Methods to reduce contamination of dehydrated materials

Abstract

A method for reducing contamination of a dehydrated material, comprising: receiving a contaminated partial or complete dehydrated material; analyzing the contaminated dehydrated material to determine the type and degree of contamination it has through conventional analytical techniques to detect the presence of contaminating agents; placing the contaminated dehydrated material in a container made of a material that can withstand high temperatures and pressures and configured to allow circulation of a gaseous fluid so that the gaseous fluid uniformly contacts the item to be decontaminated; subjecting the contaminated dehydrated material to at least one decontamination treatment according to the results of the contamination analysis; and packaging the decontaminated dehydrated material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the technical fields of agriculture and foodstuffs. This is because it relates to a method for reducing contamination of dehydrated or dried products such as agricultural products that are subject to chemical, physical, and / or biological contamination.

Background Art

[0002] Background of the Invention Currently, most of the existing technologies and processes for cleaning, decontaminating, and sanitizing agricultural products are for fresh agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, and greens (Korean Patent Application Publication No. 20130119606(A), Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 106359553(A), and Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 107950640(A)). Such technologies and processes are not suitable for use in decontaminating dried or dehydrated agricultural products.

[0003] French Patent Application Publication No. 2905286(A1) relates to a method and device for processing bulk physical and / or chemical products, preferably food products, using a gaseous fluid, which is suitable for processing due to its properties, composition, and / or physicochemical characteristics. For this purpose, a perforated conveyor belt is used so that the flow of the gaseous fluid to be processed can traverse (from top to bottom), in which case the holes in the belt or, in the case of a mesh belt, the mesh thereof, have dimensions selected according to the properties and size of the articles to be processed. According to this process, articles are piled on a conveyor having a moving perforated belt so as to be distributed on the belt to form a relatively uniform layer, and during its movement, such articles are exposed, on the one hand, to at least one flow of the gaseous fluid generated on the belt and directed downward by blowing so as to contact the articles and ensure their processing, and on the other hand, to a suction generated on or below the moving belt and which tends to press the articles against it. The combination of two operations, namely blowing from above and suction from below, enables operation with a relatively strong flow rate, thus enabling highly efficient processing without the risk of damaging the articles on the belt by causing dispersion or uncontrolled movement. Blowing is performed using at least one group or series of gas jets that extend laterally with respect to the longitudinal direction of the moving belt, the series of gas jets used for blowing are positioned between two proximity suction zones, the series of gas jets used for blowing 15 are positioned directly in front of the suction zone, and the gaseous fluid used for blowing is hot. The gaseous fluid used for blowing is water vapor, and the gaseous fluid used for blowing has the function of drying and / or thawing the articles, the gaseous fluid used for blowing is cold, the gaseous fluid used for blowing has the function of cooling or freezing the articles, and the gaseous fluid used for blowing is air.Additives capable of chemically or physically treating articles, such as decontaminating or coloring, are incorporated into a gaseous fluid by spraying before blowing, and at least a portion of the gaseous fluid used for blowing comes from the recirculation of fluid absorbed below the belt, and this method is used for processing food.

[0004] The method described in the French Patent Application Publication No. 2905286(A1) is expensive because it requires greater energy consumption, as it uses a conveyor belt along which the articles move and sanitizing substances to aid in decontamination.

[0005] As can be seen, all of the systems and methods described in the documents above involve treatment with cold or hot water, chemical disinfectants (chlorination), UV, ozone, etc., and most involve washing and Pasteur sterilization, with some mentioning sterilization, but there is no focus on reducing contamination by pesticides, mycotoxins, and heavy metals, which is intended to be achieved by the methods of the present invention. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Therefore, in order to help solve the aforementioned shortcomings, we have developed methods to reduce contamination of dehydrated or dried agricultural products and other materials originating from fields or production areas, particularly those contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological factors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Characteristic details of the present invention are clearly shown in the attached detailed description, drawings, and examples, merely for the purpose of demonstrating its concept and some of its preferred embodiments. Therefore, such detailed description, drawings, and examples should not be considered as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] Brief explanation of the drawing [Figure 1] This is a flowchart of the method for reducing contamination of dehydrated material according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Disclosure of the invention The present invention relates to a method for reducing contamination of natural or induced dehydrated products. When such dehydrated products have some type of external contamination due to their production, handling, and storage, and require compliance with established safety standards applied to processes for reducing such contamination, such dehydrated products may be dehydrated or dried agricultural products, such as dried chilies, dried fruits, dried seeds, dried grains, dried leaves, dried meat, etc.

[0010] External contamination can be chemical contamination caused by pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, etc., physical contamination caused by foreign substances, dirt, trash, dust, etc., and / or biological contamination caused in particular by microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.) and insects.

