Method & apparatus of electric cleansing of food products
OwnerEarl P. Burke JR., George Nelson Bennett +1inventors
InventorsEarl P. Burke JR., George Nelson Bennett, David Richard Jackson
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Abstract
A method and related apparatus for cleansing or killing bacteria from raw oysters. The method involves exposing the meat, and possibly some natural fluids, of shucked oysters to high strength electric fields to cleanse or kill the bacteria present in and on the oyster. An apparatus to perform the method involves a sterilization tank made in part of two conductive plates spaced about one centimeter apart. The meat of shucked oysters is placed between the plates. A large voltage from energy-storing capacitors is applied to the conductive plates to create the electric field that kills the bacteria in the stomach and other cavities, and on the meat of the shucked oysters.
Claims33
A method of cleansing bacteria from a shucked oyster which comprises exposing the shucked oyster to an electric field of sufficient strength to kill the bacteria.
A method of preparing oysters for consumption, comprising:
- a) shucking the oysters from their shells to free the meat from shell;
- and
- b) exposing the meat to a high strength electric field to kill the bacteria.
A method of preparing bivalves for human consumption comprising:
- harvesting oysters from oyster beds;
- shucking said oysters to remove the oyster meat and natural fluids;
- collecting the oyster meat and natural fluids until such collection amounts to a predetermined volume;
- skimming the oyster meat and natural fluids;
- placing the skimmed oysters in a treatment chamber formed on two sides by conductive plates having a spacing between them;
- creating an electric field between the plates thereby making cleansed oysters;
- and
- placing the cleansed oysters in shipping containers.
A structure for electric cleansing of bacteria from bivalves comprising:
- a charging network;
- a voltage control network;
- an application chamber having an internal volume containing meat of raw oysters, each meat having a thickness;
- said application chamber having at least five sides comprising:
- two conductive plates forming two opposing vertical sides having a separation substantially the same as the thickness of the meat of the raw oyster;
- two non-conductive members attached to the conductive plates and forming a remaining two vertical sides;
- and
- a bottom formed of perforated non-conductive material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.