Method and apparatus for the preparation of a reconstituted food product
A method and apparatus are provided for producing a reconstituted food product. The apparatus includes a co-extruder 11 in which a gelling agent 70 and a setting agent 80 are co-extruded into a process stream of comminuted food pieces in a flow passage, with the gelling agent and setting agent being separated by the process stream. The apparatus includes a static mixer 10 of part cylindrical wall elements 22 with inwardly protruding mixer elements 24 in which the process stream, including the gelling agent and setting agent are mixed and the grain and texture of the food pieces altered to produce a reconstituted food product that resembles whole food. The apparatus includes a tenderiser 200 for pre-treating the comminuted food pieces by compressing them between a stationary plate 202 and a vibrating plate 206 in a tapering cavity.
1. A static mixer comprising:
a plurality of wall elements, the wall elements being shaped and configured such that they define an internal passage, when placed in a side-by-side arrangement, said passage defining an inlet, an outlet and a flow path extending from the inlet, downstream towards the outlet; and
a plurality of mixer elements, each attachable to the inside of one of the walling wall elements to protrude into the passage, each mixer element defining at least one leading surface facing towards the inlet of the passage and at least one trailing surface facing towards the outlet of the passage, each of the leading and trailing surfaces having a root where it meets the inside of the wall element to which it is attached and an apex, opposite from its root;
wherein the leading surface and the trailing surface intersect and are oriented at an angle greater than zero degrees relative to each other;
wherein each apex is spaced from adjacent mixer elements and from adjacent wall elements.
2. A static mixer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the leading surfaces and trailing surfaces intersect the inside of the wall element to which the element is attached, at an obtuse angle.
3. A static mixer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least some of the mixer elements define a third surface extending in the direction of the flow path, giving said mixer element a three-dimensional triangular pyramid shape.
4. A static mixer as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the third surface is generally aligned with a lateral edge of the wall element to which the mixer element is attachable.
5. A static mixer as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the leading surface and third surface of at least some of the mixer elements intersect at an angle to form a sharp leading edge, facing towards the inlet of the passage.
6. A static mixer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one ridge is defined along an edge of the leading surface of at least some of the mixer elements, extending generally from its root in the direction of its apex.
7. A static mixer as claimed in claim 6 , wherein at least one mixer element has two of said ridges and the ridges stop short of the apex to form an apex gap between them.
8. A static mixer as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the ridges extend in a co-planar manner from at least one of the trailing surface and the third surface.
9. A static mixer as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the leading surface is generally triangularly shaped and the two ridges converge towards the apex gap.
10. A static mixer as claimed according to claim 7 , wherein the mixer elements are oriented such that the apex gaps of some mixer elements are immediately upstream of the leading surfaces of other mixer elements.
11. A method of treating food in a static mixer by passing a process stream along the internal passage of the mixer, wherein said static mixer comprises:
a plurality of wall elements, the wall elements being shaped and configured such that they define an internal passage, when placed in a side-by-side arrangement, said passage defining an inlet, an outlet and a flow path extending from the inlet, downstream towards the outlet; and
a plurality of mixer elements, each attachable to the inside of one of the wall elements to protrude into the passage, each mixer element defining at least one leading surface facing towards the inlet of the passage and at least one trailing surface facing towards the outlet of the passage, each of the leading and trailing surfaces having a root where it meets the inside of the wall element to which it is attached and an apex, opposite from its root;
wherein the leading surface and the trailing surface intersect and are oriented at an angle greater than zero degrees relative to each other;
wherein each apex is spaced from adjacent mixer elements and from adjacent wall elements.
12. A method according to claim 11 , which includes cleaving part of the process stream by passing it over a leading edge of one of the mixer elements.
13. A method according to claim 11 , which includes cleaving part of the process stream by passing it over a ridge extending from an edge of one of the leading surfaces.
14. A method of treating food in a static mixer, wherein said static mixer comprises:
a plurality of wall elements, the wall elements being shaped and configured such that they define an internal passage, when placed in a side-by-side arrangement, said passage defining an inlet, an outlet and a flow path extending from the inlet, downstream towards the outlet; and
a plurality of mixer elements, each attachable to the inside of one of the wall elements to protrude into the passage, each mixer element defining at least one leading surface facing towards the inlet of the passage and at least one trailing surface facing towards the outlet of the passage, each of the leading and trailing surfaces having a root where it meets the inside of the wall element to which it is attached and an apex, opposite from its root;
wherein the leading surface and the trailing surface intersect and are oriented at an angle greater than zero degrees relative to each other;
wherein each apex is spaced from adjacent mixer elements and from adjacent wall elements;
wherein at least one ridge is defined along an edge of the leading surface of at least some of the mixer elements, extending generally from its root in the direction of its apex;
wherein at least one mixer element has two of said ridges and the ridges stop short of the apex to form an apex gap between them;
said method comprising passing a process stream along the internal passage of the static mixer;
sliding part of the process stream along the leading surface of at least one of the mixer elements and compressing it between two converging ridges of the mixing element, before passing the compressed part of the process stream at least partly through the apex gap.
15. A method according to claim 14 , which includes changing the direction of part of the process stream as it flows from the apex gap, by passing it over a leading surface of a mixer element immediately downstream.