MEAT TENDERIZING USING SUBSTRATE WITH PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS

1 . A stretchable device for meat tenderizing, the device comprising:

a substrate having at least one structural reinforcing member, the substrate including a conductive material that is thermally and/or electrically conductive, the at least one structural reinforcing member being positioned so as to control stretching of the substrate; and

a phase change member on a surface of at least a portion of the substrate, the phase change member comprising a phase change hydrogel that is liquid at lower temperatures and a solid gel at higher temperatures.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one structural reinforcing member is selected from the group consisting of a spiral structure, helical structure, corrugated spiral structure, corrugated helical structure, corrugated tube fibers, elongatable fibers, ribbons, flat ribbons, corrugated ribbons, strips, corrugated strips, two or more parallel members, or combinations thereof.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the phase change member includes an encapsulated hydrogel pocket.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the phase change member is a liner forming a liner layer on the surface of the substrate.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the phase change member is on an internal surface of the substrate.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is tubular with openings on opposite ends.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material is thermally and electrically conductive.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material is a food grade material selected from the group consisting of salt hydrates, sugar alcohols, clathrates, paraffins, fatty acids, polyethylene glycols, chitosans, alginate, algae extracts, bagasse, poly(vinyl alcohol), and combinations thereof having a melting temperature of less than 100° C.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the phase change material is a liquid at cooler temperatures and gel at higher temperatures.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one structural reinforcing member is selected from the group consisting of carbon fibers, carboxylated rubbers, ionic thermoplastic elastomers, ethylene-propylene-diene rubbers, metals, polyphenylenes, polyanilines, polyaceteylenes, polyesters, polyamides, polyethelenes, polypropylene, cellulose, glass, ceramics, or combinations thereof.

11 . A method of tenderizing meat, the method comprising:

providing a stretchable device comprising:

a substrate having at least one structural reinforcing member, the substrate including a conductive material that is thermally or electrically conductive, the at least one structural reinforcing member being positioned so as to control stretching of the substrate; and

a phase change member on a surface of at least a portion of the substrate, the phase change member comprising a phase change hydrogel that is liquid at lower temperatures and a gel at higher temperatures;

placing meat in the stretchable device; and

sealing the stretchable device having the meat therein such that phase change member contours to the meat at a lower temperature and then the phase change member expands and solidifies at a higher temperature so as to inhibit muscle contraction of the meat.

12 . The method of claim 11 , comprising stretching the stretchable device so as to stretch the meat therein.

13 . The method of claim 11 , comprising after placing the meat in the stretchable device, heat transfer from the meat to the stretchable device to expand and solidify the phase change member to a gel and to stretch the meat.

14 . The method of claim 11 , comprising inhibiting water loss from the meat with the stretchable device.

15 . The method of claim 11 , comprising inhibiting hot shortening of the meat and inhibiting cold shortening of the meat with the stretchable device.

16 . The method of claim 11 , comprising controlling a rate of cooling of the phase change member by selecting a thickness of the phase change member.

17 . The method of claim 11 , comprising applying electrical pulses to the conductive material in the substrate so as to break down glycogen in the meat.

18 . The method of claim 11 , comprising applying electrical pulses to the conductive material in the substrate so as to control pH reduction in the meat.

19 . The method of claim 11 , comprising:

determining a desired cooled temperature where the phase change member is liquid; and

removing the stretchable device from the meat after reaching the desired cooled temperature.

20 . A meat tenderizing system comprising:

a stretchable device for meat tenderizing, the device comprising:

a substrate having at least one structural reinforcing member, the substrate including a conductive material that is thermally or electrically conductive, the at least one structural reinforcing member being located so as to control stretching of the substrate; and

a phase change member on a surface of at least a portion of the substrate, the phase change member comprising a phase change hydrogel that is liquid at lower temperatures and a solid gel at higher temperatures;

an electrical pulse device configured to provide electrical pulses to the conductive material of the substrate when electrically connected thereto.