APPLICATION
sauces
David, manufacturing manager
of a leading brand
THE situation
BEFORE ActiMeat
« I have to deal with the same comment regularly – «Where is the meat in the Bolognese sauce»? I see that when I put the ingredients into a pot the pieces of meat break up, even though they make up 18% of the recipe. I am prepared to pay a little bit more if the result is convincing. Do you have a solution?»
The manufacturer uses any form of beef meat supplies, in 25kg (3.94 stone) blocks, consisting just of muscle. Following defrosting, it minces the meat into pieces with a diameter of 8mm (0.31 inches) and then puts the ingredient into a pot in which vertical mixing using a scraper takes place in a mix of oil and flavourings before tomato sauce is added. Once the mix reaches the right temperature, the pot filling and sterilisation operations begin.
ActiMeat was consulted regarding a sauce range as regards their national brand recipe,with a view to supplying the manufacturer with 900 tonnes.
REsistance
of the pieces
ActiMeat studied the principles of extrusion, of compression and of density of the meat in order to resolve this problem.
The know-how developed by us resides in a twin grinding process which ensures that hard substances
in the meat are turned into smaller pieces and then controlled compression which forms the pellets
of meat. Thus, we obtain raw minced beef meat with a density within the bracket determined in conjunction with the client.
Cooking
of the meat
In order to increase the standard of quality as perceived by the end consumer, we supplemented the shaping process by cooking and cooling the meat pellets.
Our process enables us to roast the meat and it means that the cooking juice will be reabsorbed
during quick cooling prior to IQF freezing. Thus the protein which was modified ensures maintenance of the structure of the pellets of cooked minced meat.
Measurements & checks
during the process
All of our deliveries undergo the most stringent of tests and our client has strengthened its position as leader in the market.
A predictive resistance test has been developed to simulate, in an acid environment, the mixing which takes place as part of the industrial manufacturing and sterilisation process. The test entails the observation and calculation of the percentage of pieces visible, guaranteeing the sales promise.
THE ANSWER
ACTIMEAT