Food Contact Sanitizing Composition with Low-Toxicity Fragrance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sanitizing compositions for food contact surfaces often pose a risk of unwanted ingestion due to their components, and they may not be effective in balancing microbial killing with safety for surfaces that come into contact with food, especially in environments where children are involved.
Innovation Solution
A sanitizing composition comprising a quaternary amine, at least two non-ionic surfactants, a fragrance that meets Class I qualifications of the Cramer classification system, and water, with minimal volatile organic compounds and no polybiguanides, designed to be safe for use on food contact surfaces and effective in killing microbes without leaving residues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing sanitizing compositions are used to kill microbes on food contact surfaces, then microbial killing effectiveness is improved, but safety against unwanted ingestion and toxicity risks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes harmful components (polybiguanides and high levels of volatile organic compounds) from the sanitizing composition while retaining effective antimicrobial agents (quaternary amines). This extraction of toxic elements allows the composition to maintain microbial killing effectiveness while reducing ingestion risks for food contact surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the concentration parameters of key components by limiting volatile organic compounds to less than 5% and polybiguanides to less than 1%, while optimizing quaternary amine levels. These parameter adjustments create a composition that achieves sufficient sanitization without exceeding safe ingestion thresholds
2Reliability
If strong antimicrobial agents are used to ensure high level of sanitization, then microbial killing effectiveness is improved, but safety and low toxicity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite formulation combining quaternary amines with non-ionic surfactants and controlled levels of volatile organic compounds. This composite approach allows the synergistic interaction of components to achieve high sanitization levels while the overall composition remains safe for ingestion, as the surfactants enhance the antimicrobial activity at lower concentrations
3Reliability
If components are added to enhance sanitization performance, then microbial killing effectiveness is improved, but complexity of composition and residue risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs non-ionic surfactants that serve multiple functions: they act as emulsifiers for the fragrance components, enhance the antimicrobial activity of the quaternary amines, and provide cleaning properties. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, simplifying the overall composition while maintaining high sanitization performance
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 composition provides a high level of sanitization with a pleasant fragrance, ensuring safety for surfaces that may be ingested and reducing microbial populations effectively while minimizing residues and toxicity risks.
Implementation Method 1
The composition is able to provide a high level of sanitization (i.e., killing of microbes) to such surfaces because of the presence of the quaternary amine
Implementation Method 2
The composition may include a quaternary amine, at least two non-ionic surfactants
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is for sanitizing compositions for sanitizing surfaces which may contact food. The composition may be provided in liquid form, and may include a quaternary amine, one or more surfactant, a fragrance, and water. At least 90% by weight of the fragrance comprises fragrance components that meet Class I qualifications of the Cramer classification system. All other components of the composition (e.g., the quaternary amine, the surfactants, water, and any optional components) meet the EPA guidelines under CFR 180.940(a). Since the composition only includes components that meet the EPA guidelines under CFR 180.940(a) (reflecting a presumption of low toxicity), and at least 90% of the fragrance itself (e.g., in the case of mixtures of fragrance components) meets the Cramer Class I qualifications, the composition is safe for application to surfaces that come in contact with food, where there is a heightened probability that traces of the composition will be ingested.