Method and apparatus for manufacturing pepperoni

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A process for preparing diced or sliced sausage e.g. pepperoni, includes the steps of preparing the meat mixture by grinding and mixing to specification. The sausage is stuffed into casings or is extruded into sheet form for fermentation and cooking following which the cooled meat mixture is chilled to 35°F or lower and sliced or sliced and diced. The product is thereafter conveyed to a spiral dryer where it is exposed to relatively warm (about 50°F to 120°F) air at an initial relative humidity of 50% or less preferably 30% or less, under turbulent air flow. The dried sausage is then conveyed to a chiller or freezer. Pepperoni prepared in this process has desirable flow characteristics when …