Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
  • A23B4/00—Preservation of meat, sausages, fish or fish products
  • A23B4/14—Preserving with chemicals not covered by groups A23B4/02 or A23B4/12
  • A23B4/16—Preserving with chemicals not covered by groups A23B4/02 or A23B4/12 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
  • A23B4/00—Preservation of meat, sausages, fish or fish products
  • A23B4/06—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
  • A23B4/066—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling the materials not being transported through or in the apparatus with or without shaping, e.g. in the form of powder, granules or flakes
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
  • A23B4/00—Preservation of meat, sausages, fish or fish products
  • A23B4/06—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
  • A23B4/08—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling with addition of chemicals or treatment with chemicals before or during cooling, e.g. in the form of an ice coating or frozen block

Definitions

• the invention presented below relates to a technique for preserving perishable foodstuffs in a humid and saturated atmosphere with or without injection gas injection at low temperature and function of the foodstuffs to be preserved generally lying between - 25 ° C and + 5 ° C
• the technique developed by the invention is not only a technique for storing and transporting products at low temperature with high humidity between -25 ° C and + 5 ° C, but also and above all a complete method of processing and preparing foodstuffs food in extremely safe conditions. Variants and specific applications are established for each type of commodity (temperature, humidity, gas).
• the traditional method of preserving fresh fish consists in placing it in a cold room ventilated at 0 ° C and covering it with a layer of ice, the functions of ice are as follows:
• the fish caught is subject to numerous handling throughout the Q path necessary to marketing whose steps are:
• the number of handling operations is then important, especially if one considers the excessive duration of conservation of the fish as well as the number Q of glazing operations carried out between the catch on board and the consumption.
• the ice used at each stage is ice made from fresh water, in fact, seawater icing whose melting temperature (varying according to the salinity of the ocean (or about 35 gr of salt per liter : melting temperature of seawater ice -3 ° C) causes partial freezing of certain fish species.
• melting temperature varying according to the salinity of the ocean (or about 35 gr of salt per liter : melting temperature of seawater ice -3 ° C) causes partial freezing of certain fish species.
• melting of freshwater ice has a solvent effect on the skin of the fish, water soft dissolves the mucus of the fish and at the same time causes significant discoloration of the tarnished coat, which has the effect of considerably reducing its commercial attractiveness.
• Each handling operation is subject to an icing and de-icing operation, it can be estimated that a fish is glazed on average 3 to 5 times before arriving on the consumer's plate.
• the storage and transport of crustaceans is carried out using terrestrial fishponds or on board trucks which allow the crustaceans to be marketed.
• shellfish In the case of shellfish, there are no established storage and transport techniques, shellfish are caught in a traditional way, at low tide, and are sold to the fishmonger who sell them only the next day at the earliest. Long-distance distant expeditions are poorly controlled. Certain types of shellfish are particularly resistant such as oysters and do not present problems of transport and conservation. However, cockles, clams, clams pose a real problem, consumers have become wary of shellfish.
• Certain foodstuffs must be the subject of a particular adaptation of hygrometry temperature and possible injection of a gas favorable to the conservation of the product.
• the application of the invention is adaptable for seasonal products, the large production of which must be stored so as to avoid the collapse of prices.
• the evaporator exchange surface must be calculated with sufficient accuracy to obtain the evaporation temperature Freon as high as possible in order to limit the dosage of anti-freeze product injected into the humidification vapor.
• the ventilation motor (s) (8) can be placed outside or must be subject to an index of maximum protection.
• the ventilation speed must be variable depending on the heat input (rotation speed of the ventilation motor), in normal operation the refrigerator equipment rific must make it possible to compensate for the external calorific contributions.
• the outlet of the evaporator is connected directly to a false ceiling acting as ventilation ducts connected to the double vertical walls (5) isolated the air is drawn back in by the evaporator in the lower part and by the sides thereof.
• a refrigeration unit 1 is placed outside and ensures the refrigeration production necessary for the refrigeration of the enclosure.
• a block of steam production (3) controlled by a hygrostat (6) which determines the humidity rate to maintain, is placed outside and feeds by the distribution sheath (9), the quantity of steam anti freeze solution.
• the soil consists of a pronounced slope allowing the evacuation of exudates.
• the evaporator can be placed outside and provides ventilation through ventilation ducts.
• a water treatment unit (7) is placed outside, this water treatment unit is equipped with:
• a dosing pump for injection of salt or anti-freeze product of food quality makes it possible to constitute a mixture of water with sufficient and adjustable concentration so that the vaporized mixture does not freeze on the evaporator which operates at an evaporation temperature -8 ° / -9 ° C for an enclosure temperature of -5 ° C.
• the safety of the water vapor produced is of primary importance, the steam introduced has the role of promoting the flow of fish exudates, the solution should be sterilized beforehand (filtration + UV treatment).
• the water passes through a sterilization block (7) composed of a filter and an ultra violet tube makes it possible to destroy bacteria and germs before vaporization in the enclosure.
