PROCESS FOR THE CLEANING OF EDIBLE MUSHROOMS

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for cleaning mushrooms intended for human consumption, that comprises the following steps:separation from the mushrooms of the soluble parts through the generation of an extract;cleaning the pulp of insoluble foreign elements;reconstructing by combining the pulp, removed of soluble elements and cleansed of insoluble elements, with the extract; wherein the step of cleaning the pulp takes place at least during and/or after the generation of the extract.

Claims

1. Process for cleaning mushrooms intended for human consumption of foreign elements, wherein the foreign elements have soluble elements and insoluble elements, wherein the mushrooms comprise a pulp comprising the following steps: separation from the mushrooms of the soluble elements through generation of an extract; cleaning the pulp of the insoluble foreign elements. reconstruction by combining the pulp, removed of the soluble elements and cleansed of the insoluble elements, with the extract, wherein the step of cleaning the pulp takes place at least during and/or after the generation of the extract.

2. Process according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning step further comprises creating a suspension of the pulp in a liquid medium, and stressing the suspension, through at least one series of pressure variations that cause the foreign elements to come out.

3. Process according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cleaning step further comprises creating a suspension of the pulp in a liquid medium and bubbling of a food gas or of a mixture of food gases, wherein the bubbling of the gas or of the mixture of gases causes the foreign elements to come out from the pulp in suspension.

4. Process according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning step further comprises creating a suspension of the pulp in a solution comprising oxygenated water for a predetermined time, wherein the reaction of the oxygenated water inside the pulp generates a propulsion effect that causes the foreign elements to come out.

5. Process according to claim 2 or 3, in which the separation step is at least partially simultaneous with the cleaning steps.

6. Process according to claim 5, in which the cleaning step comprises the pressure variations according to claim 2 applied before the bubbling according to claim 3.

7. Process according to claim 4 in which the suspension of the pulp in a solution comprising oxygenated water takes place at least partially after the separation step according to claim 1.

8. Process according to claim 7, in which the pulp is separated from the extract before being placed in suspension in the oxygenated water solution.

9. Process according to claim 4 in that in which at least two parts of pulp removed of solutes are kept in the suspension with oxygenated water for mutually different predetermined times, so as to undergo different amounts of bleaching.

10. Process according to claim 1, in which the reconstruction step further comprises subjecting the cleaned pulp to a drying process wherein the extract is combined with the pulp.

11. Process according to claim 1, further comprising an initial step of analysis of a level and/or type of contamination of the mushrooms and assigning a number and/or type of washing to the mushrooms, each coinciding with a cleaning step according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said number and/or type is dependent on the level of contamination detected.

12. Process according to claim 2 or 3 in which the mushrooms are successively subjected to a series of washing operations, each coinciding with a cleaning step according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the extract is at least partially used as liquid phase of the suspension of at least some of the washing operations to become enriched with solutes in each subsequent wash in which it is present.

Description

EXPERIMENTAL EXAMPLE

[0060] amount of mushrooms and water to form the suspension: in proportion of 1 to 10 [0061] temperature of suspension water: room [0062] parameters of the pulsed vacuum and duration: 5 cycles in 5 minutes [0063] parameters of the bubbling and duration: continuous bubbling for 5 minutes. [0064] parameters of the use of oxygenated water and duration: 5% dilution, immersion for 10 minutes.

[0065] In these conditions an elimination from inside the pulp of 96% of insoluble foreign elements was obtained.

[0066] In general, it should be observed that other types of cleaning treatment of the pulp in addition to the ones indicated are not excluded. Nor is the application of only one or some of the types of washing indicated ruled out.

[0067] For example, the programming of the number and type of washes to be applied can depend on an initial analysis of the mushrooms to be treated which establishes the amount and/or type of foreign elements to be eliminated.

[0068] This can be done for example through a production line that has an initial analysis station of the mushrooms and a series of cleaning programs able to be activated according to the contamination detected.

[0069] The system could also have a station in which each mushroom is analysed and it is sent to sub-lines with different cleaning programs according to its degree of contamination.

[0070] It should also be observed that up to here stressing treatments by pressure variation and bubbling treatments have been described, carried out in the same container and on the same mixture of mushrooms and water. This makes it more practical to apply various successive washing steps with pressure variation and/or bubbling. However, this does not rule out less preferred embodiments in which in each wash the pulp and the extract are separated, to constitute a new suspension in new water at the next cycle, in which the extract can be added at least in part. Or it is not ruled out to have washing cycles by pressure variation and/or bubbling that each take place in distinct containers, for example arranged in successive stations of a production line, each containing its own liquid phase for the suspension.

[0071] Those skilled in the art will also note that, although a process is described herein that uses dried mushrooms as starting material, it is also possible to start from other states of mushrooms, like for example fresh and/or frozen mushrooms, to the great benefit of the industry in terms of availability on the market and not being restricted by the seasonality of the product.

[0072] Of course, the embodiments and the variants described and illustrated heretofore are purely examples and those skilled in the art, in order to satisfy specific and contingent requirements, can bring numerous modifications and variants, including for example the combination of said embodiments and variants, all in any case covered by the scope of protection of the present invention as defined by the following claims.