Cold water disinfection of foods

• US 6,458,398 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2000
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roger T. Toland
• Original Assignee: ECO Pure Food Safety Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Brown, Joshua N., Smith, Durand M., Winger, Dale S.
• Primary Examiner(s): HEGGESTAD, HELEN F
• Application Number:
  US09/668,833
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 426/320, 426/335, 426/532, 426/615, 426/644
• 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 4/20 Organic compounds; Microorganisms; Enzymes
• 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 cold water method of reducing microbial load on food, said method comprising:

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 cold water method according to claim 1 wherein the application of said ozonated wash liquor to the food occurs before the application of surfactant to the food.

3. The cold water method according to 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 cold water method according to claim 1 wherein the application of said ozonated wash liquor to the food occurs after the application of surfactant to the food.

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

7. The cold water method according to claim 1 wherein the surfactant is a generally recognized as safe surfactant.

8. The cold water method according to 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 cold water method of reducing the microbial load on food contained within container, said cold water method comprising:

introducing a wash liquor into said container, said wash liquor maintained at a temperature between about 0°

C. and about 50°

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

11. The cold water method according to 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:

adding new wash liquor at a second point.

13. The method according to claim 9 further comprising monitoring the temperature of the wash liquor.

14. The cold water method according to claim 9 wherein the surfactant is a generally recognized as safe surfactant.

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 comprising 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.

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