Background
New food process
Limited success of existing processes
Technological breakthrough
The basic process
Additional applications
Safe use of ingredients
Economics
Key advantages
Commercialisation
New food processRextrusion, a new food process invented in South Africa, shows great promise for the production-line manufacture of affordable and high-quality foods. The process will first be used in the meat, fish and poultry industry, and then spread to other industry sectors as manufacturers begin to exploit its potential.
Meat carcasses contain a great proportion of muscle meat. Only some of it, the large steak portions, sells at top prices. A significant amount of smaller, high-quality off-cuts is used in less profitable processed products. For decades, meat scientists and technologists have tried to devise a method whereby this quality meat could be reformed into continuous blocks which when sliced would have the qualities of large steak portions.
Limited success of existing processesSo far, there's been only limited success; all the processes in use today have some disadvantage or other. They
- cost too much, or
- set too slowly, or
- have a poor or unnatural textural quality, or
- cannot be manufactured on a continuous production line, or
- are difficult to work with, or
- need to be frozen, but break up when defrosted,
… and so on.Technological breakthroughAt last South African-based food technology developer Mikhailo Melnyczuk has achieved the long-sought-after technological breakthrough. The basic method - and other split-off applications - has any number of commercial possibilities throughout the world.
"This is one of the most noteworthy events to take place in the world's food industry during the last few decades," asserts Neil Balfour, Executive Director of Rex Food Technologies.
"It promises to have a fundamental impact upon the world's meat, fish, poultry, pork and cheese industries."
Prospective international customers and investors have been particularly impressed with the results achieved to date.
The basic processCubes or strips of meat are blended with other ingredients in a continuous extrusion process, irreversibly setting the meat within seconds. The meat emerges from the machine as a continuous custom-shaped loaf, and is immediately ready to be sliced into steaks or bacon-thin slices.
The slices do not stick together and do not have to be individually wrapped. Individual custom made 3D-shapes can also be produced continuously. Packing can take place immediately for sale under normal cold chain or for subsequent freezing.
Classic applications are the re-forming of poultry, fish, pork and red meat trimmings. The resultant product is a controlled-portion 'steaklet' with improved succulence and yield.
The integrity of the original muscle fibre is retained. This makes 'the eat' the same as before — only better. Chicken breast for instance is no longer dry, but transformed. It becomes a moist, juicy and succulent delicacy.
Additional applicationsThe process has additional applications right across the food spectrum. On the one hand it can be used to salvage high cost trimmings and give them value at low marginal cost. On the other, the technology makes it possible for products to be extended by combining the particular product with low cost nutritious foods such as maize-meal, samp, rice or even green vegetables. Non-meat foods on their own can also be transformed into a variety of unique new products.
Safe use of ingredientsThe ingredients used are USDA approved and have been in use in the food industry for decades. The formulation can easily be adapted to local conditions, raw materials availability and specification, or particular applications.
Rextrusion does not rely on genetic modification, irradiation or any additives found unacceptable by consumers.
EconomicsThe economics are attractive, as the cost of processing both steak products and extended products is low. The up-to-40% use of wholesome inexpensive extenders like whole-cooked maize is simply achieved. This results in extremely palatable and nutritious end-products.
Key advantagesKey advantages include:
- product slices do not stick to each other;
- the product does not have to be frozen to prevent fragmentation; and
- shelf-life under normal cold-chain conditions is excellent - on a par with regular steak.
CommercialisationRex is now vigorously preparing for an aggressive international launch. Strategic planning is virtually complete, operational financial resources are being put in place and negotiations with potential development financiers, distributors and customers in various parts of the world are underway.
Customers will be offered a full range of options to suit their needs. Appropriate machinery will be supplied and the functional ingredients pre-blended and sold for specific applications. Alternatively, Rex can work closely with customers to customise the solution to suit specific preferences. |