Process for packaging, cooling and storing food items

Claim 1

An improved method of preparing food products for chilled unfrozen storage comprising the steps of: (a) providing a food product with a minimum temperature of 180° F., said food product having a tendency to solidify upon cooling from 180° F. to below 40° F. but above its freezing temperature; (b) providing a flexible receptacle having low gas and moisture permeability; (c) filling said receptacle with a quantity of food product at said minimum temperature so that said food product is mobile within said receptacle and the walls of the filled receptacle remain flexible and the receptacle can freely change shape; (d) closing said receptacle; (e) placing said receptacle in a cooling medium maintained at less than 40° F. said receptacle not being connected to any other receptacle in the cooling medium and said receptacle being free to move within the medium independently of other receptacles; and, (f) tumbling said receptacle within said cooling medium to cause the receptacle to flex and change its shape and the food product to move within the receptacle to such an extent sufficient to reduce the temperature of the food from the 180° F. to less than 40° F. but above its freezing temperature in less than 30 minutes consequently restricting microbial growth within said food product and to prevent the accumulation of any solidified fats, derived from the food product, on the interior walls of the receptacle.