Patent classifications
A23B5/043
PROCESS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FORMING A RAW EGG PRODUCT
In accordance with this disclosure, a process for producing egg products is provided. The process comprises: (a) providing a raw egg mixture, wherein the raw egg mixture includes a plurality of egg components; (b) mixing the raw egg mixture; (c) lowering the temperature of the raw egg mixture to a level sufficient to cause the raw egg mixture to have a semi-solid state; and (d) after step (c), while maintaining the temperature of the raw egg mixture at a level sufficient to cause the raw egg mixture to have a semi-solid state, continuously forming the semi-solid raw egg mixture into a plurality of shaped and portioned semi-solid raw egg products.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANUFACTURING A COOKED EGG PRODUCT
A system and method for manufacturing a cooked egg product includes an automated egg cracker that receives the raw, shelled eggs from the infeed conveyor and removes the shells from the eggs; a cooking conveyor having a plurality of cooking pans that receives the whole eggs and induction heats the cooking pans sufficiently to completely cook the eggs contained in the cooking pans, resulting in cooked eggs; a pasteurization tunnel that receives the cooked eggs in the cooking pans from the induction heater; and a control that actuates the pasteurization tunnel to heat the surfaces of the eggs to a pasteurization temperature. A freezer freezes the cooked and pasteurized eggs, and a packaging machine packages the frozen, cooked and pasteurized eggs. Alternatively, the induction cooked eggs are frozen after cooking and individually vacuum packaged, sous vide heated to a pasteurization temperature, then chilled or frozen for storage or shipment.