ULTRAVIOLET TREATMENT OF FOOD PRODUCTS TO KILL MICROORGANISMS WHILE RETAINING FRUIT BLOOM

• US 20190320670A1
• Filed: 04/18/2019
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xenon Corporation
• Inventors: HATHAWAY, Ryan, WILLIAMS, Roger, AHMED, Saad
• Granted Patent: US 10,959,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/015 Preserving by irradiation or electric treatment without heating effect
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/001 Details of apparatus, e.g. for transport, for loading or unloading manipulation, pressure feed valves
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/003 Control or safety devices for sterilisation or pasteurisation systems
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/005 by heating using irradiation or electric treatment drying or kilning A23L3/40
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/28 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs

Abstract

Systems and methods for treating unwashed fruit with fruit bloom that provide a first ultraviolet (UV) energy with one or more flashes using a first set of one or more flash lamps to a first surface of each of a plurality of blueberries and provide a second UV energy with one or more flashes using a second set of one or more flash lamps to a second surface of each of the plurality of blueberries. The system determines a fruit bloom level associated with the plurality of blueberries after provision of the first and second UV energies and determines an adjustment to a parameter of at least one of the first and second UV energies based on the fruit bloom level. The system provides UV energy with the adjusted parameter to a subsequent set of blueberries to remove microorganisms from the blueberries while retaining fruit bloom.

Claims

1. A method for treating unwashed fruit with fruit bloom, the method comprising:

providing a first ultraviolet (UV) energy with one or more flashes using a first set of one or more flash lamps to first surfaces of each of a plurality of blueberries;

providing a second UV energy with one or more flashes using a second set of one or more flash lamps to second surfaces of each of the plurality of blueberries, wherein the first surfaces and the second surfaces are different;

determining a fruit bloom level associated with the plurality of blueberries after provision of the first UV energy and the second UV energy;

determining an adjustment to a parameter of at least one of the first UV energy and the second UV energy based on the fruit bloom level; and

providing UV energy with the adjusted parameter to a subsequent set of blueberries to deactivate microorganisms from the blueberries while retaining fruit bloom.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving the plurality of blueberries with a continuous motion relative to the first and second sets of flash lamps while providing the first and second UV energy.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a speed associated with the movement of the plurality of blueberries; and

determining an adjustment to the speed based on the fruit bloom level.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising rotating the plurality of blueberries after provision of the first UV energy to the plurality of blueberries and prior to the provision of the second UV energy to the plurality of blueberries.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a microorganism level associated with the plurality of blueberries after provision of the first UV energy and the second UV energy, and wherein determining the adjustment to the parameter is further based on the determined microorganism level.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the microorganism level and the fruit bloom level comprises inspecting at least one of:

a color profile associated with the plurality of blueberries;

a shape profile associated the plurality of blueberries; and

a temperature profile associated with the plurality of blueberries.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the adjustment to the parameter comprises:

comparing the microorganism level and the fruit bloom level to a threshold value; and

adjusting the parameter when the comparison in response to at least one of the microorganism level and the fruit bloom level has a value relative to the threshold value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the fruit bloom level comprises inspecting at least one of:

a color profile associated with the plurality of blueberries;

a shape profile associated the plurality of blueberries; and

a temperature profile associated with the plurality of blueberries.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter includes at least one of a number of flashes and an energy density per flash.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the combination of the first UV energy and the second UV energy comprises multiple energy flashes, each flash having no more than a maximum per pulse energy density of 2 mJ/cm², the multiple energy pulses having an accumulated energy density of a minimum of 15 mJ/cm².

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the combination of the first UV energy and the second UV energy comprises multiple energy flashes, each flash having no more than a maximum per pulse energy density of 5 mJ/cm², the multiple energy pulses having an accumulated energy density of a minimum of 30 mJ/cm².

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the combination of the first UV energy and the second UV energy comprises multiple energy flashes, each flash having no more than a maximum per pulse energy density of 10 mJ/cm², the multiple energy pulses having an accumulated energy density of a minimum of 50 mJ/cm².

