Side Stream System for Poultry Processing pH Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current antimicrobial solutions in poultry processing, such as peroxycarboxylic acids, face challenges in maintaining consistent pH and antimicrobial concentrations across processing tanks, leading to undesirable effects like organoleptic changes and the need for excessive agent usage due to concentration gradients.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a side stream system that introduces antimicrobial agents and alkaline agents into poultry processing tanks, ensuring thorough mixing and pH adjustment before introduction, reducing the reliance on probes and maintaining consistent pH and antimicrobial concentrations throughout the tank.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If antimicrobial agents are added to processing tanks to maintain desired concentrations, then antimicrobial efficacy is improved, but concentration gradients develop within the tank leading to inconsistent pH and concentration distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the processing tank into multiple zones with separate injection points for antimicrobial agents and alkaline agents. This segmentation allows independent control of different regions, preventing concentration gradients by distributing chemicals throughout the tank volume rather than adding them at a single location.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary pH adjustment and chemical mixing in a side stream before the processed solution enters the main processing tank. This preliminary action ensures that chemicals are thoroughly mixed and pH is adjusted to desired levels before introduction, preventing concentration gradients and ensuring uniform distribution throughout the tank.
2Reliability
If excessive antimicrobial agents are used to compensate for concentration gradients, then minimum antimicrobial concentration is maintained, but organoleptic changes and product quality degradation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs probes to continuously monitor pH and antimicrobial agent concentrations in real-time. This feedback mechanism allows the control system to adjust chemical addition rates dynamically, maintaining desired concentration levels without excessive chemical use. The feedback loop prevents both under-dosing (which would compromise efficacy) and over-dosing (which would cause organoleptic changes).
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts chemical parameters including pH, antimicrobial concentration, and addition rates based on real-time monitoring. By changing these parameters optimally rather than using fixed high doses, the system maintains effective antimicrobial concentrations while avoiding the organoleptic changes that result from excessive chemical use.
3Measurement precision
If probes are used to monitor pH and antimicrobial concentrations in processing tanks, then measurement accuracy is improved, but probe fouling and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the measurement function from the main processing tank environment by using side streams or recirculation loops where probes can be positioned in cleaner, more stable conditions. This removes probes from the harsh, fouling-prone environment of the main tank while still allowing accurate monitoring of the processing solution through the side stream representation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses side streams as intermediaries between the main processing tank and the measurement probes. The side stream carries a representative sample of the processing solution to the probes, allowing accurate measurement without exposing the probes to the full fouling conditions of the main tank. This intermediary approach maintains measurement precision while reducing maintenance requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and related apparatus for providing a chemical intervention processing solution for use within processing tanks. Processing tanks can include side streams or ancillary systems for generating the chemical intervention processing solution that can then be introduced into the processing tanks. The antimicrobial agents will be added and mixed in the side stream to form the chemical intervention processing solution. Additional actions can be conducted on the processing solution within the side stream including any and or all of heating, pumping, sampling, measuring, testing and pH adjustment of the processing solution. The chemical intervention processing solution can also be provided by a venturi injector that combines processing water and an antimicrobial agent and/or an alkaline agent outside of the processing tank. The processing solution can be used for various food processing applications.