Abstract: A process for preserving fresh ground meat comprises the steps of a) packaging fresh ground meat in a sealed package; b) placing the packaged fresh ground meat in a pressurization vessel and closing the vessel; c) pressurizing the pressurization vessel containing the packaged fresh ground meat to an elevated pressure of at least about 50,000 psi pressure so that the packaged fresh ground meat is placed under the elevated pressure; d) maintaining the elevated pressure on the packaged fresh ground meat for a time of from about 1 to about 300 seconds and at a temperature of from about 30 to about 45 F; e) then reducing the pressure on the packaged fresh ground meat to ambient pressure; and f) removing the ground meat from the pressurization vessel. Pathogens are effectively killed using this process, providing manufacturing efficiencies and longer product shelf life as compared to other ground meat handling procedures.

Abstract: A process for preserving frozen ground meat comprises the steps of a) packaging frozen ground meat in a sealed package; b) placing the packaged frozen ground meat in a pressurization vessel and closing the vessel; c) pressurizing the pressurization vessel containing the packaged frozen ground meat to an elevated pressure of at least about 50,000 psi pressure so the packaged frozen ground meat is placed under the elevated pressure; d) maintaining the elevated pressure on the packaged frozen ground meat for a time of from about 1 to about 300 seconds and at a temperature of from about ?50° to about 45° F.; e) then reducing the pressure on the packaged frozen ground meat to ambient pressure; and f) removing the packaged frozen ground meat from the pressurization vessel. Pathogens are effectively killed using this process, providing manufacturing efficiencies and longer product shelf life as compared to other ground meat handling procedures.

Abstract: A process for preserving fresh ground meat comprises the steps of a) packaging fresh ground meat in a sealed package; b) placing the packaged fresh ground meat in a pressurization vessel and closing the vessel; c) pressurizing the pressurization vessel containing the packaged fresh ground meat to an elevated pressure of at least about 50,000 psi pressure so that the packaged fresh ground meat is placed under the elevated pressure; d) maintaining the elevated pressure on the packaged fresh ground meat for a time of from about 1 to about 300 seconds and at a temperature of from about 30 to about 45 F; e) then reducing the pressure on the packaged fresh ground meat to ambient pressure; and f) removing the ground meat from the pressurization vessel. Pathogens are effectively killed using this process, providing manufacturing efficiencies and longer product shelf life as compared to other ground meat handling procedures.

Abstract: Described is a system and a method for making a co-extruded food product. The system is for continuously making individual co-extruded food products and may comprise: a food supply system comprising a first extrudable food supply and a second extrudable food supply that are horizontally co-extruded at a predetermined extrusion rate into a substantially linear stream of coextrudate comprising a substantially continuous layer of the first food supply surrounding a substantially continuous layer of the second food supply; and a cutting system, comprising a cutting element for cutting the stream of coextrudate supplied by the food supply system, wherein the timing of movement of the cutting element is synchronized with the extrusion rate to provide individual co-extruded food products having an approximately predetermined size and weight.

Abstract: The invention includes selective amplification methods for enriching target nucleic acid sequences that are present in a first source of nucleic acid but absent from a second source of nucleic acid. These methods involve using phenol to enhance the rate of the hybridization step, as well as modifications for reducing the amounts of reagents required for the reactions. Also included are methods for identifying sequences shared by two or more populations of nucleic acids.