Method and Apparatus for Chilled Water Injection
A method and apparatus for injecting chilled water ( 16 ) into freshly slaughtered and eviscerated poultry carcasses immediately prior to introducing the poultry carcasses into a conventional chiller ( 20 ). The chilled water ( 16 ) may be at a temperature slightly above the freezing point of water. The chilled water injector ( 10 ) is mounted to the entrance end ( 21 ) of a chiller ( 20 ). The poultry carcasses are removed from a shackle line and placed on a conveyor ( 11 ) which conveys the warm carcasses into and through the injector ( 10 ). In the injector ( 10 ), needles ( 13 ) inject chilled water ( 16 ) into the carcasses thereby beginning the chilling process. The injected carcasses then drop into the conventional chiller ( 20 ) where they are conveyed from the entrance end ( 21 ) to the exit end ( 22 ) through a counter-flow of chilled water ( 23 ) during which time further chilling occurs.
1 . A method for chilling freshly slaughtered and eviscerated poultry carcasses, comprising the step of injecting the poultry carcasses with chilled water.
2 . The method of claim 1 comprising the step, subsequent to the step of injecting the poultry carcasses with chilled water, of introducing the poultry carcasses to a chiller.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said chiller is an auger-type chiller.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein said step of injecting chilled water comprises injecting chilled water with a needle injector.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said chilled water further comprises an additive.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein said additive is selected from the group consisting of brines and flavorings.
7 . An apparatus for chilling freshly slaughtered and eviscerated poultry carcasses, comprising:
a source of chilled water;
an injector operatively connected to said source of chilled water; and
means for moving said poultry carcasses past said injector.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 comprising a chiller following said injector.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said chiller is an auger-type chiller.
10 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said injector comprises a needle injector.
11 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said source of chilled water comprises a refrigeration apparatus.
12 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising means for introducing an additive to said chilled water.
13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said additive is selected from the group consisting of brines and flavorings.
14 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising means for pressurizing said chilled water.