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Treatment to reduce microorganisms with carbon dioxide by multiple pressure oscillationsRelated Patent Categories: Food Or Edible Material: Processes, Compositions, And Products, Inhibiting Chemical Or Physical Change Of Food By Contact With A Change Inhibiting Chemical Agent Other Than An Antioxygen Agent, Biocidal Or Disinfecting Chemical AgentTreatment to reduce microorganisms with carbon dioxide by multiple pressure oscillations description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060292274, Treatment to reduce microorganisms with carbon dioxide by multiple pressure oscillations. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/637,915, filed on Dec. 21, 2004, fully incorporated herein expressly by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention is related to apparatus for the treatment of meat using carbon dioxide and to methods of treating meat using carbon dioxide. BACKGROUND [0003] Carbon dioxide has been used to kill microorganisms non-thermally, meaning that the mechanism through which such microorganisms are killed is not dependent on a high temperature. However, the methods using carbon dioxide are static methods, since after the conditions of the carbon dioxide were set, the conditions were held for a period of time to affect the microorganisms. Thereafter, the treatment was stopped. Supercritical conditions, where carbon dioxide exists only as a supercritical fluid, have also been tried. These methods, too, were static, meaning that once the conditions were set, the carbon dioxide was allowed to affect the microorganisms, and then, the carbon dioxide treatment was stopped. While such treatments did achieve some reduction in microorganisms, there is still much to learn in the way of using carbon dioxide to reduce microorganisms. SUMMARY [0004] To solve the aforementioned problems and/or improve on the prior art, the present invention proposes new methods and the apparatus for the treatment of food using carbon dioxide, wherein the carbon dioxide conditions are changed. The present methods for using carbon dioxide as an antimicrobial are carried out in the sub-supercritical phase or, alternatively, oscillating between supercritical phase and sub-supercritical phase, and also include rapid pressure drop (RPD) and/or phase change of carbon dioxide to induce ice crystal formation. For example, a method in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention can begin by treatment of food with carbon dioxide at such pressure and temperature that when the pressure is reduced in a controlled manner, the resultant drop in temperature will form ice crystals that detrimentally affect microorganisms on the surface of the food. This treatment can then be followed with an increase in pressure and temperature of the carbon dioxide up to or in excess of the supercritical pressure and supercritical temperature to result in a supercritical carbon dioxide fluid that further detrimentally affects the already detrimentally affected microorganisms that have been injured or damaged by the prior treatment. The carbon dioxide pressure can then be reduced to a pressure below the supercritical pressure, such that the carbon dioxide is a dense fluid that has a pH in the range of 2 to 4 to further detrimentally affect the already detrimentally affected microorganisms. In this tripartite method, anyone of the carbon dioxide treatments can be repeated or sequenced in any order, or the entire tripartite sequence can be repeated. [0005] The present invention provides a reliable, reproducible, and effective antimicrobial process for the reduction of pathogens, such as E. coli 0157:H7, that can be present with goods intended for human consumption. Such food includes meat, such as ground beef. The present process provides a low-cost procedure that uses a solid, liquid, and/or gas agent, such as carbon dioxide. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0006] The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: [0007] FIG. 1 is an illustration of one embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention; [0008] FIG. 2 is an illustration of one embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention; [0009] FIG. 3 is a cross section illustration of one embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention; [0010] FIG. 4 is a cross section illustration of one embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention; [0011] FIG. 5 is a cross section illustration of one embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention; [0012] FIG. 6 is an illustration of a component of one embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention; [0013] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method according to the present invention; [0014] FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of equipment used for experiments according to the present invention; and [0015] FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of equipment used for experiments according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0016] Disclosed are the apparatus and methods to non-thermally treat goods for human consumption with carbon dioxide. Inactivation of microorganisms, including pathogens, relies on treating goods for human consumption with carbon dioxide, wherein the carbon dioxide undergoes multiple pressure changes to affect one of three processes. A first process rapidly freezes and thaws water on the surface of the goods in rapid succession multiple times to detrimentally affect pathogens. A second process raises the pressure and temperature of carbon dioxide to supercritical conditions to detrimentally affect the lipids in the membranes of microorganisms. A third process adjusts the pressure to form a dense carbon dioxide liquid with a low pH that may also detrimentally affect microorganisms. All processes may be repeated or performed in succession, or in any order. Optionally, thereafter, the goods may be stored at low temperature in substantially 100% carbon dioxide for further microorganism