[0011] Therefore, the first object of the present invention is the following steps: i) A step of receiving a contaminated portion or a completely dehydrated material, whether due to natural or induced dehydration, ii) If the contamination may be chemical, physical, and / or biological, the contaminated portion or completely dehydrated portion may be detected by conventional analytical techniques that detect the presence of contaminants. analysis The steps include determining the type and extent of contamination it possesses, iii) A container made of a material that can withstand high temperature, high vacuum, and positive pressure, and configured to allow the circulation of a gaseous fluid to uniformly contact the article to be decontaminated, for example, a basket having access to the gaseous fluid, With lid The steps include placing the contaminated portion or completely dehydrated material in a basket, grid box, and / or top-open box, iv) The contaminated dehydrated material is subjected to at least one decontamination treatment that reduces chemical, physical, and / or biological contamination to parameters acceptable by safety standards, according to the results of the analysis in stage ii), v) The step of packaging the dehydrated material that has already been cleaned and / or decontaminated, This is a method for reducing contamination of dehydrated or dried materials, including [specific components / components].

[0012] A variation of the present invention is for when the decontamination treatment is to reduce chemical and / or biological contamination, and it involves removing at least one chemical and / or biological contaminant by purging contaminated dehydrated material in a chamber or autoclave suitable for these conditions for 15 to 90 minutes using steam at a temperature of 55 to 140°C. 30-350 kPa ( 0.3~3.5 bar ) pressure , and -0.13 to -3.866 kPa (- 1~ - 29mmHg ) The truth in the sky This includes attaching the contaminants. In this case, the contaminating chemicals are selected from the following group: biological agents, toxic heavy metals, nitrates, microplastics, mycotoxins, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), etc., and the biological contaminants are selected from the following group: microorganisms (especially bacteria, viruses, fungi), insects, etc.

[0013] A further variation of the method according to the present invention is when the decontamination treatment is to reduce physical contamination, which involves subjecting the contaminants to a countercurrent airflow at a speed of 10 to 35 m / s at 20°C for 1 to 10 seconds with the help of a forced reverse air circulation system, in which case physical foreign matter, for example, garbage, dust, crystals, thorns, bones, shells, to name a few. outer skin, Plastic, stones, sand, gravel, soil To clean up personal objects and other contaminants from the outside, the contaminants move against the airflow.

[0014] Another embodiment of the method also includes optionally subjecting the dehydrate to a process that reduces decontamination of metal parts with the aid of a metal detector device to detect and eliminate metal parts that may be present in the dehydrate. This process of reducing contamination of metal parts is preferably carried out after the dehydrate has passed through a process of reducing physical contamination.

[0015] Thus, a second object of the present invention is a dehydrate decontaminated by the method proposed by the present invention, the chemical contamination of which is reduced by up to 95 - 99.95%, the physical contamination of which is reduced by up to 97% and the biological contamination of which is reduced by up to 99%.

Examples

[0016] Examples The following examples are included to illustrate the concepts of the present invention and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0017] Example 1 Chemical decontamination of a batch of dried chili (Capsicum annuum L.) variety "chile de arbol".

[0018] On October 2, 2020, a 6 - ton batch of chili "chile de arbol" was received, which was derived from the sampled plot and had already been naturally dried, with batch number CTE 20.10.02. Labeled Received a 6 - ton batch of "chile de arbol".

[0019] A. Initial contamination analysis Chemical contamination analysis On October 2, 2020, 24 chili pepper samples were randomly selected in 150g portions, in accordance with the IAS-accredited laboratory TL-667 analysis protocol. The samples were analyzed at a laboratory called AGQLABS located in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, where Gc+Lc+MX-2020 analysis was applied to detect contamination with residual chemicals from pesticides applied to the crops. This analysis was conducted from October 2 to 7, 2020. analysis As a result, the following results, shown in Table 1, were obtained.

[0020] [Table 1]

[0021] As can be seen, the results in Table 1 suggest that the batch of "Chile de Arbol" was contaminated with several pesticide substances (data in bold) exceeding the standards permitted by the safety regulations of several countries and / or country blocks (UE). Therefore, it was determined that the batch required chemical decontamination.

[0022] From this same batch of dried "Chilean wood" (CTE 20.10.02), three 50g samples were taken to determine if they were contaminated with aflatoxin. This analysis was also performed at the AGROETIKA laboratory located in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, where the "FAST AFLATOXINA SC" analysis was applied from October 2-7, 2020. Each sample was compared to seven standards (0, 2, 4, 10, 20, 50, and 100) with different wavelength absorbance concentrations. Table 2 shows the average calculated amount of aflatoxin for each sample.

[0023] According to the data shown in Table 2, this batch also contains aflatoxin, as its acceptable limit is 20 μg / kg. Therefore, it was determined that aflatoxin decontamination is also required.

