IT201900001607A1 - METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE RECOVERY AND TRANSFORMATION OF A PRIMARY FOOD PRODUCT INTO A SECONDARY FOOD PRODUCT AND RELATED FOOD PRODUCT - Google Patents

Description

Patent Description for Industrial Invention entitled: "METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE RECOVERY AND TRANSFORMATION OF A PRIMARY FOOD PRODUCT INTO A SECONDARY FOOD PRODUCT AND RELATED FOOD PRODUCT".

DESCRIPTION

The present invention refers to a method and to an apparatus for the recovery and transformation of a primary food product into a secondary food product and to the relative food product made by means of this method and equipment, in particular a secondary food product with a high content. protein, highly digestible (with digestibility greater than 80%) and palatable.

In the remainder of the present description and in the subsequent claims, by "primary food product" is meant food intended for human consumption. A primary food product can generally comprise both raw materials (substances, mixtures, etc.) that are not processed and that are partially or totally processed (for example by means of heat treatments).

Usually, food preparation takes place inside kitchens used for processing raw materials to produce dishes to be served based on numerous and different recipes. Once the dish is served it is possible that it is completely consumed or partially consumed. In this context, the dishes not consumed are cataloged, by special regulations issued by the governments of each state, as "food waste" also based on the final destination of the waste itself. In this case, food refusal can generally be divided into:

- "processing waste", defined as the surplus of food deriving from the processing of raw materials in the kitchen,

- "food residue administered", the food administered that has not been consumed (so-called "leftover"), and

- “dish not administered”, ie food sent for distribution that has not been distributed.

There are multiple ways of recovering a primary food product.

Processing scraps and leftovers can be reused in the food chain if and only if they contain exclusively edible material. The recovery must meet certain requirements ensuring the absence of crockery / cutlery, used paper napkins or soiled with food residues, etc., as the latter are classified as "solid urban waste" and therefore destined for transfer to landfills or other routes management.

Otherwise, the dishes not administered can be reused again for human consumption through, for example, charitable or charitable organizations that through special collection processes allow the recovery of dishes not administered for humanitarian purposes. These collection systems must meet certain hygiene requirements and are generally regulated, for example, in compliance with the (EC) regulations of the Hygiene Package, identified but not limited to numbers 178/2002, 852/2004, 853/2004 and 854 / 2004. Harvesting usually takes place inside the kitchen center for subsequent distribution of the food to different destinations.

A further possibility of recovery is that in which the primary product is converted for animal feed, for example, for the production of feed. In this case, the pet food is conventionally referred to as a “secondary food product”.

On the other hand, if the primary food products not consumed are not reusable for either human or animal consumption, they can be reused in other circuits such as, for example, composting for energy enhancement or in the agronomic, industrial or domestic sectors.

Finally, if no type of recovery is possible, for example due to exceeding the maximum recovery times and / or due to the presence, as anticipated above, of non-edible material, the non-recoverable primary food product is sent to landfill and / or burned. .

Several attempts have been made with the aim of transforming primary food products into secondary food products using sustainable solutions. In the food sector, the so-called “Sustainable solutions” are characterized by the fact that they effectively use the available resources from an environmental, energy and / or economic point of view, for example by recovering food before it is sent to landfill. US 2015/059594, for example, describes a method for making secondary food products from primary food products. In this case, the primary food product is recovered and transported by means of special transport systems, to avoid contamination, to an industrial plant equipped with a sealed pre-processing subsystem to grind and press the waste in order to separate any liquid content. The liquid part is transferred to sealed storage containers, while the waste part is sent to a subsystem for drying. The drying is carried out inside a cylindrical housing equipped with an auger that presses and heats the waste to dehydrate it further. Finally, a motor and a control device set the rotation speed of the auger in order to produce a secondary food product having a desired moisture content. The secondary product thus produced is then sealed and distributed through a delivery subsystem.

A defect of this method is related to the amount of time it takes to transform the waste into a secondary product. In fact, after being collected, the waste is transported by truck to the industrial plant and stored even for several days before the actual transformation with obvious effects on conservation. Finally, it should be noted that a transformation carried out in a separate large plant makes direct use impossible for smaller quantities such as, for example, those produced in domestic environments, restaurants and / or canteens.

