Method of compacting freeze-dried particulate foods

Claim 1

A process for making a dehydrated, compacted food mass selected from the group consisting of vegetables and meats characterized by having a density of from about 0.7 to about 1.2 grams per cc and being capable of rehydration to produce distinct particles of rehydrated food which have substantially the same size, shape, and cellular structure characteristics as the particles of food from which said dehydrated, compacted food mass is prepared and which are acceptable in accordance with scale testing, which comprises the steps of: a. partially freeze-vacuum-dehydrating particles of a food selected from the group consisting of vegetables and meats to a moisture content of from about 10 percent to about 35 percent by weight; b. irradiating said partially freeze-vacuum-dehydrated particles of food with microwave radiations, the core portions of said particles being frozen at the beginning of said microwave irradiation, said irradiation being carried out at a frequency and intensity of said microwave radiations and for a time sufficient to produce redistribution of said moisture remaining in said particles substantially uniformly throughout said particles so as to plasticize said particles substantially uniformly throughout the same; c. comprising said plasticized particles at a pressure of from about 200 psi to about 4000 psi for a period of time sufficient to cause said particles to adhere together forming a compacted food mass while maintaining the moisture content of said particles and said compacted food mass at from about 10 to about 35 percent by weight; and d. redehydrating said compacted food mass to form a redehydrated, compacted food mass having a moisture content of from about 1 percent to about 5 percent by weight.