[0024] [Table 2]

[0025] Physical contamination analysis Twelve samples were taken from the aforementioned batch CTE 20.10.02, and physical contamination analysis was also performed. This analysis was performed visually (macroscopically) using a ROSTECH WT3003GH scale microscope in the AGROETIKA laboratory. ZEISS 18U640630 and CEM 9000 moisture analyzer device, October 3, 2020. The results are presented in Table 3.

[0026] [Table 3]

[0027] Due to the presence of biocontamination resulting from the presence of feces, there is a possibility of the presence of pathogenic viruses such as hepatitis viruses and enteroviruses. High concentrations of dirt were observed in raw materials that had been attacked by dust and insects.

[0028] It is important to note that for this type of item to be approved for ingestion, it must have less than 6% physical contamination, a maximum fecal content of 2,203 mg / kg, and a maximum of 3% of the item being attacked by fungi, insects, etc. (FDA).

[0029] B. Decontamination treatment of batch CTE 20.10.02 Chemical decontamination Once the results of the chemical and aflatoxin analyses were obtained, batch CTE 20.10.02 of dried "chile de arbol" was disinfected. To do this, the dried dust was placed in a plastic box with a grid that allowed for steam circulation, ensuring that this steam came into uniform contact with the items to be decontaminated.

[0030] Using steam in an autoclave for 70 minutes 150kPa( 1.5 bar ) Under pressure, the chili pepper -3.33kPa(- 25mmHg ) It was subjected to a vacuum and a temperature of 120°C.

[0031] Physical decontamination Subsequently, with the help of a forced reverse air circulation system, the chili peppers are transferred to a countercurrent airflow at a speed of 10-35 m / s for 1-10 seconds at 20°C, and dehydrated to clean out foreign matter, garbage, dust, etc. from the outside. but Moving against the airflow do .

[0032] Once the chili peppers exited the forced reverse air circulation system, they were subjected to a metal detector device to remove any metal fragments that might contaminate the dry dust. In this case, no analysis of incoming impurities was performed.

[0033] Finally, the decontaminated, clean chili peppers were packaged in conventional containers suitable for distribution.

[0034] C. Results Chemical decontamination The treated dehydrated material ultimately showed a reduction in chemical contamination from 5% of its initial level to an undetectable level by chromatography. In other words, the overall reduction in contamination was approximately 95%.

[0035] Regarding aflatoxin contamination, it has been reduced to 0.5% aflatoxin compared to the initial value, which is already within the parameter range permitted by safety standards.

[0036] Physical decontamination Physical contamination was reduced to less than 3%, with 0 mg of feces, a maximum of 1% of items attacked by fungi, and completely dust and dirt-free.

[0037] Therefore, this decontamination method is expected to yield favorable results in the treatment of contaminated materials, in order to comply with safety standards established in several countries.

Claims

1. A method for reducing contamination of contaminated dehydrated material, comprising the following steps: i) Placing the contaminated dehydrated material in a container made of a material that can withstand high temperatures and pressures, and configured to allow the gaseous fluid to enter and exit and to make uniform contact with the surface of the contaminated dehydrated material, ii) Placing the container holding the contaminated dehydrated material inside a chamber or autoclave, iii) To eliminate at least one chemical and / or biological contaminant, the contaminated dehydrated material is subjected to a steam bath for 15 to 90 minutes at a temperature of 55 to 140°C, a pressure of 30 to 350 kPa (0.3 to 3.5 bar), and a vacuum of -0.13 to -3.866 kPa (-1 to -29 mmHg), iv) Removing any foreign substances from the chemically and / or biologically decontaminated dehydrated material via a forced reverse air circulation system, wherein the dehydrated material is treated for 1 to 10 seconds at 20°C with a countercurrent airflow of 10 to 35 m / s, v) A method comprising packaging a decontaminated, clean, dehydrated material.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the container, which withstands high temperature and pressure, is a basket, a covered basket, a grid box, and / or a top-open box that allows steam to flow and come into contact with the surface of the contaminated dewatered material.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the chemical contaminant is selected from the following group: pesticides, toxic heavy metals, nitrates, microplastics, mycotoxins, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the biological contaminant is selected from the following group: microorganisms and insects.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the foreign substance to the dehydrated material is garbage, dust, crystals, thorns, bones, shells, exoskeletons, plastics, stones, sand, gravel, soil, and personal objects.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising removing metal parts from the chemically and / or biologically decontaminated dehydrated material using a metal detector device.

7. Dehydrated material decontaminated by the method of any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a reduction of 95 to 99.95% in chemical contamination, a reduction of up to 97% in physical contamination, and a reduction of up to 99% in biological contamination.

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