There are many commonly used methods to decontaminate natural products, such as ethylene oxide and irradiation but most have been or will soon be restricted due to their potential health risks and adverse consumer acceptance.

Vibrating fluid bed dryers

Vibrating fluid bed dryers use a large drive mechanism with the bed mounted on springs like a vibrating conveyor to move product through the dryer. They have the advantage that they can process a wider range of products. The main disadvantage is that the dryer and the product is subjected to significant g-forces. These high forces typically cause friable product to break apart creating unnecessary and often unwanted fines and waste. In addition, the high g-forces will be transferred to the surrounding structures resulting in additional installation requirements, premature equipment wear, premature instrument wear and elevated noise concerns. case the bed case to fracture and the drive mechanisms are subject to periodic refurbishment. Instrumentation takes a beating too, so the control systems are typically very basic. Vibratory dryer systems often include improved controls that require less monitoring by an operator to regulate for changing conditions.

Rotary drum dryers

Rotary drum dryers are large rotating drums where the material cascades through a steam of hot air. Rotary dryers are often presented to have a low initial cost advantage but may require additional equipment and manpower to operate successfully. The main disadvantages are high operating costs due to unnecessary fuel consumption, elevated maintenance costs and additional manpower to operate. Rotary dryer systems often include basic controls that require frequent monitoring by an operator to regulate for changing conditions.

Static fluid bed dryers

Static fluid bed dryers utilize large volumes of heated air to fluidize the product. In practice, these dryers have thicker product layers that require larger blowers to keep the product suspended in the air stream. This process offers improved fuel efficient because the increased product layer retains heat and thermal heat transfer is maximized. This dryer may offer the advantages of low initial cost and simplicity of operation but product flexibility will suffer. Its main disadvantage is that the dryer is designed for and requires a consistent and uniform material size. If oversized, out-of-spec material is introduced into the dryer, it will not exit, but remain inside and will eventually prevent operation. At some point in time, the dryer will have to be shut down and cleaned out. Static fluid bed dryers are most suitable for processes that have little process variation. If the input mix/size varies, use of a static fluid bed dryer is not advisable. Static dryer systems often include basic controls that require frequent monitoring by an operator to regulate for changing conditions.

Shaking fluid bed dryers

Shaking fluid bed dryers solve the high g-force issue by eliminating the need for vibration and includes a more advanced control systems that eliminates the need for continuous operator involvement. Product is moved through the dryer by a gentle shaking motion, Low Frequency / High Amplitude, that moves it forward in a step by step, uniform manner referred to as plug flow. The g-force issue is eliminated allowing for smallest possible product deterioration, reduced foundation requirements and minimal noise output. A shaking fluid bed dryer system typically has a greater initial cost but the lowest life cycle cost due to substantial savings in fuel consumption and maintenance costs.

As such, strict hygiene procedures are often in place in meat & sausage processing plants, but those alone arent enough to prevent dangerous conditions. Indeed, effective humidity control is also required.

The Ventilex DryGenic^® Air Dehumidifier is perfected to produce large volumes of cold, dry, clean and bacteria free air. Our DryGenic^® dehumidification technology finds its bases on a liquid desiccant, which is thermodynamically and economically the most efficient air drying solution available today.

The DryGenic^® dehumidification system can reduce and precisely control the humidity of multiple processing rooms. Moreover the salty liquid desiccant, named DrySol® also cleans and disinfects the air, by removing and killing up to 99.9% of the airborne bacteria and other micro-organisms.