Method and apparatus to cool food contact machines and surfaces

Abstract

A cooling and refrigeration apparatus cools one or more surfaces of one or more food handling or food storage devices, such as meat cutting machines, scales, and food preparation areas, so as to inhibit bacterial and other microbial growth thereon. The apparatus includes one or more coolers to lower the temperature of the food contact surfaces to a predetermined temperature which inhibits bacteria and other microbial growth thereon, by providing one or more surfaces at the predetermined temperature adjacent to or at the one or more food handling or storage surfaces. The cooler includes a temperature reducing module, such as a thermoelectric module, enclosed within a movable drawer insert, which is slid or dropped into a drawer housing engagable or in a cooled cavity or sleeve in which the drawer or other container device resides, within a food accommodating device, such as a mobile food court, cabinet, display tray, etc. In addition, the drawer can have an optional lid.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.