Compositions and methods of treating edible matter and substrates therefor

Abstract

There are provided methods of treating edible matter comprising applying a composition comprising performic acid to the edible matter or a substrate therefor. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for protecting edible matter from decay, comprising contacting edible matter or a substrate therefor with a composition comprising performic acid for a time and in an amount and/or at a concentration sufficient to protect said edible matter from said decay, wherein the composition is such that at a concentration of 20 ppm performic acid and a contact time of one minute at room temperature, the composition achieves a 10000-fold (4 log) reduction in the cfu of a pathogen grown on a designed growth medium, wherein the pathogen is at least one of the pathogens in the group consisting of  Escherichia coli  (ATCC 8739),  Staphylococcus aureus  (ATCC 6538),  Pseudomonas aeruginosa  (ATCC 9027),  Enterococcus hirae  (ATCC 10541),  Candida albicans  (ATCC 10231),  Aspergillus niger  (ATCC 16404) and  Penecillium  w.t. (wild type). 
     
     
         3 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2  wherein with a one-minute contact time the composition meets or exceeds at least one of the following Standards: BS EN 1276:1997, BS EN 1650:1998, BS EN 13697:2001, BS EN 1276:2009. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the composition possesses bactericidal activity within one minute at 20° C. under dirty conditions of 3.0 g/l bovine albumin for at least one of the reference strains  Listeria monocytogenes  (ATCC 19115),  E. coli  (ATCC 8739),  Staphylococcus aureus  (ATCC 6538),  Pseudomonas aeruginosa  (ATCC 9027) and  Enterococcus hirae  (ATCC 10541). 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the composition exceeds at least one of Standard BS EN 1650:1998 and BS EN 13697:2001. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the composition possesses fungicidal activity within one minute at 20° C. under dirty conditions of 3.0 g/l bovine albumin for at least one of the reference strains  Candida albicans, Aspergillus brasiliensis  ( Aspergillus niger ), and  Penecilium  w.t. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the composition is a composition according to  claim 61 . 
     
     
         14 - 60 . (canceled) 
     
     
         61 . An aqueous composition containing (1) water, (2) at least one of (a) phosphonic acid (HP(O)(OH) 2 ) or a salt thereof and (b) phosphoric acid, (3) a carboxylic acid, (4) a surfactant, and (5) at least one of a performic acid source and an oxidizer which can oxidize said performic acid source to performic acid. 
     
     
         62 - 63 . (canceled) 
     
     
         65 . The composition of  claim 61  wherein the carboxylic acid contains from 2 to 7 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         66 . The composition of  claim 65  wherein the carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, propionic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, benzoic acid, glyceric acid, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, chloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, and trifluoroacetic acid. 
     
     
         67 . (canceled) 
     
     
         68 . The composition  claim 61  wherein the carboxylic acid is citric acid or propionic acid. 
     
     
         69 . The composition of  claim 61  which contains phosphonic acid, a salt thereof, or a mixture of phosphonic acid and a salt thereof in a concentration of 0.5 to 98 wt. %. 
     
     
         70 - 77 . (canceled) 
     
     
         78 . A composition according to is  claim 61  wherein said surfactant is an alkyl polyglycoside. 
     
     
         79 - 81 . (canceled) 
     
     
         82 . A composition according to  claim 61  wherein said performic acid source is selected from the group consisting of formic acid, formic acid esters, and formic acid salts. 
     
     
         83 . A composition according to  claim 61  wherein said phosphoric acid is present in a concentration of 0.00001 to 98 wt. %. 
     
     
         84 - 85 . (canceled) 
     
     
         86 . A composition according to  claim 61  wherein said oxidizer is present in a concentration of 0.5 to 70 wt. %. 
     
     
         87 - 88 . (canceled) 
     
     
         89 . A composition according to  claim 86  wherein said oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of inorganic peroxides, nitrates, halogens and halogen compounds, hypohalite compounds, ozone, oxides, permanganate salts, multi-valent chromium compounds, acids, sulfides and Tollens' reagent. 
     
     
         90 . A composition according to  claim 89  wherein the oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate, sodium periodate, sodium persulfate, ammonium persulfate, sodium perborate, sodium peroxide, calcium peroxide, silver (II) oxide, chlorine dioxide, diacyl peroxides, ketone peroxides, peroxydicarbonates, peroxyesters, dialkyl peroxides, hydroperoxides, peroxyketals, urea hydrogen peroxide, ammonium hydrogen peroxide, ozone, sodium peroxydisulfate, potassium peroxydisulfate and ammonium peroxydisulfate. 
     
     
         91 . A composition according to  claim 61  which further comprises performic acid. 
     
     
         92 - 96 . (canceled) 
     
     
         97 . A composition according to  claim 61  which contains performic acid and in which the concentration of performic acid therein decreases by not more than 1% over 6 months at a temperature below 20° C. 
     
     
         98 . A composition according to  claim 97  which in which the concentration of performic acid therein decreases by not more than 1% over 6 months at a temperature of 20° C. 
     
     
         99 . A composition according  claim 61  wherein the composition is such that at a concentration of 20 ppm performic acid and a contact time of one minute at room temperature, the composition achieves a 10000-fold (4 log) reduction in the cfu of a pathogen grown on a designed growth medium, wherein the pathogen is format least one of the pathogen in the group consisting of  Escherichia coli  (ATCC 8739),  Staphylococcus aureus  (ATCC 6538),  Pseudomonas aeruginosa  (ATCC 9027),  Enterococcus hirae  (ATCC 10541),  Candida albicans  (ATCC 10231),  Aspergillus brasiliensis  ( Aspergillus niger ) (ATCC 16404),  Listeria monocytogens  (ATCC 19115) and  Penecillium  w.t. (wild type). 
     
     
         100 - 211 . (canceled) 
     
     
         212 . A composition, comprising formic acid, performic acid, an oxidizing agent and a metal ion, wherein the metal ion comprises at least one of an ion of copper, zinc, nickel, iron, titanium, manganese, chromium, molybdenum or silver.