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US 6,167,709 AGranted
Food processing method and system
AssigneeThe BOC Group, Inc.
InventorsLouis D. Caracciolo, Jr., Mark Grace, William Kulik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various food processing methods and a food processing system minimize microbial growth while an animal, such as a chicken, is processed into food. During processing, temperature of an animal carcass and atmosphere surrounding the carcass are controlled by spraying gases and a mixture of ozone and water on the carcass, directing the gases through a passage in a wall to cool a processing area, and flowing the gases into atmosphere surrounding the carcass. Preferably, the gases include ozone and cryogenic gases recycled from a cryogenic freezer. The system uses a reduced amount of fresh water by recycling water used during food processing.
Claims16
A system for processing animals into food, comprising:
- walls forming a partially enclosed room having an entrance and exit;
- a conveyor for conveying an animal carcass from the entrance to processing equipment positioned in the room;
- at least one gas supply line communicating with the room, the gas supply line being coupled to at least one gas source;
- at least one sensor for sensing the amount of a predetermined type of gas in the room;
- and
- a controller for regulating flow of gas in the supply line according to the sensed amount so that microbial growth in the room is reduced.
3 more elements
A system for processing animals into food, comprising:
- walls forming a partially enclosed room having an entrance and exit;
- a conveyor for conveying an animal carcass from the entrance to processing equipment positioned in the room;
- gas supply lines communicating with the room, the gas supply lines being coupled to gas sources, the gas sources including a source of nitrogen, a source of carbon dioxide, and a source of ozone;
- at least one sensor for sensing at least one of the amount of predetermined types of gases in the room and the temperature in the room;
- and
- a controller for regulating flow of gas in the supply lines according to at least one of the sensed amount and the temperature so that microbial growth in the room is reduced.
3 more elements
A system for processing animals into food, comprising;
- walls forming a partially enclosed room having an entrance and exit;
- a conveyor for conveying an animal carcass from the entrance to processing equipment positioned in the room;
- at least one gas supply line communicating with the room, the gas supply line being coupled to at least one gas source;
- at least one sensor for sensing at least one of the amount of a predetermined type of gas in the room and the temperature in the room;
- a controller for regulating flow of gas in the supply lines according to at least one of the sensed amount and the temperature so that microbial growth in the room is reduced;
- and
- a sprayer coupled to a source of a mixture of ozone and water, the sprayer being positioned in the room to spray the mixture on at least one of the carcass and the processing equipment.
4 more elements
A system for processing animals into food, comprising:
- walls forming a partially enclosed room having an entrance and exit;
- a conveyor for conveying an animal carcass from the entrance to processing equipment positioned in the room;
- at least one gas supply line communicating with the room, the gas supply line being coupled to at least one gas source;
- at least one sensor for sensing at least one of the amount of a predetermined type of gas in the room and the temperature in the room;
- a controller for regulating flow of gas in the supply line according to at least one of the sensed amount and the temperature so that microbial growth in the room is reduced;
- and
- a nozzle coupled to a source of at least one of the group consisting of ozone, ozone and air, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen, the nozzle being positioned in the room to blow a gas on the animal carcass.
4 more elements
A system for processing animals into food, comprising:
- walls forming a partially enclosed room having an entrance and exit;
- a conveyor for conveying an animal carcass from the entrance to processing equipment positioned in the room;
- at least one gas supply line communicating with the room, the gas supply line being coupled to at least one gas source;
- at least one sensor for sensing at least one of the amount of a predetermined type of gas in the room and the temperature in the room;
- a controller for regulating flow of gas in the supply line according to at least one of the sensed amount and the temperature so that microbial growth in the room is reduced;
- a conduit sized for insertion into a cavity in the animal carcass, the conduit having at least one lumen and an aperture communicating with the lumen to spray substances in the animal carcass;
- first and second sprayers for coupling to a source of a mixture of ozone gas and water, the first sprayer being positioned to spray an exterior of the animal carcass with the mixture and the second sprayer being positioned to spray the conduit with the mixture;
- and
- a shield for shielding the carcass from contact with substances sprayed off of the conduit.
6 more elements
A system for processing animals into food, comprising:
- walls forming a partially enclosed room having an entrance and exit;
- a conveyor for conveying an animal carcass from the entrance to processing equipment positioned in the room;
- at least one gas supply line communicating with the room, the gas supply line being coupled to at least one gas source;
- at least one sensor for sensing at least one of the amount of a predetermined type of gases in the room and the temperature in the room;
- a controller for regulating flow of gas in the supply lines according to at least one of the sensed amount and the temperature so that microbial growth in the room is reduced;
- a plurality of tines rotatable about an axis of rotation, for removing feathers from the exterior of the carcass;
- and
- a sprayer for spraying the carcass with at least one of an ozone and water mixture and trisodium phosphate while the feathers are being removed to reduce microbes on the carcass.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.