Patent ID: 7108882

Claim:
A method for surface treating animal tissue, the method comprising steps of: (a) providing animal tissue having an average size of about 0.5 inch to about 16 inches n length; (b) introducing the animal tissue into a water bath provided at a temperature of about 80° C. to about 110° C. for about 25 seconds to about 50 seconds to provide a relatively fast heat treatment of the animal tissue in order to reduce the incidence of pathogenic bacteria while retaining the desired organoleptic properties of the animal tissue; (c) conveying the animal tissue through the water bath in a first in and first out arrangement and, wherein said step of conveying the animal tissue through the water bath comprises turning a rotation screw having a spiral flight extending from a first end to a second end for advancing the animal tissue; (d) recovering the animal tissue from the water bath.