Dried meat - dust control suggestions

Hello IFSQN folks,

We are having a problem with dust from our product and looking for ways to control it. All suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

The dust is from freeze dried meat treats for dogs. Basically the treat is being tumbled around creating dust when we use the conveyor and bagger. We have a dust collector in use but it's just not enough to control to amount of dust.

One of the staff had an idea of coating the conveyor and bagger with vegetable oil, with the thought that it would grab and hold onto some of the extra dust. We gave it a try to and it did help! Now I need to ensure this is safe to use going forward. First I need to determine what is the best oil to use, how this affects the product. I also need to consider the application and clean up process. The product is on hold and I am sending a sample to check the guaranteed analysis to see if it affects the fat content. I am also thinking it may affect the shelf life of the product.

Please play devils advocate, Do I need to consider anything else?

TIA

In my neck of woods close to 100% of veg oil is from Soybeans - is that the case in your area?  If so, there are allegen issues.

I have a retainer client that does freeze drying for dog food and they use micro screens (think like an inner jacket) as the inner part of their spinning drums - it allows the dust to spin out and drop down to a collection point and then collect the "dust" which is really just product anyway and formulate that into a compressed product as well.

In my neck of woods close to 100% of veg oil is from Soybeans - is that the case in your area?  If so, there are allegen issues.

 

I have a retainer client that does freeze drying for dog food and they use micro screens (think like an inner jacket) as the inner part of their spinning drums - it allows the dust to spin out and drop down to a collection point and then collect the "dust" which is really just product anyway and formulate that into a compressed product as well.

Yes soybeans are used in veg oil here as well, this is something already declared on our product labels. I am looking for allergen free options to replace veg oil in this potential use and our current uses.

The micro screens are interesting, do you have a supplier name I could look at? I am not sure it would work with our equipment as its an open system, that lift's and drops the product into scale shouts. We don't use our dust for any products at the moment, if its lost in the collection process we are not worried.

My only other idea is a large hood style dust collector that sits just above the problem area. Currently it sit below.

What about mineral oil?

And the micro screen was a custom job, sorry.

But I do like the idea of the catch vac above your system.