Research Capabilities & Equipment
Food Tech Lab - Ingram Hall – Dr. Sathivel
Pilot equipment in the Food Tech lab includes mechanical separators and desinewers, centrifuge, grinders, Koch SS Grinder, flaker, tumbler, Blentech Twin Shaft Paddle Lab Mixer, Blentech Lab Vacuum Tumbler Mixer, formers, batter/breader, freezing tunnel, freezing cabinet, blast freezer, coolers, Lynntech Industries-Ozone generator-Model 30T, packagers (MAP tray sealer, Koch Ultravac 55 Dbl. Chamber Vacuum System, Koch skin-pack), continuous oven, cryogenic freezers, spray dryer, and poultry slaughter, drip line, cut-up saw, Vulcan Hart-2 ranges, a deep fat fryer, and Cayard's-fat fryer.
Available -
in cooperation with the USDA Southern Regional Research Center (SRRC) - New Orleans
Mills and Homogenizers
Bauer Mill 8” model 148-2 for wet or dry grinding. Traditionally used to pre-grind nuts to make butters.
Microfluidizer Homogenizer 110-T.
Gaulin Homogenizer.
Extruders
Leistritz Extruder Model MIC -18/GL-6R. Five temperature zones and attachment for making extruded films
Brabender single screw Model D-7500 extruder with four temperature zones
Werner Pfleiderer Model ZSK-30 twin screw extruder with accurate material feeder
Dryers
Yamamoto (For sensitive materials) and Niro spray dryers
Blue M Bread Making Oven with temperature and humidity controls
Double drum dryer with drum dimensions of 18”x12”
Fluidized bed dryer with temperature capability of up to 600°F
Aeromatic grain dryer.
Rice Mills
Complete continuous Satake rice mill from paddy dehusker to color sorting machine.
Satake Model TM-05 table top Grain testing mill.
Kettles and Rectors
Kettles stainless steel from 5 to 30 gallons.
Parr 4843 batch reactor, double jacketed, temperature and pressure controls and direct injection of any reactant under pressure.
Continuous Centrifuges
Nozzle disc centrifuge
DeLaval Liquid-Liquid Centrifuge
General Equipment
Table top stainless steel V-blender
Carver Laboratory Press for making low fat nuts and extraction of oil
Robert Coupe Model R-10 Chopper and blender.
Continuous belt fryer which can be used in conjunction with an extruder
Restaurant style batch fryer
Enrober Model KV-1 for e.g. enrobing nuts with chocolate
Microferm Model MI -114 fermenter
Accucut Model A-12 air classifier to classify dried material for e.g fiber from rest of the flour
Reiser Vacuum packaging machine uses cryovac bags of different sizes. Pilot plant sized
Market Forge steam blancher for blanching vegetables
Southbend blancher EZ-3 for blanching vegetables
Patented Processes Developed by Southern Regional Research Center Scientists in Food Pilot Plant:
- Process for quick-cooking brown and wild rice
- Process for pure rice starch and edible rice protein
- Sun Butter
- Low-fat peanuts
Possible Uses for Food Pilot Plant:
- Developing snack foods
- Drying fruits and Vegetables
- Processing rice from the field to the table.
- Particle size reduction of grains or other components of crop in dry or liquid form
- Drying of slurries/proteins
- Making food films
- Classifying flours into desired components
- Processing nuts for use in snacks
- Extracting oil from oilseeds using oil press or hexane or other solvents
- Extracting bioactive components using supercritical, subcritical fluid extraction or other methods
- Developing innovative fruit and vegetable snacks
- Producing bioactive compounds and alcohol using fermentation. Developing fermented neutraceutical products
