present invention is to provide an elongated sausage-type food product which takes and retains a curved shape after coating in a "non-preconstituted" envelope, in particular by a sodium alginate gel type casing, according to a process described in WO 2004/010801, both before and after cooking, and whether the product consists of a fibrous or pasty material, from a coarse-grained material of the sausage meat type , especially from particles larger than 3 mm, or from a fine paste, in particular of the type of meat and fat meat emulsion or vegetable pulp puree, in particular with constitutive particles smaller than 2 mm, or even 1 mm .

On the other hand, in WO 2004/010801, it is found that certain inhomogeneities of the calcium alginate gel casing resulting in fragilities thereof can be observed.

Another object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved method of application, in which the gel is coated more uniformly on the surface of the constituent material of the food product. To this end, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing an elongated food product comprising a base of food material, in particular fibrous or pasty, preferably of the flesh, pulp or paste type, raw or cooked, molded, coated with a synthetic or natural envelope, in which:

a) forming said material into said elongated shape with forming means comprising a tubular mold pusher, passing said fiber material through an orifice of a diameter restricting device into said mold tubular, and

b) sections of said material thus formed are cut and coated with a said envelope, before, during and / or after cutting,

characterized in that said fibrous material is passed through a said tubular orifice of said restriction device whose internal diameter is less than 1/2, preferably less than 1/3, of the internal diameter of the portions of said tubular mold just upstream and downstream of said restriction device, and preferably the diameter of said mold, just downstream of said orifice, is at least greater than 1, 5 times, preferably 3 times that of said tubular orifice.

Also referred to hereinafter as "restrictor", said restriction device.

Here, the term "elongated shape", a shape having a dimension significantly larger than the others in the direction of greater dimension. This shape may be straight and, in this case, substantially symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis in the direction of substantially larger rectilinear dimension. But it can also be of curved shape obtained by simple curvature of said longitudinal axis of the type of the curvature of a sausage wrapped in a natural gut. This is generally a tubular shape with a substantially circular cross-section, particularly in the case of sausage or sausage, but also of square, rectangular or other section. When the section of the mold is rectangular, a parallelepiped shaped product is obtained, generally flattened. In this case, it is understood that the reduction in diameter means the reduction in thickness and width of the product, that is to say the reduction of the two dimensions of the rectangular cross section of the product.

More particularly, the diameter of said tubular orifice will be as close as possible (but above) the size of the grains constituting the material, being as far as possible from the diameter of the portions of said mold upstream.

In other words, the greater the ratio between the diameter (or cross-sectional dimensions) of the restrictor and the diameter (or cross-sectional dimensions) of the upstream mold, is greater, the greater the restriction effect of size occurs in the direction corresponding to the difference in size of the sections of said tubular orifices of the restrictor and said mold upstream. The possible decrease in size (s) when cooking is in the direction or directions where there is restriction. Thus, if it is desired not to change the width of the product and reduce the thickness of its cross section, use a restrictor of the same width as the mold upstream but lower, especially for flat products.

These dimensional characteristics of said tubular orifice allow a restriction and then an expansion of the diameter of the passage zone of the fibers, favoring a disruption and disorientation of the fibers with a notable increase in the misalignment of the fibers created by the circulation of the material in the mold upstream of the restriction device, said fibers being found in particular in the transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction of said mold.

The rate of reduction in length also depends, inter alia, on the composition of said food material. The reduction in size when baking when it takes place without restrictor, is almost exclusively in length. However, the process according to the invention makes it possible to obtain food products whose size reduction during cooking is product with restrictor both in length and diameter, the rate of reduction in length cooking is therefore lower than that obtained without restrictor for the same material and therefore for the same volume of loss of material cooking. More particularly, under the same cooking conditions, the rate of reduction in length can be at least 25%, or even at least 50%, lower than the rate of reduction in length obtained for the same food material, in particular an animal meat flesh wrapped in the same envelope, including a calcium alginate-based envelope, the product being manufactured in the same installation but without said restrictor. In comparison, the rate of diameter reduction with the diameter restriction device as described in WO 2004 010801 is not substantially reduced.

Thus, the method according to the invention makes it possible to obtain sausages of animal flesh, of the type of composition mentioned above, with a non-preconstituted synthetic envelope, in particular enveloped with calcium alginate, whose reduction rate of length is similar to that of the same food material wrapped in a natural gut.

The term "fibrous material" means materials made of fibers, such as meat or fish flesh comprising muscle fibers.

In a particular embodiment, said food material is a chopped fiber material in particles or grains larger than 3 mm, in particular 3 to 10 mm, before introduction into said thrust device and the axial length and the internal diameter of said orifice. tubular are greater than the size of said grains or particles, preferably are from 1, 2 to 3 times the size of grains or particles constituting said initial fibrous material.

These dimensions of the orifice are optimal to obtain the effect of restriction and misalignment of the fibers without inducing plugs at the orifice, without affecting the speed of transport of said material in said mold. As an illustration, for a tubular mold 20-30 cm long and 30-45 mm in diameter, said orifice of the restriction device has a diameter of 6 to 10 mm and a length of 5 to 15 mm for a particle size minced about 5 mm.

