Devices, systems, and methods for reducing microbial load during product coating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12528100-B2
Application number	US-202318372945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2023
Priority date	Mar 17, 2021
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

A treatment system, including a conveyor bed configured to transport a plurality of products; a brushing device located along the conveyor bed and having one or more brushes that include a first antimicrobial compound; a surface treatment device including a lamp configured to emit light of a peak wavelength directed toward a portion of the conveyor bed; and a coating device configured to deliver a coating mixture onto the plurality of products on the conveyor bed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for treating produce, comprising:
exposing a coating mixture to a light of a first wavelength, wherein the coating mixture includes an antimicrobial compound activated by exposure the light of the first wavelength; heating the coating mixture to a first temperature; and coating the produce with the heated coating mixture.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the light of the first wavelength is ultraviolet radiation.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first wavelength is between 200 nm and 280 nm.

4 . The method of claim 2 , comprising, after heating the coating mixture to the first temperature, cooling the coating mixture to a second temperature before coating the produce with the heated coating mixture.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first temperature is in a range from 75° C. to 100° C., and the second temperature is in a range from 50° C. to 90° C.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the coating comprises coating the produce with the heated coating mixture using antimicrobial brushes.

7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises, following coating, exposing the produce to light of the first wavelength.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the light is in a wavelength range from 200 nm to 280 nm.

9 . A method for treating produce, comprising:
exposing a coating mixture to a light of a first wavelength, such that the coating mixture receives an estimated dose threshold of at least 5 mWs/cm 3 ; heating the coating mixture to a first temperature; and coating the produce with the heated coating mixture.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the estimated dose threshold is at least 10 mWs/cm 3 .

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the coating comprises spraying, via a plurality of sprayers, the coating mixture onto the produce at a flow rate sufficient such that the coating mixture receives the estimated dose threshold.

12 . The method of claim 1 , comprising removing a plurality of particulates from a surface of a produce wherein removing the plurality of particulates comprises brushing the surface of the produce with an antimicrobial brush, wherein the antimicrobial brush includes an antimicrobial compound selected from a group consisting of a nanoparticle, an antibiotic compound, and an oxide.

13 . A method for treating a produce, comprising:
mixing a coating agent in a solvent to form a coating mixture;
exposing the coating mixture to a light of a first wavelength;
heating the coating mixture to a first temperature;
coating the produce with the heated coating mixture; and

drying the produce to form a coated produce.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the mixing further comprises mixing a sanitizing agent with the coating agent in the solvent.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the mixing further comprises mixing an antimicrobial compound with the coating agent in the solvent.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the antimicrobial compound is a nanoparticle comprising a metallic compound.

Assignees

• Apeel Tech Inc

Inventors

• Bakus Ronald C
• Kahlscheuer Matthew
• Faust Gregory
• Perez Louis
• Purohit Anuj
• Chari Krishnan
• Gordon Benjamin
• Feringa Nicholas
• Gotthard Doug

Classifications

• A23B2/53

  with ultraviolet light · CPC title

• A61L2101/30

  containing zinc · CPC title

• B05D3/062

  Pretreatment · CPC title

• A61L2/18

  Liquid substances · CPC title

• A61L2/10

  Ultraviolet [UV] radiation · CPC title