U.S. patent application number 14/281891 was filed with the patent office on 2014-09-11 for process for preparing a meat product using a forced convection treatment unit.
This patent application is currently assigned to METALQUIMIA, S.A.. The applicant listed for this patent is Narcis Lagares Corominas. Invention is credited to Narcis Lagares Corominas.
Application Number | 20140256240 14/281891 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51488378 |
Filed Date | 2014-09-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140256240 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lagares Corominas; Narcis |
September 11, 2014 |
PROCESS FOR PREPARING A MEAT PRODUCT USING A FORCED CONVECTION
TREATMENT UNIT
Abstract
The process for preparing a meat product comprises arranging
slices of a raw stuffed meat product in a single layer on a
permeable support surface, conveying the slices thus arranged along
a path inside an enclosure of a forced convection treatment unit,
creating a first thermal gradient across a first region of the
enclosure along a first portion of the path by making a first
conditioned air current flow parallel to the permeable support
surface and transverse to the path from a first side to an opposite
second side of the enclosure, and creating a second opposite
thermal gradient across a second region of the enclosure along a
second portion of the path by making a second conditioned air
current flow parallel to the permeable support surface and
transverse to the path from the second side to the first side of
the enclosure.
Inventors: |
Lagares Corominas; Narcis;
(GIrona, ES) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Lagares Corominas; Narcis |
GIrona |
|
ES |
|
|
Assignee: |
METALQUIMIA, S.A.
Girona
ES
|
Family ID: |
51488378 |
Appl. No.: |
14/281891 |
Filed: |
May 20, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13145459 |
Jul 20, 2011 |
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PCT/IB2010/000124 |
Jan 26, 2010 |
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14281891 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
452/35 ;
34/236 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A22C 11/02 20130101;
A47J 37/045 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
452/35 ;
34/236 |
International
Class: |
A22C 11/02 20060101
A22C011/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 28, 2009 |
EP |
09380012 |
Claims
1. A process for preparing a meat product using a forced convection
treatment unit, the process comprising the steps of: preparing a
mass with one or more comminuted meat products, and stuffing said
mass in a casing to form sausage products; allowing the mass to
ferment in the sausage products; cooling the sausage products to a
sufficiently low temperature to facilitate the cutting into slices;
cutting the sausage products into slices; and drying the slices
until achieving a predetermined weight reduction with respect to
the weight of the recently cut slices, wherein the step of drying
the slices comprises: arranging the slices in a single layer on a
permeable support surface; conveying the slices thus arranged along
a path inside an enclosure of said forced convection treatment
unit; creating a first thermal gradient across a first region of
said enclosure along a first portion of said path by making a first
conditioned air current flow parallel to said permeable support
surface and transverse to the path from a first side to an opposite
second side of the enclosure; and creating a second thermal
gradient across a second region of the enclosure along a second
portion of the path by making a second conditioned air current flow
parallel to said permeable support surface and transverse to the
path from said second side to said first side of the enclosure.
2. The process according to claim 1, wherein said second thermal
gradient is similar and opposite to the first thermal gradient.
3. The process according to claim 1, wherein said second portion of
the path has a length similar to a length of said first portion of
the path.
4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the slices are
arranged individually separated along the length and width of said
permeable support surface.
5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the slices are dried
by the effect of said first and second thermal gradients and first
and second conditioned air currents until achieving a weight
reduction of 8% to 35% with respect to the weight of the recently
cut slices.
6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the step of drying by
the effect of said first and second thermal gradients and first and
second conditioned air currents has a duration of 10 minutes to 70
minutes.
7. The process according to claim 1, wherein said first conditioned
air current is at a temperature of 15.degree. C. to 40.degree. Cat
a first inlet port of the enclosure, and said second conditioned
air current is at a similar temperature at a second inlet port of
the enclosure as the first conditioned air current at said first
inlet port.
8. The process according to claim 1, wherein said first conditioned
air current is at a relative humidity of 30% to 40% at a first
inlet port of the enclosure, and said second conditioned air
current is at a similar humidity at a second inlet port of the
enclosure as the first conditioned air current at the first inlet
port.
9. The process according to claim 1, wherein the first conditioned
air current has a speed of 2 m/s to 5 m/s at a first inlet port of
the enclosure and the second conditioned air current has a similar
speed at a second inlet port of the enclosure as the first
conditioned air current at the first inlet port.
10. The process according to claim 1, further comprising, after the
step of drying, forming groups of dried slices arranged in a
desired format, and packaging the slices under vacuum or in a
modified atmosphere.
11. The process according to claim 1, further comprising providing
said permeable support surface by a plurality of trays configured
to be conveyed by a conveyor within the enclosure, each tray
comprising a horizontal permeable support surface on which the
slices are arranged in a single layer.
12. The process according to claim 11, further comprising moving
said trays in a vertical path within the enclosure from a reception
level to a delivery level.
13. The process according to claim 12, further comprising creating
said first thermal gradient by said first conditioned air current
along a first half of said vertical path between said reception
level and said delivery level and creating said second thermal
gradient by said second conditioned air current along a second half
of the vertical path between the reception level and the delivery
level.
