Process for packing separation and granulation of processed food content thereof, and products and uses thereof

Abstract

A process for grinding packaged processed food and simultaneously separating its packaging in a single unit operation in a continuous, short-duration manner. Grinding may be effected without the need for moving mechanical parts. The granulated food product obtained from the grinding treatment of the packaged processed food is functionally suitable for re-use in food production lines and the packaging material fragments may be further recycled.

1 . A separation process for packaged processed food, comprising: 
 introducing compressed air into an enclosure that includes a truncated conical shaped section, wherein the introduced air travels along a downward path through the enclosure, including the conical section, to a lower end thereof, and the air reaching the lower end flows back up and exits the enclosure via an exhaust outlet;    introducing into the enclosure packaged processed food comprising a package containing food, wherein the packaged processed food is entrained in the air traveling downward through the enclosure, and wherein at least a portion of the food is liberated from the associated package and at least a portion of the processed food and packaging material are simultaneously ground before reaching the lower end of the enclosure;    discharging a granular product including ground food product and packaging material fragments from the lower end of the enclosure, wherein the ground food product and the packaging material fragments are separated one from the other;    the ground food product incurs sufficiently limited molecular structural degradation during the process such that the product is functionally and organoleptically acceptable to be used as rework.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the discharged packaging material fragments is recyclable.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the packaging material is selected from the group consisting of a barrier film, a box, a bag, pouch, shrink wrap, tray, and any combination thereof suitable for the separation process.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the packaging material is selected from the group consisting of plastic, paper, metal film, foil, multi-layer extrusion, laminate, overlay, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the processed food is selected from the group consisting of cookies, crackers, cereals, pet foods, desserts, confectionaries, and a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the granular product has an average particle size of about 1 micron to about 1,000 microns.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the granular product comprises at least about 50% ground food product having an average particle size of about 1 micron to about 1,000 microns.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the granular product comprises packaging material fragments having an average particle size of about 10 mm to about 30 mm.  
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the processed food comprises farinaceous material.  
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the ground food product and the packaging material fragments are physically separated from one another by use of a sieve at the discharge end of the apparatus.  
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the introducing of compressed air comprises supplying compressed air at a pressure within the range of from about 10 psig to about 100 psig.  
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the introducing of compressed air comprises supplying compressed air at a pressure within the range of from about 20 psig to about 40 psig.  
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the introducing of the compressed air comprises supplying the compressed air at a temperature within the range of about 0° F. to about 500° F.  
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the introducing of the compressed air comprises supplying the compressed air at a temperature within the range of about 40° F. to about 100° F.  
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the introducing of the compressed air comprises supplying the compressed air at a rate of within the range of from about 500 cubic feet per minute to about 10,000 cubic feet per minute.  
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the introducing of the compressed air comprises supplying the compressed air at a rate within the range of from about 1,000 cubic feet per minute to about 3,000 cubic feet per minute.  
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the introducing of the compressed air into the upper cylindrical enclosure occurs in a direction oriented generally tangentially to inner walls of the cylindrical enclosure.  
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the upper cylindrical enclosure has a substantially constant diameter of about 1 to about 10 feet, and the lower enclosure comprises a truncated conical shape having a maximum diameter size where the lower enclosure adjoins the cylindrical enclosure and the maximum diameter of the lower enclosure is substantially the same as the diameter of the cylindrical enclosure.  
     
     
         19 . A process for reworking packaged processed food in processed food manufacture, comprising: 
 introducing compressed air into an enclosure that includes a truncated conical shaped section, wherein the introduced air travels along a downward path through the enclosure, including the conical section, to a lower end thereof, and the air reaching the lower end flows back up and exits the enclosure via an exhaust outlet;    introducing into the enclosure packaged processed food comprising a package containing food, wherein the packaged processed food is entrained in the air traveling downward through the enclosure, and wherein at least a portion of the food is liberated from the associated package and at least a portion of the processed food and packaging material are simultaneously ground before reaching the lower end of the enclosure;    discharging a granular product including ground food product and packaging material fragments from the lower end of the enclosure, wherein the ground food product and the packaging material fragments are separated one from the other;    the ground food product incurs sufficiently limited molecular structural degradation during the process such that the product is functionally and organoleptically acceptable to be used as rework, and optionally the packaging material is recyclable;    combining at least a portion of the granular product including the ground food product and at least one different processed food ingredient; and    preparing a processed food product therewith.    
     
     
         20 . A granular food product prepared from packaged processed food in a method comprising introducing compressed air into an enclosure that includes a truncated conical shaped section, wherein the air travels along a downward path through the enclosure, including the conical section, to a lower end thereof, and the air reaching the lower end flows back up and exits the enclosure via an exhaust outlet; introducing into the enclosure packaged processed food comprising a package containing food, wherein the packaged processed food is entrained in the air traveling downward through the enclosure, and wherein at least a portion of the food is liberated from the associated package and at least a portion of the processed food is ground before reaching the lower end of the enclosure and at least a portion of packaging material is broken down into fragments; and discharging from the lower end of the enclosure a granulated product including ground food product and fragments of packaging material, wherein the ground food product and the packaging material fragments are separated one from the other; and wherein the ground food product incurs sufficiently limited molecular structural degradation during the method such that the product is functionally and organoleptically acceptable to be used as rework.