Abstract: A process for treating and packing fresh meat cuts so that the fresh meat color of the cuts is retained over an extended period of time generally exceeding about twenty days, and microbial deterioration and spoilage of the meat is forestalled for a period which is at least as long as the meat cuts retain the fresh meat coloration. The process involves initially treating the meat with a three component chemical composition which contains a phosphate compound, an ascorbic acid or ascorbate and a citric acid or citrate. After the cuts are treated with the aqueous solution, they are packaged in a modified gaseous atmosphere which is predominantly carbon dioxide, but also contains oxygen in a certain critical ratio to the amount of carbon dioxide employed.

Abstract: A container for shipping and temporarily storing fresh meat cuts which is a corrugated container of right parallelepiped construction and made up of interconnected corrugated panels. Each panel has a kraft paper outer liner with an outwardly facing wire side, a wax impregnated kraft paper inner liner and a medium positioned between the liners. Each opposed side wall of the box is made up of a pair of superimposed major flaps, and minor flaps extend from the opposite side edges of the panels making up the end walls of the box along and against portions of the outer side of the outermost major flap in each of the pairs of major flaps at opposite sides of the box.

Abstract: Apparatus for loading trays with cut product typically meat chops is described, comprising a delivery conveyor (22) onto which are delivered the pieces of cut product (76) in sequence for movement to a delivery station (26), a tray conveyor (32) extending transversely to the delivery conveyor (22) and adapted to deliver in succession each of a plurality of trays (90) to the delivery station to receive cut product, and a product detector (94, 96) at the delivery station to detect the passage of each piece of cut product therethrough. The tray conveyor drive (230) operates in response to the detection of cut pieces by the detector (94, 96) to move the tray conveyor through a small amount sufficient to present the next available region of a tray to the delivery station, to receive the next piece of cut product so as to fill each tray in turn. A transfer conveyor (34) downstream from the delivery station moves the filled trays away from the delivery station.

Abstract: A process for prepacking fresh meat to enhance and improve the consistency of its quality at the point of retail sale, and to increase the shelf life of the meat, such process including the steps of treating the meat with an aqueous solution containing three active components, and then packaging the meat in a controlled gaseous atmosphere containing from about 20 to about 80 percent carbon dioxide, and from about 2 to about 30 percent oxygen, with the balance being nitrogen. The solutions active components include certain phosphate compounds and a reducing agent which is selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, isoascorbic acid, or the sodium and potassium salts of these acids, and reductic acid. The third ingredient is either citric acid or tartaric acid, or ethylenediaminetetracetic acid, or an alkali metal salt thereof, functioning as a sequestering agent.

Abstract: A cargo stabilizing system for preventing shifting of cargo during transport in a carrier vehicle, the system including a channeled cargo-supporting floor, and a snubbing device releasably engaging the floor channels and projecting upwardly to block movement of the cargo. The snubbing device includes a snubbing block and a manually actuatable latching subassembly by which the snubbing block is selectively locked to, or released from, the floor channels. In a preferred form, the snubbing device includes cooperating wedge elements, a handle and an actuator bolt connected between one wedge element and the handle to move the wedge elements relative to each other in a channel locking and releasing movement.

Abstract: After curing pig skins with hydrochloric acid, they are ground and then homogenized to a gel. The gel is extruded into a coagulating and tanning bath containing glutaraldehyde in a saturated sodium chloride solution to obtain a coagulated and tanned casing which is thereafter passed into a plasticizing bath containing glycerol and an oxidizing agent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for pulling a strand of intestine from a convoluted intestine, such as removed from an animal, and for removing the ruffle fat from the intestine by severing, is disclosed herein. The leading end of the convoluted intestine is initially separated from the remaining bulk of convoluted intestine for insertion into the pulling apparatus which includes a work surface inclined downwardly from an entrance end to an exit end. Between the exit end and the entrance end are a pair of opposed gripping belts, each mounted parallel to the work surface and defining a path between them along which the intestine strand may travel as it is compressively engaged on each side by the belts. As the belts are driven, the remaining bulk of convoluted intestine is restrained and the belts progressively pull the strand of intestine away from the convoluted bulk.

Abstract: The invention relates to materials which are beneficiating agent derivatives for bonding a beneficiating agent to filamentous keratins such as hair and wool and effect modification of the filamentous keratins by being chemically coupled thereto so as to become an integral part thereof. The materials for improving the properties of filamentous keratins comprise polypeptides having intact disulfide linkages and having an agent molecularly joined thereto through a bond independent of the disulfide linkages to form a polypeptide derivative. Such a derivative is chemically bonded to the filamentous keratins by a two-step process wherein disulfide linkages of both the derivatives and the filamentous keratins are split by the action of a reducing agent and disulfide linkages are then reformed by action of an oxidizing agent whereby at least some of the sulfhydryl groups formed by the action on the derivatives of the reducing agent are bonded to sulfhydryl groups of the filamentous keratins.