Method and system for processing waste products generated in an animal dehairing operation

• US 20010014579A1
• Filed: 01/24/2001
• Published: 08/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swift BEEF Company (JBS SA)
• Original Assignee: Monfort, Inc. (Conagra Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Clayton, R. Paul, Potter, Wesley W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,322,436 B2
• Time in patent office: Days
• US Class Current: 452/71
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 13/002 Curry-combs; Brushes shearing sheep B26B19/24
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 14/00 Removing the fleece from live sheep or similar animals hand-held clippers or shavers with a plurality of cutting edges, specially adapted for shearing animals, e.g. sheep, B26B19/24
• CPC Class Codes: A22B 5/0082 Cleaning, washing or disinfecting carcasses disinfecting poultry carcasses A22C21/0061
• CPC Class Codes: A22B 5/08 Scalding; Scraping; Dehairing; Singeing treatment of hides or skins C14B
• CPC Class Codes: C14C 1/00 Chemical treatment prior to tanning
• CPC Class Codes: C14C 1/06 Facilitating unhairing, e.g. by painting, by liming
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/90 in food processing or handling, e.g. food conservation

Abstract

Disclosed is a novel method and system for dehairing an animal, providing a system for recycling and safely disposing of chemical and biological wastes produced during such dehairing method. Included in such method are processes for handling sodium production in waste materials, reducing and handling production of H₂S, removing sulfides from animal hides, safely disposing of sulfide waste, removing solids from the waste materials, and reducing water and reagent use and disposal.

Claims

1. A method for removing hair from an animal, wherein said animal is immobilized, dispatched and fabricated, said method comprising the steps of:

a) contacting a prewetting substance comprising a surfactant to said animal'"'"'s hair;

b) contacting a depilatory substance to said animal'"'"'s hair; and

c) removing said hair contacted by said depilatory substance;

d) collecting a waste stream from said step (a) of contacting, from said step (b) of contacting, and from said step (c) of removing, wherein said waste streams are collected separately or together; and

,

e) processing said waste streams by separating solid waste from liquid waste and treating said waste streams.

2. The method as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein step (e) further includes treating said solid waste to separate said hair from other solids.

3. The method as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein step (e) further includes recovering protein from said hair.

4. The method as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein step (e) further includes eliminating H₂S gas from said liquid waste and disposal of residual sulfides in said liquid waste as sulfates.

5. A system for removing hair from an animal and processing waste streams generated thereby, comprising:

a) a means for contacting a prewetting substance comprising a surfactant to said animal'"'"'s hair;

b) a means for contacting a depilatory substance to said animal'"'"'s hair;

c) a means for removing said hair contacted by said depilatory substance;

d) a means for collecting a waste stream; and

,

e) a means for processing said waste streams by a system comprising;

i) a means for separating solid waste from liquid waste;

ii) a means for treating said solid waste to separate said hair from other solids; and

iii) a means for treating said liquid waste to produce a result selected from the group consisting of;

removal and recycling of sulfides, removal of fine solid waste from said liquid;

recovering and recycling water from said liquid waste;

eliminating H₂S gas from said liquid waste; and

disposal of residual sulfides in said liquid waste as sulfates.