Patent ID: 7707931
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: A22C,A23B,A23L,B26D,B65B,E04H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A food processing facility, comprising: a plurality of single-line food processing rooms, each food processing room comprising a secure area having a single line of series-connected food processing elements including at least one food processing device and at least one food packaging device, each food processing room at a first substantially sterile level of cleanliness which substantially prevents the presence and growth of pathogenic microorganisms including at least one semi-secure delivery area, each delivery area adjacent to at least some of the food processing rooms, each delivery area at a second level of substantial cleanliness that can be below the first level of cleanliness but will substantially prevent contamination of previously processed food products after at least one selected post-lethality treatment of the food products; at least one semi-secure packaged food receiving area, each receiving area adjacent to at least some of the food processing rooms, each receiving area at a third level of substantial cleanliness that can be below the first level of cleanliness but will substantially prevent contamination of hermetically sealed food packages within the semi-secure receiving area; at least some of the plurality of the secure food processing rooms having a first passage to the semi-secure delivery area, and having a second passage to the semi-secure packaged food receiving area; at least one semi-secure buffer area adjacent to at least one of at least one receiving area or at least one delivery area, each buffer area at a fourth level of cleanliness that can be below the second level of cleanliness but will substantially prevent contamination of previously processed food products after at least one selected post-lethality treatment of the food products within the semi-secure buffer area, and of personnel, clean uniforms, cleaning supplies and equipment located within and passing through such semi-secure buffer area; at least one common unsecure area adjacent to at least one buffer area, each common area at a fifth level of cleanliness that can be below the fourth level of cleanliness, wherein the fifth level of cleanliness is appropriate for management staff and personnel support activities; a plurality of sanitizing stations, at least one sanitizing station located between a common area and an adjacent buffer area and at least one sanitizing station located between a buffer area and an adjacent receiving or delivery area; a drain system comprising a plurality of drain lines and at least one catch basin, each drain line connected between one of the at least one catch basin and one of the plurality of single-line food processing rooms, and wherein each drain line is connected directly between the catch basin and the food processing room that it connects and each drain line connected to a particular catch basin connects to that catch basin at least at one of a) a unique position about the perimeter of the catch basin or b) a unique axial position along an axis of the catch basin.