Treatment of animal carcasses

• US 8,043,650 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Cords, Bruce R., Gutzmann, Timothy A., Richardson, Edward H., Anderson, Brian J., Reed, Pamela J., Grab, Lawrence A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weddington; Kevin E
• Application Number:
  US10/370,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20030199583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,169 Days
• Field of Search: 514/557, 426/652
• US Class Current: 426/652
• 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 reducing an overall microbial population on carcass or meat during processing comprising:

applying to the carcass or meat during processing a peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial composition in an amount and time sufficient to reduce the overall microbial population;

the peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial composition comprising at least one of peroxypentanoic acid, peroxyhexanoic acid, peroxyheptanoic acid, peroxyoctanoic acid, peroxynonanoic acid, peroxydecanoic acid, peroxyundecanoic acid, and peroxydodecanoic acid,

whereby the overall microbial population is reduced.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the carcass or meat being processed comprises beef pork, veal, buffalo, lamb, scallops, shrimp, crab, octopus, mussels, squid, lobster, chicken, turkey, ostrich, game hen, squab, pheasant, or mixture thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the carcass or meat being processed comprises a muscle meat comprising beef, pork, veal, buffalo or lamb.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the carcass or meat being processed comprises sea food comprising scallops, shrimp, crab, octopus, mussels, squid or lobster.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising applying the peroxycarboxylic acid composition by submersing the carcass or meat.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising applying the peroxycarboxylic acid composition by rinsing or spraying the carcass or meat.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising immersing the carcass or meat in a heated peroxycarboxylic acid composition.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising agitating the peroxycarboxylic acid composition.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising applying the peroxycarboxylic acid composition by spraying the carcass or meat.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising applying the peroxycarboxylic acid composition to a whole carcass.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising applying the peroxycarboxylic acid composition to cut meat.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the peroxycarboxylic acid composition comprises peroxyoctanoic acid.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing the carcass or meat to activated light.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the activated light comprises ultraviolet light, infrared light, visible light, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial composition comprises:

about 2 to about 500 ppm peroxycarboxylic acid;

about 20 to about 10,000 ppm carboxylic acid; and

about 10 to about 1,000 ppm hydrogen peroxide.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial composition further comprises at least about 50 ppm hydrotrope solubilizer.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial composition further comprises stabilizing agent, wetting agent, thickener, foaming agent, acidulant, pigment, dye, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises:

about 0.5 to about 20 wt-% peroxycarboxylic acid;

about 0.5 to about 60 wt-% carboxylic acid; and

about 1 to about 35 wt-% hydrogen peroxide.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial composition comprises at least one of peroxyoctanoic acid, peroxynonanoic acid, peroxydecanoic acid, peroxyundecanoic acid, or peroxydodecanoic acid.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial composition further comprises at least one of pentanoic acid, hexanoic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, undecanoic acid, or dodecanoic acid.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial composition comprises at least one of octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, undecanoic acid, or dodecanoic acid.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial composition further comprises anionic surfactant.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the anionic surfactant comprises at least one of alkyl sulfate, alkyl sulfonate, alkane sulfonate, linear alkyl benzene sulfonate, naphthalene sulfonate, secondary alkane sulfonate, alkyl ether sulfate, alkyl ether sulfonate, alkyl phosphate, alkyl phosphonate, dialkyl sulfosuccinic acid ester, sugar ester, or C_8-10 alkyl glucoside.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial composition further comprises chelating agent.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the chelating agent comprises at least one of organic chelating agent, polymeric chelating agent, amino phosphate, amino phosphonate, or improved food additive chelating agents.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the chelating agent comprises at least one of 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid, 1-phosphono-1-1methylsuccinic acid, phosphonosuccinic acid, or 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid, amino [tri(methylenephosphonic acid)], ethylenediamine [tetra(methylenephosphonic acid)].

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial composition further comprises hydrotrope coupler or solubilizer.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the hydrotrope solubilizer comprises at least one of anionic surfactant, nonionic surfactant, zwitterionic surfactant, or amphoteric surfactant.

29. A method of reducing a microbial population on carcass or meat during processing comprising:

applying to the carcass or meat during processing a peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial composition in an amount and time sufficient to reduce the microbial population;

the peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial composition comprising at least one of peroxypentanoic acid, peroxyhexanoic acid, peroxyheptanoic acid, peroxyoctanoic acid, peroxynonanoic acid, peroxydecanoic acid, peroxyundecanoic acid, and peroxydodecanoic acid,

wherein the microbial population comprises Listeria innocua.