FR2785153A1 - Preparation of vegetables by adding a coating followed by freezing, without damaging the surface - Google Patents

Abstract

A coating (12) is applied to vegetables () or other solid food products as they are transported individually on an open conveyor (2). An excess of coating is applied and caught in a tray (10) beneath the conveyor. As the tray fills and overflows (5) both sides of the food becomes coated. The coated foods are then frozen cryogenically.

Description

 The invention relates to a method and a device for treating solid food products such as, in particular vegetables.

 It could be, for example, filiform food products such as green beans, strips of peppers or the like.

 It may also be food products without any particular shape characteristic but of limited size, from 3 to 30 mm, such as broccoli or others.

 However, although more particularly intended for such applications, the invention could be used for any type of food product.

 Currently, in the field of preparing vegetables, it is known to coat them with a sauce in order to have products ready for use.

 For this, we use churns in which they are introduced along with the sauce. The rotation of the churns then allows the sauce to cover the products.

 A first drawback of such a process lies in the fact that it is not continuous. It should also be noted that it does not favor obtaining a homogeneous coating of each of the products. In addition, these are too often damaged due to the movements they undergo inside the churns.

 It is also known methods of breading and / or chalking continuously but only applied to large products such as portions of fish or meat.

 The object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for treating food products which overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and allow their continuous coating, even for products of small sizes.

 Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for treating food products which allow a homogeneous coating thereof.

 Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for treating food products which make it possible to coat them by limiting the number of broken and / or damaged products.

 Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for treating food products which make it possible to adapt the quantity of coating products placed on each treated food product.

 Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear during the description which follows which is given for information only and which is not intended to limit it.

The invention firstly relates to a process for the treatment of solid food products such as, in particular, vegetables, in which:
- a flow of individualized food products is provided, arranged on a support in continuous movement,
- said stream of a coating product, liquid, pasty or powdery, is continuously watered, said coating product is allowed to pass through said support, at least locally provided as permeable, and said coating product is collected under said support, according to a given thickness,
an additional thickness of coating product is created, over at least the width of said flow,
-this stream is passed through said lick at said coating thickness, in order to coat said food products individually and in a homogeneous manner.

The invention also relates to a device for implementing the method described above for treating solid food products such as, in particular, vegetables, comprising:
-a support for the continuous training of a flow of individual food products,
means for continuously spraying said flow with a coating, liquid, pasty or powdery product,
means for harvesting, according to a given thickness, said coating product under said support, at least locally provided as permeable, said harvesting means being provided capable of allowing the creation of an additional thickness of coating product and said support being provided suitable to allow licking contact with said flux and said excess thickness of coating product.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, accompanied by the appended drawings which form an integral part thereof and among which:
FIG. 1 describes, in top view, a first embodiment of the treatment device according to the invention,
FIG. 2 details, in front view, a part, marked II in the preceding FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 describes, in top view, a second embodiment of said device according to the invention,
FIG. 4 details a part marked IV in previous FIG. 3.

 The invention relates first of all to a method of treating solid food products such as, in particular, vegetables.

 As illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, according to the method according to the invention, there is provided a flow of food products, marked 1; 101 in Figures 2 and 4.

 The products forming the stream at the start of the treatment have, for example, been previously trimmed, blanched, cooked and / or cooled. They can also be frozen products. The stream is made up, in particular, from a storage unit 25; 125.

 According to the invention, they are then arranged individually on a support 2; 102 in continuous motion.

 By this is meant that said food products are fed in a monolayer flow, and are distant from each other, possibly in a given order.

 The flow of said food products is, for example, in a plane and progresses, in particular, in a direction 3; 103 given.

 In order to allow their coating, said stream is continuously sprayed with a coating product 4; 104f, 1041, 104p liquid, pasty or powdery. It is, for example, a sauce and / or a seasoning, possibly loaded with solid particles. It may also be, in particular, flour and / or breadcrumbs. The coating of the upper part 6 is thus obtained; 106 food products.

 Furthermore, said coating product 4 is allowed to pass; 104f, 1041, 104p through said support 2.102, at least locally provided permeable for this purpose, and said coating product 4 is harvested; 104f, 1041, 104p under said support 2; 102 according to a given thickness.

 We create an extra thickness 5; 105 of coating product, over at least the width of said stream and said stream is passed licking through said excess thickness 5; 105 of coating product 4; 104f, 1041, 104p. The coating of the lower part 7 is ensured; 107 remaining food products 1; 101.

 By width of the flow is meant the dimension of the flow of food products 1; 101 in the direction orthogonal to its direction of progression 3; 103.

