Patent EA-001954-B1 (EA)
Title: Apparatus and methods for pasteurizing in-shell eggs
IPC: A23L15/00
Filed: 1998-12-23
Abstract: 1. A process for pasteurizing in-shell eggs, comprising enveloping at least one stack of a plurality of layers of said eggs in at least one heated fluid until said eggs are pasteurized by transferring heat from said fluid to said eggs without substantially impairing functionality of said eggs. 2. The process of claim 1, wherein said stack is transported through said at least one heated fluid. 3. The process of claim 1, wherein said stack comprises at least three said layers. 4. A process for pasteurizing in-shell eggs, comprising: immersing and holding at least one stack of a plurality of layers of said eggs in a first heated fluid until said eggs are substantially uniformly pre-heated throughout said at least one stack; and enveloping said at least one stack in a second heated fluid until said eggs are pasteurized by absorbing heat from said fluid, all without substantially impairing functionality of said eggs. 5. The process of claim 4, further comprising transporting said at least one stack through said heated fluid until said eggs are pasteurized. 6. The process of claim 4, wherein said heated fluid US a heated liquid in at least one bath. 7. The process of claim 6, wherein said immersing and holding step comprises immersing said at least one stack in a receiving zone and substantially uniformly pre-heating said eggs throughout said at least one stack in a pre-heating zone; and  wherein said enveloping step comprises removing any stacks of eggs from an exit zone; moving any stacks of eggs in a heating zone toward said exit zone; and moving said pre-heated stack of eggs from said pre-heating zone to said heating zone. 8. The process of claim 4, further comprising vertically perturbating said heated fluid sufficient to render substantially uniform a temperature. 9. The process of claim 8, wherein said fluid is a liquid, and said vertically perturbating step comprises passing bubbles of at least one gas through at least one of said fluid. 10. The process of claim 9, wherein said stack comprises at least two flats, each flat holding at least one of said layers of said eggs. 11. The process of claim 10, wherein upon stacking at least two of said flats, said stacked flats form at least one cavity for loosely holding said eggs in said egg layers. 12. The process of claim 11, wherein said stacked flats form a plurality of open cavities configured to allow said bubbles to propagate through said cavities, through said egg layers and along the entire surfaces of said eggs in said cavities, and wherein each cavity is configured to loosely hold one egg. 13. The process of claim 4, wherein a Haugh value of said eggs remains no less than about 60 Haugh units. 14. The process of claims 1 or 13, wherein said at least one stack comprises from about 4 to about 15 of said layers of eggs. 15. The process of claims 1 or 14, wherein said layers of eggs each comprise at least 24 eggs. 16. The process of claim 4, wherein said eggs are pasteurized to at least a 3 log reduction of Salmonella. 17. The process of claim 4, wherein said immersing and holding step comprises rapidly immersing said at least one stack in its entirety into said heated fluid. 18. A flat for holding a layer of eggs, comprising: a plurality of raised contours projecting from a horizontal plane, said contours having a top and said contours being discontinuous to provide openings in said contours; a plurality of lower contours projecting from said horizontal plane spaced for accepting said plurality of raised contours from a vertically adjacent flat, whereby adjacent upper and lower contours of adjacent flats together form at least one cavity for loosely holding at least one egg; wherein said cavity is sufficiently open to allow bubbles to propagate through said cavity and along the entire surface of said at least one egg in said cavity when a pair of vertically adjacent said flats loosely holding at least one egg is immersed in a liquid bath. 19. The flat of claim 18, wherein a plurality of said flats cooperatively fit to form a stack containing a plurality of said cavities for holding said layers of said eggs. 20. The flat of claim 18, wherein said cavity is sufficiently open to permit drainage of fluid out of said flat. 21. The flat of claim 18, wherein said cavity is sufficiently open to permit drainage of molten wax out of said flat. 22. The flat of claim 21, wherein contact between a vertically adjacent upper and a vertically adjacent lower flat is insufficient to cause substantial sticking of said vertically adjacent flats due to cooling of said wax when at least said lower flat is substantially filled with a plurality of the in-shell eggs. 23. The flat of claim 22, wherein contact between said in-shell eggs and said upper and said lower flats is insufficient to cause substantial sticking of said eggs to said upper and said lower flats. 24. An apparatus for pasteurizing in-shell eggs, comprising: means for immersing and holding at least one stack of a plurality of layers of said eggs in heated fluid until said eggs are substantially uniformly preheated throughout said at least one stack; and means for transporting said at least one stack through heated fluid until said eggs are pasteurized by absorbing heat from said fluid, all without substantially impairing functionality of said eggs. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said means for transporting comprises means for enveloping said at least one stack in heated fluid until said eggs are pasteurized. 26. An apparatus for pasteurizing in-shell eggs, comprising: at least one bath for holding a heated fluid, said at least one bath having a receiving zone, a pre-heating zone, a heating zone, and an exit zone; a loader configured to load at least one stack of a plurality of layers of said eggs into said receiving zone; at least one conveyor configured to move said at least one stack from said receiving zone to said pre-heating zone, to move any eggs in said heating zone towards said exit zone, and to move pre-heated eggs from said pre-heating zone to said heating zone; and  an unloader configured to remove eggs from said exit zone. 27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a source of bubbles for vertically perturbating said fluid in at least one said bath. 28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said receiving zone, said pre-heating zone, said heating zone, and said exit zone are provided in a plurality of separate baths.