The present invention relates to a process for making an antimicrobial handle for a cooking container for food and/or for a relative lid. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an antimicrobial handle obtained by such a process.

The term "cooking container for food" means frying pans, saucepans, kettles or other similar containers, while the term "handle" means handles, knobs or other gripping elements of frying pans, saucepans, kettles or other similar containers and lids.

In the catering sector, but also in the home, cooking containers are often handled by several people, using one or more handles. As is well known, many species of micro-organisms such as bacteria, algae, yeasts and fungi are well adapted to survive and even spread on handles, particularly in the case of cooking containers for food where contact with organic material from food is very frequent. In addition, storing cooking containers, which are often not perfectly dry after washing, in damp and dark cupboards or cabinets encourages the growth and proliferation of micro- organisms that contaminate the handle itself. This compromises the hygiene of the handle, which becomes a possible vehicle for the transmission of pathogens.

The main task of the present invention is to devise a process for making a handle for a cooking container for food and/or for a relative lid which enables a handle with antimicrobial properties to be obtained.

In the context of this task, an aim of the present invention is to devise a process for making an antimicrobial handle for a cooking container for food and/or a relative lid which ensures that the antimicrobial properties of the handle are maintained over time.

A further aim of the invention is to devise a process for making an antimicrobial handle for a cooking container for food and/or a relative lid which is capable of providing the broadest guarantees of reliability and safety during use.

Another purpose of the invention is to devise a process for making an antimicrobial handle for a cooking container for food and/or a relative lid which is easy to implement and economically competitive when compared to the known technique.

The above-mentioned task, as well as the aforementioned purposes and others that will better appear later, are achieved by a process for making an antimicrobial handle for a cooking container for food and/or a relative lid as set forth in claim 1.

Other features are provided in the dependent claims.

The above-mentioned task, as well as the objects mentioned and others which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an antimicrobial handle as recited in claims 9 and 10.

More characteristics and advantages will result from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, example of a process for making an antimicrobial handle for a cooking container for food and/or a relative lid that follows.

According to the invention, the process for making an antimicrobial handle for a cooking container for food and/or for a relative lid, comprises the steps of: a) mixing a powdered inorganic antimicrobial agent at least with a powdered phenolic resin based compound to obtain an antimicrobial blend; b) performing injection or compression molding of said antimicrobial blend to obtain a semi-finished antimicrobial handle; c) finishing said semi-finished antimicrobial handle to obtain a finished antimicrobial handle.

Advantageously, the cooking container for food can be a frying pan, a saucepan, a kettle or other similar container.

Advantageously, the handle can be a handle of a frying pan or a kettle, or a handle of a saucepan, or a knob of a lid of a frying pan or of a saucepan or a kettle.

The powdered phenolic resin based compound may have a particle size of less than 3 mm, and preferably less than 2 mm.

The term "powdered phenolic resin based compound" is intended to specify a compound in powder form which also includes any additives in a base consisting of a phenolic resin.

The phenolic resin powder may be the one commercially known as Bakelite or, in the English version, 'phenolic moulding compound'.

Advantageously, the step a) of mixing a powdered inorganic antimicrobial agent at least with a powdered phenolic resin based compound to obtain an antimicrobial blend comprises the step of mixing also a powdered polymeric material regenerated from processing residues. The regenerated polymeric material may come from processing residues recovered through industrial recycling processes. Preferably this material undergoes a series of grinding operations until a powder is obtained.

Regenerated polymeric powder material also has a grain size of less than 3 mm and preferably less than 2 mm.

Advantageously, moreover, the percentage by weight between the quantity of regenerated polymeric powder material and the quantity of powdered phenolic resin based compound present in the blend is less than 25%, preferably less than 20%, and even more preferably between 5% and 15%; in a preferred embodiment, the weight percentage is about 10%.

Advantageously, step b) is an injection molding step.

This injection molding step advantageously comprises the steps of: bl) mixing and bringing the blend to the softening point by heating; b2) injecting the softened blend into a mold; b3) solidifying the softened blend to obtain the semi-finished antimicrobial handle. Alternatively, step b) may be a compression molding step.

In this case, the compression molding step advantageously comprises compressing the blend in a heated mold to obtain the semi-finished antimicrobial handle.

Advantageously, the presence of the powdered inorganic antimicrobial agent form does not lead to substantial changes in the process parameters for making the antimicrobial handle compared to the process parameters used in the absence of the agent.

Advantageously, the step c) of finishing said semi- finished antimicrobial handle to obtain a finished antimicrobial handle comprises a step of deburring the semi-finished handle, for example by means of grinding machines, and possibly a polishing step, to obtain the finished handle. Advantageously, the step c) of finishing said semi finished handle to obtain a finished handle may also comprise assembly with additional metal or plastic components by means of suitable assembly units.

Advantageously, the percentage by weight between the amount of powdered inorganic antimicrobial agent and the amount of powdered phenolic resin compound in step a) is comprised between 0.5% and 4.0%, preferably comprised between 1.0% and 3.0%, and even more preferably substantially equal to 2.0%. Advantageously, where the process also involves the use of powdered regenerated polymeric material, the above percentages by weight are to be considered between the amount of powdered inorganic microbial agent and the total amount of powdered phenolic resin and powdered regenerated polymeric material.

Advantageously, the powdered inorganic antimicrobial agent has a particle size smaller than 500 pm.

This particle size value ensures optimal mixing, during step a), with the powdered phenolic resin and, if present, with the powdered regenerated polymeric material. Advantageously, the inorganic antimicrobial agent comprises a metal, i.e. a chemical element belonging to the category of metals, with antimicrobial properties chosen from: gold, silver, copper and zinc. Preferably, the inorganic antimicrobial agent comprises zinc, preferably in the form of zinc pyrithione.

The present invention further relates to an antimicrobial handle for a cooking container for food and/or for a relative lid obtained by a process as described above.

In particular, the present invention relates to an antimicrobial handle comprising a main body made of a solidified phenolic resin, and possibly a regenerated polymeric material, comprising an inorganic antimicrobial agent homogeneously distributed in said main body made of phenolic resin.

Advantageously, the inorganic microbial agent comprises zinc, preferably in the form of zinc pyrithione.

As described above, the handle may comprise, in addition to the main body made of phenolic resin, with the possible addition of regenerated polymeric material, also any metal or plastic components assembled to the main body.

Advantageously, the antimicrobial handle can subsequently be attached to the body of the container for food, or to a lid, according to known methods (e.g. rivets, welding). Advantageously, the material of which the antimicrobial handle is made meets the requirements of the ISO 22196:2011 standard called "Measurement of antibacterial activity on plastics and other non-porous surfaces". Tests carried out according to this standard allow the bacteriostatic properties of the plastic to be verified, i.e. its ability to inhibit bacterial growth, and bactericidal properties, i.e. its ability to completely eliminate bacteria.

In particular, tests in accordance with the above standard were carried out by inoculating microorganisms of the Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus strains on special samples of material made using zinc pyrithione as a powdered inorganic antimicrobial agent, determining an antibacterial activity (R) greater than 99.999%.

In practice, it has been found that the process of making an antimicrobial handle for a cooking container for food and/or for a relative lid, according to the present invention, fulfils the task as well as the intended objects as it allows handles with antimicrobial properties to be made in a simple, economical and effective manner. Another advantage of the invention is that all the material of which the handle is mainly made has antimicrobial properties, so that any scratches or surface damage to the handle during use will not diminish its antimicrobial properties. This represents a clear technical advantage over solutions involving coatings in coating materials with antimicrobial properties.

A further advantage of the process, according to the invention, is that it produces handles that meet the ISO 22196:2011 standard. Another advantage is that the process of making antimicrobial handles, according to the invention, can be easily implemented in existing industrial processes. In addition, the antibacterial properties conferred on the handle by the presence of the powered inorganic antimicrobial agent remain for a duration compatible with the average life of the handle itself. Another advantage of the process of making the antimicrobial handle is that it only uses substances that comply with the REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) in force in the European Union. The process for making an antimicrobial handle for a cooking container for food and/or for relative a lid thus conceived is subject to numerous modifications and variations, all of which fall within the scope of the inventive concept. In addition, all details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements as required.