 The licking contact made according to the invention between the food products 1; 101 and the increased thickness of coating products allows said food products to remain individualized and if necessary ordered during this step, preventing them from floating or being immersed in a bath of said coating product. Said coating can be more homogeneous and carried out continuously, this under conditions which are not very aggressive for the treated food products.

 According to a particular embodiment of the invention, said food products 1 are recirculated to adapt the coating thickness as a function of the number of waterings and passages at the level of said additional thickness 5 of coating product 4. It will be possible to thus obtaining an amount of coatings of up to 70% of the weight of the uncoated food product 1, in particular in the case of a liquid and / or pasty coating product.

 To allow their individualization and their possible ordering, prior to coating, it may be possible to align said food products, for example, side by side and / or one behind the other. They will be oriented, in particular, in the direction of product progression, for filiform products.

 In particular if frozen starting materials are used, the said products are deglazed and / or possibly drained before coating.

 However, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, according to a first embodiment, a liquid and / or pasty product 4 is used and, after coating, said products are drained and / or dried.

 As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, according to another embodiment, several successive coatings are made along the support. Firstly, said stream is sprayed with a powdery coating product 104f of small particle size, in particular flour, and then said stream is sprayed with a second powdery coating product 104p, with a higher particle size, especially breadcrumbs. It is for example a breading operation.

 With such an embodiment, a coating with a liquid and / or pasty product, in particular a binder 1041, optionally followed by draining and / or drying can be interposed between the sprinkling of flour and the sprinkling of breadcrumbs. .

 After coating, the products are treated for their conservation. They are, for example, fried, dried and / or refrigerated. They may also, in particular, always starting from an individualized and possibly ordered flow, maintained by virtue of the coating according to the invention, be frozen at very low temperature.

 By very low temperature is meant a temperature below -40 C. The advantage of such an operation is that it allows the instant formation of a crust on the surface of the coated food product. This then avoids sticking to its support during freezing and the alignment can be kept at the end of this step.

 All the stages of alignment, coating, draining and / or deep freezing at very low temperatures or alignment, deicing / draining, coating of flour, coating of liquid binder products, draining / drying, coating of Breadcrumbs, deep-frying and / or deep freezing at very low temperatures are carried out, for example, one after the other.

 The invention also relates to a device for implementing the method described above.

It comprises a support 2; 102 for the continuous training of a flow of food products, individualized and means 9; 109 for continuously spraying said stream with a coating product 4; 104f, 1041, 104p liquid, pasty or powdery
It also includes means 10; 110 for harvesting said coating product 4; 104f, 1041, 104p according to a given thickness, under said support 2; 102, at least locally provided permeable.

 Said means 10; 110 for harvesting are further provided capable of allowing the creation of the extra thickness 5; 105 of coating product 4; 104f, 1041, 104p and said support 2 is provided capable of allowing licking contact between said flow and said excess thickness 5; 105 of coating product 4; 104f, 1041, 104p. There is thus obtained a complete, homogeneous and continuous coating of said food products 1; 101.

 Said support 2; 102 consists, for example, of at least one mesh belt 11; 111 a, 111 b, 111 c) planned training. These are, for example, meshes with a center distance of 1 to 15 mm, in particular a quarter inch (approximately 6.5 mm).

 The size of the mesh of the carpet is adapted to the nature of the coating product, sauce, flour, liquid binder or breadcrumbs. In the event of successive use of different coating products, the support 2; 102 is possibly made up of said mesh belts 111 a, 111 b, 111 c, of meshes with different centers.

 Said means 9; 109 for watering the flow of food products 1 consist of at least one weir 21; 121a, 121b, 121c, suitable, each in particular for allowing spraying in the form of a curtain 12; 112, said coating product transverse to direction 3; 103 flow progression.

 Said means 10; 110 for harvesting food products 1; 101 consist, for example, of at least one plate 13; 113 provided under each said mesh belt 11; 111a, 111b, 111c, in the immediate vicinity thereof. Each said plate 13; 113 is, in particular, centered under said curtain 12; 112 of coating product 4; 104f, 1041, 104p.

 As illustrated in Figures 2 and 4, the coating product; 104f, harvested on tray 13; 113 permanently overflows and thus allows the creation of said additional thickness 5; 105 which bathes the mesh carpet 11; 111 a, and come into contact licking with said food products 1; 101 arranged thereon. Only said mat 11; 111 a, is therefore bathed in coating product 4; 104f, and not the said food products.

Their flotation is therefore avoided.

 The device according to the invention further comprises, optionally, upstream of the coating step, alignment means 14, 114 for example consisting of a vibrator 15; 115 of a pre-aligner 16; 116, an aligner 22; 122 and / or an alignment mat 17; 117. It may also include, in particular in the case of the use of frozen starting materials, de-icing means 126, consisting of vapor spray nozzles, possibly placed above a part of the support 102, capable of allowing draining.

