Beverage manufacture, processing, packaging and dispensing using electrochemically activated water

Abstract

A system using electrochemically-activated water (ECAW) for manufacturing, processing, packaging, and dispensing beverages including: (a) using ECAW to neutralize incompatible residues when transitioning from the production of one beverage to another; (b) using ECAW to rehabilitate and disinfect granular activated charcoal beds used in the feed water purification system; (c) producing a carbonated ECAW product and using the carbonated ECAW for system cleaning or disinfecting; (d) using ECAW solutions in the beverage facility clean-in-place system to achieve improved microbial control while greatly reducing water usage and reducing or eliminating the use of chemical detergents and disinfectants; (e) further reducing biofilm growth in the processing system, and purifying ingredient water without the use of chlorine, by adding an ECAW anolyte to the water ingredient feed stream; and/or (f) washing the beverage product bottles or other packages with one or more ECAW solutions prior to packaging.

1 . In a process for cleaning-in-place at least a portion of a beverage processing system wherein said process uses an overall total volume of water and said process has comprised the steps of (a) delivering an amount of an aqueous rinse through said portion of said beverage processing system and then (b) delivering an amount of an aqueous disinfectant solution through said portion of said beverage processing system, said amount of said aqueous rinse and said amount of said aqueous disinfectant solution together being effective to obtain a level of microbial control therein, the improvement comprising reducing said overall total volume of water used in said process and reducing said amount of said aqueous disinfectant solution used in step (b) while still obtaining at least said level of microbial control by using an electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution as said aqueous disinfectant solution in step (b). 
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the improvement further comprises said electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution comprising an anolyte which, when in undiluted form, has a pH in a range of from about 4.5 to about 7.5 and an oxidation-reduction potential of at least  + 650 mV. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the improvement further comprises said electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution used in step (b) being said anolyte in undiluted form. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the improvement further comprises said electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution used in step (b) being an aqueous dilution of said anolyte. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4  wherein the improvement further comprises said aqueous dilution of said anolyte comprising at least 50 parts by volume of non-electrochemically-activated water per 50 parts by volume of said anolyte. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the improvement also comprises further reducing said overall total volume of water used in said process and reducing said amount of said aqueous rinse used in step (a) while still obtaining at least said level of microbial control by using an aqueous electrochemically-activated water anolyte dilution as said aqueous rinse in step (a). 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6  wherein the improvement further comprises said aqueous electrochemically-activated water anolyte dilution comprising at least 60 parts by volume of non-electrochemically-activated water per 40 parts by volume of an anolyte which, when in undiluted form, has an oxidation-reduction in a range of from about  + 300 mV to about  + 1200 mV and a pH in a range of from about 2 to about 8. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7  wherein the improvement further comprises said anolyte, when in undiluted form, having a pH in a range of from about 4.5 to about 7.5 and an oxidation-reduction potential of at least  + 650 mV. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 7  wherein the improvement further comprises said aqueous electrochemically-activated water anolyte dilution comprising about 95 parts by volume of said non-electrochemically-activated water per 5 parts by volume of said anolyte. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said portion of said beverage processing system comprises: a beverage ingredient mixing line; a filling line for filling bottles or filling other product packages; or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said beverage processing system is a system for processing a carbonated soft drink, a brewed beverage, a fruit beverage, a fermented beverage, a vegetable beverage, a sports drink, a coffee drink, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . In a process for cleaning-in-place at least a portion of a beverage processing system wherein said process uses an overall total volume of water and said process has comprised the steps of (a) delivering an amount of an aqueous cleaning solution through said portion of said beverage processing system, then (b) delivering an amount of an intermediate aqueous rinse through said portion of said beverage processing system, and then (c) delivering an amount of an aqueous disinfecting solution through said portion of said beverage processing system, said amount of said aqueous cleaning solution, said amount of said intermediate aqueous rinse, and said amount of said aqueous disinfecting solution together being effective to obtain a level of microbial control in said portion of said beverage processing system, the improvement comprising reducing said overall total volume of water used in said process and reducing said amount of said aqueous cleaning solution used in step (a) and said amount of said aqueous disinfecting solution used in step (c) while still obtaining at least said level of microbial control by:
 (i) using an electrochemically-activated water catholyte solution as said aqueous cleaning solution in step (a);   (ii) using an electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution as said aqueous disinfecting solution in step (c); and   (iii) reducing said amount of or eliminating said intermediate aqueous rinse in step (b).   
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 12  wherein said process has also included the step, prior to step (a), of delivering an amount of an initial aqueous rinse through said portion of said beverage processing system and the improvement also comprises further reducing said overall total volume of water used in said process and reducing said amount of said initial aqueous rinse while still obtaining at least said level of microbial control by using an aqueous electrochemically-activated water anolyte dilution as said initial aqueous rinse. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13  wherein said portion of said beverage processing system comprises: a beverage ingredient mixing line; a filling line for filling bottles or filling other product packages; or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 14  wherein said beverage processing system is a system for processing a carbonated soft drink, a brewed beverage, a fruit beverage, a fermented beverage, a vegetable beverage, a sports drink, a coffee drink, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 13  wherein the improvement further comprises eliminating said intermediate aqueous rinse of step (b). 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 12  wherein the improvement further comprises said electrochemically-activated water catholyte solution used in step (a) being an aqueous catholyte dilution comprising a catholyte and non-electrochemically-activated water. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17  wherein the improvement further comprises said electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution used in step (c) being an aqueous anolyte dilution comprising:
 an anolyte which, when in undiluted form, has a pH in a range of from about 4.5 to about 7.5 and an oxidation-reduction potential of at least +650 mV and 
 at least 50 parts by volume of non-electrochemically-activated water per 50 parts by volume of said anolyte. 
 
     
     
         19 . A method of at least reducing biofilm growth in a beverage processing system having a water ingredient feed stream, said method comprising the step of adding an electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution to said water ingredient feed stream in an amount not exceeding 20 parts by volume of said electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution per 80 parts by volume of said water ingredient feed stream. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution has a pH in a range of from about 6 to about 7 and an oxidation-reduction potential of at least  + 850 mV. 
     
     
         21 . In a process for producing a beverage product comprising placing said beverage product in product packages, the improvement comprising the step, prior to placing said beverage product in said packages, of washing said product packages using an electrochemically-activated water catholyte solution. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21  wherein said product packages are bottles. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 21  wherein the improvement further comprises, prior to said step of washing, of soaking said product packages in an electrochemically-activated water anolyte solution. 
     
     
         24 . A method of cleaning an interior of a fermentation vessel comprising the step of contacting said interior of said fermentation vessel with a cleaning composition comprising (a) an electrochemically-activated water catholyte solution and (b) an amount of a non-ionic surfactant effective to at least reduce foaming of said cleaning composition in said interior of said fermentation vessel. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein said electrochemically-activated water catholyte solution comprises a catholyte product which, when in undiluted form, has a negative oxidation-reduction potential of at least  − 110 mV and a pH in a range of from about 8 to about 13. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein said electrochemically-activated water catholyte solution is an aqueous dilution of said catholyte product. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24  wherein said non-ionic surfactant is present in said cleaning composition in an amount of at least 10 mg of said non-ionic surfactant per liter of said cleaning composition.