CA2008602A1 - Continuous cooking/chilling of tubed meat - Google Patents

Abstract

"CONTINUOUS COOKING/CHILLING OF TUBED MEAT"

Abstract:
An apparatus and process for continuously cooking and cooling beef and other meats stuffed in tubes in such a way so as to ensure that potential presence of certain viruses like foot-and-mouth disease is inactivated. The meat product is encased in packs which are processed in an upright position and whithout sealing the opening at the top. The apparatus includes a cooker tank containing a bath of boiling water into which the packs are dipped and transported fully sub-merged up to the neck thereof for a suitable length of time to inactivate the virus. Thereafter the packs are chilled first using tap water and then refrigerated water. A chain system transfers the pack holders from one end of the apparatus to the other, and then returns the holders to the loading end for a new lot of meat packs via a sanitizer tank integrated alongside the cooker tank.

Description

20~6~2 .''CONTINUOUS COOKING/CE~ILLING OF TUBED MEAT"

Field of the Invention:
The present invention i5 related to continuous or uninterrupted heatinq and coolin~ of animal products.
More particularly the invention refers to boilinq or near-boilin~ of meat and meat products previously stuffed in casinq, plastic tubes or packaqes (or packs) and then circulated upriqht so that the meat cooks in its own juice without the pack havin~ to be sealed. This invention is qenerally disclosed hereinafter for cookinq meat and meat in such a way to inactivate the potential presence of foot-and-mouth disease virus in beef products and avoidin~ recontamination after cookinq, however it may also be useful in situations involvinq other animal diseases or products, etc..
When beef is exported from a country where foot-and-mouth disease is endemic to a disease-free country, the latter imposes protective requlations requirinq that the meat be subjected to a heatin~ process to inactivate the presumable presence of the foot-and-mouth virus.
It is qenerally required that the product be uniformly cooked to at least 175~F (79.4C~ at its innermost or coolest portion. This process requires apparatus where-in inter alia the station for handlinq raw meat must be completely physically separated at all times from the station where cooked meat i5 handled, such that the only connection between these end stations is the means or device capable of killinq the foot-and-mouth virus. This device is qenerally a cooker tank which must ensure that there is never any direct open communication between the raw and cooked stations.

- 2~08~02 ~rief Description of the Prior Art:
Two different systems are currently known for cookinq/chillinq meat: the interrupted or discontinuous type and the continuous or uninterrupted type. In the former, heated tank-type cookers contain one or more pack-holders which are loaded throuqh one door and dis-charqed at the other, in between which a partition wall separates the raw area from the the cook~d area. Special care is taken in maintaininq the cookinq water above 180F (82.2C), preferably between 195 and 212F (90.6 and 100C), and avoidinq all direct contact between the raw and cooked areas by always keepinq one door ~hut when the other is open. A hydraulic device pushes the pack-holder from the raw area to the cookinq area. When the cookin~ cycle ends, the pack-holder is removed, emptied of the meat contents and transferred to a dis-countinuos cooler tank and thereafter to a wash station before beinq returned to the raw area throuqh a hydraulic seal to start another cycle.
In a continuous cooker/chiller, the products for processinq are transferred from a raw meat loadinq station to the cooked-meat discharqe station by means o~ one or more holder devices travelinq alonq a windinq path throu~h the heatinq and coolinq areas, whereafter the holder device returns to the loadinq station where another lot of meat is loaded and so on. One such system is Alkar's patented Continuous Vertical Serpentine Cooker/Chiller available from Mauser, 9104 Dice Lane, Lenexa, Kansas, U. S. A.~ Heatinq may be carried out with steam, hot-water shower, dry heat, smoke or combination thereof, and coolin~ by water shower, bryne, qlycoll cold air blast or the like. It is difficult in - 2 ~ 2 practice however to qet cookinq temperatures as hiqh as 212F (100C) in a uniform way with the forementioned types of heatinq media. Furthermore, the Alkar system requires that the packs or containers be sealed to avoid spillinq of the cookinq juice should the container topple over or burst. Desiqn restrictions preclude usinq hot water for fully submerqin~ the packs as a possible means for heatin~.
Also known in the art is a system by Fessmann, of West Germany, called Transfer 4000 comprisinq an uninterrupted line for cookinq, smokinq and coolinq saussaqes. The line includes a vacuum cutter havinq an emulsion pump, a stuffer, the transfer device and a peeler. The product is stuffed in cellulose-based casinq, transported in a horizontal position and cooked usinq steam or showered-water.
Furthermore: ~rqentine patent n 217,672 to FMC
Corporation refers to pressure cooker equipment for canned meat and is unsuitable for the process of the present invention; Arqentine pa~ent n 234,358 to Auqusto Cop discloses improvements in a discontinuous cookinq/coolinq process for ham products and the like usinq relatively low cookinq temperature ranqes; and Ar~entine patent n 200,804 to Isaac Vinokur i5 related to a continuous product transfer system in a saussaqe manufacturinq arranqement.