More particularly, said food material is raw meat meat comprising muscle fibers and said food product is in the form of sausage substantially circular cross section.

In a preferred embodiment, the restriction device comprises a funnel-shaped wall flaring widening from said orifice to the wall of said mold upstream of the restriction device.

This funnel shape facilitates the passage of said food material in said orifice.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which makes it possible to manufacture products of diameters or widths of variable cross section and sections of variable shapes, namely cross section, oval, square, rectangular, flattened and any other shape. symmetrical or asymmetrical geometric, said changes in shape and / or dimensions can be done without involving material change too important, especially without having to change the entire tubular mold containing said restrictor.

To do this, according to the present invention, said mold comprises a transport channel of said food material inside which is inserted, downstream, an interchangeable forming sleeve comprising a hollow internal channel through which said material is pushed, of cross section, circular or not, of reduced size relative to that of said transport channel in which it is inserted, the section of the internal channel of the sleeve being calibrated to obtain an elongated food product of determined cross section, said material being cut into sections at the output of said sleeve.

In practice, it is possible to provide a certain distance, for example 1 cm, between the outlet of the bushing and the cutting knives to allow the lubrication by the gel of sodium alginate to be flush with the knives, and thus that said gel flows on the flesh pushed, but not yet cut, to form said envelope before cutting.

The implementation of this type of forming sleeve makes it possible to manufacture products of different sizes with the same transport channel installation equipped with the said restrictor, by interchanging the sleeve with a sleeve of the same external diameter corresponding substantially to the internal diameter of the channel of transport in which it is inserted, but with different hollow channel internal diameter.

By way of illustration, sleeves 15 to 40 mm in diameter and 1 to 4 cm long are used to form sausage or coil products.

In a preferred embodiment, the restriction device is placed just upstream of the forming sleeve, so that said food material opens directly into the internal channel of said socket outlet of said tubular orifice. More particularly, the restrictor and the socket can form a single piece together.

This embodiment avoids a realignment of the fibers between the output of the restriction device and the input into the internal channel of the forming sleeve.

The use of a restrictor according to the invention also makes it possible to improve the texture in the mouth in terms of better cohesion of non-fibrous fine-paste products, of the type emulsion of meat and fats, or of the mashed fruit or vegetable type. , or cheese preparation. According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the tax of said tubular orifice of the restriction device is inclined with respect to that of the tubular mold in which it is placed, preferably at an angle of at least 5 °, more preferably 15 to 60 °.

The inventors have found that with an inclined restrictor, we obtain

in the case of a fibrous food material with grains, a slight curvature of the product before cooking and this curvature is accentuated after cooking, like a sausage wrapped in a natural gut.

Without being bound by this theory, the inventors believe that with an inclined restrictor, said material opens downstream of said orifice closer to one side of the wall of said mold than on the opposite side, and could thus induce a difference in the orienting the fibers between the corresponding opposite faces of the product and, where appropriate, promoting an accumulation of fat clusters included in said material predominantly on that side of the wall and therefore on one side of the periphery of said food product with respect to the opposite side. It would be these differences in fiber orientation and / or this preferential accumulation of fat on one side of the elongated product, which would induce a curvature of the product before cooking and an increase of the curvature after cooking, even in the absence of fat deposits, like a sausage wrapped in a natural gut. More particularly, the curvature could be due to the majority accumulation of the grease on the concave face of said curve.

In one embodiment of the process according to the invention, an envelope, consisting of a gel of the calcium alginate gel type, is applied to said food product, by coating a first composition of the sodium alginate type before, during and / or after cutting in section, followed by soaking in a second composition of calcium salt.

In this embodiment, according to another aspect of the present invention, the following steps are carried out in which: 1 said material is formed in an elongated form, preferably straight, by passing through a tubular mold, and

2- a first composition intended to gel, of the sodium alginate type, is preferably applied, and

3- said material thus formed is cut into sections, and

Said sections are enveloped with a said first composition intended to gel, of the sodium alginate type, in a wrapping unit, then

Said sections are passed through a chute comprising at least one rigid part, preferably tubular, said chute being supplied with a second fixing composition of said gel comprising a calcium salt, so as to coat said sections, at least from below on their underside, preferably over their entire surface then

At the outlet of the chute, the coated sections of said first composition are immersed in a said second fixing composition of said gel comprising a calcium salt.

The chute performs multiple functions such as:

pre-fixing of the envelope gel on the products and stabilization of the curved shaping of the products right out of the wrapping unit, and

- Protecting the envelope before contacting and more complete fixation in said soaking unit with said second fixing composition, by transporting and accompanying within the solution of said second composition to said soaking unit, and

- avoidance of falling of the product between the carpet of the wrapping unit and the dipping machine which would damage the products, in case of long, soft or large diameter products. The chute may be straight or bent.

The chute is not necessarily tubular. It can be especially only semi-tubular, when it is not required to water the products on the whole periphery.

