Apparatuses for producing a proteinaceous product by digestion of raw animal parts
First Claim
1. An apparatus for preparing a particulate, proteinaceous product from raw protein-comprising animal parts, the apparatus comprising:
- mulling means for converting the raw animal parts to ground animal parts, said mulling means having an inlet through which raw animal parts to be ground may be introduced and an outlet through which ground animal parts may be discharged;
hydrolyzing means adapted for enzymatically hydrolyzing proteins in the ground animal parts to form an aqueous suspension of partially hydrolyzed animal parts, said hydrolyzing means having an inlet through which the ground animal parts may be introduced and an outlet through which the aqueous suspension may be discharged;
separating means for removing non-digestible solids from the aqueous suspension of partially hydrolyzed animal parts, said separating means having an inlet through which the aqueous suspension may be introduced and an outlet through which the aqueous suspension, from which the non-digestible solids have been removed, may be discharged;
oil-addition means coupled to the outlet of said separating means for adding oil to the aqueous suspension passing through the outlet of said separating means, thereby forming a protein-oil suspension;
concentrating means for partially dehydrating the protein-oil suspension, thereby forming an oleaginous suspension of partially hydrolyzed protein, said concentrating means having an inlet through which the protein-oil suspension may be introduced and an outlet through which the oleaginous suspension may be discharged after passing through said concentrating means; and
oil-removal means for removing a predetermined portion of the oil in the oleaginous suspension, thereby forming a particulate, proteinaceous product, said oil-removal means having an inlet through which the oleaginous suspension may be introduced, a first outlet through which the proteinaceous product may be discharged after passing through said oil-removal means, and a second outlet through which the predetermined portion of oil removed from the oleaginous suspension may be discharged.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A particulate proteinaceous product and methods for producing the same from waste raw animal parts are disclosed. The product is dry to the touch, is compressible into pellets or cakes, and comprises about 45 to 65 w/w percent partially hydrolyzed, non-denatured animal protein, about 20-35 w/w percent oil derived from the animal parts, about 10-15 w/w percent moisture, and about 0-7 w/w percent ash. The product also has less objectionable odor, less propensity to oxidize, and higher nutritional value than existing products. The method comprises a mulling stage wherein the raw animal parts are reduced to a ground condition; a hydrolyzing stage wherein proteins in the ground animal parts are hydrolyzed to a predetermined extent to form an aqueous suspension, using either endogenous or supplementary proteolytic enzymes, and subsequently heated to inactivate the enzymes and convert fats in the suspension to oils; a screening stage wherein non-digestible solids are removed from the suspension; a concentration stage wherein extraneous oil is added to the suspension, the suspension is pasteurized, and a large portion of the water is removed therefrom; and an oil-separation stage wherein sufficient oil is removed to form the product. A portion of the removed oil is routed back to the beginning of the concentration stage as extraneous oil added to the suspension to permit sufficient water to be removed from the suspension without forming a stiff, unprocessable mass. The method is distinctive in that it produces a dry, flaky product without the use of a conventional dryer. The method is also distinctive for its substantial resistance to equipment clogging.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus for preparing a particulate, proteinaceous product from raw protein-comprising animal parts, the apparatus comprising:
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mulling means for converting the raw animal parts to ground animal parts, said mulling means having an inlet through which raw animal parts to be ground may be introduced and an outlet through which ground animal parts may be discharged; hydrolyzing means adapted for enzymatically hydrolyzing proteins in the ground animal parts to form an aqueous suspension of partially hydrolyzed animal parts, said hydrolyzing means having an inlet through which the ground animal parts may be introduced and an outlet through which the aqueous suspension may be discharged; separating means for removing non-digestible solids from the aqueous suspension of partially hydrolyzed animal parts, said separating means having an inlet through which the aqueous suspension may be introduced and an outlet through which the aqueous suspension, from which the non-digestible solids have been removed, may be discharged; oil-addition means coupled to the outlet of said separating means for adding oil to the aqueous suspension passing through the outlet of said separating means, thereby forming a protein-oil suspension; concentrating means for partially dehydrating the protein-oil suspension, thereby forming an oleaginous suspension of partially hydrolyzed protein, said concentrating means having an inlet through which the protein-oil suspension may be introduced and an outlet through which the oleaginous suspension may be discharged after passing through said concentrating means; and oil-removal means for removing a predetermined portion of the oil in the oleaginous suspension, thereby forming a particulate, proteinaceous product, said oil-removal means having an inlet through which the oleaginous suspension may be introduced, a first outlet through which the proteinaceous product may be discharged after passing through said oil-removal means, and a second outlet through which the predetermined portion of oil removed from the oleaginous suspension may be discharged. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for preparing a particulate, proteinaceous product from raw protein-comprising animal parts, the apparatus comprising in combination:
