Method and system for preserving food
AssigneeTexas Tech University System
InventorsChristine Alvarado, J. Chance Brooks, Mindy M. Brashears, Todd Brashears, Gianfranco Coccoli, Pierluigi Sapelli, Mario Piazza, Stefania Franzoni, Federico Felappi, Nicola Tolettini
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Abstract
The present invention includes a method for extending the shelf-life of one or more foods by exposure to one or more pulses of microwave radiation for at least seven (7) seconds. The present invention may also be used to reduce pathogenic organisms in food. The one or more foods may be packaged within a container, sealed and stored.
Claims26
A method for extending a shelf-life of one or more foods, comprising the steps of:
- providing a horizontal microwave radiation source and a vertical microwave radiation source;
- exposing the one or more foods to two or more pulses of one or more wavelengths between 1 GHz and 300 GHz for at least seven seconds from the microwave radiation sources;
- disposing the one or more foods within a container;
- and
- sealing the container, whereby one or more microbiological activities within the container is inhibited so long as the container remains sealed.
A method of preserving food comprising:
- exposing the one or more food to one or more pulses of microwave radiation of one or more wavelengths between 1 GHz and 300 GHz for at least seven seconds;
- wherein the one or more pulses of microwave radiation are from one or more first horizontal microwave radiation sources and one or more second vertical microwave radiation sources,
- disposing the one or more food within a container;
- and
- sealing the food within the container, wherein the shelf-life of the food is improved.
A method for preserving one or more foods, comprising the steps of:
- exposing one or more foods to one or more pulses of microwave radiation with a pulse time of 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 or more seconds from a horizontal and a vertical microwave radiation source;
- disposing the one or more foods within a container;
- and
- sealing the container, whereby a pathogenic organism within the container is inhibited so long as the container remains sealed.
A method for reducing food-borne pathogens in foods, comprising the steps of:
- exposing the one or more foods to one or more pulses of microwave radiation for a pulse time of 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 or more seconds;
- moving the one or more foods horizontally;
- moving the one or more foods rotationally;
- and
- sealing the container, whereby one or more microbiological activities within the container is reduced so long as the container remains sealed.
A method for extending the shelf-life of one or more foods, comprising the steps of:
- exposing the one or more foods to one or more pulses of microwave radiation for at least seven seconds from a horizontal microwave radiation source and a vertical microwave radiation source;
- moving the one or more foods horizontally and rotationally;
- and
- disposing the one or more foods within a container, whereby one or more microbiological activities on or about the one or more foods is inhibited.
A method for extending a shelf-life of one or more foods, comprising the steps of:
- exposing the one or more foods to one or more pulses of microwave radiation of a wavelength of about 2.4 GHz for less than 20 seconds from a horizontal microwave radiation source and from a vertical microwave radiation source;
- disposing the one or more foods within a container;
- and
- sealing the container, whereby one or more microbiological activities within the container is inhibited so long as the container remains sealed.
A method for extending a shelf-life of one or more foods, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a sealed container within a microwave radiation area, wherein the microwave radiation area comprises one or more first microwave radiation sources positioned in a first axis and one or more second microwave radiation sources positioned in a second axis relative to the first axis;
- exposing the container to one or more pulses of microwave radiation from the one or more first microwave radiation sources and one or more pulses of microwave radiation from the one or more second microwave radiation sources, with a pulse time of 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 or more seconds, wherein one or more microbiological activities within the container is inhibited so long as the container remains sealed;
- and
- moving the container horizontally and rotationally.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.