In an alternative embodiment, a said elongate curved food product is produced by carrying out the steps in which:

1 - said material is formed in a first elongate form, preferably substantially straight, by passing through a said mold, preferably tubular, with the aid of a said thrust device, and

2- a first composition intended to gel, of the sodium alginate type, is preferably applied, and

3- said material thus formed is cut into sections according to a first elongated shape, preferably substantially straight, and

Said sections are enveloped with a first composition intended to gel, of the sodium alginate type, in a wrapping unit, then

The shape of said sections is modified in a said elongated curved shape by passing them through a said trough comprising at least one rigid, bent, preferably tubular part, said trough being fed with a said second fixing composition so as to coat said sections, preferably over their entire surface, then

At the outlet of the trough, the enveloped sections of said first composition are contacted with, preferably by immersion in a dipping unit, in or with a second fixing composition of said gel comprising a calcium salt.

This embodiment with an angled chute makes it possible to give said sections a fixed curved shape (or strengthen it if necessary). if said material has been previously passed through an inclined restrictor in the case of a grain food material) since the attachment of said gel freezes the form of product balance within the chute. However, the shape of the chute induces a curved shape of said section, through its passage inside the chute -as well as the shape of the natural casings in the case of sausages- because this fixation occurs while said sections were thus deformed according to a so-called curved shape.

Another advantageous characteristic of the present invention is that said chute is fed with a said second composition at, at least, two points located on, respectively, two opposite sides of the wall of said chute.

It is thus possible to coat said sections on the lower and upper faces, making it possible to ensure rapid coating and almost immediate hardening on the entire periphery of the envelope surface of said sections.

More preferably, said chute is fed said second composition at least at a first point located near the upstream end of said chute, preferably substantially corresponding to the point of contact of said product section with the wall of said chute.

Thus one can avoid degradation of the envelope of said first composition, upon arrival and contact of the section in said chute.

Advantageously, a method is carried out in which:

said sections arrive in the trough substantially aligned in said longitudinal direction corresponding to their direction of transport in said wrapping unit, and

said rigid portion of the chute has: an opening diameter greater than the width or diameter of the cross section of said section and preferably less than about 2 times of said width or diameter of the cross-section of said section, preferably from 1 to 2 times said width or diameter of the cross section of said sections when the chute is an angled chute, and

- Where appropriate, the rigid bent portion of the chute preferably has a length at least equal to that of said product sections.

Given these dimensional characteristics of the chute, products are obtained having a curvature of the type of that of a sausage in a natural casing, by implementing a said bent rigid portion of the chute, bent at 90 °.

Said chute thus fulfills the additional function of:

- in case of right chute:

pre-alignment of the sections emerging from the chute one behind the other, in their longitudinal direction, moving on a conveyor or on the surface of said dipping bath in a direction perpendicular to the initial direction of transport before entry into the chute, or

- in the case of an angled chute:

- Pre-positioning of the sections exiting said chute, pre-positioned parallel to each other in their said longitudinal direction, moving on a conveyor or the surface of said dipping bath in the same direction as the initial direction of transport before entering the chute.

This type of angled chute thus makes it possible to modify, if necessary reduce, the bulk of the manufacturing facility by modifying the respective position of the wrapping units and soaking unit and, in general, dewatering unit after soaking.

In general, said chute extends inclined from the downstream end of said wrapping unit, preferably the downstream end of a conveyor on which said coated portions of said first composition are conveyed to the top of a soaking bath of said soaking unit located below said wrapping unit, preferably just above the surface of said bath.

Thus the chute performs the function of damping the fall of the products in the soaking bath in the manner of a "toboggan", which is essential in case of long or soft products that bend in an anarchic way by falling, or heavy goods that would splatter the carpet of the wrapper by falling.

The subject of the present invention is also an installation for manufacturing an elongated product comprising a base of said food material, preferably of the flesh, pulp or paste type, raw or cooked, coated with a synthetic or natural envelope, which is useful in the process according to the invention, comprising from upstream to downstream at least:

a unit for forming and cutting said material into sections of said elongated shape, comprising from upstream to downstream at least one said thrust device and a said tubular mold, and a cutting head, and

means for coating said sections of material with said envelope before, during and / or after cutting,

characterized in that it comprises at least one said tubular mold in which is incorporated a said diameter restriction device, as defined above, said tubular mold comprising, where appropriate, a said transport channel and a said sleeve forming sleeve, said forming sleeve being located upstream of said cutting head. More particularly, a manufacturing facility according to the invention comprises means for coating a said envelope comprising:

a said wrapping unit using a said first composition, and

a soaking unit in a said solution of a said second composition, and

a right or angled trough comprising at least one rigid part, preferably tubular, as defined above, said trough comprising feed means in a said second fixing composition so as to coat said sections, said trough ensuring passing said sections out of said wrapping unit, preferably between said wrapping unit and said soaking unit.

In one embodiment, the installation according to the invention comprises a plurality, preferably at least three, of said tubular molds after said thrust device, and in which said restriction devices are respectively incorporated and, where appropriate, forming sleeves, and it further comprises, if necessary, the same plurality of said chutes.

This installation thus makes it possible to manufacture in parallel and simultaneously a plurality of elongated food products such as sausages.

