High temperature/ultra high pressure sterilization of foods
US6207215A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 24, 2000 |
| Grant date | Mar 27, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 24, 2020 |
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. The disclosure also includes foods which have been sterilized using both ultra-high pressures and high temperatures.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.