 Downstream of the weir (s) 21,121b of liquid coating product, it may also include means 18; 118 for draining and / or drying said food products 1. It is, in particular, a drain carpet 19; 119, for example surmounted by a blower 20; 120.

 It can also include, for example, means 123 for frying said products.

 Still downstream, means 206 for deep freezing at very low temperature are also optionally provided. They consist, in particular of a cooling apparatus 207 for example, cryogenic.

 For this, said device 207 allows, in particular, the circulation of said food products continuously and the introduction of liquid nitrogen. Freezing at very low temperature is carried out, for example, either by complete freezing by cryogenics, or by mechanical deep freezing, cryogenics being used only to obtain crusting of said coated food products at the inlet of the cryogenic apparatus. 207.

 Said support allowing the continuous transport of food products consists, for example, of a succession of different carpets including said one or said mesh carpets 11; 111 a, 111 b, 111 c for the coating and, optionally, said alignment mat 17; 117 and / or said mat to drain 19; 119, arranged one after the other.

 In this regard, means are provided for maintaining an individualized and if necessary ordered flow of products when passing from one carpet to another. They consist, in particular, of said carpets, provided slightly inclined with respect to each other, in particular from 0 to, for example from 2 to 20.

 Said belts being made up, in particular, of an endless band wound around two drums, said means for maintaining an individualized and possibly ordered flow are also made up of said drums, provided with a small diameter, in particular from 25 mm to 75 mm, by example from 30 mm to 50 mm, the strip gap between two said successive belts being limited, for example, less than 40 mm, or even reduced to 10 mm.

 A possible succession of transport elements, not shown, is also provided at the outlet of said deep-freezing means at very low temperature to allow recirculation of said food products at the start of treatment.

 Naturally, other modes of implementation, within the reach of those skilled in the art, could have been envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (12)

 1. Process for treating solid food products (1; 101), such as, in particular, vegetables, in which:  - a flow of individualized food products (1; 101) is provided, arranged on a support (2; 102) in continuous movement,  - said stream is continuously sprayed with a coating product; 104f, 1041, 104p) liquid, pasty or powdery, said coating product is allowed to pass through said support (2; 102), at least locally provided as permeable, and said coating product is collected under said support (2; 102), according to a given thickness,  - an excess thickness (5; 105) of coating products is created over at least the width of said flow,  - said flow is passed licking said level at said excess thickness (5; 105) of coating product, in order to coat said food products (1) individually and in a homogeneous manner.  2. Method according to claim 1, in which said food products (1) are recirculated in order to adapt the coating thickness as a function of the number of waterings and passages at the level of said additional thickness (5) of coating product.  3. Method according to claim 1, wherein said food products are aligned beforehand (1,101) to allow their individualization before coating.  4. The method of claim 1, wherein said liquid or pasty coating product is used and said food products (1; 101) are drained and / or dried after coating.  5. Method according to claim 1, in which said stream is sprayed with a first coating product (104, powdery, of small particle size, then said stream is sprayed with a second coating product (104p), powdery, higher grain size.  6. The method of claim 1, wherein said food products (1; 101) are frozen at very low temperature after coating to allow them to crust.  7. Device for implementing the method according to claim 1 for treating solid food products (1; 101) such as, in particular, vegetables, comprising:  a support (2; 102) for continuously driving a flow of said food products, individualized,  means (9; 109) for watering said flow with a coating product (4; 104f, 1041, 104p), liquid, pasty or powdery,  means (10; 110) for harvesting, according to a given thickness, said coating product under said support (2; 102), at least locally provided as permeable,  said means (10; 110) for harvesting being provided capable of allowing the creation of an additional thickness (5; 105) of coating product and said support (2; 102) being provided capable of allowing licking contact between said flow and said excess thickness (5; 105) of coating product.  8. Device according to claim 7, wherein said support (2; 102) consists of at least one mesh belt (11; 111 a, 111 b, 111 c).  9. Device according to claim 7, wherein said means (9; 109) for watering said flow of food products consist of at least one weir (21; 121a, 121b, 121c), each capable of allowing spraying under the form of a curtain (12; 112) of a said coating product transverse to the direction of flow progression.  10. Device according to claim 8, wherein said means for harvesting food products (1; 101) consist of at least one plate (13; 113) provided under each said mesh belt (11; 111 a, 111 b , 111 c), in the immediate vicinity at least thereof.  11. Device according to claim 7, further comprising means for aligning (14; 114) the food products (1; 101).  12. Device according to claim 7, further comprising freezing means (206).