High temperature/ultra-high pressure sterilization of foods
US6086936A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 14, 1995 |
| Grant date | Jul 11, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 14, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA23B7/0056
- WIPO fieldFood chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Method for sterilizing foods using both ultra-high pressures and high temperatures. The instantaneous temperature change that occurs when pressure is applied combines a high-temperature short-time process with ultra-high pressure to deliver a fast and therefore gentle thermal process to a pre-packaged product. The process involves heating a food to a pre-pressurized temperature, subjecting the food to ultra-high pressure, which instantaneously raises the temperature of the food, and then releasing the pressure so that the temperature returns to the original pre-pressurized temperature. The method leverages the adiabatic temperature rise which occurs when the food is hydrostatically pressurized, coupled with the lethality of the pressure, to achieve appropriate sterilization conditions.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.