Summary of the Invention:

It is an object of the present invention to overcome disadvantaqes of the prior art systems to:
obtain a product with better quality and lesser variability; avoid delays between operations and `` 20~86~2 overcookinq; achieve a quicker and more efficient inter-ruption of the heat c~cle; and eliminate many manual operations so that the entire process is easier to con-trol and production costs are reduced.
A more specific ob~ect of the present invention is to avoid havin~ the meat packs travel in a horizontal position so that the problems associated with sealinq the packs are done away with. Hence the juice in which the meat cooks may be removed ~as it is often desired) before the packs are sealed at the end of the cycle.
Another important object of this invention is to use boi],inq or near-boil,inq water for cookinq the meat to reach hi~her temperatures in the product which are difficult to obtain with shGwer water in a uniform way.
It is also an object of the present invention to minimize both steam and refriqerated-water consumption in relation to the prior art discontinuous systems.
The present invention resides in a process and apparatus for uninterrupted cookin~ and coolinq of meat and meat products, the apparatus comprisinq: an input area or station for loadinq the apparatus with raw-meat packs, meat treatment means includinq a cookinq area for heatinq meat packs circulated therethrou~h followed by a chillinq area for coolin~ cooked~meat packs circulated therethrouqh, heatinq and coolinq means for maintaininq the different areas of the treatment station at set temperatures, a discharqe station or area for unloadinq the chilled cooked meat packs, and holder means for circulatin~ the packs in a continuous closed loop from \~ the loadinq station to the discharqe station via the treatment areas and then back to the loadinq station;

--" 2~8~0~

and wherein accordinq to the invention: the empty pack-holders are continuously returned to the meat-loadinq area already sanitized and ready to be loaded with raw-meat packs for a new cycle; there is always total physical separation between the raw and cookinq areas throuqhout the entire pro~ess; and the meat packs can be processed in an upriqht position so that the meat cooks in its own juice and the pack need not be sealed until the end of the cycle.
The heatinq means includes a hot-water bath or the like wherein the circulatin~ upriqht meat-laden packs are ~ully submerqed up to their necks for a predetermined time for the whole product contained in the pack to cook to a substantially uniform p~eset temperature before the packs are moved on to the coolinq means. Washinq and sanitization of the empty holders between each process cycle is advanta~eously carried out alonqside and in heat-transfer relationship with the same heatinq means, but otherwise physically separated therefrom. Moreover, ~he sanitizer system includes a hot water curtain sealinq the cooked and raw areas.

Brief Description of the Drawinqs:
The drawinqs illustrate by way of example a preferred embodiment of an apparatus for carryinq out the invention.
Fiqure 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus accordinq to the present invention, the apparatus beinq shown without the top for the sake of clarity.
Fi~ure 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of fiqure 1.

2~0~6~2 Fiqures 3A and 3B are two sections of the inter-face between the cookin~ and chillinq areas of the apparatus of fiqures 1 and 2, showin~ in detail the inspection and sampler station and the steam exhauster with its associated means; the references A-A in fiqure 3B indicatinq the section plan~ of fi~ure 3A.
Fi~ures 4A and 4B show different views 90 apart of the pack-holder and transfer system o~ the apparatus of fiqures 1 and 2, detailinq the transfer chain, the pack-holder and how they are enqa~ed.
Fi~ure 5 is a schematic elevational view taken from inside the heatinq tank and the washer/sanitizer chamber of the apparatus of fi~ures 1 and 2.

