Zeco, Inc.

Zee Company, Inc.

Zee Company I, LLC

Jonathon R Bullard

Robert C Bullard

James A Faller

Battle Glascock

A Rider Barnum

George Beason

William J Guinn

Robert J Matthews

Keith Seyfried

James Diamantis

Bob Bullard

W Joseph Guinn

Joe Guinn

Mason Bradford

Methods and related apparatus for improving the efficacy of antimicrobial agents within processing tanks. Processing tanks can include side streams for introducing antimicrobial agents into the processing tanks. The antimicrobial agents will be added and mixed in the side stream to form a processing solution. Additional actions can be conducted on the processing solution within the side stream including any and or all of heating, pumping, sampling, measuring, testing and pH adjustment of the processing solution. The processing solution is divided into at least two processing solution steams, which can be introduced at two different and distinct locations within the processing tank such as a carcass introduction end and a carcass removal end. By simultaneously introducing at least two processing solution streams at different locations of the processing tank, large concentration gradients of the antimicrobial agent are avoided.

Methods for related apparatus for increasing antimicrobial efficacy in a poultry chiller tank

A method for producing an aqueous equilibrium peroxylactic acid solution by reaction mixing lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, water, one or more optional acid catalysts and one or more optional sequestering agents in a vessel over a period of time while maintaining the temperature of the solution at a temperature below about 100° C. The aqueous equilibrium peroxylactic acid solution can be used for reducing the bacterial count on food products, particularly a protein food product, during processing.

Method of peroxylactic acid production and use for reduction in microbial activity in food product processing

Methods and related apparatus for providing a chemical intervention processing solution for use within processing tanks. Processing tanks can include side streams or ancillary systems for generating the chemical intervention processing solution that can then be introduced into the processing tanks. The antimicrobial agents will be added and mixed in the side stream to form the chemical intervention processing solution. Additional actions can be conducted on the processing solution within the side stream including any and or all of heating, pumping, sampling, measuring, testing and pH adjustment of the processing solution. The chemical intervention processing solution can also be provided by a venturi injector that combines processing water and an antimicrobial agent and/or an alkaline agent outside of the processing tank. The processing solution can be used for various food processing applications.

Methods and related apparatus for providing a processing solution for a food processing application

System for increasing antimicrobial efficacy in a poultry processing tank

A system and related methods for monitoring and dosing peroxycarboxylic acids, particularly peracetic acid, in food processing applications based upon desired concentration of the processing solution. The concentration of the peroxycarboxylic acid measured and additional peroxycarboxylic acid being added to the processing solution if the measured concentration is below a threshold level of the desired concentration, and additional water being added to the processing solution if the measured concentration is above a threshold level of the desired concentration. The system and related methods capable of being used in utilized with either live stream or static, storage tank based systems, to keep the concentration of peroxycarboxylic acid at or near desired concentration levels while experiencing less variation than experienced with conventional flow-based or hand-mixed systems.

Peracetic acid concentration and monitoring and concentration-based dosing system

A scrubbing assembly for treating malodorous air by chemical scrubbing one or more chemical components from an influent airflow, particularly one or more chemical components that have become airborne from chemical intervention solutions used during food processing, such as vapors from peroxycarboxylic acid solutions used during food processing. The peroxycarboxylic acid vapors are removed from air in a continuous manner within the scrubber assembly utilizing a neutralizing chemical solution to provide a treated effluent airflow that can be returned back to the point of use area from which the malodorous air was removed for treatment.

Peroxycarboxylic acid scrubber assembly

A method for producing an aqueous equilibrium peroxylactic acid solution by reaction mixing lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, water, one or more optional acid catalysts and one or more optional sequestering agents in a vessel over a period of time while maintaining the temperature of the solution at a temperature below about 100&#xb0; C. The aqueous equilibrium peroxylactic acid solution can be used for reducing the bacterial count on a protein food product during processing.

Methods and related apparatus for increasing antimicrobial efficacy in a poultry chiller tank

A poultry carcass spraying cabinet having an inclined or declined section located between the entrance and exit, the inclined or declined section having a slope or angle such that the wing-area of adjacently shackled poultry carcasses being conveyed is spaced to increase spray performance of the carcass spraying cabinet, allow foreign material proximate the wing-area of the poultry carcasses to be dislodged, and thereby minimize cross-contamination during poultry processing. The spray nozzles of adjacent arbor members of the inclined or declined section being located in different horizontal planes to provide optimal spraying performance proximate the wing-area of the poultry carcass.

Spray cabinet for poultry processing and methods thereof

A submersion conveyor system for processing materials that need to be completely submersed in a processing liquid, such as food products, the submersion conveyor system providing a continual looping motion with a conveyor belt and flights providing a semi-enclosed volume for containing the material to be processed, the semi-enclosed volume containing the material to be processed being completely submersed in at least a portion of a processing tank during operation to provide a washing, rinsing, coating, treating, sanitizing and/or chilling or heating of the processing materials.

Submersion conveyor system and methods thereof

A conveyor system and related methods of operation for using two or more conveyors to treat at least two separate sides of food items with a chemical intervention solution. The conveyor system can include two or more conveyors arranged in an angled relationship relative to a horizontal plane such that a first side of a food material is presented on a first conveyor and a second side of the food material is presented on a second conveyor. A chemical intervention system including two or more spray assemblies can apply a suitable chemical intervention solution to the first and second sides of food. The two or more conveyors can be arranged at an angle from 20-45 degrees relative to a common horizontal plane.

Conveyor system and related methods of processing food

A system and related methods for monitoring and dosing peroxycarboxylic acids, particularly peracetic acid, in food processing applications based upon the desired concentration of the processing solution. The peroxycarboxylic acid concentration measured, and additional peroxycarboxylic acid added to the processing solution if the measured concentration is below a threshold level of the desired concentration, or additional water being added to the processing solution if the measured concentration is above a threshold level of the desired concentration. The system and related methods can be utilized with either live stream or static water sources to keep the concentration of peroxycarboxylic acid at or near desired concentration levels, which results in less concentration variation than experienced with conventional flow-based or hand-mixed systems.

Growing community of inventors

Chattanooga, TN, United States of America

Jonathon R Bullard