Treatment of vegetable foodstuffs
OwnerPaul Bernard Newmaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fresh vegetable foodstuff such as fruit, vegetables, grains or nuts is treated to reduce microbial contamination (UV-C irradiation, preferably in a CO2 atmosphere, preferably at −1 to +4° C.) and/or to induce protective phytoalexins (UV-A, UV-B and UV-C irradiation) and/or to destroy aflatoxins (UV irradiation, primarily UV-C). A modular system can be readily adapted to different foodstuffs. It can include treatment modules and support modules (e.g. for cleaning elements of the treatment modules, providing them with controlled environments, and controlling the input of foodstuffs so they are susceptible to treatment).
Claims9
A method for treatment of a raw vegetable foodstuff selected from fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts, so as (a) to reduce microbial contamination, (b) to reduce aflatoxin content, and (c) to cause the raw vegetable foodstuff to generate phytoalexins, said method comprising exposing the raw vegetable foodstuff to UV radiation in a wavelength range comprising at least a portion of each one of the UV-A, UV-B and UV-C radiation bands, wherein exposing the raw vegetable foodstuff to the UV radiation is carried out in an atmosphere of at least 70% of V/V of carbon dioxide.
A method for treatment of a raw vegetable foodstuff selected from fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts, so as (a) to reduce microbial contamination, (b) to reduce aflatoxin content, and (c) to cause the raw vegetable foodstuff to generate phytoalexins, said method comprising exposing the raw vegetable foodstuff to UV radiation in a wavelength range comprising at least a portion of each one of the UV-A, UV-B and UV-C radiation bands, wherein the foodstuff is subjected to a cooling treatment such that the surfaces of the foodstuff are maintained in the temperature range −1 to +4° C. while exposing the raw vegetable foodstuff to the UV radiation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.