Prolongation of shelf-life in perishable food products

An apparatus for increasing the shelf-life of a perishable solid food product, including:

• means for applying a fluid coating material to a surface of the perishable solid food product, the fluid coating including means for adhering to the surface after the applying of the fluid coating and for forming a solid coating that substantially covers the surface, the solid coating being at least partially transparent to light having a frequency within a prescribed frequency range and including means for reducing the accessibility of the surface of the perishable solid food product to microorganisms;
• and
• means for illuminating the surface of the perishable solid food product with light having a frequency within the prescribed frequency range, including means for passing at least a portion of the light through the solid coating and for deactivating microorganisms substantially at the surface of the perishable solid food product;
• whereby the at least a portion of the light in combination with the solid coating causes the increase in shelf-life of the perishable solid food product.

An apparatus for increasing shelf-life of and preserving a perishable solid food product, including:

• an application device that applies a fluid coating material to a surface of the perishable solid food product, the fluid coating including means for adhering to the surface after the fluid coating is applied, and means for forming a solid coating that substantially covers the surface, the solid coating being at least partially transparent to light having a frequency within a prescribed frequency range and including means for reducing the accessibility of the surface of the perishable solid food product to microorganisms;
• a light source that illuminates the solid coating with light having frequencies within the prescribed frequency range;
• and
• an energizing device that energizes the light source that illuminates the solid coating so as to cause light to illuminate the solid coating, the light source including means for passing light through the solid coating, for illuminating the surface of the perishable solid food product with light and for inactivating microorganisms substantially at the surface of the perishable solid food product with light;
• whereby the at least a portion of the light in combination with the solid coating causes the increase in the shelf-life and the preservation of the perishable solid food product.

A method for inactivating microorganisms on the surface of a solid food product and for preventing reinfection of the solid food product by such microorganisms, including:

• applying a fluid coating to a surface of the solid food product, the fluid coating solidifying on the surface and adhering to the surface after the applying of the fluid coating so as to form a solid coating that substantially covers the surface, the solid coating being at least partially transparent to light having a frequency within a prescribed frequency range and reducing the accessibility of the surface of the food product to the microorganisms;
• said solid coating not including a microbiocide and said solid coating not including a microbiostat;
• and
• illuminating the solid coating with polychromatic light, the polychromatic light having an energy density of between 0.01 J/cm.sup.2 and 50 J/cm.sup.2 at the solid coating and a frequency within the prescribed frequency range, the prescribed frequency range being between 1.8.times.10.sup.15 Hz and 1.2.times.10.sup.14 Hz, at least a portion of the polychromatic light passing through the solid coating so as to illuminate the surface of the solid food product and causing the deactivating of the microorganisms;
• whereby the at least a portion of the polychromatic light in combination with the solid coating causes the deactivation of the microorganisms on the surface of the solid food product and substantially prevents reinfection of the solid food product by such microorganisms.

A method for increasing shelf-life in a perishable solid food product, including:

• applying a fluid coating to a surface of the perishable solid food product, the fluid coating adhering to the surface after the applying of the fluid coating so as to form a solid coating that substantially covers the surface, the solid coating being at least partially transparent to light having a prescribed frequency and reducing the accessibility of the surface of the food product to microorganisms;
• and
• illuminating the solid coating with monochromatic light, seventy percent of the energy from the monochromatic light being from light of the prescribed frequency, at least a portion of the monochromatic light passing through the solid coating and deactivating microorganisms substantially at the surface of the food product;
• whereby the at least a portion of the monochromatic light in combination with the solid coating cause the increase in shelf-life of the perishable solid food product.