14. A process for preparing a meat product using a forced
convection treatment unit, the process comprising a step of drying
slices cut from a stuffed meat product until achieving a
predetermined weight reduction with respect to the weight of the
recently cut slices, wherein the step of drying the slices
comprises: arranging the slices in a single layer on a permeable
support surface; conveying the slices thus arranged along a path
inside an enclosure of said forced convection treatment unit;
creating a first thermal gradient across a first region of said
enclosure along a first portion of said path by making a first
conditioned air current flow parallel to said permeable support
surface and transverse to the path from a first side to an opposite
second side of the enclosure; and creating a second thermal
gradient across a second region of the enclosure along a second
portion of the path by making a second conditioned air current flow
parallel to said permeable support surface and transverse to the
path from said second side to said first side of the enclosure
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a process for preparing a
meat product, more particularly a sausage meat product cut into
slices, by subjecting it to two conditioned air currents in
opposite directions using a forced convection treatment unit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A number of traditional processes for preparing matured or
cured meat products, especially sausage meat products, which can be
preserved for longer or shorter time periods depending on their
degree of curing, are well known. Such processes generally comprise
preparing a mass with one or more comminuted meat products,
optionally with one or more condiments, and stuffing said mass in a
casing to form sausage products. The mass is allowed to ferment by
hanging the sausage products in a fermentation chamber at a
controlled temperature depending on each type of sausage product
and for a predetermined time period which can vary from 1 to
several days. In some varieties, the sausage products can be smoked
during or after the fermentation. Finally, the sausage products are
hung and allowed to dry for a time period sufficient to achieve a
predetermined moisture reduction in the product, and this drying
period can be prolonged from 10 days, for the tenderest products,
up to several months for the most cured sausage products. The food
industry has proposed for a long time a number of apparatuses and
processes to reduce the drying time of sausage products.
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 2,346,232, filed on 1942, describes a process
for rapidly preparing a dried meat product, comprising comminuting
meat with a natural water content of 45% to 85% at a temperature
below the softening point of the fatty portions contained in the
meat, placing the meat once thus comminuted in a relatively thin
layer, and forcing an air current against the surface of the meat
at a sufficiently high speed to cause turbulence of the air, until
the moisture content of the meat has been reduced by 20% to 55%.
The forced air is at a temperature of 0.degree. C. to 30.degree.
C., and has a relative humidity less than 75%.
[0004] Patent MX PA00001245 A describes a process for preparing
sausage products comprising preparing a mixture of meat for sausage
products, spreading the mixture in the form of a sheet, and
fermenting and cooking the resulting product. Then, the product is
cut into slices after having cooled it to a sufficiently low
temperature, the slices are deposited in a conveyor of a spiral
dryer, and conditioned air with a relative humidity less than 50%
and at a temperature between 10.degree. C. and 50.degree. C. is
made to pass inside and through the spiral dryer while the product,
in slices is conveyed through the spiral dryer for sufficient time
to reduce the moisture to a predetermined level. The mentioned
spiral dryer has a construction similar to a cooking oven described
in patent ES-A-2077217 T3, which can operate with steam or with hot
air. The oven comprises a conveyor provided with a permeable
support surface on which the food products are deposited, and which
describes an upward spiral path inside a cooking chamber, and
ventilating means for circulating the steam or the hot air from top
to bottom and around the food products located in the conveyor
inside the cooking chamber.
[0005] Patent JP-A-2069135 describes a dryer with a wire mesh belt
conveyor having several superimposed sections moving in alternately
opposite directions, where the material to be dried is cut into
slices, introduced into the dryer, and arranged first on an upper
conveyor section, it is then successively passed, falling from one
to another, from the end of each section to the start of the
immediately lower section, until finally reaching the lowest
conveyor section, from the end of which the product is extracted
from the dryer. While they are conveyed in the upper sections, the
slices of product are irradiated with infrared rays from distant
infrared heaters, while at the same time ventilating means make hot
air pass in countercurrent in relation to the direction of travel
of the upper conveyor sections. In the lower conveyor sections,
other ventilating means make hot air pass in a direction
perpendicular to the surfaces of the lower conveyor sections.
[0006] Patent GB-A-1402652 discloses an apparatus for steaming a
food product, comprising a housing defining a steaming chamber
having an inlet close to the bottom and an outlet close to the
upper part of said housing, and means for automatically opening and
closing said inlet and outlet when trays carrying the food product
are conveyed into and out from the housing. Inside the housing
there is a loading conveyor for receiving the trays entering
through the inlet, a conveyor for unloading the trays through the
outlet and a conveyor for vertically conveying the trays between
the loading conveyor and the unloading conveyor. The vertical
conveyor comprises a pair of chain conveyors arranged on opposite
sides of the chamber and equipped with a plurality of L-shaped bars
linked to the chains and sized to support the trays. The steam is
introduced from the lower part of the treatment chamber, below the
loading conveyor.
[0007] International patent application WO 2008135616 discloses an
installation for drying and maturing a food product cut into
slices, suitable for preparing sausage products with a relatively
high curing cut into slices. To that end, the installation includes
first a forced convection treatment unit and then a vacuum
treatment unit. The mentioned forced convection treatment unit
comprises a conveyor device arranged to convey slices or pieces of
the product to be treated inside an enclosure through which there a
current of hot air is established in a direction parallel to the
plane of the conveyor and transverse to the direction of travel
thereof. The conveyor device has several superimposed horizontal
sections actuated to move in alternately opposite directions and
arranged such that the slices successively pass from one section to
the immediately lower section. A hot air inlet port connected to an
inlet conduit is arranged on one side of the enclosure and a hot
air outlet port connected to an outlet conduit is arranged on the
opposite side of the enclosure. The inlet and outlet conduits are
connected to one another through an air heating unit, and air
circulation means are arranged to circulate the hot air through
said inlet and outlet conduits for the purpose of creating the
mentioned current of hot air through the enclosure.
[0008] The mentioned current of hot air through the enclosure in a
direction parallel to the plane of the conveyor and transverse to
the direction of travel thereof has proven to be effective for
achieving the treatment of the desired food product. However, the
fact that the air current flows in a single direction has the
drawback of an irregular drying of the slices, since the slices
close to the side corresponding to the hot air inlet port are dried
more than the slices close to the side corresponding to the outlet
port.