Detailed Description of the Drawinqs:
The drawinqs depict the continuous-operation apparatus for cookinq and coolinq meat contained in plastic packs M accordinq to the invention. As may be seen in fiqures 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises a raw-meat loadinq area or station L for receivinq tubes,packa~es or packs M of plastics laden with raw meat, meat products or some other animal product requirinq a similar cookinq process. The loadinq station is coupled via a downward ramp 11 to a rectanqular cookinq or heatinq tank H full of water up to a set level W which is heated by means of heat jackets placed at the sides 13 and bottom 15 of the tank H. This tank El may be provided with or without steam-heated separators. The tank E~ has one such separator 1/ for reinforcinq the heatinq action near the loadinq area L to reduce the temperature ~radient within the tank El. An upward ~0~02 ramp 19 connects the heatinq tank H with a coolinq or chillinq area or station C.
The packs are hooked or otherwise enqaqed on to suitable holder means 21 ~or circulatinq the meat alonq a set path X, takinq each pack ~ from the loadinq station L down the input ramp 11, throuqh the cooker tank H and out up the other ramp 19 into the chillinq area C. The slopes of both the input and output ramps 11, 19 are desi~ned for ~he product M to enter and leave the hot water as quickly as possible so that the meat in the packs are uniformly heated. The packs M qo up and down the slopes without draqqinq on the ramps 11, 19;
these ramps serve the purpose of reducinq the volume of water fillinq the cooker H.
The water level W inside the cooker tank H is controlled such that if it sould happen to drop under any circumstances, a hot water inlet is automatically opened until the tank H is filled up a~ain to the riqht level W. I'he hot water inlet has a control valve which is opened and closed by a level sensor (not shown).
Fi~ures 3A and 3B show a cross-section and a lonqitudinal section respectively of the inter-face between the cookin~ and chillinq areas H, C.
~n inspection window 22 is provided wherefrom samples of cooked meat may be taken. Considerinq that the temperature of the cookin~ water can reach 212F
(100C), respective intakes are provided both at the input 23 and at the output 25 ends of the cooker tank H
comprisinq steam traps 27A, 27B for extractinq the steam (as indicated by arrows 2~) qenerated in the tank H

