Method for processing of high meat content food or feed products
AssigneeWenger Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsThomas Jørgensen, LaVon Wenger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Food or feed processing systems (10, 96) include an extruder (14) and a downstream processor (16, 16a), and are operable to process high meat food or feed formulations. The processors (16, 16a) include an elongated processor barrel (38) presenting an inner surface (44) with a central body or tube (60) within the barrel (38) and presenting an outer surface (62). The surfaces (38, 62) thereby define an elongated annular processing region (70). The barrel (38) and tube (60) are steam heated by means of apparatus (52, 66). A rotatable processing element (72) is also located within the region (70). The element (72) has a plurality of helical vanes (88, 104), which scrape the surfaces (44, 62) to prevent buildup of material on these surfaces.
Claims16
A method of processing food or feed materials, comprising the steps of:
- directing said food or feed materials through an extruder including an elongated, tubular barrel and at least one elongated, axially rotatable, helically flighted screw within the barrel, said extruder operable to initially heat and process said materials and generate an extrudate;
- and
- passing said extrudate into and through a processor including an elongated, tubular processor barrel presenting an inner surface, an elongated body within the processor barrel presenting an outer surface, with an annular region between said inner and outer surfaces, and a processing element within said annular region,
- said passing step comprising the steps of moving said extrudate through said annular region while rotating said processing element relative to said elongated body with the element scraping said inner and outer surfaces, in order to create a final product from the processor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.