BEVERAGE MANUFACTURE, PROCESSING, PACKAGING AND DISPENSING USING ELECTROCHEMICALLY ACTIVATED WATER

• US 20090202661A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Radical Waters International Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Radical Waters International Ltd.
• Inventors: Kirkpatrick, Robin Duncan
• Application Number:
  US12/366,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20090202661A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/700
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 2/50 by irradiation or electric treatment without heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/08 the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect substances used, see the relevant classes
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/08 Cleaning containers, e.g. tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/20 by using apparatus into or on to which containers, e.g. bottles, jars, cans are brought washing or rinsing crockery or tableware A47L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4618 for producing "ionised" acidic or basic water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4672 by electrooxydation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46185 only anodic or acidic water, e.g. for oxidizing or sterilizing
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46195 characterised by the oxidation reduction potential [ORP]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/46145 Fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/46185 Recycling the cathodic or anodic feed
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/04 Oxidation reduction potential [ORP]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/16 Regeneration of sorbents, filters
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/20 Prevention of biofouling

Abstract

A system using electrochemically-activated water (ECAW) for manufacturing, processing, packaging, and dispensing beverages including: (a) using ECAW to neutralize incompatible residues when transitioning from the production of one beverage to another; (b) using ECAW to rehabilitate and disinfect granular activated charcoal beds used in the feed water purification system; (c) producing a carbonated ECAW product and using the carbonated ECAW for system cleaning or disinfecting; (d) using ECAW solutions in the beverage facility clean-in-place system to achieve improved microbial control while greatly reducing water usage and reducing or eliminating the use of chemical detergents and disinfectants; (e) further reducing biofilm growth in the processing system, and purifying ingredient water without the use of chlorine, by adding an ECAW anolyte to the water ingredient feed stream; and/or (f) washing the beverage product bottles or other packages with one or more ECAW solutions prior to packaging.

Claims

1. A method of potentiating an electrochemical property of an electrochemically-activated water solution comprising the step of dissolving CO₂ in said electrochemically-activated water solution to produce a carbonated product solution.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution comprises an anolyte solution.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein, when in undiluted form, said anolyte solution has a pH in the range of from about 2 to about 8 and an oxidation-reduction potential in a range of from about ⁺300 mV to about ⁺1200 mV.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution used in said step of dissolving is said anolyte solution in undiluted form.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution used in said step of dissolving is an aqueous dilution of said anolyte solution.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said pH of said anolyte solution, when in undiluted form, is in a range of from about 4.5 to about 7.5 and said oxidation-reduction potential of said anolyte solution in undiluted form is at least ⁺650 mV.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said aqueous dilution of said anolyte solution comprises at least 50 parts by volume of non-electrochemically-activated water per 50 parts by volume of said anolyte solution.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

prior to said step of dissolving, said electrochemically-activated water solution has a non-carbonated oxidation-reduction potential and

in said step of dissolving, said CO₂ is dissolved in said electrochemically-activated water solution in an amount effective to cause said carbonated product solution to have an oxidation-reduction potential which is at least +107 mV greater than said non-carbonated oxidation-reduction potential.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution comprises a catholyte solution.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein, when in undiluted form, said catholyte solution has a pH in a range of from about 8 to about 13 and a negative oxidation-reduction potential of at least ⁻

110 mV.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution used in said step of dissolving is said catholyte solution in undiluted form.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution used in said step of dissolving is an aqueous dilution of said catholyte solution.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein:

prior to said step of dissolving, said electrochemically-activated water solution is an antioxidant solution and

in said step of dissolving, said CO₂ is dissolved in said electrochemically-activated water solution in an amount effective to cause said carbonated product solution to be an oxidizing solution.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein, in said step of dissolving, an amount of CO₂ of at least 5 gm of said CO₂ per 500 ml of said electrochemically-activated water solution is applied to said electrochemically-activated water solution for at least 30 seconds.

15. A carbonated composition comprising an electrochemically-activated water solution having an effective amount of CO₂ dissolved therein to produce a positive mV change in an oxidation-reduction potential of said electrochemically-activated water solution.

16. The carbonated composition of claim 15 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution comprises an anolyte solution.

17. The carbonation composition of claim 16 wherein, when in undiluted form without said CO₂ dissolved therein, said anolyte solution has a pH in a range of from about 2 to about 8 and an oxidation-reduction potential in a range of from about ⁺300 mV to about ⁺1200 mV.

18. The carbonated composition of claim 16 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution is said anolyte solution in undiluted form.

19. The carbonated composition of claim 16 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution is an aqueous dilution of said anolyte solution.

20. The carbonated composition of claim 19 wherein, when in undiluted form without said CO₂ dissolved therein, said anolyte solution has a pH in a range of from about 4.5 to about 7.5 and an oxidation-reduction potential of at least ⁺650 mV.

21. The carbonated composition of claim 20 wherein said aqueous dilution of said anolyte solution comprises at least 50 parts by volume of non-electrochemically-activated water per 50 parts by volume of said anolyte solution.

22. The carbonated composition of claim 15 wherein said effective amount of said CO₂ dissolved in said electrochemically-activated water solution is sufficient to cause said carbonated composition to have an oxidation-reduction potential which is at least ⁺107 mV greater than said oxidation-reduction potential of said electrochemically-activated water solution.

23. The carbonated composition of claim 15 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution comprises a catholyte solution.

24. The carbonated composition of claim 23 wherein, when in undiluted form without said CO₂ dissolved therein, said catholyte solution has a pH in a range of from about 8 to about 13 and a negative oxidation-reduction potential of at least ⁻

110 mV.

25. The carbonated composition of claim 23 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution is said catholyte solution in undiluted form.

26. The carbonated composition of claim 23 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution is an aqueous dilution of said catholyte solution.

27. The carbonated composition of claim 23 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution is an antioxidant solution and wherein said effective amount of said CO₂ dissolved in said electrochemically-activated water solution is sufficient to cause said carbonated composition to be an oxidizing composition.

28. A method of cleaning or disinfecting at least a portion of a food processing system comprising the step of treating said portion of said food processing system with a carbonated solution comprising an electrochemically-activated water solution having an effective amount of CO₂ dissolved therein to produce a positive mV change in an oxidation-reduction potential of said electrochemically-activated water solution.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution comprises an anolyte solution.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution is said anolyte solution in undiluted form.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution is an aqueous dilution of said anolyte solution.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein said electrochemically-activated water solution comprises a catholyte solution.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein said food processing system is a beverage processing system.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said portion of said food processing system is a beverage ingredient mixing line.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein said portion of said food processing system is a piece of beverage mixing equipment.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein said portion of said food processing system is a filling line for filling product bottles or for filling other product packages.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein said portion of said food processing system is a piece of equipment for filling product bottles or for filling other product packages.

38. The method of claim 28 wherein said portion of said food processing system is a water purification line.

39. The method of claim 28 wherein said portion of said food processing system is a piece of water purification equipment.