A bioecocomposite for preventing microbial contamination and a production method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a bioecocomposite and a production method thereof for preventing microbial contamination in order to ensure food safety. The bioecocomposite of the invention contains plant-based materials and offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly cleaning solution.

Description

[0001] A BIOECOCOMPOSITE FOR PREVENTING MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION AND A PRODUCTION METHOD THEREOF

[0002] Technical Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to a bioecocomposite and a production method thereof for preventing microbial contamination in order to ensure food safety. The bioecocomposite of the invention contains plant-based materials and offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly cleaning solution.

[0004] State of the Art

[0005] The increase in commercial production, changes in people's eating and drinking habits, and the intense pressure of competition cause some deceptive practices or negligence in food safety. Food safety is defined as complying with the necessary rules and taking precautions at all stages from production to consumption [1] and is defined as food that is healthy, beneficial to health and wholesome. As a result of food safety, the characteristics of a safe food are specified as a healthy food, food that is beneficial to health, and wholesome food, but the practices of enterprises on hygiene and sanitation are of great importance for food safety.

[0006] Various harmful elements that contaminate foods from different sources may be transmitted at different times in the process from production to consumption. The main factors that adversely affect food safety are physical, chemical and biological hazards, and biological factors, and the biological factors which are basically divided into three categories, are toxic chemicals naturally found in foods (for example, solanine formed in green sprouted potatoes, poisonous honey known as mad honey), rapidly reproducing microorganisms (molds, parasites, bacteria) resulting from improper production and storage conditions and genetically modified organisms. Among the factors mentioned, bacteria are the ones that most affect food safety and cause food poisoning, and workers are the biggest source of bacterial contamination of food, as people carry many microorganisms that cause food poisoning on their hands, noses and mouths. Failure to take the necessary care and lack of attention during the processing, storage and distribution of food cause foods to be contaminated. In addition to these, the food itself is the most important source of contamination as the vegetables and fruits in particular are planted in soils containing toxic materials and insecticides are applied. Although the soil does not contain toxic material, it includes a large number of pathogens. When vegetables and fruits that come into direct contact with the soil are harvested, it is important that the raw products are free from the soil at the entrance to the food stores, because considering that the vegetables and fruits are exposed to a certain storage process after they are harvested, the storage environment is also a risk of contamination. In some cases, it is possible to use sewage- contaminated water in irrigation. Therefore, there is a need to protect foods against microorganisms such as Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium spp., Escherichia coli 0157:1-17, Shigella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica, Vibrio spp., Brucella spp. and Aeromonas spp., which cause food spoilage or foodborne illness. To this end, "vegetable and fruit washing agents" in liquid form using various chemicals are widely used in the present art. Decontaminants such as organic acids in liquid form, chlorinebased solutions, ozonated water, which are used for washing vegetables and fruits, are used to reduce microbial contamination on their surfaces and to remove pesticide residues, and these decontaminants are generally developed to improve food safety. However, although the user manual of these products states that they may biodegrade in nature, the chemicals they contain reach the soil, plant, water and ultimately the organism as a result of the dissolution of these products and are likely to cause damage.

[0007] Bioecocomposites are materials consisting of a combination of bio-derived polymers and natural fillers. These materials are increasingly preferred in a variety of applications due to their sustainability and environmentally friendly properties. In addition, these materials reduce microbial contamination and extend the shelf life of foods. The patent application no. 2020 / 12357 in the state of the art relates to a bioecocomposite soap, shampoo, skin care lotion and disinfectant. The document discloses the production of natural products using water, olive oil, sodium hydroxide and various plants.

[0008] Due to the limitations and inabilities of the solutions in the state of the art, it has been necessary to make an improvement in the relevant field as the fruits and vegetables contains a high number of contaminants, and the products used to remove contamination leave chemical residues, are not environmentally friendly, and do not provide adequate cleaning.

[0009] Summary and Objectives of the Invention

[0010] The invention discloses a bioecocomposite and a production method thereof for preventing microbial contamination in order to ensure food safety. The bioecocomposite of the invention contains plant-based materials and offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly cleaning solution.

[0011] The object of the invention is to remove microbial contamination in foods, especially in vegetables and fruits. Contamination in vegetables and fruits is eliminated with the antimicrobial effect of the natural components in the bioecocomposite according to the invention.

[0012] Another object of the invention is to provide an environmentally friendly, biodegradable microbial decontaminant. As the bioecocomposite according to the invention contains plant-based materials, an environmentally friendly and biodegradable decontaminant of a fresh product is provided.

[0013] An object of the invention is to provide a microbial decontaminant which helps to reduce the carbon footprint. The production and use of traditional cleaning products often lead to greenhouse gas emissions related to the combustion of fossil fuels. This causes a global climate change by increasing carbon emissions into the atmosphere. However, as the bioecocomposite according to the invention contains plant-based materials, its use reduces the carbon footprint.

[0014] Another object of the invention is to provide a microbial decontaminant which prevents microorganisms from developing resistance over time. Traditional detergents provide pressure for microorganisms over time, causing them to develop resistance. Similar to the antibiotic resistance, this causes microorganisms to evolve and to become less sensitive to the detergents. Said effect is provided by the natural components in the content of the bioecocomposite according to the invention.

