Antimicrobial salt solutions for food safety applications

Abstract

Antimicrobial salt solutions for food safety and quality applications are disclosed. Because these solutions contain a substantial concentration of salt, they are adaptable to a variety of food-processing applications, such as for chilling brine applications, disinfecting meat baths/tinses, beef injection brines, poultry chill tanks, brines used in cheese manufacture, as a wash to kill salmonella on hard-boiled eggs, and as a wash to disinfect produce, which can become contaminated with salmonella and other pathogenic bacteria in the field. These make use of concentrated salt solutions that depress the freezing point of the solution, to provide a low temperature bath or shower in which food products can be cooled. A preferred formulation contains between 25 ppm and 25,000 ppm surfactant, between 0.1% acid and 25% acid, and between 72.5% and 99.9% salt. This blend can then be dissolved in water to make a solution of between about 1% total solids by weight up to the saturation point, which can be used as an antimicrobial solution for food safety applications. An even more preferred range of solutions would be 17% by weight of between 0.3% and 6.0% citric acid, between 50 and 500 ppm SLS, and between 94% and 99.7% sodium chloride, and can be used in process temperatures of about −6.7° C.

1 . An antimicrobial formulation for use in solution comprising, in combination: 
 between about 25 ppm and about 25,000 ppm surfactant selected from the group consisting of sodium lauryl sulfate, linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, alcohol sulfates, alpha-olefin sulfonates, alcohol ethoxylates, nonylphenyl ethoxylates, alkylpolyglucosides, fatty alkanoamides, fatty amine oxides, sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate, dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid and salts thereof, the sodium salt of sulfonated oleic acid, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, dodecyldiphenyloxide-disulfonic acid and salts thereof;    between about 0.1% and 25% acid selected from the group consisting of citric, malic, acetic, propionic, lactic, benzoic, ascorbic, isoascorbic, sorbic, phosphoric, hydrochloric, malic, tartaric, adipic, succinic, glutaric, salicylic, sulfuric acid and sodium bisulfate; and    between about 72.5% and 99.9% inorganic salt selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and ammonium salts of chloride, sulfate, nitrate, phosphate, carbonate, and hydroxide.    
   
   
       2 . An antimicrobial salt for use in Solution comprising, in combination: 
 between about 0.3% and about 6.0% citric acid;    between about 50 and about 500 ppm sodium lauryl sulfate; and    between about 94% and about 99.7% sodium chloride.    
   
   
       3 . The antimicrobial salt for use in solution as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 between about 0.3% and about 1.0% citric acid;    between about 100 and about 500 ppm sodium lauryl sulfate; and    between about 99% and about 99.7% sodium chloride.    
   
   
       4 . A method for food processing comprising: 
 formulating a food product chilling solution containing a combination of an acid, a surfactant and a salt in an amount effective to kill microorganisms in the solution;    maintaining the solution at a temperature of less than about 0° C.; and    immersing a food product to be processed in the solution for a time sufficient to substantially reduce the presence of microorganisms on the food product;    the acid being selected from the group consisting g of citric, malic, acetic, propionic, lactic, benzoic, ascorbic, isoascorbic, sorbic, phosphoric, hydrochloric, malic, tartaric, adipic, succinic, glutaric, salicylic, sulfuric acid and sodium bisulfate;    the surfactant being selected from the group consisting of sodium lauryl sulfate, linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, alcohol sulfates, alpha-olefin sulfonates, alcohol ethoxylates, nonylphenyl ethoxylates, alkylpolyglucosides, fatty alkanoamides, fatty amine oxides, sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate, dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid and salts thereof, the sodium salt of sulfonated oleic acid, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, dodecyldiphenyloxide-disulfonic acid and salts thereof, and    the salt being sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and ammonium salts of chloride, sulfate, nitrate, phosphate, carbonate, and hydroxide.    
   
   
       5 . The method for food processing as described in  claim 4 , wherein the acid is further selected from the group consisting of citric and malic acid, the surfactant is sodium lauryl sulfate and the salt is sodium chloride.  
   
   
       6 . The method for food processing as described in  claim 5 , wherein the acid is citric acid.  
   
   
       7 . The method for food processing as described in  claim 4 , wherein the solution is maintained at a temperature of less than about −3.9° C.  
   
   
       8 . The method for food processing as described in  claim 4 , wherein the solution is maintained at a temperature of less than about −6.7° C.  
   
   
       9 . The method for food processing as described in  claim 5 , wherein the solution is maintained at a temperature of less than about −3.9° C.  
   
   
       10 . The method for food processing as described in  claim 5 , wherein the solution is maintained at a temperature of less than about −6.7° C.  
   
   
       11 . The method for food processing as described in  claim 6 , wherein the solution is maintained at a temperature of less than about −3.9° C.  
   
   
       12 . The method for food processing as described in  claim 6 , wherein the solution is maintained at a temperature of less than about −6.7° C.