USRE39147EExpiredUtility

Preservative compositions and methods for mushrooms

59
Assignee: PENN STATE RES FOUNDPriority: Oct 2, 1997Filed: Jul 5, 2001Granted: Jun 27, 2006
Est. expiryOct 2, 2017(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Robert B. BeelmanEric M. Duncan
A23B 7/157A23B 7/10A23B 7/0441A23B 7/154
59
PatentIndex Score
2
Cited by
14
References
38
Claims

Abstract

Preservative compositions using toxicologically acceptable ingredients, and employing a pH of 9.0 or above for at least part of the process, for controlling the growth of spoilage bacteria and for preventing unwanted color changes in fresh and processed mushrooms. Aqueous solutions of preservatives are prepared and applied in multiple stages to the mushrooms, by spraying or immersion. More specifically, disclosed is a method for preserving fresh and processed mushrooms, comprising the steps of: contacting the mushrooms with an antimicrobial buffer solution having a pH of from about 9.5 to about 11.0; and rinsing the mushrooms one or more times immediately after the contacting step with pH-neutralizing buffer solutions of erythorbic acid and sodium erythorbate, in ratios of about 1:4, with a sufficient pH to return the mushrooms to the mushroom physiological pH of about 6.5.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1. A method for preserving fresh and processed mushrooms, comprising the steps of:
 contacting the mushrooms with an antimicrobial buffer solution having a pH of from about 9.5 to about 11.0; and  
 rinsing the mushrooms one or more times immediately after said contacting step with pH-neutralizing buffer solutions of erythorbic acid and sodium erythorbate, in ratios of about 1:4, having a sufficient pH to return the mushrooms to the mushroom physiological pH of about 6.5.  
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein said antimicrobial solution is 0.05-0.5M sodium bicarbonate buffer solution, and the pH-neutralizing buffer solutions are about 0.04-0.6% erythorbic acid and about 1.6-2.4% sodium erythorbate. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  wherein said contacting step is carried out for about 30-60 seconds at about 10-35° C., and said rinsing step is carried out for about 60-120 seconds at about 10-25° C. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  wherein said pH-neutralizing buffer solutions further include 1000 ppm calcium-disodium EDTA. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3  wherein said pH-neutralizing buffer solutions further include 1000 ppm calcium chloride. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 3  wherein said pH-neutralizing buffer solutions further include 1000 ppm calcium-disodium EDTA and 1000 ppm calcium chloride. 
     
     
       7. The method of claims  2 - 6  wherein said antimicrobial solution is a 0.05M sodium bicarbonate buffer solution having a pH of about 10.5-11.0, and the pH-neutralizing buffer solutions include about 0.6% erythorbic acid and about 2.4% sodium erythorbate, and said contacting step is carried out for about 30 seconds at about 25° C. and said rinsing step is carried out for about 60 seconds at about 10° C. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  wherein said antimicrobial solution is a 5-10% tribasic sodium phosphate solution. 
     
     
       9. A method for preserving fresh and processed mushrooms, comprising the steps of: contacting the mushrooms with an antimicrobial buffer solution having a pH of at least about  9  but not so high as to cause chemical damage to mushroom tissue; rinsing the mushrooms one or more times after said contacting step with a pH- neutralizing/browning inhibitor solution comprising erythorbic acid, sodium erythorbate, or combinations thereof, wherein the mushrooms are returned to mushroom physiological pH.   
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution has a pH in the range of about  10 . 5  to about  11 . 0 . 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9  wherein the pH- neutralizing solution comprises a browning inhibitor.   
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9  wherein the pH- neutralizing solution comprises erythorbic acid.   
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9  wherein the pH- neutralizing solution comprises sodium erythorbate.   
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 9  wherein the pH- neutralizing solution is a buffer solution comprising erythorbic acid and sodium erythorbate.   
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14  wherein the pH- neutralizing solution is a buffer solution comprising about  0 . 04 - 0 . 6   %  erythorbic acid and about  1 . 6 - 2 . 4   %  sodium erythorbate.   
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 9  wherein the pH- neutralizing solution comprises EDTA.   
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14  wherein the pH- neutralizing solution comprises EDTA.   
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 9  wherein the pH- neutralizing solution comprises calcium chloride.   
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 14  wherein the pH- neutralizing solution comprises calcium chloride.   
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 9  wherein the pH- neutralizing solution comprises EDTA and calcium chloride.   
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 14  wherein the pH- neutralizing solution comprises EDTA and calcium chloride.   
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 9  wherein the pH- neutralizing solution is water.   
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 9  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises sodium bicarbonate. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 10  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises sodium bicarbonate. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 11  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises sodium bicarbonate. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 14  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises sodium bicarbonate. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 17  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises sodium bicarbonate. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 19  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises sodium bicarbonate. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 21  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises sodium bicarbonate. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 9  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises tribasic sodium phosphate. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 10  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises tribasic sodium phosphate. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 11  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises tribasic sodium phosphate. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 14  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises tribasic sodium phosphate. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 17  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises tribasic sodium phosphate. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 19  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises tribasic sodium phosphate. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 21  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises tribasic sodium phosphate. 
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 22  wherein the antimicrobial buffer solution comprises tribasic sodium phosphate. 
     
     
       38. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the pH of the antimicrobial buffer solution is about  9  to about  11 .

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