[0009] In addition, it has been found that for preparing certain
relatively tender sausage products, i.e., with a low degree of
curing, a process for treating the product cut into slices similar
to that which can be implemented by means of the installation
described in the mentioned international patent application WO
2008135616 can be used, but using only the forced convection
treatment unit and omitting the mentioned vacuum treatment
unit.
[0010] Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,524,633 B2 discloses a process for
preparing sliced sausage, e.g. pepperoni. The process includes the
steps of preparing a meat mixture by grinding and mixing to
specification, stuffing the meat mixture into casings for
fermentation and cooking, chilling the stuffed meat mixture to
2.degree. C. or lower and slicing it, then conveying the sliced
product in a spiral dryer and exposing the product on the conveyor
to relatively warm air at about 10.degree. C. to 49.degree. C. and
at an initial relative humidity of 50% or less under turbulent air
flow. Preferably, the conditioned air enters the lower portion of
the spiral dryer along with the meat slices and exits the top
portion. However, no means for controlling the airflow in the
spiral dryer are provided, so that there is a risk of cold or hot
spots to occur on the meat slices.
[0011] Document U.S. Pat. No. 3,634,102 A discloses a procedure for
making dry sausage, such as salami, pepperoni and genoa sausages,
made in the conventional method, grinding meat to form a batter,
stuffing a casing smoking and cooking, and slowly drying to reduce
the moisture to about 25-50%. The drying is accomplished by slicing
the stuffed product, placing the slices in single layers on
expanded metal trays in a drying chamber or tunnel with air flow
over upper and lower surfaces, at a temperature of 7.degree. C. to
18.degree. C., and 20-25% relative humidity. However, no conveyor
for moving the slices within the drying chamber or tunnel and no
means for controlling the airflow in the drying chamber or tunnel
are provided, so that there is a risk of cold or hot spots to occur
on the meat slices.
[0012] Documents U.S. Pat. No. 6,713,107 B2 discloses an air
distribution method for distributing treated air in a food
processor. The methods comprises moving at least one food item over
a predetermined travel path in a food processor, introducing
treated air into the food processor from a plurality of inlet ports
positioned proximate a first side portion of the travel pathway
during the moving step to thereby treat the food, exhausting air
from the food processor from a plurality of exhaust ports
positioned proximate a second side portion of the travel pathway,
and directing the treated air to travel from the first side portion
to the second side portion over the food held on the food travel
pathway during the moving step. The direction of the air flows over
the food is controlled such that the air flow can flow in opposite
directions so as to reduce or substantially eliminate thermal
gradients across the pathway of the food processor. However, an
efficient reduction or substantial elimination of thermal gradients
is difficult to achieve by blowing air flows in opposite directions
across the food processor due to the unpredictable mixing of
confronted airflows.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention provides a process for preparing a
meat product, more particularly a sausage meat product cut into
slices, by subjecting the slices to two conditioned air currents in
opposite directions using a forced convection treatment unit. More
specifically, the process of the present invention is useful for
preparing a relatively tender sausage meat product, i.e., with a
low level of curing, such as a salami or the like, cut into
slices.
[0014] The process comprises the following steps. Firstly, a mass
is prepared with one or more comminuted meat products, which can
include, for example, lean meat of pork and/or veal and pork fat or
lard, optionally with one or more condiments, and said mass is
stuffed in a casing, such as an intestine, which can be of
cellulose or collagen, to form sausage products. As a merely
guiding information, the most usual calibers for the intestine
range between 60 and 120, although higher and lower calibers are
possible, and the meat products are comminuted to a particle size
of 2 to 3 mm.
[0015] A stoving process is then carried out in which the mass is
allowed to ferment in the sausage products, for example by hanging
the sausage products in a fermentation chamber at a temperature of
15.degree. C. to 30.degree. C. for a period of 12 hours to 3 days,
for the purpose of achieving a rapid growth of microorganisms
causing a reduction in the pH of the mass and a consequent
coagulation of the meat proteins which will give consistency to the
sausage product. The sausage products can optionally be smoked
during the mentioned stoving process or at the end thereof. If the
mass has sugar as an added ingredient, an attempt is generally made
for the microorganisms to consume all the added sugar, such that
once the mentioned stoving process has finished the pH remains
constant during a subsequent drying process. This stoving process
generally causes a reduction of 3% to 5% by weight of the sausage
products. Finally, the sausage products are dried until achieving a
predetermined weight reduction, which for relatively tender sausage
products may be of 8% to 35% with respect to the weight of the
fermented sausage products, i.e., at the end of the stoving
process.
[0016] In a conventional process, the drying process is carried out
by leaving the sausage products hanging in a maturing room for a
time period which, for these relatively tender sausage products,
can range between 10 and 20 days. The conditions in the maturing
chamber can be a temperature of 12.degree. C. to 15.degree. C. and
a relative humidity of 70% to 75%, or the environmental conditions
in a suitable climate. However, processes are known which allow
significantly reducing the time required for the drying process by
first cooling the sausage products obtained after the stoving
process to a sufficient low temperature to allow them to be cut
into slices, and then drying the slices by exposing them to
conditioned air flow while are moved by a conveyor within an
enclosure until achieving the desired weight reduction.
[0017] A problem with the conventional process is that thermal
gradients usually occur within the enclosure due to a plurality of
air flows flowing in different directions within the enclosure,
which can produce cold or hot spots on the meat slices leading to a
defective or uneven drying of the slices.
[0018] Instead of trying to reduce or substantially eliminate the
thermal gradients across the conveyor in the enclosure, the process
of the present invention provides at least two similar and opposite
thermal gradients across the conveyor in two successive portions of
the path thereof within different regions of the enclosure such
that the two similar opposite thermal gradients complement each
other providing as a result a uniform thermal treatment after the
conveyor has completed said two successive portions of the path
within the enclosure.
