Seed Sanitization via Mist and Solvent to Prevent Mucilage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Raw edible seeds, particularly mucilaginous seeds like chia and flax, pose challenges in sanitization due to their small size, high surface area, and tendency to release mucilage when wet, making them difficult to treat effectively with aqueous sanitizing solutions, which can lead to pathogen contamination and food safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A method involving an aqueous sanitizing composition with a biocidal agent, such as peracetic acid, and a food-grade solvent like ethanol or propylene glycol, applied sparingly to the seeds as a mist to prevent mucilage release, followed by drying to inhibit microbial regrowth, ensuring effective pathogen reduction without cooking the seeds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If aqueous sanitizing solutions are applied to seeds, then pathogen reduction is achieved, but mucilage release occurs making seeds difficult to process and store
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a hydrophobic coating to seeds before sanitization to prevent mucilage release. The coating acts as a preliminary protective barrier that repels water and prevents the swelling and release of mucilage when seeds contact aqueous sanitizing solutions, thus counteracting the harmful effect before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hydrophobic coating as an intermediary substance between the aqueous sanitizing solution and the seed surface. This coating layer mediates the interaction by allowing the sanitizing solution to contact and kill pathogens while preventing the solution from penetrating deep enough to trigger mucilage release from seed cells.
2Reliability
If large volume of aqueous composition is used to treat seeds, then coverage and sanitizing efficacy are improved, but seeds require large amounts of water and become difficult to dry and store
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the sanitizing solution locally to the seed surface rather than immersing seeds in large volumes of water. The hydrophobic coating ensures that the aqueous solution remains on the surface where pathogens are located, providing effective sanitization with minimal water usage. Seeds are tumbled or conveyed through a mist or spray of the sanitizing solution rather than being submerged.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a mist or spray system to apply the aqueous sanitizing solution to seeds. By converting the liquid into a fine aerosol or spray, the solution can be distributed evenly over the seed surface with minimal total volume, allowing effective coverage without requiring large quantities of water that would be difficult to remove and dry.
3Reliability
If seeds are pasteurized, then pathogen control is achieved, but seeds are cooked and nutritional value is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal pasteurization process with a chemical sanitization process. Instead of using heat to kill pathogens, the patent applies aqueous compositions containing biocidal agents (such as peracetic acid, organic acids, or other food-safe antimicrobials) that chemically eliminate pathogens at lower temperatures, thus maintaining seed nutritional value and raw status while achieving effective pathogen control.
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 method effectively reduces pathogenic microorganisms on seeds, including Salmonella and E. coli, while preventing mucilage release and maintaining the seeds' raw state, ensuring food safety and nutritional value.
Implementation Method 1
Aqueous sanitizing solutions generally employ a contact killing mechanism and so efficacy depends on coverage
Implementation Method 2
the aqueous sanitizing composition is prepared with an alcohol, or a mixture of alcohols, in an amount effective to suppress mucilage release from the seeds
Implementation Method 3
drying returns the seeds to a moisture content suitable for storing the seeds, and preferably vaporizes at least most of the solvent and optionally the biocidal agent
Data Source
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AI summary
Edible seeds are sanitized with a composition comprising water, a biocidal agent and a solvent. The composition is applied to the seeds and the seeds are later dried without first rinsing the seeds. The application rate may be 15% by weight of the seeds or less. The solvent may be a water-miscible alcohol such as ethanol or propylene glycol. When sanitizing mucilaginous seeds, the composition comprises one or more alcohols in an amount effective to inhibit the release of mucilage. The composition is initially applied as a mist to mucilaginous seeds. The biocidal agent may be an oxidizer such as peracetic acid. A treatment system includes an atomizing sprayer and a dryer, for example a fixed bed forced-air dryer.