Pedigree Petfoods Limited

Alan John Vernon

Keith Buckley

Derek Horrocks

Uncooked meat or simulated meat is preserved, while retaining its substantially raw appearance and characteristics, by infusion with sufficient edible water soluble solute to stabilize it against microbiological spoilage and packing the infused material in the absence of oxygen, for example, under an inert gas or a vacuum. The meat or other animal tissue may be treated to inhibit enzyme activity without cooking or denaturing the protein, especially in the case of meat products of high enzyme activity. Infusion can be carried out at low temperature, for example -20.degree. to -5.degree. C, but preferably at 15.degree. to 40.degree. C for a period of 4 to 6 hours. Alternatively, the raw starting material can be sealed in a package with an aqueous solution of sufficient solute, infusion then taking place within the sealed package. A protein sweetmeat for pet animals can be prepared by infusion meat pieces with sugar and thereafter dusting the pieces with solid sugar. Apart from the provision of preserved protein as food the invention can be employed for the transport of meat where refrigeration facilities are not available. It can also be used for the preservation of anatomical specimens.

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Melton Mowbray, United Kingdom

Alan John Vernon