Abstract: An apparatus for treating and condensing wet garbage and/or food garbage includes a housing having a garbage inlet and a garbage outlet associated therewith and defining a treatment path along which wet garbage passes for treatment, a pair of primary comminuting gears disposed along the treatment path downstream of the garbage inlet for providing a primary comminuting action on the wet garbage, and a pair of secondary comminuting gears disposed along the treatment path downstream of the primary comminuting gear for providing a secondary comminuting action on the wet garbage. The primary or secondary comminuting gears are preferably helical gears with intermeshing teeth, and may include transverse grooves extending at least partially through their teeth to facilitate passage of the garbage material between the gears.