The present invention also provides an elongated food product comprising a base of fibrous food material which may lose volume on cooking, preferably of the flesh, pulp or paste type, raw or cooked, molded, coated with a non-synthetic coating. preconditioned, preferably an envelope consisting of calcium alginate gel, obtainable by a method according to the invention, involving the implementation of a said restriction device characterized in it has a dimension reduction in cooking both in length and dimension (s) of its cross section, in particular dimension of the diameter of its cross section. More particularly, it has, after cooking, a reduction rate of shorter length and a diameter reduction ratio greater than those obtained with a product of the same composition manufactured using the same plant without said restriction device.

Preferably, an elongated food product according to the invention has a reduction ratio of less than 25%, preferably at least 50%, in length over a product of the same composition made using of the same installation without said restriction device. More specifically, it has a reduction rate of less than 25%, preferably at least 50% less, than the reduction rate obtained for the same basic food material wrapped in the same envelope, manufactured at using an identical installation except for the absence of said restrictor and under the same cooking conditions, in particular for a food material of the meat-like meat type, preferably pork or beef, having a level of 4-15% d water and 25-30% lipids.

A product of said curved shape can be obtained by implementing:

a right restrictor and an angled chute, and this in case of fibrous or pasty food material with or without fatty deposits,

or, preferably, an inclined restrictor and a straight or preferably bent chute, in the case of said fibrous food material comprising grains, especially greasy clusters.

Thus, the present invention provides an elongated food product comprising a base of fibrous material, in the form of grains or particles greater than 3 mm, in particular from 3 to 10 mm, preferably with fat clusters, coated with an envelope. non-preconstituted synthetic composition, preferably consisting of a gel coat of the calcium alginate gel type, characterized in that said product has a curved shape of the type of that of a sausage in a natural gut.

In particular, the present invention relates to a product comprising a fibrous meat-flesh material comprising muscle fibers and fat clusters in the form of fat particles or aggregates.

According to another embodiment, the present invention provides an elongated food product consisting of pasty food material consisting of fine particles smaller than 3 mm, preferably not having a fatty mass, especially raw or cooked, coated with a envelope of a gelled composition of calcium alginate gel type, obtainable by a method according to the invention involving the implementation of a said chute and characterized in that it has a said curved shape, preferably of the type of a sausage (or blood sausage) when wrapped in natural gut.

More particularly, the present invention also provides a curved elongated food product consisting of fibrous or non-fibrous food material, preferably of the flesh, pulp or paste type, raw or cooked, in the form of fine particles smaller than 3 mm, preferably less than 2 mm and, preferably, not comprising fatty deposits, coated with an envelope of a calcium alginate gel gelled composition obtainable by a process according to the invention, involving the setting at least one bent chute characterized in that it has a said curved shape, preferably of the type of that of a sausage or sausage in a natural gut.

Even more particularly, the present invention provides an elongated food product consisting of non-fibrous food material, preferably of the flesh, pulp or paste type, raw or cooked, in the form of particles greater than 3 mm, or even greater than 5 mm, coated an envelope of a gelled composition of calcium alginate gel type, obtainable by a method according to the invention, involving the implementation of at least one said inclined restriction device characterized in that comprises greasy clumps and has a said curved shape, preferably of the type of that of a sausage or sausage in a natural gut.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the light of the following description which follows with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B show diagrams of two embodiments of an installation according to the invention comprising:

FIG. 1A: a production line in which the enveloping and dipping units are arranged perpendicularly with a single outlet head feeding a single tubular mold 1 and involving the implementation of a single transfer chute 3 between the wrapping and dipping units, said trough being a straight trough, and

FIG. 1B: the enveloping and quenching units are arranged in line in the implementation of transfer trough 3 bent, and the forming and cutting unit 1 has three output heads feeding three tubular molds 1 10 and three cutting heads 102 in parallel, as well as three parallel bent chutes 3 ensuring the transfer between the enveloping units 2 and dipping 4,

FIG. 2 represents a side view of the various components of the forming and cutting units 1 and the wrapping unit 2, and FIG. 2A represents an enlargement of the reference mark IIA,

FIGS. 3A and 3B show respectively cross-sectional (FIG. 3A) and longitudinal (FIG. 3B) views of a product having a curved shape and made from a fibrous base material 801 having fibers 802 and greasy clusters 803, a grease layer 804 forming predominantly on the concave portion of the peripheral shell 800 of said product,

FIGS. 4A and 4B show two types of positioning of a restriction device or restrictor 6 right downstream of a tubular mold 110, just upstream of a forming sleeve 7 (FIG. 4A) or upstream of a tubular mold 1 10 (FIG. 4B),

FIGS. 5A and 5B show a tubular mold 1 equipped with a restriction device or restrictor 6 inclined just upstream of a forming sleeve 7 (FIG. 5A) or upstream of a tubular mold 1 10-FIG. 5B )

FIGS. 6A and 6B show an angled chute 3 in top view (FIG. 6A) and a right chute (FIG. 6B) in plan view,

- Figure 7 shows the end of the wrapping unit 2 equipped with a transfer chute 3, inclined to ensure the transfer in a soaking unit 4 below the wrapping unit 2.

