Decontamination Tank Multi-Chamber Poultry Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current decontamination methods for poultry products are inadequate in removing pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli from poultry carcasses, especially from hard-to-reach areas such as feather follicles and cavities, due to limitations in the distribution and concentration of antibacterial agents in chiller liquids, which can lead to residual contamination in the food supply.
Innovation Solution
A decontamination tank with multiple chambers and integrated liquid flow components that circulate antimicrobial solutions at high flow rates, allowing for sequential treatment with different antimicrobial agents and rinsing solutions, enhancing agitation and reducing the risk of agent interference or degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the concentration of antibacterial substances in the chiller liquid is increased to improve decontamination effectiveness, then bacterial reduction is enhanced, but organoleptic degradation of the product occurs (unacceptable changes in taste, aroma, appearance, or texture)
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment process is divided into multiple sequential chambers, each containing different antibacterial agents at optimized concentrations. This segmentation allows each agent to work effectively without the negative effects of high concentrations of a single agent, maintaining product quality while achieving thorough decontamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the treatment system by using multiple chambers with different antibacterial agents at different concentrations rather than a single chamber with high concentration. This parameter change allows effective decontamination while avoiding organoleptic degradation.
2Temperature
If the dwell time in the chiller tank is extended to reduce bird temperature, then chilling effectiveness is improved, but the concentration of antibacterial substances must be kept low to avoid product degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The chilling and antibacterial treatment are segmented into separate functional chambers. The chiller chambers focus on temperature reduction while the antibacterial chambers apply concentrated antibacterial agents, allowing both functions to operate at optimal conditions without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The antibacterial treatment is applied as a preliminary action before final product distribution. Multiple antibacterial chambers are positioned in the treatment sequence to ensure thorough decontamination occurs during the chilling process, eliminating the need for extended dwell times with high concentrations.
3Reliability
If liquid application is intensified to remove bacteria from hard-to-reach areas (cavities and feather follicles), then decontamination coverage is improved, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment system is segmented into multiple chambers that sequentially treat different aspects of decontamination. This segmentation allows comprehensive coverage of hard-to-reach areas through multiple exposure opportunities without requiring overly complex single-chamber systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous flow through multiple chambers provides continuous antibacterial action throughout the treatment process. This continuous exposure in sequential chambers ensures thorough penetration into cavities and feather follicles without requiring complex agitation or injection systems.
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
The decontamination tank effectively reduces microbial contaminants on poultry products by providing aggressive agitation and controlled treatment with multiple antimicrobial agents, improving the removal of pathogens from hard-to-reach areas and ensuring safer food distribution.
Implementation Method 1
A liquid flow component can be integrated into the tank to circulate or pump an anti-microbial solution past the product
Implementation Method 2
The decontamination tank effectively reduces microbial contaminants on poultry products by providing aggressive agitation and controlled treatment with multiple antimicrobial agents
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments for a decontamination tank and method for treating reducing microbial contamination of a food product. In one embodiment, decontamination tank comprises a first chamber for holding a first antimicrobial bearing liquid for reducing a microbial contamination on a surface of the food product. The decontamination tank further comprises a second chamber for holding a second antimicrobial bearing liquid of different content than the first antimicrobial bearing liquid in the first chamber, for further reducing the microbial contamination on the surface of the food product. The decontamination tank further comprises a first unloader configured to remove the food product from the first antimicrobial bearing liquid in the first chamber and to deposit the food product toward the second chamber. The decontamination tank further comprises a second unloader configured to remove the food product from the second antimicrobial bearing liquid in the second chamber.