US 2011/0212230 A1 · Evaluating bacterial lethality of containerized food production

Abstract

Procedures and means for evaluating effectiveness of bacterial-lethality, following batch-processed containerized food production operations and aseptic-flow food-production operations as containerized in aseptic-containers, in preparing for non-refrigerated marketing are described. The evaluations significantly expedite determining whether thermally-processed containerized food-production is safe for non-refrigerated marketing. The presence or absence of live spore-forming bacteria is determined chemically free of extended storage requirements relying on a mechanical-failure indication of food-spoilage. Also, a biological-indication verification of microbial-biocidal status of the packaged food is made available. The invention determines whether rigid-sheet metal containers, and/or whether any of the new, and newly developing, non-refrigerated food packages, which largely utilize polymeric materials, for convenient microwave-oven heating of opened-packs, and soft polymeric pouch products, are safe for non-refrigerated marketing; and, such determinations are made substantially more concurrently with production-operations, than previously available.

Claims17

Dependent claims

Process for determining effectiveness of timed elevated-temperature thermal-processing of in-line batch-processed containerized food production-operations including in-line aseptic flow-processing for aseptic-containerization production-operations, for evaluating whether safe for non-refrigerated marketing, comprising

(A) providing sealed test-ampoules for evaluating bacterial-lethality of batch-processed food, by:
(i) selecting spore-producing-bacteria, for such test ampoules of a type associated with spoilage of such food being batch-processed,
(ii) providing,
(a) for fabricating such test-ampoules of selected configuration and internal capacities,
(b) for confining contents including such spore-producing bacteria plus liquid-state test constituents, and
(c) for remaining sealed during thermal-processing and following bacterial-lethality evaluation;
(B) confining such spore-producing food-spoilage bacteria and liquid-state test constituents within an individual test-ampoule of said test-ampoules;
(C) placing individual test-ampoules for monitoring thermal-processing, so as to enable
(D) correlating:
(i) biocidal results on spore-producing bacteria as sealed within such individual test-ampoules for monitoring thermal-operations with
(ii) biocidal results achieved on such spore-producing bacteria associated with such foods for containerized production-operations.

8 more elements

Non-rigid polymeric test-ampoule for use in evaluating bacterial-lethality effectiveness of elevated-temperature thermal-processing, on food-spoilage bacteria associated with batch-processed food production containerized in substantially non-rigid packaging, for determining whether safe for non-refrigerated marketing, comprising

(A) selecting non-rigid polymeric sheet material for fabricating such test-ampoule, so as to be capable of:
(i) establishing a desired capacity for selected constituents,
withstanding elevated-temperature thermal-processing as part of such batch-food containerized production operations, while
(iii) confining
(a) selected food-spoilage spore-producing bacteria, in
(b) a liquid spore-culturing medium, containing
(c) pH responsive means, for
(d) detecting chemical change due to microbial-action of surviving live bacteria, if any, in said test-ampoule, and, in which
(e) such selected polymeric material,
(f) maintains visual clarity during such thermal-processing and subsequent evaluation of bacterial-lethality effectiveness.

7 more elements

Process for protecting food quality during containerized batch-processed containerized food production operations providing for non-refrigerated marketing, comprising

(A) predetermining pH value of foods selected for such batch-processed containerized food production operations;
(B) selecting minimal microbial-biocidal thermal-processing as estimated to be required during such food production operations, based substantially on such predetermined pH value, so as to enable minimizing thermal-processing;
(C) selecting and confining food-spoilage bacteria internally of test-ampoules, for responding to such estimated thermal-processing, for
(D) correlating microbial-biocidal action, on such selected bacteria as confined within such test-ampoules, with that required, during containerized-food production thermal-processing, for safe non-refrigerated marketing.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Evaluating bacterial lethality of containerized food production

Life of this patent

Evaluating bacterial lethality of containerized food production

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17