[001] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[003] The present invention belongs to the technical field of food or food products; its preparation or treatment; removing undesired material, for example, deodorisation, detoxification; more specifically it is intended to be applied in the deodorization, sterilization, and increase resistance to maturation (as appropriate) with strong food odors and subjected to early aging effects or odor generated by storage. Strong odors are presented in garlic, onion and black pepper. Early maturation is present in apple, banana, garlic or flowers, and black pepper, in the case of odors generated also in storage.

[004] BACKGROUND ART

[005] Various types of processes and apparatus that seek to deodorization or sterilization of products are already known in the art.

[006] For example, it is known the use of elimination processes of strong odors in foods through the use of water enriched with ozone, making use of greenhouse with a high temperature in a hyperbaric chamber, and the use of negative pressure until the dehydration thereof.

[007] Other embodiments seeking to sterilize and effectively remove the peculiar smell of ambients are described using ozone and silver ionized in their conception, having an interior spraying device comprising generating photo catalyst, one silver ions generation device, a mixture in a pressure tank and an ozone generator device.

[008] Other more complex systems applied to sterilization equipments are also known, for example, systems using a combination of equipments, including: electric sterilization machine, including control chamber, sterilizing chamber, a plasma cleaning device, nanometer of silver ions sterilization device, magnetic field pulses of high intensity, electric field device of high voltage, air circulation device to disinfection ultraviolet radiation and ozone generating device.

[009] TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[010] Foods with strong odors, that cause bad breath, odors in the hands when handling, smell in the perspiration and breathing, causes constant discomfort and embarrassment for people who like to eat foods with unpleasant odor, or that handle such products, like garlic, onion, and black pepper.

[011] Problems such as early maturity or odor effects are presented in storage of foods such as apple, banana, garlic or flowers. In normal storage processes, as in the case of apple, banana, garlic and flowers, the big problem is precisely to generate odors and occur rapidly maturing by agents that freely proliferate in the product, which generates huge losses for producers and consumers of these foods.

[012] Although the prior art already present various elementary equipments or sometimes extremely complex, aiming deodorization and sterilization of products or ambients, do not have such an arrangement of equipment or processing steps under specific conditions that adequately treat such foods. The prior art presents only known ways of using ozone and ions, but not with optimal concentrations to combat strong odors generated during storage, combating early maturation, deodorization, sterilization, and increase resistance to maturing of foods such as garlic, onion, apple, banana, black pepper, which provides an unusual result.

[013] TECHNICAL SOLUTION

[014] The intention of the present invention is to assist the consumer of food with strong odors, to have a better form of consumption adjusting their products that cause bad breath, odors in the hands, smell in the perspiration and respiration and that cause constant discomfort in persons who like to eat these foods, for products that have the same chemical characteristics and the same taste, but without the unpleasant odor. [015] Also in the case of foods with early or rapidly maturing, the invention assists and helps the producer or consumer to obtain considerably increase of the time of stock, combating not only strong odors generated during storage but also early maturing.

[016] The object of the invention is to form a set of equipment able to deodorize, sterilize and conserve in stock items with strong odors or early maturation problems.

[017] The process applied by the present invention is implemented through a configuration with one part composed of three generators of negative silver ions, with negative charges in the open aerated dielectric system, pressure free, and a part composed by ozone gas generator, for example at a concentration of 2 grams per hour, in an oxygen flow rate of 1 liter per minute. This assembly is switched to a hyperbaric chamber with measures preferably close to 27m ³ , for example, a chamber with 3x3 meters of width by 2,80 meters of height, properly sealed, determined empirically by the applicant, these measures being specific, which gives the unusual result and the ideal use for the scope for a "system and method for deodorization, sterilization, and increase resistance to maturation in food".

[018] In the present invention, food products are, for example, left in paperboard cases or in bulk for a period of 72 hours continuously, for the dimensions in the exemplified conditions.

[019] Negative silver ions are released to the air with ozone gas in this volume and cited concentration, providing the fight against fungi and bacteria as well as eliminating the causative agents of odors and maturation of the product, without altering the taste, the chemical properties and vitamin thereof.

[020] ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

[021] The system and deodorizing method, sterilization and increased resistance to maturation in foods of the present invention, provides an ideal treatment for deodorization, combating harmful agents storage and combating the rapid maturation of the product that takes place in normal handling conditions and storage.

[022] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[023] Figs. 1 A and 1 C - Graphs of sensory research carried out on the resulting product of the present invention.

[024] Fig. 2 - System configuration and method for deodorization, sterilization, and increase resistance to maturation in food of the presente invention.

[025] Fig. 3 - Closed module of aerator equipment for generators of negative silver ions.

[026] Fig. 4 - Connection Panel (8) details with the generators.

[027] Fig. 5 - Open module of the aerator equipment for generator of negative silver ions assembled with four aerating cells.

[028] Figs. 6A to 6C - Configuration of individual aerator cell used by the present invention.

[029] Figs. 7 A and 7B - Exemplary electrical diagrams of the negative radiation generator with digital control system used in the present invention.

[030] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

[031] The differential obtained by the present invention is confirmed by results of sensory research performed by Research Institute, attesting to the unusual effect of the present invention as described below.

[032] The purpose of the research conducted was to evaluate capsules containing 400mg of dehydrated powder garlic and deodorized, obtained according to system and method of the present invention, and check if there was exhalation of odor or not, and eructation, up to 3 hours after ingestion. The applied method used three hundred (300) packed capsules, which were delivered packed one by one, to 300 people together with the evaluation form. The tests were conducted and distributed among different cities, searching habits and different characteristics of taste and consumption. People were chosen randomly, even those who are not consumers of garlic. It was concluded that of the three hundred people who participated in the tests ingesting the capsule, none reported any odor exhale after ingested. The experience has proven in 100% of cases, non-exhalation garlic odor after ingested.