Furthermore, the Applicant observed that the intensification of agriculture aimed at animal needs for the consequent protein production from meat is extremely inefficient from the zootechnical point of view and consequently, over the years, research into production is increasingly developing. protein from alternative sources to those of animals.

An example of production of protein material from alternative sources is that described in WO 2016/015013 in which it is planned to obtain a food product from a biomass, in particular from algae and microbial organisms. The food product obtained is characterized by a high protein content with organoleptic and olfactory properties such as to be palatable to a human being thanks to the regulation of the pH of the biomass. This solution, however, can be considered unsustainable as it uses alternative sources for the production of food for humans or animals, thus not providing for the recovery of food products before they leave a kitchen.

The Applicant noted that there are finally various solutions for the transformation of primary food products into secondary ones outside the environment in which the food product is processed. Generally, however, the transformation takes place through the recovery of solid urban waste with filtering / screening of any inedible parts. The secondary product thus produced can have an enormous impact on the overall health of the animals if the filtering / screening process does not meet extremely high quality requirements.

In consideration of the problems identified above in the known art, the Applicant has felt the need to achieve a sustainable transformation of primary food products into secondary ones within the same environment where the food product is processed for the preparation of dishes by means of a extremely compact equipment that allows to speed up conversion times, to make logistics more effective and to keep the overall transformation costs as low as possible.

Furthermore, the Applicant has thought of developing a solution that provides for the recovery of a primary product consisting exclusively of edible material in order to produce highly digestible secondary food products, with a high protein content and palatable within the same process with a view to circular economy and sustainability.

The present invention therefore relates, in a first aspect, to a method and an apparatus for the recovery and transformation of a primary product into a secondary one having structural and functional characteristics such as to satisfy the aforementioned requirements and at the same time to obviate the drawbacks mentioned above. it has been said with reference to the known art.

This object is achieved by a method for the recovery and transformation of a primary food product into a secondary food product in accordance with claim 1.

According to a further aspect, the present invention relates to a compact apparatus for the recovery and transformation of a primary food product into a secondary food product in accordance with claim 6.

According to yet another aspect, the present invention relates to a secondary food product with a high protein content, highly digestible and palatable in accordance with claim 8.

Further characteristics and advantages of the method, of the apparatus for the recovery and transformation of a primary food product into a secondary food product and of the food product made in accordance with the present invention will result from the description given below of a preferred example of realization, given as an indication and not limitative, with reference to the attached figures, in which:

- figure 1 represents a functional block diagram of the method for the recovery and transformation of a primary food product into a secondary food product in accordance with the present invention,

- figure 2 represents a diagram indicating the path of food raw materials, dishes, processing scraps and food leftovers in accordance with the present invention,

- Figure 3 represents a diagram of the equipment in accordance with the invention.

With reference to the attached figures, the method according to the invention first of all provides that a dish 3 intended for human consumption is prepared inside a first room A, preferably a kitchen center, and that the latter is prepared starting from one or more more edible raw materials 2. During the preparation of a dish 3 it is generally foreseen the generation of one or more processing scraps 4 intended to be inserted into a scraps container 9 for subsequent transfer to an appliance 1, as will be specified in detail in the remainder of this description. Each dish 3 prepared in the kitchen center A is preferably served in a special tray 5 with compartments which can be equipped with a removable sealing film or lid. Obviously, alternative forms in which the dish 3 is served by means of plates or other containers are not excluded.

The dish 3 prepared in the kitchen center A is transferred to a second room B, such as a dining room, for human consumption. According to a preferred version, the first room A and the second room B are not part of the same building.

According to an alternative version, the first room A and the second room B are part of the same building and are contiguous rooms.

When dish 3 has reached dining room B, different scenarios are possible.

A first scenario is that in which dish 3 has been completely consumed with no leftovers. A second scenario can provide that the dish 3 is at least partially consumed, with the presence of leftovers 6. Finally, a third scenario is that in which the dish 3 is not served.

The leftovers 6 are intended for collection by specialized personnel who visually check the presence of non-edible material and pour only the edible content, and therefore the leftovers 6, into heat-sealable trays 7 or other containers closed and lockable.

The trays 7 can be equipped with identification signs, such as bar codes, matrices, QR codes, etc., for traceability.

Preferably, the trays 7 are housed in special isothermal containers 8 for leftovers and equipped with a lid or door for hermetic closure. According to one version, each container 8 can comprise inside it a plurality of compartments for directly receiving the trays 5 with the leftovers 6 or the dishes 3 not served.

