Gaseous fluid stream treatment unit for treating a meat product cut into slices

A gaseous fluid stream treatment unit for treating a meat product cut into slices, comprising:

• a conveyor device (1) configured for conveying trays (2) loaded with slices of said meat product from a tray inlet (5) to a tray outlet (6) and along a vertical translation section inside an enclosure (7), each of said trays (2) comprising an apertured support surface (4) on which said slices are arranged mutually adjacent to but not overlapping one another in a single layer;
• and
• a gaseous fluid circulation device (8) configured and arranged for circulating a treatment gaseous fluid stream through the inside of said enclosure (7) and around said slices while the trays (2) are conveyed by said conveyor device (1) for a certain time to reduce the moisture content of the slices to a predetermined level,
• characterized in that
• the conveyor device (1) comprises two or more vertical translation sections (9, 10) conveying the trays (2) in alternating opposite vertical directions, and at least one horizontal translation section (11) transferring the trays (2) from a final end of one of said vertical translation sections (9, 10) to an initial end of the next vertical translation section (9, 10);
• and the gaseous fluid circulation device (8) comprises at least one gaseous fluid inlet (12) and at least one gaseous fluid outlet (13), located at two opposite ends of the enclosure (7) such that said gaseous fluid stream circulates inside the enclosure (7) in a substantially horizontal direction from said gaseous fluid inlet (12) to said gaseous fluid outlet (13) and consecutively traverses said two or more vertical translation sections (9, 10) of the conveyor device (1).