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a grinder for converting the raw animal parts to a ground condition, said grinder having an inlet through which raw animal parts to be ground may be introduced and an outlet for discharging ground animal parts; a heater adapted for warming the ground animal parts to a temperature conducive for enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins in the ground animal parts, the heater having an inlet through which the ground animal parts may be introduced and an outlet through which the warmed round animal parts may be discharged; a plurality of horizontally oriented, longitudinally extended digesters coupled to each other end-to-end in a series configuration for enzymatically hydrolyzing proteins in the ground animal parts to form an aqueous suspension of partially hydrolyzed animal parts, where a first digester in the series configuration has an inlet through which the warmed ground animal parts may be introduced, and a last digester in the series configuration has an outlet through which the aqueous suspension of partially hydrolyzed animal parts may be discharged; a separator for removing non-digestible solids from the aqueous suspension, the separator including an inlet through which the aqueous suspension of partially hydrolyzed animal parts may be introduced and an outlet through which the aqueous suspension, from which the non-digestible solids have been removed, may be discharged; an oil injector for adding a predetermined amount of oil to the aqueous suspension discharged through the outlet of the separator, thereby forming a protein-oil suspension; first and second evaporators for partially dehydrating the protein-oil suspension, thereby forming an oleaginous suspension of partially hydrolyzed protein, the first evaporator having an inlet through which the protein-oil suspension may be introduced and an outlet, and the second evaporator having an inlet coupled to the outlet of the first evaporator and an outlet through which the oleaginous suspension of partially hydrolyzed protein may be discharged; an oil-remover for removing a predetermined amount of oil from the oleaginous suspension, thereby forming a particulate, proteinaceous product, the oil-remover having an inlet through which the oleaginous suspension may be introduced, a first outlet through which the particulate, proteinaceous product may be discharged, and a second outlet through which oil removed from the oleaginous suspension may be discharged. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for preparing a particulate, partially hydrolyzed proteinaceous product from raw, protein-comprising animal parts, the apparatus comprising:
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a grinder for comminuting the raw animal parts, the grinder having an inlet through which the raw animal parts to be comminuted may be introduced and an outlet for discharging ground animal parts; means for adding extraneous proteolytic enzymes to the ground animal parts; a heat-exchanger for warming the ground animal parts to a temperature conducive for enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins in the ground animal parts, the heat exchanger having an inlet through which ground animal parts may be introduced and an outlet through which the warmed ground animal parts may be discharged; a plurality of horizontally oriented, longitudinally extended digesters coupled to each other end-to-end in a series configuration or enzymatically hydrolyzing proteins in the warmed ground animal parts as the warmed ground animal parts pass through the digesters to form an aqueous suspension of partially hydrolyzed animal parts, where a first digester in the series configuration has an inlet through which the warmed ground animal parts may be introduced and a last digester in the series configuration has an outlet through which the aqueous suspension of partially hydrolyzed animal parts may be discharged; means for passing the warmed ground animal parts through the digesters at a predetermined hydraulic flow rate and in a plug flow manner so as to control the extent of enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins in the ground animal parts as the warmed ground animal parts pass through the digesters; a heat-deactivator operable to heat the aqueous suspension of partially hydrolyzed animal parts discharged through the outlet of the last digester to a temperature sufficient to stop enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins in the aqueous suspension; an inclined vibrating screen for removing non-digestible solids from the aqueous suspension, the screen including an inlet through which the aqueous suspension of partially hydrolyzed animal parts may be introduced and an outlet through which the aqueous suspension, from which the non-digestible solids have been removed, may be discharged; an oil injector for adding a predetermined amount of oil to the aqueous suspension discharged through the outlet of the screen, thereby forming a protein-oil suspension; a first evaporator for pasteurizing and partially dehydrating the protein-oil suspension, the first evaporator having an inlet through which the protein-oil suspension may be introduced and an outlet; a second evaporator for further dehydrating the protein-oil suspension after the protein-oil suspension has passed through the first evaporator, thereby forming an oleaginous suspension of partially hydrolyzed protein, the second evaporator having an inlet coupled to the outlet of the first evaporator and an outlet through which the oleaginous suspension may be discharged; and an oil remover or removing a predetermined amount of oil from the oleaginous suspension, thereby forming a particulate, proteinaceous product, the oil-remover having an inlet through which the oleaginous suspension may be introduced, a first outlet through which the particulate, proteinacous product may be discharged, and a second outlet through which oil removed from the oleaginous suspension may be discharged, where the second outlet is coupled to a pump delivering a predetermined portion of the oil to the oil injector.
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Specification