Pathogen reduction using chloramines

• US 20050211643A1
• Filed: 07/11/2003
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zentox Corporation
• Original Assignee: Zentox Corporation
• Inventors: Phillips, Joseph D., Jaffe, Sam M., Kim, Robert P., Axtell, Stephen P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,387,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/753
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 21/0061 Cleaning or disinfecting poultry
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/157 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/50 by addition or application of a germicide or by oligodynamic treatment C02F1/4606, C02F1/467, C02F1/76 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/76 with halogens or compounds of halogens C02F1/4674 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/22 from the processing of animals, e.g. poultry, fish, or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/32 from the food or foodstuff industry, e.g. brewery waste waters
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection

Abstract

A method and apparatus for implementing pathogen reduction within a poultry processing or food processing plant that uses water that has been treated with chloramines at an advantageous dosage before being introduced to the production process at processing steps. The water treated with chloramines may be from a fresh water source or reclaimed water from the processing plant. The reintroduction of the treated reclaimed water advantageously causes a dramatic reduction in the levels of microorganisms associated with poultry processing, while substantially conserving water use.

Claims

1. A method for reducing the level of poultry contamination resulting from the processing of poultry, wherein the processing includes the steps of scalding, picking, eviscerating, washing, rinsing and chilling said poultry, the method for reducing the level of poultry contamination comprising the steps of:

adding chloramines as a disinfectant to process water used in at least one of said processing steps; and

using said disinfected process water at least one of said processing steps, thereby reducing the level of contamination of the poultry at each of said treated processing steps.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said chloramines are comprised of monochloramine or any combination of monochloramine and dichloramine.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said chloramines are comprised of a combination of monochloramine and dichloramine in a ratio of about 1:

0 to about 1;

1.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein said chloramines are introduced into said aqueous medium where said aqueous medium has a desired pH range to control said ratio of monochloramine to dichloramine.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said chloramines are present within said aqueous medium in nominally equimolar concentrations of monochloramine, dichloramine and free chlorine.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said aqueous medium contains residual monochloramine.

7-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A method for processing poultry using a process for disinfecting a recyclable aqueous medium, said process for disinfecting comprising the steps of:

recovering at least a portion of the aqueous medium from a processing step;

filtering said recovered aqueous medium to remove particulate matter;

disinfecting said aqueous medium with a highly reactive oxidant such as ozone;

introducing chloramines to the finished water; and

reusing said recovered, filtered, disinfected and chloraminated aqueous medium in a poultry processing step.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein said chloramines are comprised of monochloramine or any combination of monochloramine and dichloramine.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein said chloramines are comprised of a combination of monochloramine and dichloramine in a ratio of about 1:

0 to about 1;

1.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein said chloramines are introduced into said aqueous medium where said aqueous medium has a desired pH range to control said ratio of monochloramine to dichloramine.

14. The method according to claim 9 wherein said chloramines are present within said aqueous medium in nominally equimolar concentrations of monochloramine, dichloramine and free chlorine.

10. (canceled)

15-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A method for reducing the level of poultry contamination resulting from the processing of poultry, wherein the processing of said poultry includes the steps of scalder, picker, post-pick, washer, rinsing and chilling, the method comprising the steps of:

recovering water used during at least one of said poultry processing steps;

treating said recovered water with chloramines and controlling the pH of said recovered water to reduce microorganisms therein; and

reintroducing said treated recovered water into at least one processing step which uses heated water, whereby the combination of said treated water and said heated water reduces the level of microorganisms within said poultry.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein said chloramines are comprised of monochloramine or any combination of monochloramine and dichloramine.

20. The method according to claim 18 wherein said chloramines are comprised of a combination of monochloramine and dichloramine in a ratio of about 1:

0 to about 1;

1.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein said chloramines are introduced into said aqueous medium where said aqueous medium has a desired pH range to control said ratio of monochloramine to dichloramine.

24. The method according to claim 18 wherein a primary disinfection step of the recovered process water is accomplished by a highly reactive disinfectant such as ozone before the introduction of chloramines.

22-23. -23. (canceled)

25-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A method for food processing comprising the use of an aqueous medium said food processing using a process for disinfecting said aqueous medium and food stuffs, said process for disinfecting comprising the steps of:

recovering at least a portion of the aqueous medium from a processing step;

filtering said recovered aqueous medium to remove particulate matter;

treating said aqueous medium by introduction of chloramines within said aqueous medium; and

reusing said filtered recovered aqueous medium in a processing step.

29. (canceled)

30. A method for food processing or preservation comprising the steps of:

injecting selected levels of chloramines within a water supply;

freezing said chloraminated water thereby forming ice containing said selected levels of chloramines; and

using said chloraminated ice to preserve food products or for pathogen control.

31. A method for pathogen reduction in food stuffs within food product processing comprising the steps of:

providing an aqueous medium that comes in contact with food stuffs within said food product processing

treating said aqueous medium by the introduction of chloramines said chloramines reducing pathogens within foodstuffs within said food product processing.

32-43. -43. (canceled)

44. A method of application for using monochloramine and dichloramine and combinations thereof as an antimicrobial agent for pathogen control or to increase preservation of food stuffs said application selected from the group consisting of electrostatically accelerated spray, fogging mist, and high retention foam.

45-46. -46. (canceled)