[0019] Ideally, the opposite thermal gradients are identical if the
two successive portions of the path are identical. However, due to
the technical difficulty of providing two identical opposite
thermal gradients within different regions of the enclosure,
similar opposite thermal gradients are contemplated within the
scope of the present invention, with the term "similar" meaning a
maximal deviation of .+-.10% in the maximal temperatures of the two
thermal gradients and in the minimal temperatures of the two
thermal gradients. It is also possible to compensate the effect of
different opposite thermal gradients by providing different lengths
for the two successive portions of the path, i.e. different times
of treatment under each thermal gradient.
[0020] Said successive similar and opposite thermal gradients
across the conveyor are provided according to the present invention
by making first and second conditioned air currents pass in
well-defined mutually parallel opposite directions from a first
side to a second opposite side of the conveyor and along respective
first and second successive portions of the path of the conveyor
within corresponding first and second regions of the enclosure.
[0021] This solution is simple and easy to implement by using a
forced convection treatment unit having an enclosure, a conveyor
following a path within the enclosure and an air flow distribution
device including inlet and outlet ports at both sides of the
conveyor geometrically designed and precisely located to provide
the successive mutually parallel opposite first and second
conditioned air currents across the conveyor.
[0022] In the process of the present invention, the step of drying
the slices comprises arranging the slices in a single layer on a
permeable support surface and conveying the slices thus arranged
along a path within an enclosure, while first and second mutually
parallel conditioned air currents, in opposite directions parallel
to said support surface and transverse to the direction of travel
of the conveyor device, are made to pass through two respective
regions of said enclosure.
[0023] The mentioned regions of the enclosure through which the
first and second conditioned air currents pass are located in
relation to the path of the slices within the enclosure so that the
slices receive the impingement of both first and second conditioned
air currents while they are conveyed along the path.
[0024] The slices are subjected to said first and second
conditioned air currents for a period of 10 minutes to 70 minutes.
The first conditioned air current is at a temperature of 15.degree.
C. to 40.degree. C. and a relative humidity of 30% to 40% at an
inlet port thereof, and the second conditioned air current is in
the same conditions as the first conditioned air current or at a
slightly lower temperature and at a slightly higher relative
humidity at an inlet port thereof. The first conditioned air
current will preferably have a speed of 2 m/s to 5 m/s and the
second conditioned air current will have the same speed as the
first one or a slightly lower speed at the respective inlet
ports.
[0025] Ideally, the temperature, humidity and speed of the first
and second opposite conditioned air currents are identical if the
lengths of the first and second portion of the path are identical.
However, due to the technical difficulty of providing two identical
opposite conditioned air currents within different regions of the
enclosure, similar opposite conditioned air currents are
contemplated within the scope of the present invention, with the
term "similar" meaning a maximal deviation of .+-.10% in the
temperature, humidity and speed of the second conditioned air
current with respect to the temperature, humidity and speed of the
first conditioned air current.
[0026] Once the drying process has finished, the slices are left to
cool separated to prevent them from sticking to one another due to
the particles of melted fat, and finally the process comprises
forming groups of dried and cooled slices arranged in a desired
format and packaging the groups of slices under vacuum or in a
modified atmosphere using a thermoforming machine.
[0027] As may have been verified, the method of the present
invention allows drastically reducing the preparation time of the
meat product by several days, and furthermore provides a
presentation of the finished product cut into slices and packaged
suitable for being marketed in self-service establishments, and
which is in ever greater demand among the public.
[0028] A forced convection treatment unit suitable to carry out the
process of the present invention comprises a conveyor device
configured to convey slices of said meat product arranged in a
single layer on a permeable support surface along a path inside an
enclosure, and an air circulation device configured and arranged to
make conditioned air pass through the inside of said enclosure and
around said slices while the slices are conveyed by said conveyor
device for sufficient time to reduce the moisture of the slices to
a predetermined level. The air circulation device comprises at
least one air moving device, such as a ventilator device,
associated to an arrangement of conduits provided with a plurality
of inlet and outlet ports in communication with the inside of the
enclosure and arranged to make at least first and second mutually
parallel conditioned air currents, in opposite directions parallel
to said permeable support surface and transverse to the direction
of travel of the conveyor device, pass through two respective
regions of the enclosure.
[0029] Thus, with this forced convection treatment unit, the slices
which are conveyed by the conveyor device receive a first
conditioned air current from a first side to an opposite second
side of the enclosure during a first portion of the path through
the inside of a first region of the enclosure and a second
conditioned air current from an said second side to said first of
the enclosure during a second portion of the path through a second
region of the inside of the enclosure, said first and second
conditioned air currents creating similar and opposite thermal
gradients in said successive first and second regions of the
enclosure with the result of a better uniformity in the drying of
the slices in the entire width of the surface of the conveyor.
[0030] It will be understood that, depending on the length of the
path of the conveyor, the unit can include a number of inlet and
outlet ports to provide more than two parallel currents in
alternately opposite directions in a plurality of successive
regions of the enclosure.
[0031] The enclosure preferably has first and second opposite sides
between which the path of the conveyor device runs, and the unit
comprises a pair of facing first inlet and outlet ports located
respectively on said first side and on said second side of the
enclosure and a pair of facing second inlet and outlet ports
located, in this case, respectively on the second side and on the
first side of the enclosure. Said first conditioned air current is
thus introduced into the enclosure through the first inlet port and
is extracted through the first outlet port and said second
conditioned air current is introduced into the enclosure through
the second inlet port and is extracted through the second outlet
port. The passage areas of all the inlet and outlet ports can have
substantially the same dimensions. In an embodiment, the first
inlet port and the second outlet port are mutually adjacent on the
first side of the enclosure, and the first outlet port and the
second inlet port are mutually adjacent on the second side of the
enclosure. There is no separation inside the enclosure, and the two
currents have bordering areas in contact. One or more of the first
and second inlet and outlet ports are preferably equipped with a
plurality of directing flanges in the form of separate superimposed
sheets, parallel to the direction of the corresponding current, to
aid in directing the conditioned air current passing
therethrough.
[0032] According to an embodiment, the mentioned arrangement of
conduits of the air circulation device comprises a pair of first
inlet and outlet conduits connected respectively to the first inlet
port and to the first outlet port, and a pair of second inlet and
outlet conduits connected respectively to the second inlet port and
to the second outlet port. This involves a double conditioned air
circuit, each one with an air conditioning unit and at least one
ventilator device to drive or suck the conditioned air.
[0033] According to another embodiment, the arrangement of conduits
comprises an inlet conduit connected to the first inlet port, a
deflector conduit connected at a first end to the first outlet port
and at a second end to the second inlet port, and an outlet conduit
connected to the second outlet port. With this arrangement, the air
forming the first conditioned air current when it leaves the
enclosure passes through the deflector conduit and then re-enters
it to form the second air current, which involves a single
conditioned air circuit with only one air conditioning unit and at
least one ventilator device either in the inlet conduit to drive
the conditioned air through the first inlet port or in the outlet
conduit to suck the conditioned air through the second outlet port.
Optionally, an additional ventilator device can be arranged in the
deflector conduit to suck conditioned air through the first outlet
port and at the same time drive conditioned air through the second
inlet port.
[0034] The conveyor device can be of several types, for example a
conveyor device provided with several superimposed sections such as
that described in the mentioned international patent application WO
2008135616, where each conveyor section comprises at least one
endless belt providing the mentioned permeable support surface on
which the slices of meat product are directly arranged.
Alternatively, each conveyor section can be configured to
horizontally move a plurality of trays, each of which is provided
with a permeable support surface on which the slices are arranged.
With the use of this conveyor device provided with several
superimposed sections, the pair of first conditioned air inlet and
outlet ports and the pair of second conditioned air inlet and
outlet ports can be located in the enclosure either side to side or
one on top of the other, since the slices are conveyed into the
enclosure both in a vertical direction and in alternately opposite
horizontal directions.
[0035] According to a preferred embodiment, the conveyor device is
configured to convey a plurality of trays, each of which is
provided with a horizontal permeable support surface on which the
slices are arranged in a single layer, and to vertically move said
trays within the enclosure in a vertical direction from a reception
level to a delivery level. In this case, the pair of first
conditioned air inlet and outlet ports are sized and arranged in
the enclosure to make the first conditioned air current pass
through a half of the vertical path of the trays between said
reception level and said delivery level, and the pair of second
conditioned air inlet and outlet ports are sized and arranged to
make the second conditioned air current pass through another half
of the vertical path of the trays between said reception level and
said delivery level. The enclosure has a tray reception opening
located in the mentioned reception level and a tray delivery
opening located in said delivery level. The conveyor device
comprises outside the enclosure a loading conveyor for receiving
trays and introducing them through said reception opening, and
inside the enclosure an unloading conveyor for unloading trays
through said delivery opening, and a vertical conveyor for
vertically conveying the trays between the loading conveyor and the
unloading conveyor. The vertical conveyor can be a chain conveyor
similar to that described in the mentioned patent GB-A-1402652.
[0036] In this embodiment, the reception level is close to the
bottom and the delivery level is close to the upper part of the
enclosure, such that the path of the trays within the enclosure is
a bottom to top upward vertical path, although an inverse
construction is contemplated in which the path of the trays within
the enclosure is a top to bottom downward vertical path. Whichever
the upward or downward vertical path of the trays inside the
enclosure, the pairs of first and second inlet and outlet ports can
be arranged to make the first air current pass through the upper
half and the second air current pass through the lower half of the
vertical path of the trays inside the enclosure, or vice versa.
According to an embodiment, the unit is built such that the
vertical path of the trays inside the enclosure can be changed from
upward to downward by simply reversing the operation of the
actuations of the conveyor device, such that a forced convection
treatment line can be built formed by two or more of such units
which are linked and reversely actuated, such that, for example,
the trays unloaded through the delivery opening located in the
upper level of one unit are immediately loaded through the
reception opening located in the upper level of the following unit,
and the trays unloaded through the delivery opening located in the
lower level of one unit are immediately loaded through the
reception opening located in the lower level of the following
unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0037] The previous and other features and advantages will be more
fully understood from the following detailed description of several
embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
[0038] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a forced
convection treatment unit which is used for carrying out a process
for treating a meat product cut into slices according to the
present invention, with a housing of the treatment unit being
omitted for greater clarity of the drawing;
[0039] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-section view of the unit of FIG.
1;
[0040] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-section view of a variant of the
unit of FIG. 1;
[0041] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-section view of another
embodiment of a forced convection treatment unit which is used for
carrying out a process for treating a meat product cut into slices
according to the present invention;
[0042] FIG. 5 is a schematic upper view of the unit of FIG. 4;
[0043] FIG. 6 is a schematic upper view of a variant of the unit of
FIG. 4; and
[0044] FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of a forced convection
treatment line made up of two linked units, similar to the unit of
the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0045] In the description of the different embodiments and in the
figures, the same numerical references refer to equal or equivalent
features.