• a heat exchanger is connected to the block (4) and cooled or heated the anti-freeze solution before vaporization in the enclosure.
• An insulated enclosure (1) with characteristics similar to technique No. 1 is equipped with a set of heat exchanger (2) static type, these evaporators are made of finned tubes in smooth tubes and can be placed on the ceiling and on the walls of the enclosure, the heat exchange is carried out statically (natural convection at the desired temperature).
• stirring fans can be placed.
• a cooling and heating production block (4) identical to technique No. 1 is placed outside and connected to the evaporator.
• a set of removable partitions can be arranged, which makes it possible to provide several temperature and humidity levels corresponding to different foodstuffs.
• An enclosure (1) identical to the techniques described above is provided with a double skin (5) (technique used in the chemical and food industry) in which tart air circulates by a ventilated exchanger (2) this double skin (5) must constitute a ventilation duct and made of a thermal conductive material and constructed on all the walls of the enclosure to guarantee homogeneity and consistency of temperature.
• a set of removable partitions can be arranged, making it possible to provide several levels of temperature and humidity level corresponding to different commodities.
• the material constituting the exchanger can be in copper, plasticized aluminuin, steel, plastic, depending on mechanical, thermal, size, manufacturing and operating costs.
• a double skin drawn fine in which the heat transfer fluid circulates can be envisaged, the vagaries of handling would soon have damaged the exchanger in question.
• Figure N ° 8 describes an exchanger made up of two sheets welded together and forming a circuit, the inner sheet on the insulation side is thinner, a high liquid pressure is introduced in order to emboss it and constitute a sufficient circuit for the circulation of fluid coolant
• Figure N ° 9 represents an evaporator which can be installed on an existing wall, it is necessary for that to make grooves in the existing insulation to embed the evaporator which does not repre ⁇ re of internal oversize (except the thickness of the sheet), this exchanger consists of a main external sheet (16) and a sheet (17) (inside of the insulation), this sheet (17) is formed so as to produce coolant passages sufficient, it is glued or welded to the sheet (16), each end is connected to a coolant supply manifold.
• a set of removable partitions can be arranged, making it possible to provide several levels of temperature and humidity level corresponding to different commodities.
• the stations for the production of refrigerated steam (7), for the preparation of saline solution, the station for sterilizing produced water (3) remain identical to techniques No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3.
• Typical static refrigeration techniques are subject to temperature variations during handling operations and do not offer absolute efficiency in terms of lowering and maintaining temperature performance compared to traditional ventilated refrigeration equipment in a cold room. It is then advisable to place a thermal airlock whose role is to create a thermal buffer between the interior temperature of the enclosure and the exterior atmosphere.
• This thermal airlock is equipped with refrigeration equipment with a ventilated evaporator or a temperature is kept as close as possible to the storage enclosure, it may be advisable to place a steam injection in the airlock.
• the enclosure 9 d he storage is equipped by one of the previously mentioned techniques.
• the access doors are fitted with curtains to limit heat loss. 6 "QUICK REFRIGERATION" technique ( Figure 11:
• the fish are placed in an isolated enclosure (1) in which is placed an evaporator (2) with high ventilation, the fan motors (8) are preferably placed outside, the fish placed on shelves or hung on a gantry (11) .
• Water vapor injection (5) is performed at the ventilation outlet.
• the temperature descent time is a direct function of the size of the fish and the inlet temperature, it is essential to lower the temperature of the fish to the core as soon as possible. 7) "SHELLS AND CRUSTACES" treatment:
• the sources of supply of shellfish are diverse, fishermen on foot, mussel bouchots or oyster beds, storage conditions awaiting shipments are poor or even non-existent, and generate consumer mistrust of these products. , it is therefore necessary to take the necessary precautions. o
• the shellfish caught were sometimes stored all day on the deck of a ship or in the bucket of a shore fisherman, these shellfish then follow a marketing circuit (very often parallel to that of fish) of a duration several days, these shellfish have often lost the water they contain, to the detriment of flavor (it is not uncommon to consume 5 oysters or shellfish which are empty of water)
• the crustaceans are more generally caught by ships which are not equipped with valid storage means, the crustaceans are stored in a tank with large circulation of water, this sometimes for several days and are landed at the auctions in a state of freshness. sometimes doubtful.
• the quality of the shells is classified by zones A, B, C, corresponding to the safety values of sea water on the fishing grounds, depending on this, the shells must undergo a purification treatment to guarantee consumption. .
• This high-flow waste water treatment practice must be preceded by a purification operation under the same conditions at a higher temperature between 10 ° C and 20 ° C for the time necessary for the purification of the shellfish.
• shellfish increases with temperature, the shellfish filters large quantities of water at these temperatures, this water being filtered and sterilized makes it possible to carry out an operation of purifying the shellfish. It is advisable to lower the temperature of the water sprayed to optimum conditions for keeping shellfish or crustaceans alive and placing them in a storage or transport enclosure.
• This practice is necessary, essential and complementary to the quality of the crustaceans and shellfish which must be stored or transported according to the terms of the invention before being marketed, the animals are purified and gorged with water. seawater treated and filtered, this operation guarantees product quality.
