Antimicrobial Spray System for Meat Slicing Contamination Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for controlling bacterial contamination in meat processing plants, such as disinfecting equipment and maintaining high sanitation standards, fail to eliminate bacteria already present on food products and do not address contamination between equipment cleaning cycles, posing a risk to consumer safety.
Innovation Solution
A food processing system with multiple spray heads that applies an antimicrobial fluid to exposed surfaces of sliced meat products during processing, ensuring 80% surface coverage and continuous operation without frequent shutdowns for cleaning, while detecting and alerting operators to any disruptions or malfunctions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If equipment is frequently cleaned and disinfected to control bacterial contamination, then sanitation standards are maintained, but production interruptions increase and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies antimicrobial fluid to the food product before packaging, creating a preliminary protective action that reduces bacterial load during processing. This preliminary treatment allows extended operation between cleanings by addressing contamination proactively rather than reactively
Solution Approach 2:
The food product itself becomes the carrier of the antimicrobial fluid through direct application during processing. The product is treated in-place during the processing workflow without requiring separate cleaning cycles, enabling continuous operation
2Reliability
If traditional disinfection methods are used on equipment, then pathogenic contamination is controlled, but bacteria already present on food products are not eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the disinfection function from equipment-only treatment and applies it directly to the food product surface. By taking the antimicrobial action and applying it to the product rather than just the equipment, the system eliminates bacteria already present on the food
Solution Approach 2:
An antimicrobial fluid is introduced as an intermediary substance that transfers the disinfection function from the spray application system to the food product surface. This intermediary enables direct treatment of the product without requiring equipment shutdown or disassembly
3Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple spray heads are added throughout the system to apply antimicrobial fluid, then bacterial load is minimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spray system is segmented into multiple discrete spray heads positioned at different locations throughout the processing system. Each spray head independently applies antimicrobial fluid to specific zones, allowing comprehensive coverage while maintaining modular simplicity that facilitates ease of installation and maintenance
4Productivity
If continuous operation is maintained without frequent shutdowns, then productivity is improved, but contamination between cleaning cycles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The antimicrobial spray application continues throughout the processing operation without requiring shutdowns. The useful action of bacterial reduction is maintained continuously as food products move through the system, enabling uninterrupted production while controlling contamination accumulation
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
Effectively minimizes bacterial load on meat products, ensuring consumer safety by continuously applying antimicrobial agents to all exposed surfaces during processing and packaging, and providing an alarm system for system integrity and fluid availability.
Implementation Method 1
a food processing system with multiple spray heads that applies an antimicrobial fluid to exposed surfaces of sliced meat products during processing, ensuring 80% surface coverage
Data Source
AI summary
A system for preparing food product minimizes bacterial contamination and outgrowth within the packaged food product, includes a powered slicer to sequentially separate slices of food product to create a stack of food product slices. The system also includes a first spray nozzle for depositing a first predetermined amount of the antimicrobial preparation onto the first face of the log or other food product piece each time a slice is removed as well as a a second spray nozzle for depositing a second predetermined amount of the antimicrobial preparation into a vacuum pouch prior to reception of a stack within the pouch. In an embodiment, the spray system is implemented with respect to a mixer/blender to pretreat a mix prior to further processing.