The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 03, 1999
Filed:
May. 29, 1998
Arthur I Morgan, Berkeley, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
The present invention is a surface pasteurizer and method for treating the surface of raw foods, by exposing the surface to a treatment gas in the absence of air, so rapidly and ending the treatment, by streaming the treatment gas back into vacuum, so rapidly that the interior of the food is unaffected by treatment and so that the pasteurizer is able to process a high volume of food in a given time period. The treatment may have for its object (1) killing surface microorganisms on such items as meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, and packaging materials; (2) firming the surface layer over a sensitive interior on such items as encapsulated liquids, permeation membranes, and edible coated objects; or (3) weakening the surface layer over a sensitive interior in order to more easily remove the surface layer on such items as peeled grains, fruit and vegetables. The apparatus and method provide for (1) inserting the food into the apparatus, flushing the food with low pressure air-free steam during insertion; (2) exposing the food to a vacuum; (3) exposing the food to an air-free treatment gas; (4) exposing the food to a vacuum to remove the air-free treatment gas; and (5) expelling the food from the apparatus.