Preparation method for minced meat products, with addition of feta type cheese and incorporation of olive oil

1. A method for preparing meat products wherein feta cheese pieces are dispersed throughout the products and olive oil is incorporated in a way that the feta cheese pieces maintain their texture and flavor, comprising the steps of:

(a) Mixing raw minced meat at a temperature of −2° C. with H 2 O at 2° C., salt, plant fibres and breadcrumbs;

(b) Adding olive oil when the resulting mixture rises to 0° C.;

(c) Continuing mixing after step (b), with simultaneous vacuum application until the temperature of the resulting mixture rises up to 4° C.;

(d) Adding feta cheese pieces;

(e) Continuing vacuum mixing and refrigerating the resulting mixture in the presence of CO 2 , until there is a stable structure of olive oil and feta cheese pieces throughout the resulting coarsely comminuted non-encased meat mixture with the feta cheese pieces being identifiable from the surrounding meat matrix, and the resulting mixture reaches a final temperature of −2° C.;

(f) Conveying the resulting mixture to a forming machine, where it is formed in line with a desired shape followed by a heat treatment at 96-99° C. and relative humidity of 95-96% in a linear boiler, wherein the feta cheese pieces are identifiable and retain their organoleptic characteristics; and

(g) After the heat treatment of step (f), the resulting mixture is deep-frozen in a tunnel until the core temperature reaches 0° C.

2. Minced-meat products with feta cheese pieces dispersed throughout the products and with the incorporation of olive oil, produced by the method of claim 1 .

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stable incorporation of feta cheese pieces is substantially due to the combination of breadcrumbs and plant fibres.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the total duration of the heat treatment of step (f) varies between 5 and 15 minutes, depending on the size of the resulting mixture.

5. Minced-meat products with feta cheese pieces dispersed throughout the products and with the incorporation of olive oil, produced by the method of claim 4 .

6. A method for preparing meat-based products with the addition of feta cheese pieces, as a filling, and the incorporation of olive oil in a way that the feta cheese pieces maintain their texture and flavor, comprising the steps of:

(a) Mixing of raw minced meat at a temperature of −2° C. with H 2 O at 2° C., salt, plant fibres and breadcrumbs;

(b) Adding olive oil;

(c) Continuing mixing after step (b), with simultaneous vacuum application until the temperature of the resulting mixture rises up to 4° C.;

(d) Providing feta cheese pieces;

(e) Conveying separately the resulting mixture of step (c) and the feta cheese pieces of step (d) to an extruder forming machine to form a new resulting coarsely comminuted non-encased meat mixture of a desired shape with the feta cheese pieces being identifiable from the surrounding meat matrix; and

(f) Applying a heat treatment to the new resulting mixture, wherein the feta cheese pieces are identifiable and retain their organoleptic characteristics.

7. Minced-meat products with feta cheese pieces as a filling and with the incorporation of olive oil, produced by the methods of claim 6 .

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the feta cheese pieces comprise from about 20% to 50% by weight of the resulting mixture.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the stable incorporation of feta cheese pieces is substantially due to the combination of breadcrumbs and plant fibres.

10. A method for preparing meat products wherein feta cheese pieces are dispersed throughout the products and olive oil is incorporated in a way that the feta cheese pieces maintain their texture and flavor, comprising the steps of:

(a) Mixing raw minced meat at a temperature of −2° C. with H 2 O at 2° C., salt, plant fibres and breadcrumbs, wherein the plant fibres comprise from about 0.4% to 2% by weight of the resulting mixture;

(b) Adding olive oil when the resulting mixture rises to 0′;

(c) Continuing mixing after step (b), with simultaneous vacuum application until the temperature of the resulting mixture rises up to 4° C.;

(d) Adding feta cheese pieces;

(e) Continuing vacuum mixing and refrigerating the resulting mixture in the presence of CO 2 , until there is a stable structure of olive oil and feta cheese pieces throughout the resulting coarsely comminuted non-encased meat mixture with the feta cheese pieces being identifiable from the surrounding meat matrix, and the resulting mixture reaches a final temperature of −2° C.;

(f) Conveying the resulting mixture to a forming machine, where it is formed in line with a desired shape followed by a heat treatment at 96-99° C. and relative humidity of 95-96% in a linear boiler, wherein the feta cheese pieces are identifiable and retain their organoleptic characteristics; and

(g) After the heat treatment of step (f), the resulting mixture is deep-frozen in a tunnel until the core temperature reaches 0° C.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein each individual feta cheese piece present in the resulting mixture is from about 2 to 4 millimeters.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the stable incorporation of feta cheese pieces is substantially due to the combination of breadcrumbs and plant fibres.