In FIGS. 1A and 1B, the various constituent units of a sausage-type elongated food product manufacturing facility according to the invention are described schematically, comprising in particular:

a forming and cutting unit in sections 1,

a wrapping unit 2 with the aid of a first composition based on sodium alginate gel,

one (or more) transfer channel (s) 3,

a soaking unit 4 in a second fixing composition based on calcium salt, and

- a drip unit 5. Put in patt the transfer chute 3 and the restriction device 6, described below, the installation according to the invention is in accordance with that described in patent WO 2004/010801.

As will be explained below, when implementing an angled chute 3, these enveloping units 2 and dipping 4 of the installation can be placed in line, as shown in Figure IB.

The forming and cutting unit 1 comprises a pushing device or pusher 101 which provides food for said basic food material, in particular sausage meat, (or) mold (s) tubular (s) 110 , this (or these) cutting head (s) 102.

In FIG. 1A, the thrust device 101 directly feeds a tubular mold serving as a transport channel 110, while in FIG. 1B the pusher device supplies a distributor 103 through a supply channel 104, said distributor 103 for feeding three parallel tubular molds 110 and three cutting heads 102, as described in WO 2004/010801.

The forming and cutting units 1 and the wrapping unit 2 are shown in more detail on the side in FIG. 2.

A conveyor 201 transfers the sections of sausage meat 8 into a bath 202 of a said first sodium alginate-based envelope composition, which is fed by a curtain 203 of said composition located above the bath. By overflow, said first envelope composition is evacuated into a storage bin 204 located below the machine and a pump 205 continuously circulates said first envelope composition.

When said food product 8 is made of fibrous material, for example sausage meat 801, the pusher device 101 is fed with minced meat into particles or coarse grains, generally from diameter greater than 5 mm. Then, the thrust device 101 ensures the compacting and the homogenization of the flesh in the feed channel 104 or directly in a tubular mold 1 10. However, the flesh 801 still comprises fragments of lean muscle fibers 802 and clusters. greasy 803 (only 802 fibers have been shown schematically in the figures).

Due to the effect of displacement in the various channels or molds, the fiber fragments tend to align in the longitudinal direction of transport and it is possible that the fat clusters tend to agglomerate against the wall of the duct. supply 104 and / or tubular mold 1 10, and be found at the periphery of the product 8.

For this type of product based on fibrous material and / or coarse grains (greater than 3 mm) and / or for a material comprising greasy clusters, it is advantageous to use a restriction device of diameter 6, as described on FIGS. 4A-4B and 5A-5B, inside the tubular mold 1 10.

The restriction device 6 comprises a tubular orifice 601 whose inner diameter is of the order of 1/4 to 1/5 of the internal diameter of the tubular mold 110 upstream of the restriction device 6.

The restriction device 6 comprises a funnel 602 ensuring the connection between the wall of the tubular mold 1 10 and the inlet of the tubular orifice 601, and thus facilitating the passage of the food material 801 towards said tubular orifice 601.

Said tubular mold comprises a transport channel 1 10 of said food material inside which is inserted, downstream, an interchangeable forming sleeve 7 comprising a hollow internal channel 701 through which said material is pushed, of cross section, preferably circular, of reduced size relative to that of said transport channel in which it is inserted, the section of the internal channel 701 of the sleeve 7 being calibrated to obtain an elongated food product 8 of defined cross-section.

The diameter of the tubular orifice 601 corresponds to approximately 1/3 of the internal diameter of the hollow internal channel 701 of the forming sleeve 7, in which the said material 801 opens out at the outlet of the said tubular orifice 601 of the restriction device 6.

The sausage meat-type fibrous materials have an unstable behavior and, in particular, a tendency to reduce in length during cooking, due to the reduction in size of the muscle fibers arranged in the longitudinal direction which they contain. The restrictor 6 is likely to distribute the fibers in all directions and break some fibers, and also has the effect of promoting the agglomeration of grease on the periphery of the material of the product section 8 against the wall of the internal channel hollow 701 of the forming sleeve 7 or of the tubular mold 1 10 at the outlet of the tubular orifice 601 of the restrictor 6.

The restrictor 6 can be located at different levels in the tubular mold 1 10. However, preferably, as shown in FIGS.

4A-5A, the restrictor 6 is located just upstream of the forming sleeve 7, which has the effect of avoiding a realignment of the muscle fibers before the flesh arrives in the forming and cutting head 102.

In FIGS. 4B and 5B, the restrictor 6 is placed just at the inlet of the tubular mold 110 at the output of the thrust device 101.

In Figures 5A and 5B, an inclined restrictor has been implemented. In the same way as for the right restrictors of FIGS. 4A and 4B, the fibers 802 of the sausage meat 801 are oriented in all directions at the outlet of the restrictor 6, but the fat clusters 803 are deposited, it seems, in greater quantity on the upper part of the product 8, that is to say on the upper part of the wall of the internal channel 701 of the forming sleeve 7. As has been seen previously, the implementation of the restrictor 6 allows the sausage does not reduce, or substantially not, in length after cooking and simply reduce a little in diameter. More specifically, with or without a restrictor, the reduction in product volume during cooking is substantially the same. But, in the presence of a restrictor according to the invention, the dimension reduction no longer occurs solely or essentially in length, but also occurs substantially in diameter. The muscle fibers 802 of the flesh after the restrictor 6 are no longer oriented only in the longitudinal direction of transport and in the lengthwise direction of the sausage and, as a result, the muscle fibers 802 retract during cooking. will not favor a decrease in the longitudinal direction, as was the case previously.

