Novel method of sanitizing food products and other target items

Abstract

Methods of cooling and sanitation of target items, particularly food products, food storage, and food transportation devices. A treating agent containing a sanitizing agent entrapped by or absorbed in or on a cooling agent is used when processing, transporting, displaying, or storing of target items. The treating agent can be used to chill and preserve target items, and while providing the added benefit of sanitizing the target item. This disclosure also discusses novel processes for using a treating agent to process, store, or package target items using a treating agent containing a cooling agent, such as solid carbon dioxide (“dry ice”), and a sanitizing agent, such as ozone.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation in part of and claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 632,232, filed Jul. 31, 2003, which is a non-provisional application claiming priority of U.S. Provisional application 60 / 404,635, filed Aug. 20, 2002, and U.S. Provisional application 60 / 459,398, filed Apr. 1, 2003. The entire contents of these applications are herby incorporated by these references.BACKGROUND [0002] The protection of food from damage caused by microbes, spores, insects, and other similar sources, is a major concern. Each year, economic loss of food and labor, due to damage from such sources, is more than $100 billion. Currently, food items are preserved using a variety of methods, including refrigeration, fumigation with toxic chemicals, irradiation, biological control, heat exposure, and controlled atmosphere storage (a fruit industry technique that involves modifying the concentration of gases naturally present in the a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] This invention addresses the need to cool and sanitize equipment, devices, and food or food products. The process uses a treating agent that contains a cooling agent for cooling and a sanitizing agent to reduce microbial growth. By combining the effects of cooling and sanitizing provides maximum biocidal efficiency to ensure pathogenic safety.

Problems solved by technology

The primary problem regarding food spoilage in public health is microbial growth.

If pathogenic microorganisms are present,, then growth can potentially lead to food-borne outbreaks, and significant economic losses.

Not all of the currently available technologies can deliver an effective reduction of microorganisms, and at the same time, prevent product, or environmental degradation.

Water ice is a traditional expendable refrigerant, but has the disadvantage of converting to water after the ice melts.

While refrigeration can retard microbial growth, such treatment does not necessarily kill bacteria.

Accordingly, microorganisms can still survive through refrigeration, and worse, some microorganisms can still grow and produce harmful substances during refrigerated storage.

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