Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Direct application of electrical or wave energy to food... – Involving wave energy of the sonic or pulsating type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-09
2001-03-13
Yeung, George C. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Direct application of electrical or wave energy to food...
Involving wave energy of the sonic or pulsating type
C426S521000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06200615
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved system for killing bacteria in meat.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Prior methods and technology having to do with killing bacteria in meat include the application of chemicals, e.g. ethyl alcohol; the application of live steam to the meat surface; and the application of radiation, especially hard gamma radiation. The application of chemicals such as alcohol has the disadvantage of being effective only as regards the surface bacteria, and possibly altering the taste of the meat. Live steam undesirably changes the color of the surface of the meat, turning it to a brownish color, and in any event has limited penetration. Radiation will kill all of the bacteria on and in the meat without altering the appearance of the meat, but some of the molecules of the meat are altered by radiation, with resultant fear that this alteration may produce undesirable effects, e.g. cancer, in humans; moreover, radiation is simply not presently accepted by the U.S. public.
Most bacteria occurs naturally only on the meat surface. With most forms of cooking, heat is applied to the meat surface, and through conduction is transferred throughout the meat. Experience has shown that the meat surface becomes hot enough in most instances to kill the bacteria, but in many cases the inside of the meat does not reach a microorganism killing temperature. With unground meat, e.g. steaks, this is normally not a problem, because the inner portion of the meat is likely to be bacteria-free. However, with ground meat the bacteria from the surface is distributed throughout the meat. Thus, the largest problem with bacteria occurs with ground meat, and there have been some recent occurrences of pathogenic
E
-
Coli
bacteria in insufficiently cooked hamburger killing persons who had eaten such hamburgers. Of the three prior methods of killing bacteria mentioned above, only radiation can kill the bacteria within the meat.
Killing microorganisms on and in meat is obviously important from a health standpoint, inasmuch as some of the bacteria can be life-threatening. However, killing all or reducing the amount of bacteria on the meat surface also greatly increases the shelf life of the meat. This is of large economic importance.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,328,403 and 5,273,766, both in the name of John B. Long, are directed to the treatment of meat by exposing it to an explosive force. While these patents are primarily directed to the use of such an explosive force in order to tenderize the meat, such an explosive force also kills microorganisms on and in the meat. Experiments conducted on meat using the system of the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. '403 and '766 have shown that about 90% of the surface bacteria on the meat samples were killed. It would, of course, be desirable to increase the percentage of bacteria killed by such a process.
SUMMARY
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to overcome deficiencies in the prior art, such as indicated above.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a process which increases the percentage of bacteria killed by subjecting meat to an explosive force, and especially a process which results in killing well over 90% of the bacteria in and on meat, and up to 100%.
Briefly, the present invention is achieved by providing a faster moving shock wave than heretofore been provided according to the examples of the aforementioned Long patents.
The present invention operates through the entire thickness of the meat, and is as effective in killing bacteria inside the meat as it is on the surface. The present invention is an improvement in that the application of an appropriate explosive charge can kill well over 90%, e.g. at least 92% and preferably at least 96% of the bacteria up to 100%.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2456909 (1948-12-01), Brasch
patent: 2963369 (1960-12-01), Urbain
patent: 3492688 (1970-02-01), Godfrey
patent: 3594115 (1971-07-01), Wesley et al.
patent: 3711896 (1973-01-01), Guberman et al.
patent: 4458153 (1984-07-01), Wesley
patent: 5273766 (1993-12-01), Long
patent: 5328403 (1994-07-01), Long
patent: 5368724 (1994-11-01), Ayers et al.
patent: 5397961 (1995-03-01), Ayers et al.
patent: 5588357 (1996-12-01), Tomikawa et al.
patent: WO 93/03622 (1993-03-01), None
patent: WO 97/45697 (1997-12-01), None
Browdy and Neimark
Hydrodyne Incorporated
Yeung George C.
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