Beverage manufacture, processing, packaging and dispensing using electrochemically activated water
First Claim
1. In a process for cleaning-in-place at least a portion of a beverage processing system wherein said process uses an overall total volume of water and said process comprises the steps of (a) delivering an amount of an aqueous rinse through said portion of said beverage processing system and then (b) delivering an amount of an aqueous disinfectant solution through said portion of said beverage processing system, said amount of said aqueous rinse and said amount of said aqueous disinfectant solution together being effective to obtain a level of microbial control therein, the improvement comprisingreducing said overall total volume of water used in said process and reducing said amount of said aqueous disinfectant solution used in step (b) without reducing said level of microbial control by using an electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution as said aqueous disinfectant solution in step (b) andfurther reducing said overall total volume of water used in said process and reducing said amount of said aqueous rinse used in step (a) without reducing said level of microbial control by using an aqueous electrochemically-activated water anolyte dilution as said aqueous rinse in step (a).
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system using electrochemically-activated water (ECAW) for manufacturing, processing, packaging, and dispensing beverages. The system uses 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.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. In a process for cleaning-in-place at least a portion of a beverage processing system wherein said process uses an overall total volume of water and said process comprises the steps of (a) delivering an amount of an aqueous rinse through said portion of said beverage processing system and then (b) delivering an amount of an aqueous disinfectant solution through said portion of said beverage processing system, said amount of said aqueous rinse and said amount of said aqueous disinfectant solution together being effective to obtain a level of microbial control therein, the improvement comprising
reducing said overall total volume of water used in said process and reducing said amount of said aqueous disinfectant solution used in step (b) without reducing said level of microbial control by using an electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution as said aqueous disinfectant solution in step (b) and further reducing said overall total volume of water used in said process and reducing said amount of said aqueous rinse used in step (a) without reducing said level of microbial control by using an aqueous electrochemically-activated water anolyte dilution as said aqueous rinse in step (a).
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11. In a process for cleaning-in-place at least a portion of a beverage processing system wherein said process uses an overall total volume of water and said process comprises the steps of (a) delivering an amount of an aqueous cleaning solution through said portion of said beverage processing system, then (b) delivering an amount of an intermediate aqueous rinse through said portion of said beverage processing system, and then (c) delivering an amount of an aqueous disinfecting solution through said portion of said beverage processing system, said amount of said aqueous cleaning solution, said amount of said intermediate aqueous rinse, and said amount of said aqueous disinfecting solution together being effective to obtain a level of microbial control in said portion of said beverage processing system, the improvement comprising reducing said overall total volume of water used in said process and reducing said amount of said aqueous cleaning solution used in step (a) and said amount of said aqueous disinfecting solution used in step (c) without reducing said level of microbial control by:
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(i) using an electrochemically-activated water catholyte solution as said aqueous cleaning solution in step (a); (ii) using an electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution as said aqueous disinfecting solution in step (c); and (iii) reducing said amount of or eliminating said intermediate aqueous rinse in step (b), wherein said process also comprises the step, prior to step (a), of delivering an amount of an initial aqueous rinse through said portion of said beverage processing system and the improvement also comprises further reducing said overall total volume of water used in said process and reducing said amount of said initial aqueous rinse without reducing said level of microbial control by using an aqueous electrochemically-activated water anolyte dilution as said initial aqueous rinse. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. In a process for cleaning-in-place at least a portion of a beverage processing system wherein said process uses an overall total volume of water and said process comprises the steps of (a) delivering an amount of an aqueous cleaning solution through said portion of said beverage processing system, then (b) delivering an amount of an intermediate aqueous rinse through said portion of said beverage processing system, and then (c) delivering an amount of an aqueous disinfecting solution through said portion of said beverage processing system, said amount of said aqueous cleaning solution, said amount of said intermediate aqueous rinse, and said amount of said aqueous disinfecting solution together being effective to obtain a level of microbial control in said portion of said beverage processing system, the improvement comprising reducing said overall total volume of water used in said process and reducing said amount of said aqueous cleaning solution used in step (a) and said amount of said aqueous disinfecting solution used in step (c) without reducing said level of microbial control by:
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(i) using an electrochemically-activated water catholyte solution as said aqueous cleaning solution in step (a); (ii) using an electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution as said aqueous disinfecting solution in step (c); and (iii) reducing said amount of said intermediate aqueous rinse in step (b), wherein the improvement further comprises said electrochemically-activated water catholyte solution used in step (a) being an aqueous catholyte dilution comprising a catholyte and non-electrochemically-activated water. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification