Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Inhibiting chemical or physical change of food by contact... – Biocidal or disinfecting chemical agent
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-06
2004-09-28
Pratt, Helen (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Inhibiting chemical or physical change of food by contact...
Biocidal or disinfecting chemical agent
C426S615000, C426S637000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06797302
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns environmentally friendly processes and compositions for preventing qualitative deterioration and quantitative loss of plant matter and foodstuffs, during all stages of storage and handling, including pre and post harvest, pre and post planting, distribution and marketing, as well as for preventing sprouting, rooting, and promoting fecundity of certain plant matter. The processes and compositions of the present invention can also be used to reduce and eliminate harmful organisms and substances from earth, other growth media and substrates, equipment, materials, water, spaces and surfaces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention involves processes and compositions utilizing primarily aqueous hydrogen peroxide for preventing qualitative and quantitative loss of foodstuffs and plant matter during storage and/or handling of such foodstuffs and plant matter. The present invention also involves a process for effecting Epical Dominance Breakdown in certain plant propagation material and as a consequence achieving a number of notable benefits, including storage stability of the plant propagation material itself and higher product yields, when such material is planted. The processes and compositions of the present invention can also be used to reduce and eliminate harmful organisms and substances from earth, other growth media and substrates, equipment, materials, water, spaces and surfaces.
Hydrogen peroxide itself is an environmentally friendly material because its decomposition products are water and oxygen. Its use in the present invention in optional combination with other components, is limited to such compositions and processes that are environmentally friendly, either because the other components are in themselves environmentally friendly or they are used in quantities that do not constitute a danger to individuals or to the environment.
Deteriorative losses of foodstuffs and plant matter during growing, storage and handling is a high priority global problem of considerable social, economic and political importance. Quantitative and qualitative losses during all stages of foodstuff and plant matter growing, storage and handling, impacts first and foremost on the possibility to sustain a reasonable nutritional level and life quality for the earth's inhabitants. Consequently, processes and compositions that can contribute significantly to quantitative and qualitative loss prevention, are of paramount importance. The present invention concerns effective processes and compositions for such purposes. What is more, the present invention concerns environmentally friendly and energy conserving processes and compositions for such ends.
The process and compositions of the invention inhibits plant matter, such as potatoes, seeds and foodstuffs from sprouting, rooting and pathogenic attack and decay, so that such material can be stored under conditions of high relative humidity (70-99+%), optimized to prevent weight loss by dehydration, during storage, for even extended periods of time. The process and compositions of the invention also allow storage under conditions of relatively high temperatures, i.e., low degree of refrigeration, in combination with high relative humidity. This facilitates significant energy savings relative to lower temperature refrigeration, usually required for foodstuff and plant matter storage, particularly under conditions of high relative humidity.
These factors are of prime importance in the post harvest period. But they are also significant in all stages of foodstuff and plant matter growing, storage and handling.
In the event of extended storage period, it can be advantageous to treat the stored plant matter or foodstuff every few weeks with the inhibiting solution and according to the process of the invention. In addition, in the interim period between such treatments, the stored plant matter or foodstuff can be maintained in an aseptic environment by providing a lower level dosage on a more frequent or regular basis, by solutions and treatments that provide the aseptic environment in conjunction with the additional humidity. The process of the invention is readily adaptable to be implemented during transit of the treated matter. This is of considerable significance, since agricultural products, particularly food products, are produced by and large, only during limited seasons of the year. In order for such food products to be available for human and animal consumption during all or at least extended seasons of the year, they must be stored under conditions that minimize losses by dehydration, pathogenic decay, sprouting, rooting and the like, while maintaining organoleptic qualities and preventing other processes that adversely affect their quality.
It is also of the utmost importance that methods and materials employed in extending the effective storage lifetime of perishable foodstuffs and plant matter, should not be detrimental to the consumers' personal health and welfare, nor cause any harm to the environment While one specific application of the present invention so far, has been to extend the effective storage quality and lifetime of potatoes, it is self evident that the same or similar processes and materials can be used to extend the effective storage quality and lifetime, increase crop yields and specifically increase crop yields on a commercial scale, of plant material and foodstuffs in general. This applies not only to similar vegetable food crops, such as, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, radishes, garlic, etc., but the process and compositions of the invention can be used to good advantage to extend the storage quality and lifetime of potato seeds, sweet potato propagation material, as well as bulbs, including flower bulbs and tubers. The present invention can also be suited to inhibit sprouting in seeds and rains. Furthermore, the process of the invention imparts extended shelf life stability, to all sorts of foodstuff and plant material, including fruits and vegetables, so treated.
A reference that deals at length with the specific topic of potatoes as an example, and some of its related problems is; Smith, O.,
POTATOES: Production, Storing, Processing
, The Avi Publishing Co., Inc., Westport, Conn.
The current total global yield of potatoes is estimated to be in the vicinity of 300 million tons per annun. It is both a basic food staple, because of its inherent nutritional value, being rich in carbohydrates and other nutrients and at the same time is frequently prepared for quick snacks as French fries or chips. It is even used in gourmet dishes, wherein product quality, taste and texture are more critical. Since the conditions under which potatoes grow, prevail only in certain seasons of the year in the various regions of the globe in which they are grown, the issue of preventing qualitative and quantitative losses during storage or during inter regional trade, is vital to those involved with potato growing, storage, trade and consumption. Dehydration during storage is one of the major reasons for weight loss in absolute quantitative terms. At the same time, it contributes to qualitative deterioration in the potatoes themselves. The amount of weight lost by dehydration, during storage is determined by the characteristics of the specific potato varieties involved and by the storage regime. An environment with high relative humidity, prevents water loss by evaporation from stored potatoes. Whereas an environment with low relative humidity can take up a substantial amount of moisture from stored potatoes. Water loss by dehydration of stored potatoes is weight loss of the stored product and consequently a direct economic loss.
Moreover, water losses from stored potatoes cam adversely affect their quality in other ways. Tubers that have lost significant quantities of water by dehydration, are softer than tubers that have been stored under conditions that reduce or prevent such water losses. They are also more subject to bruising and consequently more vulnerable to pa
Ben Yehuda Nimrod
Margalit Eliahu
Browdy and Neimark , P.L.L.C.
Pratt Helen
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