Removal of insolubles from aqueous streams used in food processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11918002-B2
Application number	US-202117759477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2021
Priority date	Jan 30, 2020
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

A food processing system includes at least one receptacle containing a composition of water and insoluble solids, a centripetal force-based solid/liquid separator having an inlet, a solids outlet, and a liquid outlet, and a pump able to direct the composition from the receptacle to the inlet of the separator. The separator is configured to separate the composition into a solids stream including the insoluble solids and a liquid stream including water and to direct the solids stream through the solids outlet and the liquid stream through the liquid outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A food processing system for removal of insoluble materials from aqueous streams, comprising:
first and second scalder tanks, each scalder tank containing an aqueous composition comprising water, insoluble solids and insoluble liquids, wherein the composition is at a temperature of 100 to 150° F.;
first and second centripetal force-based solid/liquid separators, each separator comprising an inlet, a solids outlet, and a liquid outlet;
first and second centrifugal pumps for directing the composition from the first and second scalder tanks to the inlet of the first and second separators, respectively, at a sufficient pressure to induce centrifugal separation of heavier-than-water insoluble solids from liquids in the first and second separators; and
first and second liquid/liquid decanters coupled to the liquid outlet of the first and second separators, respectively;
wherein the first and second separators separate the composition into a solids stream comprising the heavier-than-water insoluble solids and a liquid stream and direct the solids stream through the respective solids outlets and direct the liquid stream through the respective liquid outlets to the respective decanter;
wherein the first and second decanters are in fluid communication with the first and second scalder tanks, respectively, and separate the respective liquid streams into (i) a water stream and (ii) a lighter-than-water insoluble liquid and solid stream; and
wherein the first and second decanters direct the water stream to the first and second scalder tanks, respectively.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the insoluble solids comprise poultry feed, fecal matter, viscera, entrails, skin, fats, and/or digesta.

Assignees

• Safe Foods Corp

Inventors

• Henley Jason
• Huff Steve
• Coleman Todd

Classifications

• A22C17/08 Primary

  Cleaning, e.g. washing, meat or sausages {(treating offal C11B)} · CPC title

• A22B5/08

  Scalding; Scraping; Dehairing; Singeing (treatment of hides or skins C14B) · CPC title

• A22C21/0061

  Cleaning or disinfecting poultry · CPC title

• A22C21/04 Primary

  Scalding, singeing, waxing, or dewaxing poultry · CPC title

• B01D17/0208

  by sedimentation · CPC title