# US 2014/0193552 A1 · Method and apparatus for the sterilization of ground meat using supercritical co2

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- Number: US 2014/0193552 A1
- Document ID: US20140193552A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/738,517
- Filed: 2013-01-10
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-10
- Assignees: Novasterilis, Inc.
- Applicants: Novasterilis, Inc.
- Inventors: David Burns; Thomas Steffie; Alecia Eppelsheimer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193552A1

## CPC

- A23B 4/0053: {with gas or liquids, with or without shaping, e.g. in form of powder, granules or flakes}
- A23B 2/754: containing carboxyl groups
- A23B 4/24: Inorganic compounds
- A23B: PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES

## Abstract

A method for sterilizing a ground meat product through the application supercritical CO2 during the processing of the meat by introducing supercritical CO2 into an extruder as the meat passes through the extruder while controlling the pressure and speed at which the meat passes through the extruder to maintain the meat in contact with the supercritical CO2 for a time sufficient achieve a log reduction in colony forming units of microbial contaminants.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for sterilizing a ground meat product through the application of supercritical CO2 during the processing of the ground meat comprising:
feeding meat into a grinder where it is ground into ground meat;
transmitting the ground meat to an extruder;
introducing supercritical CO2 into the extruder as the ground meat passes through the extruder; and
controlling the pressure and speed at which the ground meat passes through the extruder to maintain the ground meat in contact with the supercritical CO2 while in the extruder to achieve a log reduction in colony forming units of microbial contaminants so as to sterilize the ground meat.

### Claim at position 2

2-3. (canceled)

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further including adding a liquid sterilization additive to the extruder as the meat passes through the extruder.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the liquid sterilization additive is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, peracetic acid, trifluoroacetic acid, acetic acid derivatives or mixtures thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the extruder has twin screws.