[0046] With reference first to FIGS. 1 and 2, a forced convection
treatment unit is shown which is useful for carryings out a process
for treating a meat product according to the present invention. The
meat product is, for example, a sausage meat product cut into
slices, although vegetable or fish products are not discarded. The
forced convection treatment unit comprises a housing 21 defining an
enclosure 2 having a reception opening 12 at one end and a delivery
opening 13 at the other opposite end. The mentioned reception
opening 12 is in a reception level close to the bottom of the
enclosure, whereas the delivery opening 13 is in a delivery level
close to the upper part of the enclosure. The housing 21 has been
omitted in FIG. 1 for a greater clarity of the drawing. The unit is
associated to a conveyor device 1 configured to convey the slices
of meat product along a path from the reception opening 12 to the
delivery opening 13 inside said enclosure 2. The slices are
conveyed individually separated, arranged in a single layer, on a
permeable support surface. In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1
and 2, the conveyor device 1 is configured to convey a plurality of
trays 4, each of which has a permeable support surface, along the
width and length of which the slices are arranged.
[0047] The conveyor device 1 comprises a loading conveyor 14 for
receiving the trays 4 and introducing them into the enclosure 2
through said reception opening 12, an unloading conveyor 15 for
unloading the trays 4 from the enclosure 2 through said delivery
opening 13 and a vertical conveyor 22 for vertically conveying the
trays 4 between the reception level, where they are left by the
loading conveyor 14, and the delivery level, from where they are
taken by the unloading conveyor 15. In FIG. 1, the trays follow an
upward vertical path inside the enclosure 2. However, in an
alternative embodiment, the reception level and the reception
opening 12 are close to the upper part of the enclosure, the
delivery level and the delivery opening 13 are close to the bottom
of the enclosure and the vertical conveyor 22 is configured to
vertically convey the trays 4 in a downward path. In the first
embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the loading conveyor 14 is configured
to introduce groups of three trays 4 in the reception level, the
vertical conveyor 22 is configured to vertically convey successive
groups of three trays 4 between the reception and delivery levels
forming a triple column of trays 4 inside the enclosure 2, and the
unloading conveyor 15 is configured to extract groups of three
trays 4 from the delivery level. Obviously, the unit could
alternatively be built to handle individual trays or groups of
another different number of trays.
[0048] The forced convection treatment unit also comprises an air
circulation device 3 configured and arranged to make conditioned
air pass through the inside of said enclosure 2 and around said
slices while the trays 4 with the slices arranged thereon are
conveyed by said conveyor device 1. As is better shown in the
diagram of FIG. 2, the mentioned air circulation device 3 comprises
an inlet conduit 9 connected to a first inlet port 5 located on a
first side of the enclosure 2 and in communication with the inside
thereof. This first inlet port 5 directly faces a first outlet port
6 located on an opposite second side of the enclosure 2 and in
communication with the inside thereof. On said second side of the
enclosure 2 and in communication with the inside thereof there is a
second inlet port 7, which is located adjacent and below said first
outlet port 6. A deflector conduit 10 is connected at a first end
to the first outlet port 6 and at a second end to the second inlet
port 7. This second inlet port 7 directly faces a second outlet
port 8 located on the first side of the enclosure 2 and in
communication with the inside thereof, which is adjacent and below
said first inlet port 5. An outlet conduit 11 is connected to said
second outlet port 8.
[0049] The air circulation device 3 further includes at least one
air moving device, such as a ventilator or a turbine (not shown)
associated, for example, to said inlet conduit 9 to drive
conditioned air inside it. The conditioned air is introduced into
the enclosure 2 through the first inlet port 5 and is extracted
through the first outlet port 6, such that between the first inlet
and outlet ports 5, 6 there is established a first conditioned air
current inside the enclosure 2. The conditioned air extracted
through the first outlet port 6 is led by said deflector conduit 10
towards the second inlet port 7, through which it is introduced
again into the enclosure 2. The air introduced through the second
inlet port 7 is extracted from the enclosure 2 through the second
outlet port 8, such that between the second inlet and outlet ports
7, 8 there is established a second conditioned air current inside
the enclosure 2.
[0050] The inlet conduit 9 and the outlet conduit 11 are generally
communicated to one another through an air conditioning unit (not
shown), such that the air moving device provided to drive
conditioned air in the inlet conduit 9 and through the first inlet
port 5 also causes a suction effect in the outlet conduit 11 and
through the second outlet port 8, and this favors the flow of the
two currents in the enclosure 2. Alternatively, the air moving
device, rather than being a driving device, could be arranged to
suck conditioned air in the outlet conduit 11 and through the
second outlet port 8, and this, if the inlet and outlet conduits 9,
11 are communicated through said air conditioning unit, would
likewise cause a driving effect in the inlet conduit 9 and through
the first inlet port 5. Optionally, the air circulation device 3
can include a second air moving device, such as a ventilator or
turbine (not shown), arranged in the deflector conduit 10 to suck
conditioned air through the first outlet port 6 and drive it
through the second inlet port 7. It is also helpful that one or
both of the first and second inlet ports 5, 7 are equipped with a
plurality of directing flanges 16 (FIG. 2) to aid in directing the
conditioned air current therethrough. Likewise, one or both of the
first and second outlet ports 6, 8 can be equipped with
corresponding directing flanges.
