Oil Removal From Food Surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016249648-A1
Application number	US-201315032973-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 1, 2013
Priority date	Nov 1, 2013
Publication date	Sep 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and apparatus for oil removal from food surfaces is disclosed. An air flow chamber directs air flow around a food product surface and contains the removed oil.

First claim

1 . A method of removing oil from a food surface comprising:
placing a food article within an air flow chamber, the air flow chamber having an inlet air expansion zone and an opposing outlet air contraction zone and the food article is within a product zone separating the inlet air expansion zone and the opposing outlet air contraction zone; flowing air from the inlet air expansion zone to the opposing outlet air contraction zone to form an air flow, the product zone having a pressure being less than or equal to ambient pressure outside the air flow chamber; and removing oil from the food surface with the air flow.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the air flow is laminar.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the placing step comprises conveying the food article through the air flow chamber in a direction orthogonal to the air flow.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the air flow chamber comprises a conveyor inlet opening and a conveyor outlet opening.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the placing step comprises vibrating the food article.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the food article is a taco shell.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the air flow is at least 10 meters/sec.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the air flow is at least 100 degrees centigrade.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the air flow is recycled in a closed loop system.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the flowing step comprises diverting the air flow from a portion of the food surface with an air flow diverter element.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the food surface comprises a taco shell having a central spline portion and opposing wing portion extending from the central spline portion, and the air flow diverter diverts air flow away from the central spline.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the air flow in the product zone has a Reynolds number of 1000 or less.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising removing oil from the air flow downstream from the product zone.

14 . An apparatus for removing oil from a food surface comprising:
an air flow chamber, the air flow chamber having an inlet air expansion zone and an opposing outlet air contraction zone and a product zone separating the inlet air expansion zone and the opposing outlet air contraction zone, the air flow chamber is configured to provide laminar air flow within the product zone; a food product conveyor for moving food product through the product zone in a direction orthogonal to an air flow direction.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising an air flow diverter element disposed upstream of the food product conveyor, wherein the air flow diverter element diverts air flow around a portion of a food surface being conveyed on the food product conveyor.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the outlet air contraction zone is fluidly connected to the inlet air expansion zone and forming a closed loop air flow system.

17 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising an oil recovery unit downstream of the outlet air contraction zone, the oil recovery unit removing oil from the air flow.

18 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the air pressure in the product zone is equal to or less than ambient pressure outside the air flow chamber.

19 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the product zone is defined by opposing side walls and opposing open ends that are perpendicular to the opposing side walls, the opposing open ends include a conveyor inlet opening and a conveyor outlet opening.

20 . The apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising an air flow generator in fluid connection with the air flow chamber, the air flow generator provides air flow to the air flow chamber at a rate of at least 10 meters/sec and the air flow chamber is configured to provide air flow in the product zone having a Reynolds number of 2000 or less.

Assignees

• Gen Mills Inc

Inventors

• Hunzeker Dan

Classifications

• A23L1/1645

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• A23L1/015 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A23L1/217

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A23L5/30 Primary

  Physical treatment, e.g. electrical or magnetic means, wave energy or irradiation (cooking A23L5/10) · CPC title