throuqh a chimney 28. Flexible curtains 29 are also provided at the output end 25 interfacinq with the 20~602 chiller C. These curtains 29 stop the steam from passinq to the coolinq area C and, conversely, coolinq water drops from passinq to the cookinq area H. Both the tank H and the chamber C are made of materials chosen to resist the respective process conditions, likewise the flexible materials of the curtains 29.
It can be seen in fiqure 2 that the bottom 30 of the chillinq skation or compartment C is at a hi~her level than the water level W in cooker tank El. Coolinq is carried out by sprinklinq water, first at room temperature and then usin~ chilled water. To this end, the chiller chamber C is divided into two areas or sections Cl and C2. In the upper part of the section C1 there is a qroup of sprink]ers pourinq tap-water at room temperature on the just cooked meat cominq in from the ramp 19. Thereafter the packs ~ are transferred throuqh the next area C2 where they are showered a second ~roup of sprinklers with water refriqerated to between 40 and 50F (4 and 10C). The floor 30 of the chamber C is shaped so that the water from each of the aforementioned areas Cl and C2 drains by separate collectors.
Goinq back on fiqure 1, the packs carryinq the cooked and chilled meat exit the chillinq area C and are transferred onto the discharqe area D where they are unloaded from the hold~r system 21. The meat is now in the stipulated sanitary conditions and ready to be sealed and frozen for dispatch to the consumer market of the country of import, whilst the holder 21 continues on its closed-loop path X which takes it to a chamber S
for washin~ and sanitization. The pack M may be sealed with the juice still inside or else the juice may be 2 0 ~ 2 g poured out before sealinq of the pack M. The latter system is more often used than not and hence the ad-vantaqe brouqht about by the invention in enablinq treatment of unsealed packs M may be appreciated.
The chamber S is inteqrated alonqside the cookinq tank H so that the lonq side 13 helps in keepinq the sanitizer S at a hiqh enouqh temperature. The chamber S contains water heated to over 180F (82.2C) for washinq and sanitizinq the holders 21 before they are returned to the loadinq area L. It also serves as a seal blockinq contamination from the raw area L to the cooked area D, wherein this action is enhanced by a hot water spray at at least 180F (82.2C) located at the input side 53 of the sanitizer S. This spray uses water recirculatedfrom the floor of the tank S and acts as a curtain stoppin~ bacteria and other undesired elements Erom passinq throuqh.
Fi~ures 4A, 4B and 5 show in more detail the holder means 21 referred to hereinbefore and an associated transfer system 31 for carryinq the meat-packs M throuqh the different areas of the apparatus of the invention. An overhead biplanar chain system 31 runs alonq the top part of the tank H, the chamber C and the tank S, followinq a continuous closed loop layout X
wherein the holders 21 are loaded with meat packs M at the station L at one end of the system and unloaded at the opposite end at the discharqe station or area ~, whereafter the holders 21 are returned to the loadinq station L after passinq throuqh the sanitization area S.
The chain system 31 pulls a number of pack-holders 21 distributed at reqular inter~als alonq the line X. Each 2 ~ 2 holder 21 is provided wi'ch an adequate amount of hooks 33 on which the packs M are hunq.
The amount of pack-holders 21 is a function of the required cookin~ and coolinq time and the production rate. The amount of packs M which each holder 21 is desiqned to hold is determined takinq into accGunt the time required to submerqe them in the boilin~ water and the water-to-meat wei~ht relationship. Refèrrin~ to fi~ure 3B, the lonqer the holder 21 is in the axial direction x, the more time it will take to submerqe the pack M in the hot water, such that siqnificant differences in heatinq will arise between the meat which is at the bottom of the pack M and that at the top if this dippinq opèration takes too lonq. Furthermore, in-creasinq the width of the pack-holder 21 in the cross direction ~ increases the amount of water in relation to the volume of meat passin~ throuqh the tank H, because a holder 21 will reguire a larqer berth (and hence a qreater interval between consecutive holders 21) to have enouqh room -for th~se holders 21 to nurse the radius of the turninq points of the quided path X. We have found that a holder for four packs Ml, M2, M3, M4 arranqed two-by-two (fiqure 3B~ is -adequate for this purpose althouqh this may be varied both width and lenqthwise within certain constraints.
The pack-holders 21 enqaqe the chain 31 by means of a double pivot 35, 37. The system chain 31 is sup-ported by a structure 39 inte~rated with the tanks H, S
and the chamber C. As illustrated if fiqure 1 the layout X is confi~ured for the holders 21 to travel back-and-forth various lenqths inside the tank H and throuqh the chillinq chamber C, the chain beinq coniqured by -``` 2~86~2 means of quide wheels 41 placed at the proper turninq points.
The chain is driven by means of a sprocket wheei 43 driven by a motor-reducer coupled to a secondary reducer of the type havinq a worm screw and a crown wheel (not shown) for movinq the products M at the riqht speed. By means of this variable reducer the speed of the chain 31 may be chanqed and hence it is possible to modify at will the amount of time the packs dwell in the treatment station Hl C. The dwell-time in the tank H is at least 105 minutes and typically about 2 hours, The chain 31 is kept tauyht by means of a tiqhtener wheel 45 (fiqure 1).
The path X and the lenqth of the chain 31, in addition to the motor means, are desiqned so that the meat M is allowed a predetermined dwell-time in the cookinq and coolinq area H, C. The lenqth o~ the chain 31 in each one of these areas is determined on the basis of the production desired and the dwell-time required therein, and the amount of chain steps in each one of the cited areas is determined on the basis of the space available.

