Treatment of animal carcasses

• US 9,560,874 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2011
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gutzmann, Timothy A., Anderson, Brian J., Reed, Pamela J., Cords, Bruce R., Grab, Lawrence A., Richardson, Edward H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weddington, Kevin E
• Application Number:
  US13/215,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20110305805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• Field of Search: 514/557, 426/652
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 2300/00 Combinations or mixtures of active ingredients covered by classes A01N27/00 - A01N65/48 with other active or formulation relevant ingredients, e.g. specific carrier materials or surfactants, covered by classes A01N25/00 - A01N65/48
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/06 Aerosols
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 37/00 Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing organic compounds containing a carbon atom having three bonds to hetero atoms with at the most two bonds to halogen, e.g. carboxylic acids containing cyclopropane carboxylic acids or derivatives thereof, e.g. cyclopropane carboxylic acid nitriles, A01N53/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 37/02 Saturated carboxylic acids or thio analogues thereof; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 37/16 containing the group; Thio analogues thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 59/00 Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing elements or inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 4/12 Preserving with acids; Acid fermentation
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 4/14 Preserving with chemicals not covered by groups A23B4/02 or A23B4/12
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 4/20 Organic compounds; Microorganisms; Enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 4/24 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 4/30 by spraying of liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/3508 containing carboxyl groups
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/358 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/086 Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/90 in food processing or handling, e.g. food conservation

Abstract

Described is a method of sanitizing animal carcasses using aqueous streams having an antimicrobial composition added to the stream. Preferably, the antimicrobial composition includes a mixture of one or more carboxylic acids having up to 18 carbon atoms and one or more peroxycarboxylic acids having up to 12 carbon atoms, preferably a mixture of a C₂-C₄ peroxycarboxylic acid and a C₈-C₁₂ peroxycarboxylic acid. Also described is a novel antimicrobial composition adapted for sanitizing animal carcasses containing a mixture of one or more C₂-C₄ peroxycarboxylic acids and one or more C₈-C₁₂ peroxycarboxylic acids and an alpha-hydroxy mono- or dicarboxylic acid.

Claims

1. A method of treating a sea food carcass to reduce a microbial population in resulting cut meat, the method comprising:

diluting a concentrated antimicrobial composition containing about 20% to about 50% acetic acid and about 2% to about 15% peracetic acid with water or an aqueous diluent; and

treating said sea food carcass with the diluted antimicrobial composition for at least about 10 seconds, the diluted antimicrobial composition comprising;

(i) an effective antimicrobial amount comprising between about 10 parts per million (ppm) and about 500 ppm of peroxyacetic acid;

(ii) an effective antimicrobial amount comprising between about 10 ppm and about 500 ppm of one or more mono- or di-peroxycarboxylic acids selected from the group consisting of peroxypentanoic acid, peroxyhexanoic acid, peroxyheptanoic acid, peroxyoctanoic acid, peroxynonanoic acid, peroxydecanoic acid, peroxyundecanoic acid, and peroxydodecanoic acid; and

(iii) an effective antimicrobial amount comprising between about 20 ppm and about 1000 ppm of one or more carboxylic acids having up to 18 carbon atoms,

thereby reducing the microbial population by at least one log₁₀ reduction, and whereby the treatment does not induce an organoleptic effect.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the population reduction comprises at least two log₁₀ reduction in the microbial population.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the population reduction comprises at least three log₁₀ reduction in the microbial population.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the population comprises a human pathogen.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the population comprises Escherichia coli.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mono- or di-peroxycarboxylic acid comprises peroxyoctanoic acid and the carboxylic acid is acetic acid, octanoic acid, or a mixture thereof.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the carboxylic acid is a mixture of acetic acid and octanoic acid.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the carboxylic acid is an alpha-hydroxy mono or dicarboxylic acid having from 3 to 6 carbon atoms.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said diluted antimicrobial composition comprises about 2 to 25 parts by weight of hydrogen peroxide per each one million parts of the composition.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said diluted antimicrobial composition is applied to the carcass by means of a spray.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said diluted antimicrobial composition is applied to the carcass by means of a fog.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said diluted antimicrobial composition is applied to the carcass by means of a foam.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said diluted antimicrobial composition is applied to the carcass by applying in the form of a thickened or gelled solution.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein all or part of the carcass is dipped in said diluted antimicrobial composition.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising agitating said diluted antimicrobial composition.

16. The method of claim 1, which further comprises a vacuum treatment step.

17. The method of claim 1, which further comprises a step of applying an activated light source to said carcass.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein in (i) the effective antimicrobial amount comprises between about 10 ppm and about 250 ppm of peroxyacetic acid.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein in (ii) the effective antimicrobial amount comprises between about 10 ppm and about 250 ppm of the one or more mono- or di-peroxycarboxylic acids.

20. A method of treating a sea food carcass to reduce a microbial population in resulting cut meat, the method comprising:

diluting a concentrated antimicrobial composition containing about 20% to about 50% acetic acid and about 2% to about 15% peracetic acid with water or an aqueous diluent; and

treating said sea food carcass with the diluted antimicrobial composition for at least about 10 seconds, the diluted antimicrobial composition comprising;

(i) an effective antimicrobial amount comprising between about 10 parts per million (ppm) and about 500 ppm of peroxyacetic acid;

(ii) an effective antimicrobial amount comprising between about 10 ppm and about 500 ppm of one or more mono- or di-peroxycarboxylic acids selected from the group consisting of peroxypentanoic acid, peroxyhexanoic acid, peroxyheptanoic acid, peroxyoctanoic acid, peroxynonanoic acid, peroxydecanoic acid, peroxyundecanoic acid, and peroxydodecanoic acid; and

(iii) an effective antimicrobial amount comprising between about 20 ppm and about 1000 ppm of one or more carboxylic acids having up to 18 carbon atoms,

thereby reducing the microbial population by at least one log₁₀ reduction, and whereby the treatment does not induce an organoleptic effect,

wherein the sea food carcass is selected from the group consisting of scallop, shrimp, crab, octopus, mussel, squid, and lobster.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein in (i) the effective antimicrobial amount comprises between about 10 ppm and about 250 ppm of peroxyacetic acid.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein in (ii) the effective antimicrobial amount comprises between about 10 ppm and about 250 ppm of the one or more mono- or di-peroxycarboxylic acids.