[033] In addition, tests were also conducted with dehydrated powder garlic obtained according to the system and method of the present invention in which it is used with seasoning of another particular food seeking to obtain the opinion of 50 consumers about the conditions of the garlic flavor and odor, and presenting the result which proves the differential of the product obtained by the present invention, according to the shown in Figs. 1 A to 1 C.

[034] As seen in Figure 2, the present invention use as an example, a system configuration comprising three generators of negative silver ions (1 ), with negative charges in the open aerated dielectric system, pressure free, and an unit of ozone gas generator (2) in the concentration of 2 grams per hour, in an oxygen flow rate of 1 liter per minute. Negative silver ions released in the air in this proportion together with the ozone gas, in this volume and cited concentration; provide ideal conditions for combating fungi and bacteria as well as eliminating the causative agents of odors and maturation of the product, not changing the chemical properties, vitamin and flavor of food.

[035] Preferably, this assembly is switched to a chamber (3) with exemplified measures between 20m ³ and 30m ³ , for example a chamber with 27m ³ , properly sealed, which products or food in paperboard cases or bulk, are left for a shorter period than 5 days, under the action of the ozone gas and the negative silver ions, for example, up to 72 hours.

[036] As seen in Fig. 2, the deodorization system, sterilization, and increase resistance to maturation is composed, in addition to the three generators of negative silver ions (1 ), by an oxygen concentrator (4) connected to ozone gas generator (2). The sealed chamber (3) comprises three aerators for generators of negative silver ions (5) and one aerator for ozone gas (6). As exemplified, the sealed chamber (3), has dimensions of 3,0 x 3,0m of width and 2,80m of height, which may have variations in width and height values, as with hyperbaric chamber limit, for example, up to 27m ³ . This particular dimension of the sealed chamber (3), added with equipment configuration as exemplified, determined empirically by the applicant, provides the unexpected result of the present invention.

[037] Obviously, if the sealed chamber (3) was performed with smaller dimensions than those cited, for example less than 20m ³ , said chamber will remain acting with the generators and aerators in said configuration, for a time less than 72 hours, in order to achieve a similar technical effect and ideal for complete deodorization, sterilization, and increase resistance to maturation. On the other hand, if the dimensions of sealed chamber (3) are larger than those cited, for example larger than 30m ³ , the sealed chamber (3) should be longer connected to generating equipment and aerators to complete the process.

[038] As seen in Fig. 2, in exemplified mode by the present invention, each of the three aerators for generators of negative silver ions (5) is connected to each of their three respective generators of negative silver ions (1 ), and the aerator for ozone gas (6) is connected to ozone gas generator (2). The ozone gas generator (2) is connected to one oxygen concentrator (4).

[039] The Fig. 3 illustrate the exemplary embodiment of a closed equipment aerator for generators of negative silver ions (5), as applied in the present invention, which has four aerating cells (7) on its side. The equipment has one of its sides, a connection panel (8) with the generators.

[040] As seen in Fig. 4, the connection panel (8) may be composed, for example, by a GND borne (neutral), of the 12V source, a GND borne (neutral) of the dielectric system, a (VDC) borne of the direct current (DC) voltage of

12V source, and two bornes of V.H.V. (Very High Voltage) outputs of high voltage.

[041] Fig. 5 illustrates the open module of the aerator equipment for generator of negative silver ions (5) which can be used in the present invention, assembled with four aerating cells (7) and has the connection panel (8) in one of its sides. Fig. 5 further illustrates the meaning of the direction of air forced by a ventilation system applied.

[042] In Figs. 6A to 6C, it is exemplified the configuration that each individual aerator cell (9) uses by the present invention. In this example, the individual aerator cell (9) has a PVC outer tube (10), for example 70mm in diameter by 250mm in length. In the internal part of said aerator cell exists a borosilicate glass tube (1 1 ) used for mounting the dielectric, for example 50mm in diameter by 250mm in length. In addition, a micro screen in stainless steel (12), that connects to the GND, is used externally to the glass tube (1 1 ), for example with a diameter larger than 50mm and having 200mm in length, it is also shown in Fig. 5.

[043] Furthermore, a silver needle (13) is positioned inside the glass tube (1 1 ) having one extremity (14) of connection with a micro screen (15) internal to said glass tube (1 1 ) which is connected to incoming high voltage V.H.V.

[044] Several other known electrical devices are already used in the configuration and assembly of equipment designed to this invention, such as: oscillator electronic system, digital scale system, coils, coils refrigeration with oil, autotransformer from 400VA - 127 Volts, 220V fan, transformer with rectifying of 2A and 12 Volts, 9 + 9 volts transformer and 1 A, 3A fuse, tripolar power cable, 127/220V switch, on/off switch, lamps and LEDs, double potentiometer 100k, 30 kVA diodes for negative polarization of V.H.V., and high voltage wire with 30kVA insulation. Figs. 7A and 7B show exemplary electrical diagrams of the negative radiation with digital control system used in the system and method for deodorization, sterilization, and increase resistance to maturation in food of the present invention.

[045] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[046] The system and method disclosed in the present invention therefore has industrial application in the food industry, to combat fungi and bacteria, eliminating the causative agents of odors and combating the rapid maturation of the product, such as garlic, onion, black pepper, flowers.