Process for preparation of animal feed from food waste

A process for preparing protein-rich animal feed from disposable food waste comprising the steps of:

• collecting such food waste from various sources and place in a holding tank;
• heating the food with steam to at least partially cook the food waste while condensing at least part of the steam;
• grinding the food, in the presence of the steam, to a size of less than about 3 mm in average diameter while cooking the food to create a flowable mass containing the water from condensed steam;
• dewatering the flowable mass to recover a damp mass of food waste;
• drying the food waste by passing a stream of hot gasses through a vessel through which the food mass is passing;
• sterilizing the solid food mass by exposing said food mass to radio waves for a time sufficient to kill microbial contamination of the food mass;
• and
• preparing the sterilized dry solid food mass for use as animal feed.

A process for preparing protein-rich animal feed from disposable food waste comprising the steps of:

• mincing the food waste to a size of less than about 3 mm while cooking such waste with superheated steam at a temperature of from about 110° C. to make a flowable mass of cooked waste food and water from the condensed steam;
• separating the cooked waste food from the water to recover a damp mass of food waste having a water content of from about 10 wt % to about 35 wt %;
• drying the damp mass of food waste with a hot gas stream;
• and
• sterilizing the food waste by exposing the food waste to microwave energy at a frequency of from about 915 MHz to about 2450 MHz to kill pathogens in the food waste whereby a protein-rich animal feed having a water content of from about 10 wt % to about 12 wt % is available.

A process for preparing protein-rich animal feed from disposable food waste comprising the steps of:

• collecting such food waste from various sources and place in a holding tank;
• heating the food with superheated steam at a temperature of from about 120° C. to about 140° C. to at least partially cook the food waste while condensing at least part of the steam;
• grinding the food, in the presence of the steam, to a size of less than about 3 mm in average diameter while cooking the food to create a flowable mass containing from about 80 wt % to about 85 wt % water;
• dewatering the flowable mass to recover a damp mass of food waste having a water content of from about 10 wt % to about 35 wt %;
• drying the food waste by passing a stream of hot gasses through a vessel through which the food mass is passing;
• sterilizing the solid food mass by exposing said food mass to radio waves for a time sufficient to kill microbial contamination of the food mass;
• and
• preparing the sterilized dry solid food mass for use as animal feed.

A process for preparing protein-rich animal feed from disposable food waste comprising the steps of:

• mincing the food waste while cooking such waste with steam to make a flowable mass of cooked waste food and water from the condensed steam;
• separating the cooked waste food from the water to recover a damp mass of food waste;
• drying the damp mass of food waste with a hot gas stream;
• and
• sterilizing the food waste by exposing the food waste simultaneously to convectional heat and microwave energy to kill pathogens in the food waste whereby a protein-rich animal feed is available.

A process for preparing protein-rich animal feed from disposable food waste such as table scraps, food parts discarded during a meal preparation, and over-ripe produce, comprising the steps of:

• collecting such food waste from various sources and place in a holding tank;
• heating the food with steam to at least partially cook the food waste while condensing at least part of the steam;
• grinding the food, in the presence of the steam, to a size of less than about 3 mm in average diameter while cooking the food to create a flowable mass containing the water from condensed steam;
• dewatering the flowable mass to recover a damp mass of food waste;
• drying the food waste by passing a stream of hot gasses through a vessel through which the food mass is passing;
• sterilizing the solid food mass by exposing said food mass simultaneously to convectional heat and radio waves for a time sufficient to kill microbial contamination of the food mass;
• and
• preparing the sterilized dry solid food mass for use as animal feed.

A process for preparing protein-rich animal feed from disposable food waste such as table scraps, food parts discarded during a meal preparation, and over-ripe produce, comprising the steps of:

• mincing the food waste to a size of less than about 3 mm while cooking such waste with superheated steam at a temperature of from about 110° C. to make a flowable mass of cooked waste food and water from the condensed steam;
• separating the cooked waste food from the water to recover a damp mass of food waste having a water content of from about 10 wt % to about 35 wt %;
• drying the damp mass of food waste with a hot gas stream;
• and
• sterilizing the food waste by exposing the food waste simultaneously to convectional heat and microwave energy at a frequency of from about 915 MHz to about 2450 MHz to kill pathogens in the food waste whereby a protein-rich animal feed having a water content of from about 10 wt % to about 12 wt % is available.

A process for preparing protein-rich animal feed from disposable food waste such as table scraps, food parts discarded during a meal preparation, and over-ripe produce, comprising the steps of:

• collecting such food waste from various sources and place in a holding tank;
• heating the food with superheated steam at a temperature of from about 120° C. to about 140° C. to at least partially cook the food waste while condensing at least part of the steam;
• grinding the food, in the presence of the steam, to a size of less than about 3 mm in average diameter while cooking the food to create a flowable mass containing from about 80 wt % to about 85 wt % water;
• dewatering the flowable mass to recover a damp mass of food waste having a water content of from about 10 wt % to about 35 wt %;
• drying the food waste by passing a stream of hot gasses through a vessel through which the food mass is passing;
• sterilizing the solid food mass by exposing said food mass simultaneously to convectional heat and radio waves for a time sufficient to kill microbial contamination of the food mass;
• and
• preparing the sterilized dry solid food mass for use as animal feed.