The Ohio State University

Brian F Heskitt

Sudhir K Sastry

Soojin Jun

Pisit Wongsa-Ngasri

Sarvesh N Gupta

Romel Somavat

A hermetically-sealed, ohmic heating packet for storing, heating and sterilizing food and beverage items. The packet is formed of a multilayer laminate material having interior and exterior polymer layers and an intermediate metallic foil layer. Conductive tags on the exterior of the packet are electrically connected to electrodes on the interior of the packet through reverse-patched regions of the packet's sidewalls. The configuration of the electrical connection prevents current from leaking into the metallic foil layer of the packet during heating, thereby mitigating the risk of a short circuit condition in the packet. The rectangular prism geometry of the packet and the parallel configuration of the electrodes within the packet facilitate uniform heating of the packet's contents.

Ohmic heating packet

A continuous flow/batch peeling device and method of using the device comprising a tub comprising a treatment zone and holding a replaceable quantity of an electrically conductive fluid and at least one produce immersed in the fluid, a belt comprised of a nonconductive material and comprising at least one divider that exposes produce to the treatment zone, and at least one variable power supply connected to at least one set of electrodes that are fixed to a wall of the treatment zone and in electrical contact with the fluid such that when the electrodes are energized, an electrical current is produced in the fluid and the produce causing the peel to rupture from an outer layer of flesh of the produce.

Growing community of inventors

Sunbury, OH, United States of America

Brian F Heskitt