[0051] The first and second inlet and outlet ports 5, 6, 7, 8 are
positioned in relation to the housing 21 and the conveyor device 1
such that said first and second conditioned air currents flow in
mutually parallel opposite directions through two respective
differentiated regions of the enclosure 2 traversed by the trays 4
in their path from the reception opening 12 to the delivery opening
13. Furthermore, the first and the second conditioned air currents
are parallel to said permeable support surface of the trays 4 and
transverse to the direction of travel of the conveyor device. The
first inlet and outlet ports 5, 6 are sized and arranged to make
the first conditioned air current pass through a half of the path
of the trays 4 inside the enclosure and the second inlet and outlet
ports 7, 8 are sized and arranged to make the second conditioned
air current pass through another half of the path of the trays 4
inside the enclosure. The slices arranged on the trays 4 are thus
subjected to the impingement of the conditioned air of both
opposite first and second currents during their path between the
reception and delivery openings 12, 13. A greater uniformity in the
drying of the slices along the width of the trays is thereby
achieved in comparison with a conventional forced convection
treatment unit provided with a single conditioned air current.
[0052] Although FIG. 2 shows by means of arrows the first
conditioned air current from right to left through an upper region
of the enclosure 2 and the second conditioned air current from left
to right through a lower region of the enclosure 2, the directions
and/or the positions of the first and second currents could be the
reverse ones with an equivalent result. Inside the enclosure 2
there is no physical separation between the two regions through
which the first and second conditioned air currents flow, such that
both currents have respective surfaces in friction contact where
turbulences are created that do not noticeably negatively affect
the action of drying the slices.
[0053] In relation to FIG. 3, a variant of the first embodiment
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is now described in which the housing 21,
the enclosure 2, the conveyor device 1 and the arrangement of first
and second inlet and outlet ports 5, 6, 7, 8 in the housing 21 are
the same as those described above in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2. The
difference lies in the fact that, in the unit of FIG. 3, the air
circulation device 3 comprises a first inlet conduit 17 connected
to the first inlet port 5 and a first outlet conduit 18 connected
to the first outlet port 6, as well as a second inlet conduit 19
connected to the second inlet port 7 and a second outlet conduit 20
connected to the second outlet port 8. The flows of the first and
second conditioned air currents are thus independent.
[0054] For example, the mentioned first inlet and outlet conduits
17, 18 can be communicated to one another through an air
conditioning unit (not shown), and a first air moving device (not
shown) can be arranged to drive conditioned air in the first inlet
conduit 17 and through the first inlet port 5, which will cause at
the same time a suction effect in the first outlet conduit 18 and
through the first outlet port 6. Alternatively, this first air
moving device can be provided to suck conditioned air in the first
outlet conduit 18 and through the first outlet port 6, which will
cause at the same time a driving effect in the first inlet conduit
17 and through the first inlet port 5. In a similar way, said
second inlet and outlet conduits 19, 20 can be communicated to one
another through the same air conditioning unit as the first
circuit, or another. In any case, a second air moving device (not
shown) can be arranged to drive conditioned air in the second inlet
conduit 19 and through the second inlet port 7, which will cause at
the same time a suction effect in the second outlet conduit 20 and
through the second outlet port 8. Alternatively, this second air
moving device can be arranged to suck conditioned air in the second
outlet conduit 20 and through the second outlet port 8, which will
cause at the same time a driving effect in the second inlet conduit
19 and through the second inlet port 7.
[0055] FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the forced
convection treatment unit, which comprises a housing or box 21
defining an enclosure 2 with a reception opening 12, located at a
reception level close to the upper part of the housing 21, at a
first end thereof, and a delivery opening 13, located at a delivery
level close to the bottom of the housing 21, at an opposite second
end thereof. The unit includes a conveyor device 1 comprising a
plurality of superimposed sections configured to convey a plurality
of trays 4 from said reception opening 12 to said delivery opening
13. To that end, the different sections of the conveyor device 1
are actuated in alternately opposite directions, and at the end of
each section there is an arrangement of guides to guide the trays
from the end of each section to the start of the immediately lower
section, in a known way. Each tray 4 has a permeable support
surface, along the width and length of which the slices of the meat
product to be dried are arranged. Alternatively, the sections of
the conveyor device can be conveyor belts providing the permeable
support surface, and the slices can be arranged directly on the
conveyor belts, as described in the mentioned international patent
application WO 2008135616. In any case, the slices are conveyed in
a combined path in opposite horizontal directions and in a downward
vertical direction from the reception opening 12 to the delivery
opening 13.
[0056] In this second embodiment, the housing 21 has first inlet
and outlet ports 5, 6 in communication with the enclosure 2, and
second inlet and outlet ports 7, 8 in communication with the
enclosure 2. The arrangement of said first and second inlet and
outlet ports 5, 6, 7, 8 is similar to that described in relation to
the first embodiment, except that here the first inlet and outlet
ports 5, 6 are adjacent to and side to side with the second inlet
and outlet ports 7, 8, as shown in the diagram of FIG. 5. An inlet
conduit 9 is connected to the first inlet port 5, a deflector
conduit 10 is connected to the first outlet port 6 at one end and
the second inlet port 7 at the other end, and an outlet conduit 11
is connected to the second outlet port 8. At least one air moving
device, such as a ventilator or a turbine (not shown) is
associated, for example, to said inlet conduit 9 to drive
conditioned air inside it or to said outlet conduit 11 to suck air
inside it for the purpose of creating a first current from the
first inlet port 5 to the first outlet port 6 and second current
from the second inlet port 7 to the second outlet port 8. It will
be observed that these first and second conditioned air currents
flow in mutually parallel opposite directions through two
respective regions of the enclosure 2 traversed by the trays 4 in
accordance with the horizontal component of their path from the
reception opening 12 to the delivery opening 13. It will
furthermore be observed that the first and second conditioned air
currents are parallel to the permeable support surface of the trays
4 or of the conveyor belts and transverse to the direction of
travel of the conveyor device. Optionally, if necessary, a second
air moving device can be arranged in the deflector conduit 10.
