Cold water disinfection of foods

• US 6,200,618 B1
• Filed: 10/18/1999
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ECO Pure Food Safety Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ECO Pure Food Safety Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Brown, Joshua N., Smith, Durand M., Winger, Dale S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pratt, Helen
• Application Number:
  US09/420,372
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 426/320, 426/532, 426/335, 426/644, 426/615
• US Class Current: 426/320
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 4/16 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 4/24 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 5/10 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 5/18 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/144 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/157 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 9/18 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 9/30 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/3409 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/3463 Organic compounds; Microorganisms; Enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/358 Inorganic compounds

Abstract

The invention includes a method of reducing the microbial population on food in a container. The method generally involves the application of both a surfactant and ozone containing wash liquor to the food. The method includes introducing a wash liquor into the container, thus contacting the food with the wash liquor and wetting the food. A surfactant is then added to the wash liquor. This surfactant containing wash liquor is then allowed to contact the food for a period of time. Next, a combination of ozone gas, oxygen and/or air is mixed into the wash liquor to form an ozonated wash liquor. This ozonated wash liquor then remains in contact with the food for a period of time.

Claims

1. A method of reducing microbial load on food, said method consisting essentially of:

applying an ozonated wash liquor to the food,

applying a surfactant to the food, and

maintaining said application of ozonated wash liquor and surfactant to the food for a sufficient amount of time to reduce the microbial load on the food.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the application of said ozonated wash liquor to the food occurs before the application of surfactant to the food.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the application of said ozonated wash liquor to the food occurs substantially simultaneously as the application of surfactant to the food.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the application of said ozonated wash liquor to the food occurs after the application of surfactant to the food.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the application of ozonated wash liquor and surfactant to the food occurs for a sufficient amount of time to remove soils and chemical contaminants from the food.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the chemical contaminant is selected from the group consisting of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, mycotoxins, and mixtures of any thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the surfactant comprises water, oleic acid, glycerol, ethanol, potassium hydroxide, baking soda, citric acid, and distilled grapefruit oil.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the food is selected from the group consisting of cranberries, apples, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, eggs, salad components, herbs, and berries.

9. A method of reducing the microbial load on food contained within a container, said method consisting essentially of:

introducing a wash liquor into said container, thus contacting the food with the wash liquor and wetting the food;

introducing a surfactant into the wash liquor;

contacting the food with the surfactant containing wash liquor for a first period of time;

introducing a combination of ozone and gas, said gas selected from the group consisting of air, oxygen, and mixtures thereof into the wash liquor to form an ozonated wash liquor; and

contacting the food with the ozonated wash liquor for a second period of time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second periods of time are from about one (1) minute to about sixty (60) minutes.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the wash liquor is removed from the container at a first point, and further comprising:

introducing said combination of ozone and gas to the wash liquor at a second point; and

re-introducing said ozonated wash liquor into the container at a third point.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein the wash liquor is removed from the container at a first point, and further comprising:

new wash liquor is added at a second point.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the wash liquor'"'"'s temperature is monitored.

14. The method according to claim 9 wherein the wash liquor is maintained at a temperature of about 0°

C. to about 50°

C.

15. The method according to claim 9 wherein the concentration of surfactant is from about 0.6 g/l to about 6 g/l.

16. The method according to claim 9 wherein the combination of ozone and gas comprises bubbles having a size from about 5 microns to about 5000 microns in diameter entrained within the ozonated wash liquor.

17. The method according to claim 9 wherein the ozone gas is generated by a corona discharge device that produces concentrations ranging between about 1% to about 15% ozone by weight.

18. The method according to claim 9 further compromising monitoring the ozonated wash liquor'"'"'s ozone concentration.

19. The method according to claim 9 wherein the concentration of ozone in the ozonated wash liquor is from about 0.01 ppm to about 15 ppm of ozonated wash liquor.

20. The method of claim 9 wherein said food is selected from the group consisting of meat, poultry, and fish.