Method for the heat curing of raw meat products

DETAILED DESCRIPTION We claim: 1.
A method for heat curing a raw meat medium, the method comprising: conveying the meat medium through a pipe, and passing at least one electromagnetic field through the pipe into the meat medium, the electromagnetic field having a frequency of less than 300 MHz, whereby meat medium is heat cured.
2.
The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: cutting the heated medium.
3.
The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: packaging the cut medium while the medium is still in the heated condition.
4.
A method for producing a packaged heat cured meat product, the method comprising: (a) forcing a raw meat medium through an elongated passageway at a preselected velocity; (b) providing at least one high frequency electromagnetic field of less than 300 MHz in at least one zone of the passageway, the intensity and frequency of the field being such that at the preselected velocity the meat medium is heated uniformly by the electromagnetic field to a curing temperature in the range of approximately 80.
degree.
-90.
degree.
C.
before leaving the zone; and (c) processing the cured meat medium into sterile packages.
5.
The method of claim 4, wherein step (b) comprises providing a plurality of high frequency electromagnetic fields in an equal plurality of successive zones along the axis of the passageway.
6.
The method of claim 4 or 5, wherein the frequency of the field in each zone is between 10 and 41 MHz.
7.
The method of claim 4 or 5 wherein the frequency of the field in at least one zone is 13.
56 MHz.
8.
The method of claim 4, wherein the velocity of the meat medium through the passageway is selected such that the time to travel the length of the passageway is not more than a few minutes, so that fat and stock remain distributed over the entire cross section of the meat medium in the passageway, the cured meat product is homogeneous.
9.
The method of claim 4 or 5 or 8, wherein step (c) comprises cutting the cured meat medium as it emerges from the elongated passageway, placing the cut meat medium into packages, and sealing the packages before the temperature of the meat medium falls from the curing temperature to below about 70