Food Sanitizing apparatus

Fluid food product sanitizing apparatus comprising:

• inlet passage means, defined by a convergent conical passage, for expanding a fluid food product into a flowing, annular laminar film;
• inactivation means, including source of ultraviolet radiation, for inactivating undesirable microorganisms on the flowing annular film;
• photoreactivation means, including a source of near infrared radiation, for restoring organoleptic quality of the flowing annular film lost during the ultraviolet radiation of the product;
• means, surrounding the sources of radiation, for cooling the sources of radiation;
• cylindrical passage means, in fluid communication with the inlet passage means and defined between the water jacket and the outer casement, for enabling the flow of the annular film through the inactivation means and the photoreactivation means;
• and
• outlet passage means, defined by a divergent conical passage, for enabling the sterilized flowing laminar film to exit the apparatus.

Ground beef sanitizing apparatus comprising:

• inlet passage means, defined by a convergent conical passage, for expanding a ground beef product into a flowing, annular laminar film;
• inactivation means, including source of ultraviolet radiation, for inactivating undesirable microorganisms on the flowing annular film;
• photoreactivation means, including a source of near infrared radiation, for restoring organoleptic quality of the flowing annular film lost during the ultraviolet radiation of the ground beef product;
• means, surrounding the sources of radiation, for cooling the sources of radiation;
• cylindrical passage means, in fluid communication with the inlet passage means and defined between the water jacket and the outer casement, for enabling the flow of the annular film through the inactivation means and the photoreactivation means;
• and
• outlet passage means, defined by a divergent conical passage, for enabling the sterilized flowing laminar film to exit the apparatus.

Solid food product sanitizing apparatus for use with a solid food product conveyor, the sanitizing apparatus comprising:

• photoregulation stage means, including at least one high intensity AC pulsed xenon lamp disposed adjacent the solid food product conveyor, for photoregulation of solid food product moved past said photoregulation stage means by the solid food product conveyor;
• inactivation stage means, including at least one high intensity mercury vapor lamp disposed adjacent the solid food product conveyor and spaced apart from said photoregulation stage means, for inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in the solid food product moved past said inactivation stage means by the solid food product conveyor;
• and
• photoreactivation means, including at least one high intensity AC pulsed xenon lamp disposed adjacent the solid food product conveyor and spaced apart from said inactivation stage means, for photoreactivation of the solid food product after inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in the solid food product moved past said photoreactivation means by the solid food product conveyor.

Liquid food sanitizing apparatus comprising:

• first immersion well means, including a first casement cylinder having at least one high intensity AC pulsed xenon lamp disposed therein and a first surrounding fluid conduit, for photoregulation of liquid food passing through the first surrounding fluid conduit;
• second immersion well means, including a second casement cylinder having at least one high intensity mercury vapor lamp disposed therein and a second surrounding fluid conduit, for inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in liquid food passing through the second surrounding fluid conduit;
• third immersion well means, including a third casement cylinder having at least one high intensity AC pulsed xenon lamp disposed therein and a third surrounding fluid conduit, for photoreactivation of the liquid food after inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in the liquid food, said first, second and third surrounding fluid conduits being in fluid communication with one another;
• and
• pump means for passing the liquid food sequentially through the first, second and third surrounding fluid conduits.

Solid food product sanitizing apparatus comprising:

• immersion tank means for under water transport of solid food product;
• photoregulation stage means, including at least one high intensity pulsed xenon lamp disposed over said immersion tank means, for photoregulation of the solid food product transported past said inactivation stage means by said immersion tank means;
• inactivation stage means, including at least one high intensity mercury vapor lamp disposed over said immersion tank means, for inactivation of microbial organisms on the solid food product transported past said photoreactivation means by said immersion tank means;
• photoreactivation means, including at least one high intensity pulsed xenon lamp disposed over said immersion tank means, for photoreactivation of the solid food product;
• and
• means for introducing ozone into said immersion means in order to provide bacterial sterilants into said immersion tank means.