Animal Tattooing Paste and Method of Making the Same

This invention relates to an animal tattooing paste and more particularly to tattooing paste which is used on hog carcasses.

In normal meat packing operations, hog carcasses are "tattooed" with an identification number sometime before or immediately after slaughter so that the source of the carcass can be determined should the carcass subsequently be found to be diseased or if the animal is bought on a "weight and yield" basis. If the animal is found to be diseased, the U.S.D.A. must ascertain the source of the animal so that further investigation may be conducted.

It is not a matter of simply tattooing an identification number on the carcass since the carcass undergoes extensive processing and ordinary ink is quickly eradicated. The carcasses are normally subjected to scalding water and brush action or flail action to remove the hair from the skin of the carcass. The scalding water quickly dissolves the ink with the brushes and flails completing the eradication of the number.

A further consideration is that the tattooing ink or paste must not contain any ingredient which is carcinogenic, or which may be suspected of being carcinogenic.

Therefore, it is a principal object of this invention to provide an animal tattooing paste which will not be removed from the carcass during the packing process.

A further object of the invention is to provide an animal tattooing paste which does not contain any carciogenic ingredients.

A further object of the invention is to provide an animal tattooing paste which permits the packaging of the same for subsequent distribution and use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an animal tattooing paste which is a food grade product.

A further object of the invention is to provide a thick product that is easy to work with and does not splatter, which remains thick in summer yet will not freeze in winter.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The animal paste of this invention is formulated or manufactured as follows and unless otherwise stated, the percentages given herein are all weight percent. Tap water is first heated to approximately 180.degree. F. and added to a stainless steel mixing vessel equipped with a stainless steel mixing rod equipped with two, three-bladed propellers. The propellers should be located at the bottom and midpoint of the vessel. An emulsifier and surface agent comprised of a polyoxyethylene derivative of fatty acid partial esters of sorbitol anhydrides is then added to the water and rapidly mixed or agitated. The preferred emulsifier and surface agent is polysorbate 80 which is marketed by ICI under the tradename or trademark Tween 80. A water soluble, carcass permeable dye, preferably black aluminum lake dye, is then added to the water-polysorbate 80 mixture and the resultant mixture continually agitated. An inorganic viscosity modifier is then heated to approximately 200.degree. F. in a stainless steel vessel and added to the white mineral oil. The preferred inorganic viscosity modifier is polybutene having a molecular weight of 2500 marketed by Exxon Chemical Co. under the trademark Peratac. Propylene glycol and an emulsifier and surface active agent comprised of fatty acid ester of sorbitol (previously heated to approximately 180.degree. F.) are then added to the polybutene-mineral oil mixture and mildly agitated to insure complete mixing. The preferred fatty acid ester of sorbitol is sorbitan monostearate manufactured by ICI under the trademark Span 60.

Carboxymethyl-cellulose is then slowly added to the resultant mixture which should be initially agitated at approximately 200 R.P.M. The rate of agitation is increased steadily to approximately 1725 R.P.M. by the time the carboxymethyl-cellulose addition is complete. The resultant mixture is then agitated for another five minutes. The mixture is then permitted to cool and the product is packaged.

7.0% tap water was first heated to approximately 180.degree. F. and added to a stainless steel mixing vessel such as that previously described. 18.75% polysorbate 80 and 31.0% propylene glycol was then added to the water and rapidly agitated or mixed. 3.5% black aluminum lake dye was then added to the water-polysorbate 80-glycol mixture and the resultant mixture agitated. 0.40% polybutene was then heated to approximately 200.degree. F. in a stainless steel vessel and added to a 37.0% mineral oil and 0.75% sorbitan monstearate (previously heated to approximately 180.degree. F.) mixture and mildly agitated to insure complete mixing.

The polybutene, mineral oil and sorbitan monstearate mixture was then slowly added to the hot water, polysorbate 80 and black aluminum lake dye mixture and rapidly agitated at approximately 1725 R.P.M. for approximately five minutes after the two mixtures had been combined. 1.6% carboxymethyl-cellulose was then added slowly to the resultant mixture and was initially agitated at approximately 200 R.P.M. The rate of agitation was increased steadily to approximately 1725 R.P.M. to coincide with the time the carboxymethyl-cellulose addition was complete. The resultant mixture was then agitated for another five minutes, permitted to cool and then packaged.

The tattoo paste of Example I was then employed with a conventional tattooing device which tattooed the carcass with a suitable identification number. The identification number was placed on the carcass up to three days prior to or immediately after the animal was slaughtered and was very legible even after the carcass had been scalded and brushed to remove the hair therefrom.

Table A hereinafter discloses the permissible ranges of the ingredients of the tattoo paste of this invention while Table B discloses the preferred proportions of the paste. Although the ranges of Table A will produce a satisfactory tattoo paste, the proportions of Table B result in a more superior product. It should also be noted that the agitation speeds and periods described hereinabove are preferred but some deviations therefrom may be possible with a somewhat less desirable product resulting therefrom.

Table C identifies the ingredients employed in the manufacture of the tattoo paste by tradename (or trademark) as well as the manufacturer thereof.