Antimicrobial compositions and methods for treating packaged food products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9560873-B2
Application number	US-45906706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2006
Priority date	Jul 25, 2005
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of using an antimicrobial composition on a food product where the antimicrobial composition is applied to a food product, the food product is packaged and sealed, and then activation energy is applied to the sealed food product.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of reducing microorganisms on a food product comprising:
(a) applying an antimicrobial composition to a food product;
(b) packaging the food product in a packaging to create a packaged food product;
(c) sealing the packaged food product so that additional microorganisms are less likely to enter the packaging; and
(d) applying a sub-lethal amount of heat at a temperature of from about 160° F. to about 210° F. to the sealed food product for about 2 to about 20 seconds to activate the antimicrobial composition, wherein the heat is applied in a shrink tunnel, the heat alone does not significantly reduce the microorganism population, and the heat activated antimicrobial reduces the microorganism population by about 1 log to about 3.5 logs.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the food product is a ready-to-eat meat, or poultry product.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packaging is shrink-wrap packaging film and the film does not contain an antimicrobial composition.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial composition is applied directly to the food product.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial composition is applied indirectly to the food product.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application of the antimicrobial composition to the food product occurs prior to the packaging of the food product.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application of the antimicrobial composition to the food product occurs after the packaging of the food product.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application of the antimicrobial composition to the food product and the packaging of the food product occur substantially simultaneously.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat is in the form of heated water.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial composition comprises an active antimicrobial agent selected from the group consisting of fatty acid, acidified sodium chlorite, peroxyacid, and mixtures thereof.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the active antimicrobial agent is octanoic acid.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the antimicrobial composition further comprises additional functional ingredients selected from the group consisting of oxidizers, carriers, chelating agents, hydrotropes, thickening agents, gelling agents, foaming agents, film-forming agents, surfactants, coupling agents, acidulants, potentiators, flavoring aids, fragrance, dye, and mixtures thereof.

Assignees

• Burnett Scott L
• Chopskie Jocelyn H
• Herdt Joy G
• Podtburg Teresa C
• Gutzmann Timothy A
• Brown Daniel G
• Christianson Richard J
• Ulland Harriet L E
• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Burnett Scott L
• Chopskie Jocelyn H
• Herdt Joy G
• Podtburg Teresa C
• Gutzmann Timothy A
• Brown Daniel G
• Christianson Richard J
• Ulland Harriet L E

Classifications

• A23B4/0056

  with packages, or with shaping in the form of blocks or portions · CPC title

• A23B4/012

  with packages, or with shaping in the form of blocks or portions · CPC title

• A23B4/24

  Inorganic compounds · CPC title

• A23B4/20

  Organic compounds; Microorganisms; Enzymes · CPC title

• A23L3/02 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic