Methods and apparatus for food product preservation by inactivation of microorganisms and/or enzymes by applying pulses of very intense, very short duration pulses of light in the visible and near visible frequencies to the surface of food products to be preserved. Also disclosed are packaging methods and apparatus utilizing such intense, short pulses of polychromatic, incoherent light.
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 204,114 filed June 8, 1988, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 187,281 filed Apr. 28, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,559, which application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 794,573 filed Nov. 4, 1985, now abandoned, application Ser. No. 731,665 filed May 7, 1985, now abandoned, application Ser. No. 555,383 filed Nov. 23, 1983, now abandoned, and U.S. application Ser. No. 703,289 filed Feb. 20, 1985, now abandoned, and application Ser. No. 930,646 filed Nov. 13, 1986, now abandoned, which are incorporated herein by reference.
A process for sterilizing and filling packages (1) for flowable media, open on one side, under the influence of pulsating light and use of a filler pipe (5) is improved to the effect that treatment by chemical media together with its associated disadvantages in avoided. For this, the package (1), enclosing the filler pipe (5) and the light source (7), is moved sufficiently far relatively to the filler pipe (5) and to the light source (7) for the bottom edge (16) of the filler pipe (5) and the light source (7) to be located near to the closed end (3) of the package, sterile gas is blown into the package (1) and the light is allowed to take effect, and after shutting off the light source (7), the light source (7) is moved along in one direction and the package (1), being filled, is moved in the other direction, then closed and transported onwards.
A bag package making machine that operates aseptically and in which a product is filled into a tube of packaging material and bag packages are partitioned off from that tube, the parts that come into contact with the packaging material and the product are sterilized, before filling operation begins, by passing a sterilizing agent through the filling tube and the bag forming part. For passing a sterilizing agent through the filling tube, a cup-shaped connecting element, which is enclosed by the packaging material tube, is connected to the outlet of the filling tube. Toward the end of the sterilizing phase, the filling tube and the connecting element are moved apart from one another, and the part of the packaging material tube surrounding these parts is sealed off between the connecting element and the filling tube and severed, so that the filling tube end remains in the closed end portion of the tube of packaging material which continues in a sterilized condition.
A packaging machine having a plurality of processing stations is used to form, fill, and seal a carton having interior surfaces and exterior surfaces. The packaging machine includes a sterilization station. The sterilization station comprises a conveyor for transporting the carton through various ones of the processing stations along a processing path, a source of ultraviolet emissions, and an irradiation chamber. The irradiation chamber comprises a plurality of reflecting surfaces substantially surrounding the carton as it passes therethrough along the processing path. The plurality of reflecting surfaces direct ultraviolet light from the source of ultraviolet emissions to irradiate and thereby sanitize the interior surfaces and the exterior surfaces of the container. Preferably, the irradiation chamber comprises an upper parabolic reflecting surface disposed to direct ultraviolet light from the source of ultraviolet emissions downward, a pair of side reflecting surfaces disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor to direct ultraviolet light from the source of ultraviolet emissions toward exterior sides of the cartion, and a lower parabolic reflector disposed to direct ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet source upward.
A method of protecting a biomolecule from substantial degradation while reducing the content of a pathogen or chemical toxin contained by a biologically derived composition is described. The method involves first providing a biologically derived composition containing a pathogen or chemical toxin and at least one biologically active molecule. Then, adding albumin to the composition to create a supplemented composition. Next, subjecting the supplemented composition to polychromatic pulsed light to degrade the pathogen or toxin. The polychromatic light includes at least one high-intensity, short duration pulse of incoherent polychromatic light in a broad spectrum. The light intensity is at least about 0.01 J/cm.sup.2, the pulse duration is 10 ns to 100 ms and the light wavelengths are between about 170 nm and about 2600 nm. The content of the albumin in the supplemented composition is such that the subjecting step reduces the content of the pathogen or chemical toxin by at least a factor of 10 without degrading the biological activity of the biomolecule to an unacceptable level. Finally, the biomolecule is recovered in a biologically active state.
A substrate such as a woven or nonwoven fabric bound with a light-activated dye alone or in combination with additional conventional antimicrobial agents. The substrate is impregnated with a light-activated non-leachable dye having antimicrobial and/or antiviral characteristics which can be imparted to the substrate. The dye is bound by a cationic or anionic binder such as a water soluble polymer or carrageenan. Upon exposure to normal light, the dye generates singlet oxygen that kills microorganisms and viruses.
