System and process for producing animal feed from food waste

Abstract

A process is provided for producing animal feed from food waste by providing a dry, pelletized, fibrous organic material. Specifically, the invention relates to methods of thickening/dewatering solids that contain substantial amounts of moisture, e.g., ground food waste.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A process for producing animal feed from food waste, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) shredding of the food waste, resulting in ground food waste;    (b) thickening of the ground food waste through the use of an amount, effective for the purpose, of an agglomerating polymer and a synthetic organic flocculant, resulting in a low moisture product and a separate liquid phase;    (c) adding a dry carrier to the thickened ground food waste, followed by extrusion of the thickened ground food waste and evaporation of residual moisture to produce dried food pellets; and    (d) treating the liquid phase so as to provide a high purity effluent for recycling.    
     
     
         2 . The process as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the agglomerating polymer is selected from the group consisting of an organic cationic polyamine and a polyDADMAC flocculent.  
     
     
         3 . The process as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the food waste is ground to less than 6 millimeters.  
     
     
         4 . The process as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said ground food waste provides sufficient contact area for subsequent processing.  
     
     
         5 . The process as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the synthetic organic flocculant is an anionic flocculent.  
     
     
         6 . The process as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the anionic flocculant is a high molecular weight polyacrylamide GRAS series.  
     
     
         7 . The process as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the dry carrier is selected from the group consisting of millfeed byproducts, dry bakery products, corn, soybean meal, malt sprouts, spent brewer's grain, spent distiller's grain, dried citrus pulp, wheat middlings, wheat husks, wheat germ, rice hulls and cocoa hulls.  
     
     
         8 . The process as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the dry carrier comprises recycled, dried food pellets.  
     
     
         9 . A process for producing animal feed from food waste, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) shredding of the food waste, resulting in ground food waste;    (b) thickening of the ground food waste through the use of an amount, effective for the purpose, of an agglomerating polymer and a synthetic organic flocculant, resulting in a low moisture product and a separate liquid phase;    (c) adding a dry carrier to the thickened ground food waste, followed by extrusion of the thickened ground food waste and evaporation of residual moisture to produce dried food pellets; and    (d) treating the liquid phase so as to provide a high purity effluent for recycling, wherein the pH of the process is about 8-9.    
     
     
         10 . The process as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the agglomerating polymer is selected from the group consisting of an organic cationic polyamine and a polyDADMAC flocculant.  
     
     
         11 . The process as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the food waste is ground to less than 6 millimeters.  
     
     
         12 . The process as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said ground food waste provides sufficient contact area for subsequent processing.  
     
     
         13 . The process as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the synthetic organic flocculent is an anionic flocculant.  
     
     
         14 . The process as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the anionic flocculant is a high molecular weight polyacrylamide GRAS series.  
     
     
         15 . The process as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the dry carrier is selected from the group consisting of millfeed byproducts, dry bakery products, corn, soybean meal, malt sprouts, spent brewer's grain, spent distiller's grain, dried citrus pulp, wheat middlings, wheat husks, wheat germ, rice hulls and cocoa hulls.  
     
     
         16 . The process as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the dry carrier comprises recycled, dried food pellets.  
     
     
         17 . A process for producing animal feed from food waste, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) shredding of the food waste, resulting in ground food waste;    (b) thickening of the ground food waste through the use of an amount, effective for the purpose, of an agglomerating polymer and a synthetic organic flocculant, resulting in a low moisture product and a separate liquid phase;    (c) adding a dry carrier to the thickened ground food waste, followed by extrusion of the thickened ground food waste and evaporation of residual moisture to produce dried food pellets; and    (d) treating the liquid phase so as to provide a high purity effluent for recycling,    wherein the dried food pellets are manufactured in one location and blended in another location.    
     
     
         18 . The process as recited in  claim 17 , wherein at least 5 meters separates the two locations.  
     
     
         19 . The process as recited in  claim 17 , wherein at least one kilometer separates the two locations.  
     
     
         20 . The process as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the dry carrier comprises recycled, dried food pellets.