Process and apparatus for rapid preparation of dry sausage

Abstract

A process for manufacturing dry sausage. The process includes preparing a dry sausage meat mixture, stuffing the mixture into a casing or mould, fermenting the mixture, heat treating the mixture, cooling the mixture to a temperature sufficiently low to permit slicing, slicing the sausage, placing the sausage onto a conveyor, and passing the conveyor and sausage through a chamber. The process also includes introducing a supply of conditioned air into the chamber, the air having a relative humidity below about 60% and a temperature in the range of at least about 40° F. to 130° F., and introducing a supply of microwaves into the chamber. The air supply and microwaves are selected to reduce the moisture content of the meat to a predetermined moisture to protein ratio.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A process for preparing dry sausage, the process comprising:
 (a) preparing a dry sausage meat mixture;   (b) stuffing the mixture into a casing or mould;   (c) fermenting the mixture;   (d) heat treating the mixture;   (e) cooling the mixture to a temperature sufficiently low to permit slicing;   (f) cutting the mixture to form sausage pieces;   (g) placing the sausage pieces onto a conveyor;   (h) passing the conveyor with the sausage pieces thereon through a chamber;   (i) introducing into the chamber a supply of conditioned air having a relative humidity below about 60% and a temperature in the range of at least about 40° F. to 130° F.; and   (j) introducing into the chamber a supply of microwaves;   (k) wherein the supply of conditioned air and the supply of microwaves are selected to reduce the moisture content of the sausage pieces to a predetermined moisture to protein ratio.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises grinding and then blending the dry sausage meat mixture. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the step of cutting the mixture comprises slicing the mixture. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the mixture is sliced in step (f) into slices having a thickness of about 4 mm or less. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the step of cutting the mixture comprises dicing the mixture. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature is in the range of about 50° F. to about 120° F. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature is in the range of about 40° F. to about 100° F. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conditioned air is passed through the chamber at a volume sufficient to cause a linear air flow velocity over the sliced sausage to be at least about 100 feet per minute. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 8 , wherein the linear air flow velocity is about 100 feet per minute to 2,000 feet per minute. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conditioned air is introduced into the chamber from above and below the sliced sausage. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conditioned air is supplied as a turbulent air flow. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conditioned air has a relative humidity of below about 50-55%. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conditioned air has a relative humidity of below about 25%. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of cooling the sausage after it leaves the chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein step (j) comprises introducing the microwaves in pulses. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the pulses comprise a repeating on/off cycle of about 2 to 30 seconds on, and about 2 to 30 seconds off. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the pulses comprise a repeating on/off cycle of about 10 seconds on and about 7 seconds off. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the pulses comprise a repeating on/off cycle of about 12 seconds on and about 12 seconds off. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the microwaves is provided at about 2 to about 20 kilowatts. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the microwaves is provided at about 12 kilowatts. 
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the sausage remains in the chamber for less than about 30 minutes. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the sausage remains in the chamber for about 2 to about 10 minutes. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the dry sausage is pepperoni, chorizo, or salami. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the sausage using at least one of a thermal imaging device, a vision system, an inline checkweigher, or an infrared sensor at at least one location. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising weighing the sausage before it enters the chamber and weighing the sausage after it exits the chamber and calculating the reduction in weight of the sausage. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the sausage remains in the chamber until a moisture to protein ratio of the sausage is reduced to about 2.3:1 or less. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the sausage remains in the chamber until the moisture to protein ratio is reduced to about 1.6:1 or less. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the air pressure in the chamber is at least about one atmosphere. 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the sausage pieces are cut into their final commercial shape prior to entering the chamber. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber comprises a plurality of cavities extending along the conveyor. 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 30 , wherein the conditioned air and the microwaves are provided in the same one of the plurality of cavities. 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 30 , wherein the conditioned air and the microwaves are provided in different ones of the plurality of cavities. 
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 30 , wherein the microwaves are provided in a first one of the plurality of cavities, and the conditioned air is provided in a second one of the plurality of cavities, the second one being downstream of the first one with respect to a direction of movement of the sausage pieces. 
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein no microwaves are provided in the second one of the plurality of cavities.