Moreover, when implementing an inclined restrictor, according to Figures 5A and 5B, the sausage 8 is bent slightly after stuffing, cutting and wrapping and more accentuated after cooking. The restrictor 6 because of its inclined disposition causes, it seems, the accumulation of fat 804 mainly on one side of the product. This has the effect of bending the sausage on one side. In addition, the fat 804 melting during cooking, will be diluted in the flesh 801 and allow the flesh 801 to take its place, which creates a tension perpendicular to the axis of the sausage oriented towards the side where the fat was filed majority; it is this phenomenon which, it seems, has the effect of bending the sausage. In addition, it seems that in the presence of an inclined restrictor, the orientation of the fibers is different on the two opposite sides of the sausage, which would explain that there is a curvature when cooking, even in the absence of greasy clusters, due to the difference in length reduction related to this difference in orientation of the fibers.

In FIGS. 5A and 5B, the tubular orifice of the restriction device 6 is inclined at an angle α of approximately 20 to 30 ° with respect to the axis of the tubular mold 110 upstream. In FIGS. 2 and 7, at the end 200 of the conveyor 201 of the wrapping unit 2, the sausage-type food product 8 is transferred into the soaking unit 4 via a transfer chute 3.

Because the bath of the soaking unit 4 is below the end 200 of the conveyor 201, the chute 3 is inclined and acts as a "slide" in which the elongated products 8 sausage type are accompanied smoothly to the soaking bath of the soaking unit 4 containing a said second calcium salt fixing composition capable of forming a calcium alginate gel envelope on the surface of the base material constituting said food product 8 to form an envelope 800.

The soaking tank of the soaking unit 4 is arranged to receive the sausage products 8 falling downstream of the chute 3. This dipping tank and the conveyor 201 may extend perpendicularly or in alignment according to that it implements a transfer chute 3 right, as in Figure IA, or bent, as in Figure IB. In both embodiments, the sausage-type products conveyed by the conveyor queue in a row behind one another in the trough 3, and are deposited in the dipping tank in which they extend side by side parallel to each other. others at the outlet of the chute, and wherein they are moved in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal directions of said food products of elongated sausage type.

In the drip unit 5 at the outlet of the tank of the soaking unit 4, a conveyor equipped with a perforated band allows the draining of the excess of the composition enveloping the products leaving the soaking bath, the same way as regards the first conveyor 201 of the wrapping unit 2. A collection tray extends over the entire length of the conveyors so as to collect the liquid dripping sausages conveyed by the conveyors . In Figures 6 and 7, the chute 3 comprises a portion equipped with a flexible upper wall 302 of substantially straight axis, and a possibly bent rigid tubular portion 301.

The trough is equipped with supply ducts 303, 304, 305, in said second fixing composition of calcium salt, so that

on the one hand, the sections of elongated food product of the sausage type, penetrating into the chute, are accompanied and slide in the chute without damaging their envelope of said first composition, and

- On the other hand, the envelope 800 is manipulable and begins to harden a little on the surface, and almost instantly by curing the surface envelope under the effect of said second fixing composition.

Given the respective disposition of the wrapping unit 2 and dipping unit 4, and the position of the trough of the chute with respect to the exit of the wrapper, the chute 3 is inclined, its inclination being variable by a fixing step 306. The first supply conduit 303 said second envelope composition is located at the bottom wall of the first portion 301 of the chute, near or upstream of the contact point of the product section 8 with this lower wall of the chute. Thus, the flow of said second fixing composition promotes the sliding of the product 8 in the chute.

To ensure the complete and uniform distribution of said second composition around the product sections 8, two other supply ducts 304 and 305 are provided arriving at the upper wall of the chute in its bent rigid portion 301, so that the surface solidification of the envelope occurs at the moment of passage, that is to say simultaneously with the curved shaping of the product sections by the passage in the chute, due to the solidification occurring through said second fixing composition. The sausage stays longer easily curved by falling into the soaking bath located downstream of the chute. The feed, through the first feed duct 303, allows the sausage does not catch on the bottom wall of the chute and thus prevents the casing is deteriorated. Feeding through the other two upper ducts 304 and 305, allows surface solidification of the casing of the sausage over its entire surface, after it has already been shaped in the bent portion, which facilitates the curvature and stabilizes it by partial hardening of the envelope after curvature.

The implementation of an angled chute makes it possible to obtain curved products, even in the case of thin pulp meat free of fatty deposits and in the absence of implementation of inclined restriction device 6 whose use is not required for non-fibrous staple foods. However, for these non-fibrous materials, the restrictor improves the texture in the mouth of products containing it.

When implementing an inclined restriction device as in FIGS. 5A and 5B, for treating fiber-based and / or greasy base food materials, it may be advantageous to use an angled chute to accentuate the bending and stabilizing the curved shape by curing the shell, as mentioned above, before the immersion unit is introduced into the bath 4.

