Process of preserving shellfish meat, and product of said process

Claim 1

A SHELLFISH MEAT PRODUCT COMPRISING SHELLFISH MEAT THAT HAS BEEN COOKED TO A DEGREE SUCH THAT IT IS EDIBLE AND WHICH IS IN PASTEURIZED CONDITION, SAID COOKED, PASTEURIZED SHELLFISH MEAT BEING IMPREGNATED WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION, SAID SOLUTION BEING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF (A) A CHLORIDE, (B) AN ANTIBACTERIAL AGENT OTHER THAN SAID CHLORIDE (A), AND (C) A STRONG ORGANIC ACID CAPABLE OF PRODUCING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF PH LESS THAN ABOUT 5; SAID CHLORIDE (A) BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE, SAID ANTIBACTERIAL AGENT (B) AND ACID (C) BEING NON-TOXIC FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION; SAID CHLORIDE (A) BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT NOT LESS THAN 2.5 PERCENT; SAID ANTIBACTERIAL AGENT BEING PRESENT IN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO INHIBIT GROWTH OF BACTERIA IN THE SHELLFISH MEAT; SAID ACID (C) BEING PRESENT IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO PRODUCE A PH OF ABOUT 5 OR LESS; SAID IMPREGNATED SHELLFHISH MEAT BEING ENCLOSED IN A CONTAINER WHICH SERVES TO PREVENT ACESS OF AMBIENT ORGANISMS AND LOSS OF SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION.

Claim 12

A method of preserving shellfish meat which comprises providing shellfish meat that has been cooked to a degree that it is edible, impregnating the cooked shellfish meat with an aqueous solution of a chloride (a), an antibacterial agent (b) other than said chloride (a), and an acid (c), said chloride (a) being selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, potassium chloride and calcium chloride and being present in an amount not less than 2.5 percent, said antibacterial agent (b) being non-toxic for human consumption and being present in an amount sufficient to inhibit the growth in the shellfish meat of bacteria and said acid (c) being non-toxic for human consumption and being present in an amount sufficient to provide a pH not greater than about 5; sealing the shellfish meat after impregnation and pasteurizing the shellfish meat under conditions such that the impregnating solution is not leached out during the pasteurization process.

Claim 13

A method of preserving shellfish meat which comprises providing shellfish meat that has been cooked to a degree that it is edible, impregnating the cooked shellfish meat with an aqueous solution of a chloride (a), an antibacterial agent (b) other than said chloride (a), and an acid (c), said chloride (a) being selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, potassium chloride and calcium chloride and being present in an amount not less than 2.5 percent, said antibacterial agent (b) being non-toxic for human consumption and being present in an amount sufficient to inhibit the growth in the shellfish meat of bacteria and said acid (c) being non-toxic for human consumption and being present in an amount sufficient to provide a pH not greater than about 5; sealing the shellfish meat after impregnation and pasteurizing the shellfish meat under conditions such that the impregnating solution is not leached out during the pasteurization process.