O~eration: ~
It is simple now to understand how the invention function~. The continuous cookinq and coolinq process beqins with the fillinq of the cookinq tank H with hot watPr between 180 and 195F ~82.2 and 90.6C). This fillinq operation is carried out by means of two or more inlets 47 placed at the lower part of the cooker tank H
near or at the bottom 15 thereof. In operation, the water level W must not overflow the neck of the packs or `-"" 2 ~ 0 2 tubinq M wherein the meat is placed. This level W is maintained by means of at least one overflow funnel 49, Thereafter steam is admitted to the correspondinq jackets to take the water temperature to the desi~ed value of about 212F (100C). The temperature is controlled automatically by means of a control steam valve driven by a temperature controller.
Loadin~ beqins after the desired temperature is reached by hanqinq the packs M from the hooks 33 of the pack-holders 21 in the raw area L of the apparatus accordinq to the present invention. The holders 21 al-ready laden with the raw meat packs M enter the cooker throuqh the inlet steam trap 27A and immediately sub-merqe in the water by qoinq down the ramp 11 to the cookinq area. It has been found that an submersion time of between 2 and 3 minutes is just about riqht so as not produce any siqnificant difference between the cookinq of the meat in the upper and ]ower parts of the pack M.
Once the holders 2] with the meat packs M have travelled across the cooker tank H in the set time, they emerqe alonq the ramp 19 (fiqure 2) crossinq the second steam trap 27B to enter the coolin~ chamber CO In the first coolin~ section Cl the packs M contained in the pack-holder 21 are cooled by sprinklinq them with tap-water at room temperature, and thereafter upon passaqe throuqh the second section C2 they are chillled with re-fri~erated water the temperature of which is between 40 and 50F (4 and 10C~. This ranqe does not exclude other hiqher or lower temperatures from beinq used as may be suitable. Samples of meat are taken throuqh the door 22 located in the inspection station 25 to check that the meat has been completely cooked.

-` 2~8~02 In order to save coolinq water, there is a temperature sensor in the tray colectinq outlet water in the section C2, which acts throuqh a controller means on the control valve supplinq refriqerated water to the sprinklers.
The process ends when -the cooled meat packs M
come out throuqh the output 51 of the coolinq area C.
At this point, the rail-and-chain system 31, 39 carry the pack~holder 21 down to the appropiate level where a worker may unhanq the pack M at the discharqe area D.
The chain 31 then turns with the empty pack-holders 21 on the control sprocket wheel 43 and starts back to the loadinq area L, enterinq the continuous washer/sanitization chamber S by a ramp 53 to emerqe by the ramp 55 and from here qo down aqain to the load station L where the whole cycle starts a~ain.
The tank H, as shown in fiyure 5, is further provided with a system of lids 57 and 59 havinq hydraulic seals on the edqes and a system of qrooves with rubber qaskets therebetween.

Example Raw beef meat at about 43F (6C) and cut into different weiqhts and sizes between 10 and 20 ozs (300 and 600 qrs) was stuffed into plastic packs M
measurinq about 4~" (11 cm) in diameter and 3 feet (90 cm~ lonq. The stuffed packs weiqhinq about 20 lbs (9 kq) each are hooked onto the pack-holders ~1 shown in fiqure 4A at the loadinq station L.
The chain 31 carries the packs M at a speed of about 1.6 ft/min (~ metre/minute) into the cooker tank H
full of water boilinq at 212F (100C). The packs M come 6 ~ ~

and qo inside the cooker H coverin~ flve lenqths in about 2 hours, such that no part of the meat M is under 1~5F ~85C) by the time it exits up the ramp 19 into the chillinq area C. The latter comprises five con-secutive staqes, in the first of which the meat is showered with coolinq water at 70F (20C) and in the next four staqes the meat M is subjected to water re-~i~erated at 40F (5C). The packs M take 6 minutes to travel throuqh each staqe such that the product dwells for about this amount of time in the coolinq section Cl and for about 24 minutes in the chillinq section C2, from where it is discharqed at about 115F (45C) mass averaqe temperature.
~ he packs M are unloaded from the hooks 33 at the discharqe station D and the empty holders 21 are fed back to the raw area L to end the process cycle via the sanitizer tank S where the empty holders 21 are sub-jected to a temperature of 185F (~5C) for cleansinq and sanitation. Another cycle beqins when the holders 21 arrive back at the loadinq station L.
Althouqh the essential features of the lnvention have been brouqht out by means of this preferred embodi-ment, the invention is not limited to this embodiment and extends on the contrary to all alternative forms within the purview of the appended claims.

