Cold shock method improvements

Abstract

The invention is a method of cooling objects by submerging in a fluid to obtain a desired cooling effect. These objects can be either food or non-food. The fluid can be liquid nitrogen, liquid argon, liquid oxygen, liquid carbon dioxide, or any combination thereof. The fluid can include an additive that helps sanitize the object. This additive can be oxidizing agents such as ozone, chlorine, chlorine compounds, hydrogen peroxide solutions, ozonia solutions, or combinations thereof. The submergence can be by way of an automatic dipping process, or a continuous moving belt process. The regulation can occur by varying speed or by maintaining a constant speed. The submergence can be by way of total submergence, or only partial submergence, of the object in the fluid. The desired effect can be to shock the surface microorganisms to make them susceptible to concurrent or subsequent treatments.

1 . A method of rapidly cooling and sanitizing objects comprising: a cooling process comprising submerging said objects in a fluid, wherein said submergence is regulated to obtain a desired cooling effect and a sanitizing process wherein the objects are exposed to one or more primary sanitizing additives at one or more times selected from the group consisting of before the cooling process, during the cooling process, and after the cooling process.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said objects are food objects.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said objects are non-food objects.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fluid is selected from the group consisting of liquid nitrogen, liquid argon, liquid oxygen, liquid carbon dioxide, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said fluid further comprises one or more initial sanitizing additives.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said one or more initial sanitizing additives are chemically different from said one or more primary sanitizing additives.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said one or more initial sanitizing additives are chemically identical to said one or more primary sanitizing additives.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said additive participates in a preliminary sanitation process.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said preliminary sanitation process occurs before the cooling of the object.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said preliminary sanitation process occurs during the cooling of the object.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said initial sanitizing additive is selected from the group consisting of ozone, chlorine, chlorine compounds, hydrogen peroxide solutions, oxonia solutions, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said initial sanitizing additive is selected from the group consisting of organic substances, inorganic substances, a combination of two or more organic substances, a combination of two or more inorganic substances, and a combination of one or more organic substance and one or more inorganic substance.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said submergence is by way of an automatic dipping process, or a continuous moving belt process.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said regulation occurs by varying speed.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said regulation occurs by maintaining a constant speed.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said submergence comprises totally submerging said object in the fluid.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said submergence comprises partially submerging said object in the fluid.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said desired cooling effect is to shock surface microorganisms to make them susceptible to a concurrent treatment.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said desired cooling effect is to shock surface microorganisms to make them susceptible to a subsequent treatment.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said desired cooling effect is to promote the destruction and inactivation of surface microorganisms without freezing the object throughout.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said desired cooling effect is to promote the destruction and inactivation of surface microorganisms without cooling the object throughout.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said desired cooling effect is to promote the destruction and inactivation of surface microorganisms and freeze the object throughout.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said desired cooling effect is to promote the destruction and inactivation of surface microorganisms and cool the object throughout.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling process and the sanitizing process occur simultaneously.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said primary sanitizing additive is selected from the group consisting of ozone, chlorine, chlorine compounds, hydrogen peroxide solutions, oxonia solutions, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said primary sanitizing additive is selected from the group consisting of organic substances, inorganic substances, a combination of two or more organic substances, a combination of two or more inorganic substances, and a combination of one or more organic substance and one or more inorganic substance.