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A system and a process for making food products, such as dehydrated potato products, with reduced water usage, and reduced waste water production, are provided. The system includes a precooker, a cooler and a cooker having sealed process chambers in flow communication with one another, and augers fo

A system and a process for making food products, such as dehydrated potato products, with reduced water usage, and reduced waste water production, are provided. The system includes a precooker, a cooler and a cooker having sealed process chambers in flow communication with one another, and augers for moving the food product through the process chambers. In addition, valves seal the process chambers, and transfer the food product between the process chambers at a controlled rate. The process includes the steps of precooking the food product using steam, cooling the food product using vacuum cooling and conduction cooling in combination, and then cooking the food product using steam. The process also includes the steps of moving the food product at the controlled rate using the valves, and mixing the food product during the precooking, cooling and cooking steps.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A system for making a food product comprising: a precooker comprising a first process chamber configured to contain a precooking steam, the precooker configured to move the food product through the first process chamber and to precook the food product to a first temperature b

What is claimed is: 1. A system for making a food product comprising: a precooker comprising a first process chamber configured to contain a precooking steam, the precooker configured to move the food product through the first process chamber and to precook the food product to a first temperature by contact with the precooking steam and condensate thereof but without contact with a liquid precooking water introduced into the first process chamber for precooking the food product; a cooler comprising a second process chamber in flow communication with the first process chamber having walls configured to contain a vacuum, and a jacket around the walls in flow communication with a liquid cooling source, the cooler configured to move the food product though the second process chamber and to evaporative cool and to conduction cool the food product to a second temperature without contact with a liquid cooling water introduced into the second process chamber for cooling the food product; and a cooker comprising a third process chamber in flow communication with the second process chamber configured to contain a cooking steam, the cooker configured to move the food product through the third process chamber and to cook the food product to a third temperature by contact with the cooking steam and condensate thereof but without contact with a liquid cooking water introduced into the third process chamber for cooking the food product. 2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a first sealed conduit between the precooker and the cooler configured to transfer the food product from the precooker to the cooler and a second sealed conduit between the cooler and the cooker configured to transfer the food product between the cooler and the cooker. 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the precooker is stacked on the cooler such that the food product transfers by gravity from the precooker to the cooler, and the cooler is stacked on the cooker such that the food product transfers by gravity from the cooler to the cooker, with the precooker and the cooker configured to move the food product in a first flow direction and the cooler configured to move the food product in an opposite second flow direction. 4. The system of claim 1 wherein the precooker, the cooler and the cooker each include an auger having a spiral flute configured to move the food product through the first process chamber in a first direction, the second process chamber in a second direction opposite to the first direction or the third process chamber in the first direction. 5. The system of claim 4 further comprising at least one mixing bar across the flute configured to mix the food product as the food product is moved by the auger through the first process chamber, the second process chamber or the third process chamber. 6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a first transfer mechanism between the precooker and the cooler configured to move the food product from the precooker to the cooler and a second transfer mechanism between the cooler and the cooker configured to move the food product between the cooler and the cooker. 7. The system of claim 1 wherein the food product comprises a dehydrated potato flake or a dehydrated potato granule. 8. A system for making a dehydrated potato product comprising: a precooker comprising a sealed first process chamber configured to contain a precooking steam at a selected pressure and to precook potato slices by exposure to the precooking steam to form precooked slices, the precooker comprising at least one precooking steam injection port configured to meter the precooking steam into the first process chamber as a function of a precooking temperature in the first process chamber; a cooler comprising a sealed second process chamber in flow communication with the first process chamber having walls configured to contain a vacuum and to circulate a liquid cooling medium, the cooler configured to evaporative cool the precooked slices by moving the precooked slices through the vacuum, and to conduction cool the precooked slices by moving the precooked slices into contact with the walls of the process chamber, to form cooled slices; and a cooker comprising a sealed third process chamber in flow communication with the second process chamber configured to cook the cooled slices by exposure to a cooking steam to form cooked slices, the cooker comprising at least one cooking steam injection port configured to meter the cooking steam into the third process chamber as a function of a cooking temperature in the third process chamber. 9. The system of claim 8 wherein the potato product comprises potato flakes. 