Treatment of animal carcasses

• US 9,560,875 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2011
• 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:
  US13/216,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20110311691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,995 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 an beef, pork, veal, buffalo, or lamb 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

spraying said beef, pork, veal, buffalo or lamb 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 peracetic acid; and

(ii) an effective antimicrobial amount comprising between about 20 ppm and about 1000 ppm of acetic acid,

thereby reducing the microbial population by at least one log₁₀ reduction.

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 said diluted antimicrobial composition comprises about 2 to 25 parts by weight of hydrogen peroxide per each one million parts of the composition.

5. The method of claim 4, which further comprises a step of applying an activated light source to said carcass.

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

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the microbial population comprises Escherichia coli.

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

6. A method of treating a beef, pork, veal, buffalo or lamb 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;

spraying the diluted antimicrobial composition onto said carcass at a pressure of at least about 50 psi at a temperature of up to about 60°

C. resulting in a contact time of at least about 30 seconds, the diluted antimicrobial composition comprising an effective antimicrobial amount comprising between about 10 parts per million (ppm) and about 500 ppm of peracetic acid and between about 20 ppm and about 1000 ppm of acetic acid; and

achieving at least a one log₁₀ reduction in the microbial population.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the concentrated antimicrobial composition comprises at least about 5 wt % hydrogen peroxide.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the diluted antimicrobial composition is applied by means of an electrostatically accelerated spray.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein the effective antimicrobial amount comprises between about 10 ppm and about 250 ppm of peracetic acid.

9. A method of treating a beef, pork, veal, buffalo or lamb 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 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 peracetic acid;

(ii) an effective antimicrobial amount comprising between about 20 ppm and about 1000 ppm of acetic acid; and

(iii) a thickener or gel agent,

whereby the treatment reduces the microbial population by at least one log₁₀ reduction.

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

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the treatment does not induce an organoleptic effect.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the diluted antimicrobial composition is applied by means of an electrostatically accelerated spray.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein all or part of the carcass is dipped in said diluted antimicrobial composition.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising agitating said diluted antimicrobial composition.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein in (i) the effective antimicrobial amount comprises between about 10 ppm and about 250 ppm of peracetic acid.