However, in general, it will rather combine the implementation of a right restrictor, according to Figure 4A, with an angled chute to facilitate the introduction of straight products 8 inside the chute.

Finally, it will implement 3 straight chutes possibly in combination with right restriction devices 6, in the case where it is not sought to obtain products 8 of curved shape, although a curved chute does not interfere if the product is not watered with a calcium solution on the top of the product in the chute. By way of illustration, to form products 8 of the sausage type 10 to 15 cm long, the production capacity of an installation according to the invention will be of the order of 150 kg / h for the unit comprising a single mold tubular 1 10 and a single chute 3, and 450 kg / h for an installation comprising 3 parallel tubular molds and 3 parallel chutes.

The channel 110 has a length of about 20 to 30 cm and a diameter of 30 to 40 mm. A forming sleeve 7 has a length of 2 to 3 cm and a diameter of 15 to 30 mm.

The tubular orifice 601 of the restrictor 6 has a length of about 10 to 15 mm and a diameter of 5 to 10 mm.

The bent tubular rigid wall 301 of the chute has a diameter of about 40-45 mm and a length substantially corresponding to the length of the products to be formed.

Said first shell composition is an aqueous composition comprising a content of 0.5 to 2% of sodium alginate with proteins, preferably with vegetable proteins, and / or sugar and / or aldodextrin. Said second fixing composition contains a proportion by weight of 0.1 to 50%, or even more than 50%, of calcium chloride, preferably 7 to 15%, as described in the examples of WO 2004/010801.