[0057] FIG. 6 shows a variant of this second embodiment, in which
the only difference is that a first inlet conduit 17 is connected
to the first inlet port 5 and a first outlet conduit 18 is
connected to the first outlet port 6, and in parallel a second
inlet conduit 19 is connected to the second inlet port 7 and a
second outlet conduit 20 is connected to the second outlet port 8.
The flows of the first and second conditioned air currents are thus
independent. This requires at least one first air moving device,
such as a ventilator or a turbine (not shown), arranged to drive
conditioned air inside the first inlet conduit 17 or suck air
inside said first outlet conduit 18 for the purpose of creating the
first current, and at least one second air moving device, such as a
ventilator or turbine (not shown), arranged to drive conditioned
air inside the second inlet conduit 19 or suck air inside the
second outlet conduit 20 for the purpose of creating the second
current.
[0058] It will be understood that in this second embodiment, and in
accordance with the vertical component of the path of the slices
inside the enclosure 2, the first inlet and outlet ports 5, 6 could
alternatively be arranged adjacent and above the second inlet and
outlet ports 7, 8 as in the unit of the first embodiment, with an
equivalent result.
[0059] In relation to FIG. 7, a forced convection treatment line is
now described made up of two linked units 31, 32, each of which is
similar to the forced convection treatment unit of the first
embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Here, a first unit 31 of the
line has the loading inlet 12 next to the bottom of the enclosure 2
at a first end of the housing 21 and the unloading opening 13 next
to the upper part of the enclosure 2 at an opposite second end of
the housing 21. A second unit 32 of the line has the loading inlet
12 next to the upper part of the enclosure 2 at a first end of the
housing 21 and the unloading opening 13 next to the bottom of the
enclosure 2 at an opposite second end of the housing 21, such that
the loading opening 12 of the second unit 32 directly faces the
unloading opening 13 of the first unit 31. The trays which are
extracted through the unloading opening 13 of the first unit 31 are
thus immediately introduced through the loading opening 12 of the
second unit 32. The treatment time is thereby prolonged without
slowing down the travel rate of the trays along the line. In FIG.
7, the arrows indicate the path of the trays 4 inside the
enclosures 2. It will be understood that additional units could
similarly be added to the drying line. It will also be understood
that all the units 31, 32 of the line can have substantially the
same construction and can be arranged in opposite positions and
actuated to operate in reverse directions.
[0060] A process for preparing a sausage meat product according to
the present invention is carried out using the forced convection
treatment unit described above. The process of the present
invention is useful for preparing a sausage meat product cut into
slices in which the sausage meat product is relatively tender, or
in other words, has a relatively low level of maturing or curing
and a relatively high degree of moisture. This process comprises
preparing a mass with one or more comminuted meat products,
optionally with one or more condiments, and stuffing said mass in a
casing to form sausage products. Then, the mass is allowed to
ferment in the sausage products. Afterwards, the sausage products
are cooled to a sufficiently low temperature (generally until
freezing) to allow cutting them into slices without them breaking
down, and cutting the chilled sausage products into slices.
Finally, the slices are dried until achieving a predetermined
weight reduction with respect to the weight of the recently cut
slices, i.e., of the slices after the fermentation.
[0061] The forced convection treatment unit described above is
useful for carrying out the mentioned step of drying the slices. To
that end, the slices are arranged in a single layer on a permeable
support surface and conveyed thus arranged along a path inside an
enclosure 2, and at the same time as at least first and second
mutually parallel conditioned air currents are made to pass, in
opposite directions parallel to said support surface and transverse
to the direction of travel of the slices, through two successive
regions of the enclosure 2 positioned in relation to said path such
that the slices, during their movement inside the enclosure 2, they
are affected by both first and second currents.
[0062] The slices will be arranged individually separated along the
length and width of said permeable support surface to facilitate
the passage of the conditioned air currents therearound. The
opposite conditioned air currents create two corresponding opposite
thermal gradients across the conveyor device 1 in the two
successive regions of the enclosure 2, resulting in a uniform
curing of the slices. Only with the mentioned forced conditioned
air convection treatment for 10 minutes to 70 minutes, a weight
reduction of 8% to 35% with respect to the weight of the recently
cut slices can be achieved, which is the suitable weight reduction
for this type of relatively tender sausage products.
[0063] By way of example, the first conditioned air current can be
at a temperature of 15.degree. C. to 40.degree. C. and a relative
humidity of 30% to 40% at the first inlet port 5, and can flow at a
speed of 2 m/s to 5 m/s at the first inlet port 5. The second
conditioned air current can be in the same conditions at the second
inlet port 7 as the first conditioned air current at the first
inlet port 5 if the flows of the two currents are independent
(FIGS. 3 and 6), or at a slightly lower temperature, a slightly
higher relative humidity and a slightly lower speed at the second
inlet port 7 if one and the same flow provides the two currents
with the aid of the deflector conduit 10 (FIGS. 2 and 5). After the
step of drying, at the outlet of the forced convection treatment
unit, or at the outlet of a forced convection treatment line formed
by several units, the process comprises forming groups of dried
slices arranged in a desired format and packaging the slices under
vacuum or in a modified atmosphere.
[0064] An installation for carrying out the drying operations of
the process will typically comprise one or more devices for cutting
the previously cooled sausage products into slices, a device for
arranging the slices in trays 4, one or more forced convection
treatment lines, each of which is formed by one or more forced
convection treatment units as described above, and one or more
packaging units, all of them linked by suitable conveyor devices
for conveying the trays 4 with the slices. The installation can
include a return conveyor device for returning the empty trays
again to the device for arranging the slices in trays passing
through a tray cleaning device, and one or more temporary storage
units, or "buffers", arranged in strategic places both of the
loaded tray conveying line and of the empty tray conveying
line.
[0065] The scope of the present invention is defined in the
attached claims.
* * * * *