Feed tank and method for the simultaneous high-pressure and temperature treatment of a food item in a high-pressure tank

Abstract

The invention relates to a feed tank for use in a high-pressure system, said feed tank having a hollow space (3) for accommodating food items, a wall (1) and a temperature-control device (5). The invention further relates to a method for the simultaneous high-pressure and temperature treatment in a high-pressure tank.

Claims

1. Feed tank for use in a pressure system, characterized in that the feed tank comprises a first axial end and a second axial end disposed opposite the first axial end, a hollow space for receiving foodstuffs for batch processing, a wall as well as a temperature control device, wherein the wall is multi-walled with a wall spacing there between, wherein a temperature-controlling medium is located in the wall spacing, wherein the first axial end has formed therein a first opening and the second axial end has formed therein a second opening, wherein the feed tank comprises at least one electric contact, whereby the electric contact is arranged in such a way that raw materials, semi-finished products or finished products located in the hollow space are flown through by the electric current completely and are temperature-controlled by means of ohmic heating; wherein the feed tank further comprises at least one compression piston, the compression piston being axially extendable at least partially through the second opening formed in the second axial end of the feed tank into the hollow space to eject the foodstuffs therein through the first opening in the first axial end of the feed tank; wherein the first axial end of the feed tank includes a flange situated at the first opening formed in the first axial end, the flange being engageable with a mixing, mincing, filling, dicing or dosing device, wherein the combination of the compression piston and flange facilitates sterile, germ-free evacuation of the feed tank after treatment of the foodstuffs therein.

2. Feed tank according to claim 1, characterized in that the wall is flexible.

3. Feed tank according to claim 1, wherein the temperature-controlling medium is at least one of water, oil, salt, paraffin, brine, PCM, salt solution, glycerin, liquid nitrogen, ethanol and sodium acetate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a feed tank,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a feed tank with a compression piston, and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a feed tank with a flexible wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) FIG. 1 shows the basic construction of a feed tank. A wall 1 and the removal openings 2 define a hollow space 3 for receiving the foodstuff to be treated. In the embodiment shown a multiple wall, and explicitly a double wall, with a wall spacing 4 is formed. This spacing contains a temperature-controlling medium. The temperature-controlling medium may be water, oil, salt, paraffin, brine, PCM or a salt solution. The temperature-controlling medium may already be preheated, respectively cooled, when it is filled into the wall spacing 4. This may be realized by a valve. Depending on the foodstuff to be treated the medium located in the wall spacing may also serve as an insulating medium of an insulation of the feed tank.

(6) In addition, another temperature control device 5 is provided, which may be configured to temperature-control the temperature-controlling medium, on the one hand, and to directly temperature-control the wall 1, on the other hand. It is also provided to arrange another temperature control device 5 in the region of the removal opening 2.

(7) In the region of the two removal openings 2 electric contacts 6 are respectively provided which, upon contact with counter-contacts mounted in the high-pressure vessel or separately, outside the high-pressure vessel, close an electric circuit and supply the temperature control devices 5, respectively electroporation device, with power. In addition, it is important to note that the contacts in the feed tank have a full-surface effect to ensure that all parts of the material to be treated are flown through by the current.

(8) As can be seen in the figure the feed tank has an elongated geometry, which may also have other physical conditions adapted to the high-pressure vessel of the standard high-pressure system. The removal openings 2 are located on the ends of the feed tank which oppose each other in the longitudinal direction. The closing devices associated with the removal openings may be designed, inter alia, as screw caps which may have, for example, an elastic membrane. The foodstuff to be treated is introduced through the openings into the hollow space 3 prior to the treatment and is removed through the same openings after the treatment.

(9) FIG. 2 shows a feed tank having a compression piston 7. The compression system is integrated in a removal opening and forms the closure of same, wherein the piston is situated at the opposite end of another removal opening 2. This embodiment of the feed tank is suited particularly well for the treatment of pasty semi-finished or finished products. Same do not change their cross-section during the pressure and temperature treatment and are merely compressed in the longitudinal direction owing to the pressurization by the compression piston.

(10) Firstly, the pasty foodstuff is introduced through the two removal openings 2 into the hollow space 3. Then, the one removal opening is provided with a sealing plug 8 while the piston 7 is introduced into the opposite removal opening. Electric contacts 6 are provided at both ends of the feed tank, with a temperature control device 5 being moreover provided in the region of the compression piston.

(11) Next, the high-pressure and temperature treatment is performed, with the compression piston being pushed in the longitudinal direction into the hollow space 3 so that the material to be treated located there is compressed. Upon the completion of the treatment steps the sealing plug 8 is removed so that the treated foodstuff can be removed through this removal opening by means of the compression piston 7. Preferably, the compression piston therefore has a length that corresponds at least to the distance between the two removal openings 2, so that the material to be treated is ejected through the removal opening, which is situated opposite the compression piston 7, due to the pressure exerted by the compression piston 7.

(12) For the germ-free evacuation of the feed tank after the treatment of the foodstuff the tank is constructed to be firmly connectable to a filling or dosing device. Therefore, the removal opening 2, which is originally provided with a sealing plug 8, is formed with a coupling device, e.g. a flange with an external thread (not illustrated), so that the filling, mixing, mincing or dosing device can be coupled thereto, respectively connected by screwing.

(13) FIG. 3 shows another embodiment focusing at a flexible, respectively elastic, wall 9. As can be seen in the figure such a wall configuration equally allows the construction of a multiple wall, respectively double wall, with a fillable wall spacing 4 there between.

(14) This embodiment of the feed tank according to the invention is suited, above all, for the treatment of foodstuffs, respectively meat products and sausage products, which must not be compressed in the longitudinal direction, for example, to avoid the breaking of animal bones. In this design, the high pressure is applied to the foodstuff by the flexible wall 9. A feed tank of this type is suited for the treatment of both packed products and loose products.

(15) Other than that, this feed tank equally comprises electric contacts 6, temperature control devices 5 and removal openings 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(16) 1 wall 2 removal opening 3 hollow space 4 wall spacing 5 temperature control device 7 electric contact 7 compression piston 8 sealing plug 9 flexible wall