With such an envelope, pork or beef sausage meat with grains larger than 3 mm, containing 25-30% of lipids and 4-15 of water, without any additive or emulsifying ingredient or water retentive , except NaCl at a rate of 2%, present in standard cooking condition, a length reduction of 6 to 13% when manufactured with a straight or inclined restrictor as described above, while this is greater than 20% in the absence of a restrictor.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an elongate food product (8) comprising a base of food material (801), preferably of the flesh, pulp or paste type, raw or cooked, molded, coated with a synthetic envelope or natural (800), wherein: a) forming said material into said elongated shape with forming means (1) comprising a tubular mold push device (101), passing said fibrous material through a diameter restriction device ( 6) inside said tubular mold (110), and b) sections of said material thus formed are cut and coated with a said envelope, before, during and / or after cutting, characterized in that said fibrous material (801) is passed through said tubular port (601) of said restriction device (6) having an internal diameter of less than 1/2, preferably less than 1/3, of the inner diameter of the portions of said tubular mold (110) just upstream and downstream of said restriction device, and, preferably, the diameter of said mold, just downstream of said orifice, is at least greater than 1.5 times, preferably 3 times that of said tubular orifice (601). 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said food material is a fibrous food material chopped particles or grains larger than 3 mtn before introduction into said thrust device (101) and the axial length and the internal diameter of said tubular orifice (601) are greater than the size of said grains or particles, preferably are from 1.2 to 3 times the size of said grains or particles constituting said initial fibrous material. 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said food material is raw meat meat comprising muscle fibers and said food product is in sausage form with a substantially circular cross section. 4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the restriction device (6) comprises a funnel-shaped wall (602) flaring widening from said tubular orifice (601) to the wall of said mold (1 10) upstream of the restriction device. 5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said mold comprises a transport channel (110) of said food material inside which is inserted, downstream, a forming sleeve (7) interchangeable comprising a hollow internal channel (701) through which said material (801) is pushed, of circular cross-section or not, of reduced size relative to that of said transport channel in which it is inserted, the section of the internal channel the bushing being calibrated to obtain an elongate food product of defined cross-section, said material (801) being cut into sections (8) at the outlet of said forming bushing (7). 6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the restriction device (6) is placed just upstream of the forming sleeve (7), so that said food material opens directly inside the internal channel (701). ) of said bushing at the outlet of said tubular orifice (601). 7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the axis of said tubular orifice (601) of the restriction device (6) is inclined (α) relative to that of the tubular mold in which it is placed preferably at an angle of at least 5 °, more preferably 15 to 60 °. 8. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a casing consisting of a gel type calcium alginate gel on said food product, by coating a first composition of the type sodium alginate before, during and / or after cutting in section, followed by soaking in a second composition of calcium salt. 9. Process according to claim 8, characterized in that: 1 - said material is formed in a said elongated shape, preferably substantially straight, by passing through a tubular mold (110, 7) using a pushing device, and 2- a first composition intended to gel, of the sodium alginate type, is preferably applied, and Said material thus formed is cut into sections, and 4-enveloping said sections with a said first composition for gelling, of the sodium alginate type, in a wrapping unit (2), then Said sections are passed through a trough (3) comprising at least one rigid part (301), preferably tubular, said trough being fed (303-305) in a second fixing composition of said gel comprising a calcium salt, so as to coat said sections, at least on their underside, preferably over their entire surface, and then At the outlet of the trough, the coated sections of said first composition are immersed in a said second fixing composition. 10. The manufacturing method according to claim 9, characterized in that one manufactures a said elongate food product curve (8) by performing the steps in which: 1 - said material is formed in a first elongate shape, preferably substantially straight, by passing through a said tubular mold (110, 7), and 2- a first composition intended to gel, of the sodium alginate type, is preferably applied, and 3- said material thus formed is cut into sections according to a first elongated shape, preferably substantially straight, and Said sections are enveloped with a first composition intended to gel, of the sodium alginate type, in a wrapping unit (2), then The shape of said sections is modified in a said elongated curved shape by passing them through a said trough comprising at least one rigid, bent, preferably tubular part, said trough being fed with a said second fixing composition so as to coat said sections, preferably over their entire surface, then At the outlet of the chute, the enveloped sections of said first composition are placed in contact, preferably by immersion in a dipping unit (4), in or with a second fixing composition of said gel comprising a calcium salt. 1 1. A method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that said chute (3) is fed with a said second composition at least two points (303,304-305) located on, respectively, two opposite sides of the wall of said chute. 12. Method according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that said chute is fed said second composition at least at a first point (303) located near the upstream end of said chute, preferably corresponding substantially to point of contact of said product section (8) with the wall of said chute. 13. Method according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that: said sections arrive in the chute (3) substantially aligned in said longitudinal direction corresponding to their direction of transport in said wrapping unit (2), and said rigid portion (301) of the chute presents: an opening diameter greater than the width or diameter of the cross section of said section and preferably less than about 2 times said width or diameter of the cross-section of said section, more preferably from 1 to 2 times said width or diameter of the cross section of said sections when the chute is a bent chute, and where appropriate the rigid bent portion of the chute preferably has a length at least equal to that of said product sections (8). 14. Method according to one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that said rigid bent portion of the chute is bent at 90 °. 15. Method according to one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that said chute extends inclined from the downstream end (200) of said wrapping unit (2), preferably the downstream end ( 200) of a conveyor (201) on which said coated portions of said first composition are transported, to the top of a soaking bath of said dipping unit (4) situated below said wrapping unit (2). ), preferably just above the surface of said bath. 16. Elongated food product comprising a fibrous food material base capable of losing volume during cooking, preferably of the flesh, pulp or paste type, raw or cooked, molded, coated with a non-preconstituted synthetic envelope, susceptible to be obtained by a method according to one of claims 1 to 15, involving the implementation of a said restriction device, characterized in that it has a reduction in size at baking, both in length and in dimension (s) of the cross-section. 17. Elongated food product comprising a fibrous food material base capable of losing volume on cooking, preferably of the flesh, pulp or pulp type, raw or cooked, molded, coated with an unprepared synthetic shell, capable of obtained by a method according to one of claims 1 to 15, involving the implementation of a said restriction device, characterized in that it has, after cooking, a lower reduction rate and a rate diameter reduction greater than those obtained with a product of the same composition manufactured using the same plant without said restriction device, preferably a reduction rate of less than 25% less length, preferably less at least 50% relative to a product of the same composition manufactured using the same installation without said restriction device. 18. The product of claim 16 or 17, characterized in that said fibrous food material is in the form of grains or particles greater than 3 mm, preferably with greasy clumps, and said product comprises a synthetic envelope not preconstituted, preferably consisting of a gelled envelope based on calcium alginate, and it has a curved shape, preferably of the type of a sausage when wrapped in a natural gut. 19. Elongated food product consisting of pasty food material consisting of fine particles smaller than 3 mm, preferably not having a fatty mass, coated with a gelled calcium alginate gel type of gum obtainable by a method according to one of claims 10 to 15 involving the implementation of a said bent chute and characterized in that it has a said curved shape, preferably of the type of that of a sausage (or boudin) when he (or she) is wrapped in natural gut. 20. Apparatus for manufacturing an elongated product (8) comprising a base of said food material (801), preferably of the flesh, pulp or paste type, raw or cooked, coated with a synthetic or natural envelope (800 ), useful in the process according to one of claims 1 to 15, comprising from upstream to downstream at least: a forming and cutting unit (1) of said material into sections of said elongate shape, comprising from upstream to downstream at least one said thrust device (101) and a said tubular mold (110), and a head of cutting (102), and - coating means (2) of said sections (8) of material by a said envelope (800) before, during and / or after cutting, characterized in that it comprises at least one said tubular mold (1 10) in which is incorporated a said diameter restriction device (6), as defined in one of claims 1 and 4 to 7, said tubular mold comprising, if appropriate, a said transport channel (110) and a said forming sleeve (7), said forming sleeve (7) being located upstream of said cutting head (102). An elongate food product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 20, useful for a method according to one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that said envelope coating means (800) comprises at least: a said wrapping unit (2) using a said first composition, and a soaking unit (4) in a said solution of a said second composition, and - A said chute (3), straight or bent, comprising at least one rigid portion (301), preferably tubular, as defined in one of claims 9, 11 to 13 and 15, said chute comprising means for supply (303, 304-305) in a said second fixing composition so as to coat said sections, said chute ensuring the passage of said sections out of said wrapping unit (2), preferably between said wrapping unit (2) and said dipping unit (4). 22. Installation according to one of claims 20 or 21, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of preferably at least three said tubular molds (1 10) after said thrust device, and wherein are incorporated respectively said restriction devices (6) and, if necessary, forming sleeves (7), and it further comprises, if necessary, the same plurality of said troughs (3).