reduction. [0017] FIGS. 1 and 2 are illustrations of an apparatus 1000 for the treatment of food, including meat, using carbon dioxide. The apparatus is arranged in a horizontal disposition and includes a cylinder 1216 capped on both ends to enable pressurizing a chamber within the cylinder 1216 in a controlled manner. The cylinder 1216 includes a first end cap 122 enclosing one end of the cylinder 1216, and a second end cap 1219 enclosing the other, opposite end of cylinder 1216. The cylinder 1216 and end caps 122 and 1219 are held together by a series of shafts, such as shafts 1213 and 1220 with hydraulic cylinders 1210, 1215, 1214, and 1218 (the operation of which is described below), which are in turn mounted to annular rings 1242 and 1244 in such a manner that the cylinder 1216 is sealed hermetically to end caps 122 and 1219. The cylinder 1216 with end caps 122 and 1219 encloses a space in which goods, such as boneless beef or any meat or other food product, can be transferred therein by way of inlet conduits and outlet conduits. A first positive displacement pump 1227 is located adjacent to end cap 1219, which delivers product into cylinder 1216 at an elevated pressure. A second positive displacement pump 1231 is located adjacent to and mounted rigidly to end cap 122 to extract the food product, such as boneless beef, after processing, from within cylinder 1216, and in such a manner that will enable the retention of the pressure within cylinder 1216. Positive displacement pumps 1231 and 1227 can deliver pressure in a range up to 2500 psig. Positive displacement pump 1227 is attached to a pair of cylinders 1229 and 1228 (best seen in FIG. 2), which are mounted rigidly to annular rings 1244 and 1226 located around the outer circumference of cylinder 1216. Food, such as boneless beef, intended for processing within the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 can be delivered to pump 1227 with any primary positive displacement pump, such as can be supplied by Marlen, or alternatively by Handtmann, directly from a container, such as a conical hopper wherein boneless beef is deposited in the hopper (not shown) at atmospheric pressure. Alternatively, any gas selected for its shelf life enhancing properties, such as carbon dioxide, can be provided in the hopper so as to minimize atmospheric air that would otherwise contact the meat or other food products in the hopper. The food product, such as boneless beef, preferably will have been refrigerated and maintained at a low temperature, such as 32 degrees F. or lower, and up to 45 degrees F. The food product can be pumped by a primary pump to positive displacement pump 1227 at a controlled mass flow rate and arranged to match the flow rate of the food product pumped by positive displacement pump 1231. The pressure of the stream of food product pumped to positive displacement pump 1227 may be in the order of 100 psi, wherein the food product is transferred at such pressure through a stainless steel pipe. The stainless steel pipe may be equipped to measure the fat and water content of the food product. In one representative example, beef is transferred into the processing space within cylinder 1216 at an elevated pressure, such as up to 2500 psi. The mass flow rate of the boneless beef pumped from the primary pump to positive displacement pump 1227 is measured and controlled, such as at a mass flow rate of 150 pounds per minute. The apparatus 1000 includes the conduits 1223 and 1224 (best seen in FIG. 2), which lead into the processing space within cylinder 1216. Conduits 1223 and 1224 are arranged to enable combining measured quantities of carbon dioxide, most preferably in a liquid or dense phase, at a mass flow rate corresponding to the mass flow rate of the boneless beef or any ratio thereof, wherein the carbon dioxide is transferred into the cylinder 1216 via conduit 1223 in the direction shown by arrow 1222. Additionally a measured quantity of water at any ratio of the incoming boneless beef can be transferred into the cylinder 1216 via conduit 1224 in the direction shown by arrow 1225. In one embodiment, carbon dioxide, water, and the boneless beef are combined together in quantities controlled according to such proportions that the quantity of water is about equal to an amount of water that previously has, or subsequently will, evaporate and in so doing, be lost at a rate that is equal to the amount combined with the boneless beef. However, an amount of water equal to about 0.49 percent of the boneless beef can be retained with the boneless beef after processing. Furthermore, the quantity of carbon dioxide delivered into cylinder 1216 with the water and the boneless beef is such that subsequent pressure reduction produces the required amount of chilling of the boneless beef as herein described. The chilling process, enabled by evaporation of the carbon dioxide, will cause the temperature of the boneless beef to be reduced to a low temperature. [0018] Positive displacement pump 1227 and cylinders 1229 and 1228 attached thereto, are arranged such that each cylinder will fill with boneless beef while the other cylinder is emptying, and in an alternating sequential operation, such that a substantially continuous flow of boneless beef will be transferred, with, or alternatively without, water and carbon dioxide combined therewith, into the cylinder 1216. The positive displacement pump 1231, with a pair of cylinders, such as 1230 and the other not shown, are arranged to operate similarly, and in an alternating sequential operation, however, to remove material from within cylinder 1216 via conduit 1232. Continue reading about Treatment to reduce microorganisms with carbon dioxide by multiple pressure oscillations... Full patent description for Treatment to reduce microorganisms with carbon dioxide by multiple pressure oscillations Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Treatment to reduce microorganisms with carbon dioxide by multiple pressure oscillations patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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