FOOD TREATMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

摘要

A food treatment system and method with a pressurization zone (10), a dwell zone, and a depressurization zone (60). A linear pocket feeder includes a number of sealed chambers (22) each housing a food product driven through the pressurization zone (10), the dwell zone, and the depressurization zone (60) in sequence. The pressurization zone (10) includes at least one purge region (24) to prevent dilution of treatment fluid and also treatment fluid injection regions (26,28,30) to pressurize the sealed chambers (22) in a controlled fashion. The depressurization zone (60) includes treatment fluid ejection regions (62, 64, 66) to depressurize the sealed chambers (22) and remove the treatment fluid therefrom in a controlled fashion. The treatment fluid injection regions (26, 28, 30) are in fluid communication with the treatment fluid ejection regions (62,64,66) to conserve treatment fluid and to minimize power required for pressurization.