13. A lamp system for treating blueberries comprising:

a conveyor for transporting a plurality of blueberries, the conveyor comprising a first conveyor portion and a second conveyor portion, the first portion being elevated with respect to the second portion, such that the plurality of blueberries fall a vertical distance from the first conveyor portion to the second conveyor portion as they are transported from the first conveyor portion to the second conveyor portion and therefore rotate as they move from the first conveyor portion to the second conveyor portion;

a first light source associated with the first conveyor portion, the first light source for providing ultraviolet (UV) energy to a first surface of each of the plurality of blueberries;

a second light source associated with the second conveyor portion, the second light source for providing a second UV energy to a second surface of each of the plurality of blueberries;

an inspection scanner for determining inspection data associated with the plurality of blueberries, the inspection data indicating at least one of a microorganism level and a fruit bloom level associated with the plurality of blueberries after the provision of the first energy and the second energy to the plurality of blueberries; and

a control system configured to;

receive first data including the inspection data,

determine a difference between the first data and a threshold value, and

determine an adjustment to a parameter of at least one of the conveyor portions, the first light source, and the second light source based on the difference such that a combination of the first energy and the second energy removes microorganisms from a subsequent set of blueberries while retaining fruit bloom.

14. A lamp system for treating blueberries comprising:

at least one first light source for providing a first ultraviolet (UV) energy to a first surface of each of a plurality of blueberries moving in a continuous motion relative to the at least one first light source;

at least one second light source for providing a second UV energy to a second surface of each of the plurality of blueberries moving in a continuous motion relative to the at least second light source, wherein the first surface and the second surface are different;

an inspection scanner for determining inspection data associated with the plurality of blueberries, the inspection data indicating at least one of a microorganism level and a fruit bloom level associated with the plurality of blueberries after the provision of the first energy and the second energy to the plurality of blueberries; and

a control system configured to;

receive first data including the inspection data,

determine a difference between the first data and a threshold value, and

determine an adjustment to a parameter of the lamp system based on the difference such that a combination of the first energy and the second energy removes microorganisms from a subsequent set of blueberries while retaining fruit bloom.

15. The lamp system of claim 14, further comprising a conveyor system for moving the plurality of blueberries in a continuous motion relative to the at least one first light source and the at least one second light source.

16. The lamp system of claim 15, wherein in the conveyor system comprises a first portion associated with the at least one first light source, a second portion associated with the at least one second light source, and a turning portion positioned between the first portion and the second portion, the turning portion for rotating the plurality of blueberries.

17. The lamp system of claim 14, wherein the combination of the first energy and the second energy comprises multiple energy pulses, each energy pulse having no more than a maximum per pulse energy density of 2 mJ/cm², the multiple energy pulses having an accumulated energy density of a minimum of 15 mJ/cm².

18. The lamp system of claim 14, wherein the combination of the first energy and the second energy comprises multiple energy pulses, each energy pulse having no more than a maximum per pulse energy density of 5 mJ/cm², the multiple energy pulses having an accumulated energy density of a minimum of 30 mJ/cm².

19. The lamp system of claim 14, wherein the combination of the first energy and the second energy comprises multiple energy pulses, each energy pulse having no more than a maximum per pulse energy density of 10 mJ/cm², the multiple energy pulses having an accumulated energy density of a minimum of 50 mJ/cm².

20. The lamp system of claim 14, wherein:

the first data further includes a speed the plurality of blueberries move relative to the at least one first light source and the at least one second light source, and

the parameter includes at least one of;

an intensity of the first energy;

a number of energy pulses associated with the first energy;

an intensity of the second energy,

a number of energy pulses associated with the second energy,

the speed the plurality of blueberries move relative to the at least one first light source and the at least one second light source.

21. A method comprising providing a plurality of flashes with a UV flash lamp to a set of blueberries having a natural fruit bloom, the flashes each having sufficiently low energy such that the natural fruit bloom substantially remains on the blueberries after the flashes have been provided, the plurality of flashes being sufficient in number to substantially deactivate a target microorganism.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the energy per flash provided to the blueberries is less than 5 mJ/cm² per flash, and the total energy provided to the blueberries is at least 15 mJ/cm².

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the energy per flash provided to the blueberries is less than 10 mJ/cm² per flash, and the total energy provided to the blueberries is at least 30 mJ/cm².

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising monitoring the amount of fruit bloom on the blueberries and in response to a reduction in an amount of the natural fruit bloom remaining after UV energy is applied, reducing an amount of UV energy for a subsequent set of blueberries and increasing the number of flashes for the subsequent set of blueberries.