Filtration system could reduce microbial load in scalders

The Vorclone Scalder Filtration System is a non-chemical intervention designed to filter and clean scalders, significantly reducing the microbial load on poultry carcasses.

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factory for the production of chicken meat. technological process.
factory for the production of chicken meat. technological process.
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The Vorclone Scalder Filtration System is a non-chemical intervention designed to filter and clean scalders, significantly reducing the microbial load on poultry carcasses.

Solids and sediments that accumulate in the scalder during processing can lead to cross-contamination and increase the microbial load on carcasses, explained Daniel Lehmkuhl, Safe Foods Cooperation Product Manager, at the 2022 Poultry Tech Summit.

“The scalder is often ignored. We really have not had success in making a microbial impact there. Standard interventions are not great in application because they dissipate and there is a large amount of organic matter left over,” he said.

How it works

The Vorclone Scalder Filtration System recycles the water in the scalder, creating a recirculation loop that removes the contaminants and reduces the microbial load before moving the water back into the tank.

The non-chemical intervention uses physics to remove the contaminants from the scalder into the discharge tray and down the drain without any moving parts. It can complete up to five complete recirculation loops an hour on a 2,000-gallon tank.

“There's no filters that have to be cleaned out because the waste is discarded through a liquid solids separator and moved straight to the drain without having a lot of manual labor involved,” he stated.

During a research study involving the filtration system, Lehmkuhl found that the process could reduce the scald water’s Enterobacter load by 0.15 logs per hour and turbidity by over 10 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) per hour when compared to the control system. Reducing the organic loading in scalders decreases pathogen prevalence during hot rehang while reduce the amount of sanitation labor needed, he added.

Lehmkuhl said that Safe Foods is currently seeking partners to test the Vorclone Scalder Filtration System on a larger scale.

Attend the 2023 Poultry Tech Summit

Join an exclusive international gathering of industry-changing innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, technology experts, investors and leading poultry producers at the 2023 edition of Poultry Tech Summit on November 6-8 at the Hilton Atlanta Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Attendees can expect the same groundbreaking innovation and insightful presentations that made the previous events well-attended with deep dialogue on new prospective solutions and next-generation technologies. Poultry Tech Summit focuses on the transition of innovative technologies into commercial applications to advance the poultry industry.

Registration for this event will open in the spring of 2023.

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