Egg product with particulates
View Patent ↗A liquid egg product including particulates and the methods of producing the same. The particulates are combined with starch and water or egg whites or egg substitute to form a particulate stream, which is thermally treated prior to combining with an appropriate amount of egg white or egg substitute. The resulting egg product is a ready to cook combination of egg white or egg substitute and particulates that has an extended refrigerated shelf life.
1. A method of producing a liquid egg product containing particulates comprising:
combining particulates with starch and water in a clean environment, the particulates comprising meat, cheese, vegetable and/or fruit, to form a particulate stream;
heating the particulate stream and maintaining a temperature of approximately 150° F. to 170° F. for approximately 8 to 12 minutes;
cooling the particulate stream to a temperature of less than approximately 40° F.; and
combining the cooled particulate stream with liquid egg white or liquid egg substitute.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising packaging the combination of particulate stream and egg white or egg substitute.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the meat and/or cheese is pasteurized prior to combining with starch and water to form the particulate stream.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the vegetable and/or fruit is partially dehydrated and frozen prior to combining with starch and water to form the particulate stream.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the particulates comprise up to approximately 50% by weight of the egg product.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the water and starch are combined and thermally processed prior to combining with the particulates.
7. A liquid egg product produced according to the method of claim 1 .
8. A method of producing a liquid egg product containing particulates comprising:
combining particulates with egg white or egg substitute in a clean environment, the particulates comprising meat, cheese, vegetable and/or fruit, to form a particulate stream;
heating the particulate stream and maintaining a temperature of approximately 130° F. to 140° F. for approximately 8 to 12 minutes;
cooling the particulate stream to a temperature of less than approximately 40° F.; and
combining the cooled particulate stream with additional liquid egg white or liquid egg substitute.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising packaging the combination of particulate stream and additional egg white or egg substitute.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein the meat and/or cheese is pasteurized prior to combining with egg white or egg substitute to form the particulate stream.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein the vegetable and/or fruit is partially dehydrated and frozen prior to combining with egg white or egg substitute to form the particulate stream.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein the particulates comprise up to approximately 50% by weight of the egg product.
13. The method of claim 8 wherein the egg white or egg substitute is pasteurized prior to combining with the particulates or the particulate stream.
14. The method of claim 8 further comprising combining the particulates, the particulate stream, or the egg white or egg substitute with an anti-microbial preparation.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the anti-microbial preparation is nisin or a nisin-containing preparation.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein the anti-microbial preparation inhibits the growth of microbes that may survive pasteurization of egg whites or egg substitutes.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the microbe is Listeria monocytogenes or a spore-forming microbe.
18. A liquid egg product produced according to the method of claim 8 .
19. The method of claim 8 , wherein the particulate stream is heated and maintained at a temperature of approximately 138° F.