PATENTREPORT
This section provides information on worldwide patents
relevant to food control. Each report gives the following
information: title of patent, patentee, patent number, publi-
cation date and summary of the patent. The reports have
been selected from ‘Food Processings Patents Profiles’ with
permission of Derwent Publications Ltd, Derwent House,
14 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5DF, UK. Tel: 071
344 2800; fax: 071 344 2900.
Pretreatment of fruit prior to storage - involves laser irradia-
tion at given wavelengh, intensity and density and for given
duration, to reduce losses
Sadpitomnikmash Eng. Centre
SU-1750487; 30 July 1992
The process is based on irradiation with a laser beam or
wavelength of 632nm and ower 2-15mW for 5-240s at
beam intensity OS-280 W/m P. The treatment is applied to the
equatorial zone of the fruit. Apples treated with the laser
beam intensity of 0.5 W/m2 are handled by a specialized
optoelectronic unit which provides laser beam production
over a wide range of parameters. A calibrated linear
attenuator is used to adjust the intensity and density of the
irradiation aided by the tunable collimator with a Fourier
filter. The elimination of high spatial frequencies in the laser
beam reduces the errors in the determination of energetic
parameters and ensures a high degree of reproducibility of
experimental results. 028-94
Conditioning atmosphere in storage chamber for organic
produce - uses serially connected gas separation modules fed
by compressed combined gas stream
Delair Droogtechniek en Lunchbehandel
EP-551158; 14 July 1993
The atmosphere in a storage chamber for organic harvested
product is conditioned using an apparatus which includes
at least two, and preferably three, gas separation modules.
These are located downstream from one another and have
N2/02 separation membranes. The apparatus also includes a
compressor and control valve. The compressor draws in three
stresses, one from the storage chamber, outside air, and a
recycle stream which combines the permeate streams of the
last two separation modules. The permeate from the first
separation module is removed from the system while the
retentate is fed to the second module. The retentate from the
second module is fed to the third module. The retentate from
the third module is fed via the control valve to the storage
chamber. 029-94
Analysis of fat-soluble compounds by HPLC chromato-
graphy - espechdly used to detect male pig shell in carcasses
has precolumn purified by flushing between samples
Slagteriernes Forskningsinst.
EP-553054; 28 July 1993
A sample is examined to determine the presence of fat-
soluble compounds. The extracted sample is treated with a
solvent and solid particles are separated from the obtained
solution. A HPLC analysis is carried out on a sample of the
solution, the analysis sample is injected into a mobile phase
passed through a separation column which is associated with a
detector producing signals automatically converted to an
expression of the contents of the sample. Prior to passage
through the separation column, the analysis sample in the
mobile phase is passed through a precolumn which is
subsequently washed for a predetermined time. 030-94
0956-7135/94/02/0123-04 @ 1994 Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd
Quality inspecting device for cereal - includes grain selector to
sort unpolished rice grains, unpolished rice picking up device
to sort unpolished from coloured rice and quality inspecting
device
Iseki Agric. Mach. Mfg Co. Ltd
JP-05149873; 15 June 1993
The device comprises (i) a grain selector to sort the grains of
unpolished with size exceeding a given size, (ii) an unpolished
rice (free from coloured rice) picking up device to pick up
only unpolished rice free from coloured rice from unpolished
rice sorted by the grain sorting device, and (iii) a quality
inspecting device to measure a quality evaluated component
by near infrared ray spectral analysis of the picked up
unpolished rice freed from coloured rice. 031-94
Destruction of microorganisms in gaseous, liquid or pasty
medium - especially milk product, by treatment with ultra-
sound
Roiner F
WO-9313674; 22 July 1993
Microorganisms are destroyed in a gaseous, liquid and/or
pasty medium by treating the medium with ultrasound.
Preferably treatment is for not above 60s at a frequency of
not less than 18kHz (not less than 20 kHz), a capacity of not
less than 2000 W, and a constant or variable temperature of
0-lOO”C, optimally using an agitated medium. Treatment
may be first at a raised temperature and then at a reduced
temperature, or vice versa, e.g. it may be raised from a
starting temperature of not below 58°C or lowered from a
starting temperature of not above 15°C and may be altered
stepwise. Ultrasound treatment may be repeated, and before
repetition the temperature of the medium is brought to the
initial value. The viscosity of the medium may be reduced.
The pH is not 7, preferably below 6.8 or above 7.1. Before,
during or after the ultrasound treatment, the medium may be
irradiated with microwaves. The ultrasound intensity may
be varied, and is preferably raised during treatment. The
intensity is varied in pulses and/or is briefly interrupted,
and is preferably accompanied by microwave treatment for
not above 3s. Several ultrasound sources may be used, in
sequence and/or in parallel, with differing capacities, and
vertical and/or transverse and/or sloping w.r.t. the medium.
The intensity of treatment is controlled by the distance of the
ultrasound source from the medium, by contact of the source
with medium and/or by the depth of dipping of the source into
the medium. In flowing gaseous media, the amount of dry
matter and/or moisture is varied. The temperature, pH value,
viscosity, dry matter content, moisture content, flow rate and/
or degree of agitation of the medium may be varied during,
before or after the ultrasound treatment. Coarse and/or fine
dispersed substances may be fed into the ultrasound treat-
ment space and/or form additionally in the substrate to be
treated, thus accelerating the destruction of microorganisms
present and/or the homogenization. The density of the
medium is at least 1 .Ol g/ml, and its activity or water activity
is not above 0.995. 032-94
Determination of fat and protein contents in milk - includes
irradiating sample with two different frequency laser beams at
angle to each other, and recording of spectrum of scattered
light
AS Sibe Heal. Eng. Inst
SU-1748058; 15 July 1992
Two highly-monochromatic continuous laser light beams at
different frequencies and directed at an angle to each other
Food Control 1994 Volume 5 Number 2 123