CO2 Additive Injection for Food Cooling and Microbial Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sanitization techniques in food processing fail to effectively reduce microbial contamination while preventing product or environmental degradation, and refrigeration alone does not kill bacteria, allowing microorganisms to survive and grow during storage.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a flow of liquid carbon dioxide expanded to form gaseous and solid CO2, combined with an antimicrobial additive injected into food processing equipment to treat food items, providing both cooling and antimicrobial treatment simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If refrigeration is used to cool food products, then microbial growth is slowed, but bacteria are not killed and microorganisms can still survive and grow during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines refrigeration with antimicrobial additives into a single treatment process. Liquid CO2 is injected into food processing equipment where it simultaneously cools the food products and delivers antimicrobial additives that kill bacteria, merging two separate functions (cooling and sanitization) into one integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment system uses composite action by combining physical cooling (liquid CO2) with chemical antimicrobial agents (additives). This composite approach creates a synergistic effect where the cold temperature slows microbial growth while the additives actively kill bacteria, providing both preventive and curative protection.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If solid CO2 (dry ice) is used as a refrigerant, then no residue like water ice is left, but it cannot readily be injected into equipment typically used in food processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of CO2 from solid (dry ice) to liquid form. Liquid CO2 can be pumped and injected through standard food processing equipment piping and nozzles, maintaining the advantage of no residue while solving the injection difficulty. The liquid CO2 then evaporates inside the equipment, providing cooling without leaving water-like residue.
3Reliability
If sanitizers/disinfectants are used to minimize microbial contamination, then food safety is improved, but product or environmental degradation may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter by using cold liquid CO2 (typically -50°F to -100°F) as the delivery medium for antimicrobial additives. This low temperature enhances the effectiveness of the sanitization process while the CO2 itself acts as a refrigerant, providing both sanitization and cooling in one process without causing product degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses CO2 to create an inert atmosphere inside the food processing equipment. CO2 displaces oxygen and creates a controlled environment that prevents oxidative degradation of food products while delivering antimicrobial protection. The inert CO2 environment protects sensitive food components from oxidation during the treatment process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively reduces microbial contamination and extends the shelf-life of food products by combining the cooling properties of CO2 with the antimicrobial capabilities of the additive, ensuring safer and higher-quality food products.
Implementation Method 1
The liquid carbon dioxide is expanded at or adjacent to the interior to form a flow of gaseous and solid carbon dioxide thereat
Implementation Method 2
Solid CO2, or dry ice, sublimes by going directly from a solid to a gas without passing through the liquid stage
Implementation Method 3
The liquid carbon dioxide is expanded at or adjacent to the interior to form a flow of gaseous and solid carbon dioxide thereat
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention generally provide methods and systems that distribute an additive in solid carbon dioxide in an interior of food processing equipment. The additive may be injected into a flow of liquid carbon dioxide upstream of an expander at or adjacent to the interior. Injection of the additive into the interior may be alternated with directing a flow of expanded carbon dioxide into the interior. In some embodiments, the freezing point of the additive with or without a diluent composition and/or additive(s) is lower than a temperature of the liquid carbon dioxide.