• This technique should be adapted to crustaceans, if we consider the case of oil cakes which are currently transported and stored in terrestrial type tanks. When re-soaking after transport, it rejects dirty water rich in ammonia (which dirty the pond), due to the cumulative stress since its capture in the locker, passing through the various cumulative manipulations in road transport, the treatment and purification operation makes it possible to limit the stress of the animal and to offer a crustacean whose mortality rate is low and which retains all its taste qualities.
• the treatment of live shellfish before storage or shipment can be carried out using sea water taken from the fishing grounds, the water will be filtered and sterilized beforehand and sprayed at high rates, this treatment is a purification of the product and guarantees the safety of the shell for the consumer.
• a refrigeration unit (4) ensures the cooling of the water, the water flow being important, it is not necessary to provide additional cooling.
• a filtration unit (3) which can be a sand filter or with removable, cleanable or interchangeable cartridges or continuous filter.
• the water passes through an ultra violet sterilization block (7) which destroys bacteria and germs before spraying.
• the steam must be injected uniformly on the foodstuffs, and depending on the filling rate (space available for the distribution of the steam) and the volume of the enclosure in the case of maximum filling, the homogeneous steam supply nozzles or nozzles. Sexist several steam production techniques:
• the antifreeze solution is vaporized directly under pressure by fine nozzle or by the ultrasonic technique, it is advisable to place a refrigerant exchanger before the vaporization nozzle, this technique is ideal for foodstuffs such as fish, or more generally foodstuffs whose conservation is optimium without oxygen supply. Oxygen is harmful to the quality of the conservation of foodstuffs.
• the antifreeze solution is vaporized in the enclosure using a gas pressure which can be nitrogen or neutral or inert gas depending on the foodstuffs which one wishes to keep there, it is advisable to place two refrigerant exchangers separated upstream, one for the solution, the other for the injection gas.
• a gas pressure which can be nitrogen or neutral or inert gas depending on the foodstuffs which one wishes to keep there, it is advisable to place two refrigerant exchangers separated upstream, one for the solution, the other for the injection gas.
• neutral or inert gas is a common practice in preservation techniques, for example take trays in pastic film.
• the oxygenation of the vapor can be carried out by the technique of the ventury adapted on the nozzle (patent N ° 8903009) it is known that the mixture of oxygen / water is optimum by this technique, in the case, of the maintenance in life of langoustines, the quality of oxygenation remains the criterion of success of this process.
• the water vapor / oxygen mixture is only effective if the water and oxygen are refrigerated beforehand and mixed by a suction system.
• the ultrasonic type nozzles can be connected to any gas source, thus making it possible to produce a suitable mixture.
• a source of pure oxygen pressure can be used, possibly mixed.
• Miscellaneous commodities Some commodities that are difficult to keep or from distant sources require a particularly efficient storage technique, sometimes it is simply a matter of being able to store products while waiting for market prices to rise, or to optimize the quality of the product depending of the duration of the marketing, the invention makes it possible by injecting steam, a neutralizing gas in the humidifying steam makes it possible to limit the spoilage of the product.
• This injection of vapor gas mixture can be intermittent or continuous in Depending on the food, the storage temperature must be adapted to the nature of the product.
• the storage temperatures of the stored foodstuffs must be constant i ⁇ dependent on the outside temperature, when the temperature drops below the optimum threshold of the storage temperature, the foodstuffs deteriorate or freeze even if only superficially, and crustaceans and shellfish perish quickly.
• a system for heating the enclosure and antifreeze for the entire circuit should be incorporated into the installation in order to use the refrigeration network as heating and maintaining the temperature of the enclosure and of the stored foodstuffs. This can be done manually or automatically as soon as the external conditions are changed.
• the invention described above is a complete technique for treating seafood products which it is desired to keep in a humid environment at low temperature while avoiding the problems of icing of the exchanger.
• the technique includes a purification phase in waste water sterilized at high flow.
• the application of this process allows in a second time by the adaptation of the various techniques mentioned above, to carry out storage and transport of shellfish in a viable and efficient manner including over long distances.
• This technique can also be used for negative temperatures and makes it possible to carry out a versatile refrigeration and heating installation for all types of use. (including the storage of frozen products at -25 ° C in dry without ventilation), under these conditions, it is no longer necessary to carry out defrosts, this makes it possible to simplify the refrigerating circuits of the means of transport and to make them versatile , for all types of food, ventilation is detrimental to the conservation of almost all food.
• the exchange surface is evenly distributed around the food, it is no longer necessary to provide a ventilation passage space which optimizes the loading of the storage or transport enclosure.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Food Preservation Except Freezing, Refrigeration, And Drying (AREA)
• Meat, Egg Or Seafood Products (AREA)

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Citations (2)

• 1994
  • 1994-05-30 FR FR9406966A patent/FR2720233A1/fr active Granted
• 1995
  • 1995-05-30 WO PCT/FR1995/000696 patent/WO1995032631A1/fr active Application Filing

Patent Citations (2)

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