As illustrated in the example of Figure 1, the container 8, at a time t1, is hermetically closed in order to maintain a controlled temperature inside and is subsequently transferred to the kitchen center A.

In the kitchen center A, the container 8 is open (at time t2) and emptied of the dishes 3 not served and / or of the leftovers 6 intended to be placed inside the appliance 1 in accordance with the present invention and described below.

It should also be specified that the leftovers 6 are inserted into the equipment 1 within a period t2 - t1 equal to approximately 120 minutes from the closure of the container 8 in the second environment B to maintain the hygienic / sanitary profile and the organoleptic properties of the primary food product unaltered. Similarly, also the processing scraps 4 must be inserted into the equipment 1 within a predetermined time. In this regard, it is possible to keep the scraps 4 in containers for isothermal scraps 9 arranged in the kitchen center A. Preferably, the period between the closure of the container 9 and the insertion of the processing scraps 4 into the appliance is less than about 120 minutes. .

According to one version, it is possible to foresee a phase of refrigeration of the processing scraps 4 and / or of the leftovers 6. The refrigeration phase can be carried out after the opening of the container 8,9 and preferably before the period t2 - t1 exceed 120 minutes.

If the period t2 - t1 is greater than 120 minutes, the processing scraps 4 and / or the leftovers 6 are no longer recoverable and are destined for disposal as waste or for sending to one or more landfills C.

It should be noted that, generally, the processing scraps 4 and the leftovers 6, before being inserted into the apparatus 1, contain a predetermined quantity of humidity which must be at least partially removed in order to produce a secondary food product having microbiological and organoleptic characteristics. such as to be suitable for animal consumption.

As illustrated in the example of figure 3, the apparatus 1 for the recovery and transformation of a primary food product into a secondary food product is essentially composed of four main modules, in this case: a feeding / grinding module 100, a module feed module 200, a drying module 300 and an output module 400.

The first module 100 comprises a loading hopper 110 to receive the leftovers 6 of uneaten primary food product and / or the kitchen scraps 4. The leftovers 6 and the kitchen scraps 4 form the input product for the appliance 1 which , in the following of the present description, it will be identified as food pulp 4,6.

The food pulp 4,6 entering the hopper 110 has a humidity value generally greater than 70%.

A grinder 120 is located downstream of the hopper 110 in order to fragment the food pulp 4,6 before it reaches the drying module 300. The grinder 120 can comprise a blade / knife or gear cutting system (not shown) for grind the food pulp 4,6 in order to make it as granular and homogeneous as possible.

In order to advance the moist food pulp 4,6 towards the drying module 300, between the latter and the first module 100 there is an auger 220 equipped with a respective spiral 221 rotating inside a cylindrical duct 230 and moved by suitable means with motors (not shown). In this way, the loading hopper 110 is in fluid communication with the drying module 300 through the cylindrical conduit 230.

Advantageously, the auger 220 can provide a variable decreasing pitch of the spiral 221 towards the module 300 in order to compress the moist food pulp 4.6, facilitate dehydration and therefore the exit of any liquid food components. For this purpose, the lower part of the cylindrical duct 230 can be provided with holes thus acting as a filter for the escape of food liquid through one or more ducts 231.

Preferably, the feed module 200 can comprise one or more humidity sensors 240 arranged at the end portion of the cylindrical duct 230 towards the module 300 in order to measure the humidity value of the food pulp 4,6 inside the cylindrical duct 230 .

It should be noted that between the duct 230 and the drying module 300 there is a hydraulic valve 250 which can be opened once the predetermined humidity level of the food pulp 4,6 inside the duct 230 has been reached. Preferably, the desired pulp moisture value feeding 4,6 before reaching the drying modulus 300 is substantially equal to 70%. In practice, when the moist food pulp has reached a humidity value of about 70%, the sensor 240 sends a signal to an electronic control unit (not shown) which allows the opening of the valve 250 and therefore the advancement of the food pulp 4 , 6 now partially dehydrated towards the drying module 300.

