The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 20, 2005
Filed:
Jul. 08, 2003
Vernon D. Karman, Poynette, WI (US);
Gary Lee Hahn, Sun Prairie, WI (US);
Craig R. Bonneville, Appleton, WI (US);
Tou T. Vang, Lodi, WI (US);
Nelly Feze, Madison, WI (US);
Robert E. Hanson, Middleton, WI (US);
Vernon D. Karman, Poynette, WI (US);
Gary Lee Hahn, Sun Prairie, WI (US);
Craig R. Bonneville, Appleton, WI (US);
Tou T. Vang, Lodi, WI (US);
Nelly Feze, Madison, WI (US);
Robert E. Hanson, Middleton, WI (US);
Alkar-Rapidpak, Inc., Lodi, WI (US);
Abstract
A method for processing a food product involves transporting the food product through a plurality of stations including a loading station, a pasteurization station, and a closing station. The surface of the food product is pasteurized by convectively transferring heat from the pasteurizing medium to the surface of the food product at a rate such that the surface heat transfer coefficient becomes sufficiently higher than the food product conductance coefficient that the surface temperature of the food product is substantially instantaneously elevated above temperatures which are instantly lethal to microbes which may be present. Preferably, steam is condensed on the food product surface in dropwise condensation, and the onset of film condensation is retarded by removing condensate film from such surface.