Poultry processing water recovery and re-use process

• US 6,946,080 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zentox Corporation
• Original Assignee: Zentox Corporation
• Inventors: Perkins, Michael, Miller, Richard, Phillips, Joe, Gann, Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): POPOVICS, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US10/927,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20050016934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 210703-707, 210/712, 210/719, 210/745, 210/754, 210/760, 210/764, 210/765, 210/776, 210/800, 210/805, 210/806, 210/154, 210/194, 210/195.1, 210/198.1, 210/220, 210/221.1, 210/221.2, 210/252, 210/259, 210/532.1, 210/905, 210/908, 134/10, 452/173
• US Class Current: 210/754
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/00 Separation of liquids, not provided for elsewhere, e.g. by thermal diffusion devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water, or sewage C02F1/40; cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; arrangements for separating lubricants from refrigerants F25B43/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0208 by sedimentation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0211 with baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0214 with removal of one of the phases
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/12 Auxiliary equipment particularly adapted for use with liquid-separating apparatus, e.g. control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0012 Settling tanks making use of filters, e.g. by floating layers of particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/003 Sedimentation tanks provided with a plurality of compartments separated by a partition wall B01D21/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0042 Baffles or guide plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0084 Enhancing liquid-particle separation using the flotation principle flotation in general B03D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/2405 Feed mechanisms for settling tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/2433 Discharge mechanisms for floating particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/2444 Discharge mechanisms for the classified liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/245 Discharge mechanisms for the sediments
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/302 Active control mechanisms with external energy, e.g. with solenoid valve
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/34 Controlling the feed distribution; Controlling the liquid level ; Control of process parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2221/06 Separation devices for industrial food processing or agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/40 Devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; devices in sewers for separating liquid or solid substances from sewage E03F5/14, e.g. for use in drains leading to the sewer E03F5/16
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/76 with halogens or compounds of halogens C02F1/4674 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 : with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/32 : Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/325 : Emulsions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/38 : containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/22 : from the processing of animals, e.g. poultry, fish, or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 : Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/905 : Protein
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/908 : Organic

Abstract

This invention is directed to processes designed to recover water used in certain aspects of the processing of poultry, treat the recovered water to remove solids, fats, oils and greases, animal proteins and pathogenic organisms and to reuse the treated water for poultry processing operations. Although the reuse points will vary from plant to plant depending upon specific water consumption volumes, type of processing operations conducted by the facility and regulatory requirements and approvals, there are a number of reuse points which are preferred based upon treated water quality requirements, material balances relating to the capacity to recover process streams and the consumption volumes at the identified reuse points, and source waters that have been shown to have the least total contaminant loading.

Claims

1. In a method for processing poultry comprising the steps of washing said poultry with wash water, rinsing said washed poultry with rinse water and chilling said poultry with chilled water, the improvement comprising the steps of:

recovering at least a portion of said rinse water;

separating solids from said portion of said rinse water;

treating said portion of said rinse water with ozone;

treating said portion of said rinse water ozone;

chlorinating said portion of said rinse water; and

reusing said treated portion of said rinse water in said steps of washing said poultry with wash water and chilling step said poultry with chilled water.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of recovering is performed by passing said portion of said water through a recovery sump comprising a basin having a first compartment for receiving said recovered water and barrier in said basin forming a second compartment, said first compartment having at least one pipe for skimming solids from said recovered water leaving skimmed water which, when said skimmed water reaches a level higher than said barrier, flows into said second compartment, and wherein said second compartment includes an exit orifice in fluid communication therewith for allowing said skimmed water to exit said basin for further processing.

3. A method for processing animal food stuffs which processing includes an initially washing and rinsing step with water and subsequent chilling step with water, said method comprising:

recovering at least a portion of said water from any processing step, except said chilling step;

treating said recovered water to meet regulatory requirements said step of treating includes passing said recovered water through a recovery sump comprising a basin having a first compartment for receiving said recovered water and barrier in said basin forming a second compartment, said first compartment having at least one weir pipe for skimming solids from the surface of said recovered water leaving skimmed water which, when said skimmed water reaches a level higher than said barrier, flows into said second compartment, and wherein said second compartment has an exit orifice in fluid communication therewith for allowing said skimmed water to exit said basin for further processing;

reusing said treated water in at least one processing step.

4. A method for recycling water used in poultry processing comprising the steps of:

recovering water used in a downstream poultry processing step through a recovery sump comprising basin means for receiving said recovered water wherein said downstream processing step is downstream from evisceration;

skimming solids from said water;

reducing impurities in said recovered water using means for treating water to reduce impurities and provide disinfection; and

reusing said water in at least one step of said poultry processing.

5. A method for recycling water used in processing poultry for sanitization that employs downstream processing steps and upstream processing steps, comprising the steps of:

recovering a portion of water used from at least one of said downstream processing steps, wherein no more than approximately 40 percent of said portion of water originates from a chiller tank wherein said downstream processing step is downstream from evisceration;

treating said portion of water chemically to reduce impurities and provide disinfection, said chemical treatment being selected from the group consisting of ozone and chlorine;

polishing said portion of water via a fine media; and

reusing said treated portion of water at least one of said upstream processing steps.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said step of recovering includes no water from a chilling processing step of said steps of processing poultry.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein said step of reusing said treated water includes no more than approximately 40 percent of said treated water is reused in said chilling tank.

8. A method of processing poultry including a plurality of steps for sanitizing said poultry, the method comprising the steps of:

recovering water used in at least one of said plurality of steps for sanitizing said poultry;

treating said water to reduce microorganisms on the surface of said poultry by ozonating and chlorinating said water; and

re-introducing said treated water into any of said at least one said plurality of steps for sanitizing said poultry and said introduction reduces the level of microorganisms within said poultry.

9. The method of processing poultry according to claim 8, wherein said step of introducing said treated water into any of said at least one said plurality of steps for sanitizing includes a scalder or heating processing step.

10. The method of processing poultry according to claim 8, wherein said step of introducing said treated water into any of said at least one said plurality of steps for sanitizing includes introduction of said treated water into the pores and membranes of said poultry.