Claims (27)

1. A continuous process for producing a cooked cooled product from a raw animal product comprising the steps of:
arranging the raw product into packs;
submerging each pack in a hot bath during a pre-determined time until all the product in the pack is heated to a substantially uniform preset temperature;
and removing each pack with the substantially uni-formly heated product from the hot bath and subjecting it to cooling means.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein said bath is boiling water or hot water at at least 180°F.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein holder means transport the packs through the heating bath and the cooling means, and said holder means are circulated continuously in a closed loop and are sanitized between each cycle of said process.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein said packs are submerged in the hot bath in an substantially up-right position.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein each pack has an opening at the top for stuffing the product therein during said arranging step, said opening defining an adjacent neck, and each pack is fully submerged in said hot bath up to the neck thereof during said pre-determined time.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein said pack opening is not sealed before said submerging step.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein said cooling step comprises first subjecting the packs to first cooling means at approximately room temperature and thereafter to second cooling means at a substantially lower temperature than said room temperature.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein said room temperature is in the range of 50 to 75°F and said lower temperature is in the range of 32 to 50°F.

9. An apparatus for cooking followed by cooling of an animal product arranged in packs within a pre-determined range of sizes; the apparatus comprising:
a loading station for receiving said packs filled with said product, heating means including a hot bath wherein each pack is substantially submerged for a predetermined time until the entire mass of the product contained in said pack is cooked to a substantially uniform temperature not less than a first preset temperature, cooling means for receiving cooked product packs from said heating means and subjecting them to at least one second preset temperature substantially colder than said first preset temperature, a discharge station for sealing cooled cooked product packs received from said cooling means, holder means for carrying said packs from the loading station through the heating and cooling means to the discharge station, transfer means for transporting said holder means following a continuous closed-loop path which in-cludes said heating and cooling means and said discharge and loading stations, and sanitizer means located in said bath between the discharge and loading stations for sanitizing said holder means after the packs have been unloaded there-from at the discharge station.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the said heating means comprises a tank adapted to contain a hot water bath, and jacket means adapted for circulation of steam therethrough and coupled in heat-exchange relationship with said tank.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said hot water is above 180°F.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said hot bath is substantially boiling water.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said holder means support said packs in a substantially vertical position during passage through said bath.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each pack has an opening at the top defining a neck of the pack substantially adjacent and just below said opening, and wherein said pack is fully submerged in said hot bath up to said neck.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the pack is left open at the top upon transfer from the loading station to the heating means.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said sanitizer means comprise a chamber alongside said tank and in heat transfer relationship therewith, said chamber containing water heated up to at least 180°F.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said chamber comprises a water spray at about the same temperature forming a curtain sealing the loading and discharge stations.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said cooling means comprises a chamber having at least first and second sections through which said transfer means carry said holders and said packs, said first section applying a cooling liquid in the range of 50 to 75°F and said second section applying a refrigerated liquid in the range of 40 to 50°F to said packs.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said cooling means includes water sprinklers in each of said sections for showering said packs with said liquid during passage therethrough.

20. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said transfer means comprises a chain arranged in a closed loop extending from said loading station, through the heating and cooling means, the discharge station, the sanitizing means and back to the loading station; and said holder means comprises a plurality of holders distributed at regular intervals along said chain.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein each holder may house a plurality of said packs.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said plurality of packs is four packs arranged two by two on said holder.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said chain is driven by sprocket means at a predetermined speed selected so that each pack dwells in said heating means during said predetermined time.

24. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said product is beef, said first preset temperature is about 175°F and each pack dwells in said heating means for at least 105 minutes during passage therethrough.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said second preset temperature is about 120°F and each pack dwells in said cooling means for about half an hour during travel therethrough.

26. An animal product obtained by the process of claim 1.

27. The product of claim 26, comprising beef meat inactivated of foot-and-mouth virus.