Design of a universal apparatus for heat treatment of meat and vegetable cooked and smoked products with the addition of dried semi-finished products of a high degree of readiness to the recipe

Abstract

The object of the study is the process of smoking a molded meat-vegetable product with the addition of a dried semi-finished product of a high degree of readiness based on Jerusalem artichoke, zucchini, and carrots. Combined health products will satisfy the demand of end users for functional products of the new generation and will solve the technological problems of manufacturers in accordance with European competitiveness procedures. They will expand the offer of products with rational nutritional, taste, aesthetic characteristics that will meet the modern trends of craft producers, NoReCa business, and consumer expectations. A universal device for heat treatment of meat and vegetable products under hot and cold smoking conditions has been designed based on a film-like resistive electric heater of the radiating type. The device uses Peltier elements placed on the outer surface of the smoke generator and, at a temperature of 45 °C, they form a low-voltage power supply (~3...4 W) from the conversion of secondary heat. Cold smoking is carried out in the temperature range up to 25 °С, provided that the outer surface of the heater is covered with a coil heat exchanger through which the coolant passes. During hot smoking, the air medium is in the heat exchanger (additional thermal insulation of the chamber). The uniformity of the temperature field of the meat-vegetable product (meatloaf with a diameter of 0.08±0.01 m) during hot smoking has been confirmed, provided that the center of the loaf reaches 65 °C and the total duration of the process is 5.5 hours. The introduction of dried semi-finished products of a high degree of readiness into the recipe of meat loaves increases the yield of the product by 18 % and the mass fraction of protein by 25 %. The moisture retention capacity of the experimental meat product increases by 11 % with a 33 % decrease in calorie content, which indicates an improvement in its quality indicators compared to the analog