WO1998030106B1

WO1998030106B1 - Method and apparatus for pumping marinated products

Info

Publication number: WO1998030106B1
Application number: PCT/US1998/000448
Authority: WO
Filing date: 1998-01-08
Publication date: 1998-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 1999-07-10

Abstract

Storing and transporting meat products after marinating and before packaging causes a loss of marinade from the meat product. This loss of marinade is reduced by surrounding the marinated meat product in excess marinade during storage and by containing the marinated meat product in an enclosed conduit, surrounded by excess marinade, and pressurizing the marinade during transportation of the marinated meat product. The apparatus for reducing the loss of marinade from a marinated meat product includes an enclosed conduit (160) connecting a remote marinating site (100) and a packaging site (200), a hopper (140) for introducing a marinated meat product and excess marinade as a mixture into the conduit at the remote marinating site, a pump (150) for pumping the mixture through the conduit from the remote marinating site to the packaging site without exposing the mixture to the atmosphere, and a processor (170) for separating the marinated food product from the excess marinade at the packaging site, and a packager (190) for packaging the marinated food product at the packaging site promptly after separating the marinated meat product form the excess marinade.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 2 July 1998 (02.07.98); original claim 8 amended; new claims 18 and 19 added; remaining claims unchanged (3 pages)]

A transfer unit for transporting marinated meat products from a marinating vessel to a packager comprising:

(a) a hopper having a generally cylindrical upper portion adapted to receive marinated meat products and excess marinade and a conical lower portion;

(b) a diaphragm pump;

(c) a first conduit internally communicating between the bottom of said hopper and the intake of said pump through sanitary connections; and

(d) a second conduit internally communicating with the discharge of said pump, said second conduit being adapted for operative connection with a packager through sanitary connections and including a reducer for increasing the pressure internal of said second conduit.

The transfer unit of Claim 8 wherein said hopper, said first and second conduits and said pump are made of stainless steel.

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17. The apparatus of Claim 14 including means associated with said conduit for increasing the pressure within the conduit .

18. The apparatus of Claim 10 wherein said pump is a diaphragm pump, and wherein said means for introducing a marinated meat product and excess marinade into the conduit comprises :

(b) a suction conduit internally communicating between the bottom of said hopper and the intake of said pump through sanitary connections; and

(c) a discharge conduit internally communicating with the discharge of said pump, said discharge conduit being adapted for operative connection with said enclosed conduit through sanitary connections and including a reducer for increasing the pressure internal of said discharge conduit.

19. An apparatus for reducing the loss of marinade from a marinated meat product during the transportation of the marinated meat product from a remote marinating site to a packaging site, comprising:

(a) an enclosed conduit connecting a remote marinating site and a packaging site;

16 (b) means for receiving a marinated meat product and excess marinade as a mixture into the conduit at the remote marinating site;

(c) means for pumping the mixture through the conduit from the remote marinating site to the packaging site without exposing the mixture to the atmosphere ; and

(d) means for separating the marinated meat product from the excess marinade at the packaging site; and

(e) means for packaging the marinated meat product at the packaging site promptly after separating the marinated meat product from the excess marinade, whereby the marinated meat product is contained in the enclosed conduit and substantially surrounded by excess marinade during transportation thereby reducing the loss of marinade from the marinated meat product .

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