10. The system of claim 8 wherein the potato product comprises potato granules. 11. The system of claim 8 further comprising a first transfer mechanism between the precooker and the cooler configured to transfer the precooked slices from the first process chamber to the second process chamber and a second transfer mechanism between the cooler and the cooker configured to transfer the cooled slices from the second process chamber to the third process chamber. 12. The system of claim 8 further comprising an inlet transfer mechanism configured to meter the potato slices into the first process chamber. 13. The system of claim 8 further comprising an outlet transfer mechanism configured to discharge the cooked slices from the third process chamber. 14. The system of claim 8 wherein the cooler comprises a jacket around the second process chamber in flow communication with the liquid cooling medium. 15. The system of claim 8 wherein the precooker comprises a plurality of precooking steam injection ports configured to diffuse the precooking steam into the first process chamber as a function of the precooking temperature in the first process chamber. 16. The system of claim 8 wherein the precooker, the cooler and the cooker each includes an auger having a spiral flute configured to move the precooked slices through the first process chamber, the cooled slices through the second process chamber or the cooked slices through the third process chamber. 17. The system of claim 16 wherein each auger includes a plurality of mixing bars across the spiral flute configured to mix the precooked slices moving through the first process chamber, the cooled slices moving through the second process chamber or the cooked slices moving through the third process chamber. 18. The system of claim 16 further comprising: a ricer apparatus configured to rice the cooked slices to form a mash; a drying apparatus configured to dry the mash to form a sheet; and a comminuting apparatus configured to comminute the sheet into potato flakes. 19. The system of claim 16 further comprising: a ricer apparatus configured to rice the cooked slices to form a mash; a mixing apparatus configured to mix add back granules to the mash; a first drying apparatus configured to dry the mash to form partially dried potato granules; and a second drying apparatus configured to dry the partially dried potato granules into potato granules. 20. A system for making a dehydrated potato product comprising: a precooker configured to precook potato slices by exposure to a precooking steam and condensate thereof but without contact with a liquid precooking water introduced into the precooker for precooking the potato slices; a cooler comprising a process chamber having walls configured to contain a vacuum, a jacket around the walls in flow communication with a liquid cooling source, and an auger configured to move the potato slices through the process chamber and the vacuum and into contact with the walls; and a cooker configured to cook the potato slices by exposure to cooking steam and condensate thereof but without contact with a liquid cooking water introduced into the cooker for cooking the potato slices; the precooker, the cooler and the cooker configured to continuously perform a precooking step, a cooling step and a cooking step in a sealed atmosphere with contact between the food product and effluents produced during the precooking step and the cooking step. 21. The system of claim 20 wherein the precooker comprises a first elongated vessel stacked above the cooler and a first sealed conduit configured to move the potato slices by gravity into the cooler. 22. The system of claim 20 wherein the cooler comprises a second elongated vessel stacked above the cooker and a second sealed conduit configured to move the potato slices by gravity into the cooker. 23. The system of claim 20 wherein the cooker comprises a third elongated vessel. 24. The system of claim 20 wherein the auger comprises a plurality of mixing bars configured to mix the potato slices in the process chamber. 25. A system for making a dehydrated potato product comprising: a precooker comprising a precooking process chamber configured to precook potato slices by exposure to a precooking steam and condensate thereof but without contact with a liquid precooking water introduced into the precooking process chamber for precooking the potato slices; a cooler configured to vacuum cool and conduction cool the potato slices, the cooler comprising a cooling process chamber in flow communication with a vacuum source, a jacket surrounding walls of the cooling process chamber in flow communication with a liquid coolant, and a cooler auger configured to move the potato slices through the cooling process chamber to effect evaporative cooling, and to move the potato slices into contact with the walls to effect contact cooling; a cooker comprising a cooking process chamber configured to cook the potato slices by exposure to a cooking steam and condensate thereof but without contact with a liquid cooking water introduced into the cooking process chamber for cooking the potato slices; and a plurality of valves configured to seal the precooker, the cooler and the cooker, and to move the potato slices between the precooker and the cooler, and between the cooler and the cooker; the precooker, the cooler, the cooker and the valves configured to perform a continuous process in which the potato slices are precooked, cooled and cooked in a sealed atmosphere. 26. The system of claim 25 wherein the precooker, the cooler and the cooker comprise elongated vessels stacked to permit gravity transfer of the potato slices. 27. The system of claim 25 wherein the precooker includes a precooker auger configured to move and mix the potato slices through the precooking process chamber. 28. The system of claim 25 wherein the cooker includes a cooker auger configured to move and mix the potato slices through the cooking process chamber. 29. The system of claim 25 further comprising: a ricer apparatus configured to rice the potato slices to form a mash; and a drying apparatus configured to dry the mash to form a sheet. 30. The system of claim 29 further comprising a comminuting apparatus configured to comminute the sheet into potato flakes.