At the outlet from the grinder 120, the ground food pulp 4,6 results to have a mostly granular shape. It is conveyed to the drying module 300 equipped with a conditioning unit 310 intended to introduce drying flows (for example hot air, hot gas, steam, etc.) towards the food pulp 4.6 in order to dry / dehydrate it. In this context, the system according to the invention provides for the presence of a ventilation unit 320 in fluid communication by means of the duct 321 with the conditioning unit 310 to send the drying flow possibly heated by a heater 322. Preferably, the heater 322 is set so that the drying flow enters the conditioning unit 310 at a preferred temperature of about 120 ° C. If the humidity value is excessively high or for particular types of food pulp to be treated, it is possible to increase the temperature level of the drying flow up to 350 ° C.

Through various tests, the Applicant has measured that the evaporation capacity of liquids is equal to about 15 kg liquid / hour for the food pulp 4,6 present in module 300.

Usefully, to speed up the drying level of the food pulp 4.6 in the conditioning unit 310, the presence of heating means 311 is provided which may include, for example, one or more electrical resistances installed inside the unit 310.

Preferably, even the conditioning unit 310 can comprise one or more humidity sensors 312 to measure the humidity value of the food pulp 4.6. In particular, when the food pulp 4,6 has reached a humidity value between about 2% and 15%, preferably about 12%, the sensor 312 sends a signal to the electronic control unit to open the valve 330 and allow then the advancement of the dried food pulp 4.6 towards the outlet module 400. At the outlet from the conditioning unit 310, the dried food pulp 4.6 appears to have a mostly granular / powdered form.

Preferably, the drying module 300 also comprises a filtering unit 340 associated with the conditioning unit 310 and arranged downstream of the ventilation unit 320 to allow the filtering of any further liquid food following the drying process carried out in the module 300. .

In one embodiment, the conditioning unit 310 comprises one or more openings in order to allow the evaporation towards the outside of the moisture removed from the food pulp 4,6.

Advantageously, the parking time of the food pulp 4.6 inside the module 300 is between about 10 and 30 seconds.

Once the food pulp 4,6 is dried according to preferred values, it is transferred to the output module 400. The latter can comprise an auger 410 equipped with a respective spiral 411 rotating inside a cylindrical duct 420 and moved by suitable motor means (not shown) for advancing the food pulp 4.6 hour in powder and dried form towards an outlet hopper 430.

Advantageously, the feeding / grinding modules 100, feed 200, drying 300 and output 400 are housed inside a cabinet / casing (not shown). The cabinet can comprise a frame structure resting or fixed to the ground, substantially parallelepiped. The frame structure can be accessed from the outside through one or more doors hinged to the frame, the latter being open and reclosable according to the needs by qualified technical personnel. The cabinet may also have one or more openings for the insertion of the food pulp and for the exit of the secondary product. In one version, the cabinet is equipped with wheels fixed at the bottom to be easily and easily transported.

Preferably, the frame structure has a height development comprised between 150 and 250 cm, preferably 200 cm, a length comprised between 250 and 250 cm, preferably 200 cm, and a depth comprised between 50 and 150 cm, preferably 100 cm. In this way it is possible to guarantee the compactness of the equipment which allows simple and quick installations directly inside the kitchen centers A and easy passage between the different rooms and between the doors.

Moreover, thanks to the reduced dimensions of the apparatus 1 and the low absorption (of the order of about 9-10 kW) in accordance with the invention, it can be powered at low voltage, thus allowing immediate connection to domestic networks without the need for modifications to the existing systems in common kitchen centers.

The dried food pulp leaving the equipment 1 is thus transformed into a secondary food product and preferably suitable for animal feed. The Applicant has in fact carried out various laboratory tests and analyzes that have allowed to determine the chemical-nutritional and microbiological values of the secondary food product made using the method and equipment according to the present invention. In particular, a high nutritional quality of the processed secondary product has been ascertained from a health and hygiene point of view, intended for animal feed, in particular for pets (so-called "pet food").

In a first sampling, the microbiological analyzes determined the values indicated in table 1.

Table 1

The first sampling also determined the chemical nutritional values indicated in table 2.

Table 2

In a second sampling, the microbiological and nutritional analyzes determined the values indicated, respectively, in tables 3 and 4.

Table 3

Table 4

Advantageously, the secondary food product thus produced comes from the transformation of a primary food product whose main characteristics are listed below:

- moisture content less than or equal to 12%, preferably equal to about 6% by weight of the total weight,

- average protein content between 15 and 30%, preferably about 20% by weight of the total weight,

- pH between 4 and 5, preferably about 4.2,

- compliant due to the absence of pathogens,

- compliant for at least partial absence of non-pathogenic microorganisms. Usefully, the secondary food product in accordance with the invention consists mainly of elements in the form of granules. In this way, it is possible, by means of suitable further transformation processes, to create a secondary food product of the "snack" type.

