Method for controlling microbial contamination of a vacuum-sealed food product
AssigneeKraft Foods Holdings, Inc.
InventorsDavid Forest Kuethe, Vernon Donald Karman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods for controlling contamination of a food product are provided which utilize a combined treatment comprising thermal surface treatment and introduction of an antimicrobial solution to a food package prior to vacuum sealing the package.
Claims32
A method for controlling contamination of a food product with a surface in a vacuum-sealed package, said method comprising placing the food product in a vacuum-sealable package, treating the food product while in the vacuum-sealable package with a combined treatment of (1) thermal surface treatment and (2) application of a solution of one or more antimicrobial agents to the surface of the food product, and then vacuum sealing the vacuum-sealable package to form the vacuum-sealed package such that the vacuum sealing uniformly disperses the solution over the surface of the food product, and wherein the combined treatment of the food product while in the vacuum-sealable package is effective for killing or inactivating essentially all pathogenic contamination in the vacuum-sealed food product.
A method for controlling pathogenic contamination in a vacuum-sealed food product, said method comprising:
- (1) providing a food product with a food surface;
- (2) providing a flexible vacuum-sealable package having a package cavity for holding the food product;
- (3) placing the food product into the package cavity;
- (4) treating the food product in the package cavity for a time and temperature effective for thermal surface treatment;
- (5) introducing an effective amount of an antimicrobial solution containing an antimicrobial agent into the package cavity containing the food product;
- and then (6) vacuum sealing the food product in the package such that the package cavity and the package shrinks around the food product and the antimicrobial solution is uniformity dispersed over the food surface, wherein the thermal surface treatment and the antimicrobial solution are, in combination, effective for killing or inactivating essentially all pathogenic contamination in the vacuum-sealed food product.
A method for controlling pathogenic contamination in a vacuum-sealed food product, said method comprising, in order, forming a lower web into a partial package at a forming station, loading the food product into the partially formed package at a loading station, thermal treatment of the surfaces of the food product in the partially formed package at a thermal surface treatment station, treatment of the surfaces of the food product in the partially formed package with a solution containing an antimicrobial agent at an antimicrobial application station, and sealing the treated food product in a closing station by forming a final package from the partially formed package and an upper web employing a vacuum heat sealing operation such that the final package shrinks around the food product and the antimicrobial solution is uniformity dispersed over the surfaces of the food product, and wherein the thermal treatment and the solution of the antimicrobial agent are, in combination, effective for killing or inactivating essentially all pathogenic contamination in the vacuum-sealed food product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.