Comminuted meat product stabilized with jicama

Claim 2

A BACTERIOLOGICALLY STABLE FOOD COMPOSITION HAVING A MOISTURE-CONTENT OF FROM ABOUT 15 PERCENT TO ABOUT 50 PERCENT BY WEIGHT AND A WATER ACTIVITY OF ABOUT 0.8 - 0.9 CONSISTING ESENTIALLY OF: A. A BLEND OF ONE PART BY WEIGHT OF MEAT NORMALLY CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING BACTERIAL GROWTH AND COMMINUTED TO A PARTICLE SIZE RANGING FROM ABOUT 30 MESH SIZE TO ABOUT 400 MESH SIZE (U.S.S. SIEVE), AND B. FROM ABOUT ONE-THIRD TO ABOUT ONE PART BY WEIGHT OF DEHYDRATED AND COMMINUTED UNCOOKED JICAMA, SAID JICAMA HAVING BEEN DEHYDRATED TO DEPLETE IT OF ITS FREE WATER CONTENT UNDER CONDITIONS WHEREAT ITS MACROMOLECULAR CELLULAR STRUCTURAL SYSTEM IS NOT COLLAPSED AND ITS BOUND WATER CONTENT UNDISTRUBED AND HAVING THEN BEEN COMMINUTED TO A PARTICLE SIZE RANGING FROM ABOUT 70 MESH SIZE TO ABOUT 400 MESH SIZE (U.S.S SIEVE).

Claim 3

The food composition of claim 1 wherein the ingredients are comminuted, admixed and reformed into aggregates having shapes selected from the group consisting of flakes, ribbons, chips and rings.

Claim 4

A process for preparing a bacteriologically stable food composition having a moisture content of from about 15 percent to about 50 percent by weight and a water activity of about 0.8 -0.9 which consists essentially of: a. comminuting one part by weight of meat normally capable of supporting bacterial growth to a particle size ranging from about 30 mesh size to about 400 mesh size (U.S.S. Sieve) and uniformly blending said comminuted meat with b. from about one-third to about one part by weight of dehydrated and comminuted uncooked jicama, said jicama having first been dehydrated to about 5 - 15 percent moisture, thereby depleting it of its free water content under dehydrating conditions whereat the macromolecular cellular structural system of said jicama is not collapsed and the jicama bound water content is undisturbed and then having been comminuted to a particle size ranging from about 70 mesh size to about 400 mesh size (U.S.S. Sieve), c. forming the blended ingredients, having a moisture content of from about 15 to about 50 percent by weight to the desired food product shape, and d. packaging the shaped food product in a moisture impermeable container.

Claim 5

A process for preparing a bacteriologically stable food composition having a moisture content of from about 15 percent to about 50 percent by weight and a water activity of about 0.8 -0.9 which consists essentially of: a. comminuting one part by weight of meat normally capable of supporting bacterial growth to a particle size ranging from about 30 mesh size to about 400 mesh size (U.S.S. Sieve) and uniformly blending said comminuted meat with b. from about one-third to about one part by weight of dehydrated and comminuted uncooked jicama, said jicama having first been dehydrated to about 5 - 15 percent moisture, thereby depleting it of its free water content under dehydrating conditions whereat the macromolecular cellular structural system of said jicama is not collapsed and the jicama bound water content is undisturbed and then having been comminuted to a particle size ranging from about 70 mesh size to about 400 mesh size (U.S.S. Sieve), c. forming the blended ingredients, having a moisture content of from about 15 to about 50 percent by weight to the desired food product shape, and d. packaging the shaped food product in a moisture impermeable container.