[0015] Detailed Description of the Invention The invention relates to a bioecocomposite and a production method thereof for preventing microbial contamination in order to ensure food safety. The bioecocomposite of the invention contains plant-based materials and offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly cleaning solution.

[0016] The bioecocomposite according to the invention contains water, sodium hydroxide, olive oil and a plant extract. In an embodiment of the invention, the bioecocomposite according to the invention contains, by mass, 26.25-36.25% of water, 6-6.50% of sodium hydroxide, 26.25-36.25% of olive oil and 26.25-36.25% of a plant extract. In another embodiment, said bioecocomposite contains 1 kg of water, 0.2 kg of sodium hydroxide, 1 kg of olive oil and 1 kg of a plant extract. Here, said plant extract includes at least five different plant species, including willow leaves, walnut leaves, lemons, mints, cherry leaves, almond leaves, acacia leaves, tree-of-heaven leaves, pine needles, poplar leaves, grass, hyacinths, poppies, lilacs, yarrow, viper’s bugloss, felty germander, dandelion, lily, tea, or pennyroyal, each being in equal amounts.

[0017] A production method of a bioecocomposite according to the invention for preventing microbial contamination to ensure food safety comprises the process steps of: i. preparing a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution of 4.57-5.25 Mol / Liter, ii. adding olive oil to NaOH solution at a temperature of 90-100°C, iii. mechanically stirring the mixture until it drops to a temperature of 55-65°C and obtaining a homogeneous mixture, iv. adding plants to the homogeneous mixture and mechanically stirring the mixture until the temperature of the mixture drops to 43-47°C, v. pouring the mixture into molds and leaving the same to dry / harden at a temperature of 23-27°C, in an area out of direct sunlight, vi. obtaining ready-to-use products at the end of 7-10 days.

[0018] In an embodiment of the invention, a production method of a bioecocomposite according to the invention for preventing microbial contamination to ensure food safety comprises the process steps of: i. Preparing a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution of 5 mol / liter, ii. adding 1 liter of olive oil to 5 Mol / Liter of NaOH solution at 95°C, iii. mechanically stirring the mixture until it drops to a temperature of 60°C and obtaining a homogeneous mixture, iv. adding plants to the homogeneous mixture and mechanically stirring the mixture until the temperature of the mixture drops to 45°C, v. pouring the mixture into molds and leaving the same to dry / harden at a temperature of 25°C, in an area out of direct sunlight, vi. obtaining ready-to-use products at the end of 7-10 days.

[0019] Industrial Applicability of the Invention

[0020] The invention relates to a bioecocomposite and a production method thereof for preventing microbial contamination in order to ensure food safety, and has industrial applicability.

[0021] The invention is not limited to the foregoing exemplary explanations, and one person skilled in the art may easily reveal the different embodiments of the invention. These should be considered within the scope of protection of the invention claimed in the claims.

[0022] REFERENCES

[0023] [1] Giray, H. and Soysal, A., (2007). Turkiye’de Gida Guvenligi ve Mevzuati. TSK Koruyucu Hekimlik Bulteni, 6(6):485- 490.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A bioecocomposite for preventing microbial contamination in order to ensure food safety, characterized in that it contains water, sodium hydroxide, olive oil and a plant extract.

2. A bioecocomposite according to claim 1 , characterized in that it contains, by mass, 26.25-36.25% of water, 6-6.50% of sodium hydroxide, 26.25-36.25% of olive oil and 26.25-36.25% of a plant extract.

3. A bioecocomposite according to claim 1 , characterized in that it contains 1 kg of water, 0.2 kg of sodium hydroxide, 1 kg of olive oil and 1 kg of a plant extract.

4. A bioecocomposite according to any one of claims 1 -3, characterized in that said plant extract includes at least five different plant species, including willow leaves, walnut leaves, lemons, mints, cherry leaves, almond leaves, acacia leaves, tree-of-heaven leaves, pine needles, poplar leaves, grass, hyacinths, poppies, lilacs, yarrow, viper’s bugloss, felty germander, dandelion, lily, tea, or pennyroyal, each being in equal amounts.

5. A production method of a bioecocomposite for preventing microbial contamination to ensure food safety, characterized in that it comprises the process steps of: i. preparing a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution of 4.57-5.25 Mol / Liter, ii. adding olive oil to NaOH solution at a temperature of 90-100°C, iii. mechanically stirring the mixture until it drops to a temperature of 55- 65°C and obtaining a homogeneous mixture, iv. adding plants to the homogeneous mixture and mechanically stirring the mixture until the temperature of the mixture drops to 43-47°C, v. pouring the mixture into molds and leaving the same to dry / harden at a temperature of 23-27°C, in an area out of direct sunlight, vi. obtaining ready-to-use products at the end of 7-10 days.

6. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises the process steps of:i. Preparing a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution of 5 mol / liter, ii. adding 1 liter of olive oil to 5 Mol / Liter of NaOH solution at 95°C, iii. mechanically stirring the mixture until it drops to a temperature of 60°C and obtaining a homogeneous mixture, iv. adding plants to the homogeneous mixture and mechanically stirring the mixture until the temperature of the mixture drops to 45°C, v. pouring the mixture into molds and leaving the same to dry / harden at a temperature of 25°C, in an area out of direct sunlight, vi. obtaining ready-to-use products at the end of 7-10 days.

7. A bioecocomposite produced by a method according to claim 5 or 6.