The snack can also have particular shapes that are more usable for consumption by pets (such as dogs or cats) such as, for example, oblong shapes in the shape of a "bone".

As it has been possible to verify from the present description, it has been found that the described invention achieves the proposed purposes and in particular it is emphasized that one of the main characterizing elements of the present solution consists in the creation of a new supply chain, which does not exist today, which it allows the revaluation of primary food products otherwise destined to become waste.

The secondary food product thus obtainable is characterized by a high degree of sustainability, due to the fact that the production is based on the enhancement of a raw material otherwise destined to be sent to landfill, with obvious consequences in terms of waste creation and related costs. to its disposal. Furthermore, the raw material preferably comes from school canteens, therefore subjected to careful planning of nutritional profiles and rigorous controls to maintain a level of safeguarding of the hygienic-sanitary aspects of the highest profile.

Finally, thanks to the compactness of the equipment for the transformation of the primary food product into the secondary as described above, it is possible to install such equipment in even small kitchen centers.

The problems that the invention aims to solve are many:

- savings in food waste disposal costs for the bodies that produce the waste,

- production at reduced costs of animal feed with high palatability and digestibility characteristics,

- reuse of primary food products which, if not treated, become waste with consequent energy savings,

- saving of soil and other costs for the production of animal feed. The embodiments of the method and of the apparatus described above are potentially infinite and obviously a person skilled in the art, in order to meet contingent and specific needs, can make numerous modifications and variations, all of which are however contained within the scope of protection of the invention. as defined by the following claims.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS 1) Method for the recovery and transformation of a primary food product into a secondary food product, in which said primary food product comprises only edible raw material (2), said method comprising the steps of: - prepare a dish (1) in a first environment (A), - send said dish (1) to a second room (B) separated from said first room (A) to be intended for human consumption, - place any leftovers (6) of said dish (1) in a leftover container (8), - closing said waste container (8), - sending said container of leftovers (8) from said second environment (B) to said first environment (A), - opening said container of leftovers (8) in said first environment (A), - grinding and dehydrating said leftovers (6) in order to produce a dried secondary food product in granules having a humidity value equal to or lower than 12% by weight on the total weight. 2) Method according to claim 1, in which the period elapsed between the closure of said container (8) and the opening of said container (8) is less than 120 minutes. 3) Method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising the steps of: - insert any kitchen waste (4) generated as a result of the preparation of said dish (1) in a waste container (9), - dehydrating and grinding said kitchen waste (4) in order to produce a dried secondary food product in granules having a moisture value equal to or less than 12% by weight of the total weight. 4) Method according to claim 3, in which the period elapsed between the insertion of said kitchen waste (4) into said container (8) and the beginning of the dehydration phase of the kitchen waste (4) is less than 120 minutes. 5) Method according to any one of the preceding claims from 1 to 4, in which said step of grinding and dehydrating said leftovers (6) and / or said kitchen scraps (4) is carried out in said first environment (A). 6) Compact apparatus (1) for the recovery and transformation of a primary food product into a secondary food product, comprising: - a feeding / grinding module (100) to receive food pulp in the form of leftovers (6) and / or kitchen waste (4) and configured to dehumidify said food pulp (4.6) to a value between 100% and 70% by weight of the total weight and shredding said food pulp (4,6), - a drying module (300) to receive said food pulp (4,6) ground and configured to dehydrate said food pulp (4,6) ground at a moisture value equal to or less than 12% by weight of the total weight, - an output module (400) for the output of said ground and dried food pulp (4,6) in the form of secondary food product in granules. 7) Apparatus (1) according to claim 6, comprising a frame for housing said modules (100,300,400) and having a height between 150 and 250 cm, length, height between 150 and 250 cm and depth between 50 and 150 cm . 8) Secondary food product from recovery of primary food product having a moisture content lower than or equal to 12% by weight of the total weight, and obtained by the method or equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 7. 9) Secondary food product according to claim 8, having an average protein content comprised between 10 and 30%, preferably about 20% by weight of the total weight. 10) Secondary food product according to claim 8 or 9, having a pH content between 4 and 5, preferably about 4.2.