US 11,968,988 B1
System for increasing antimicrobial efficacy in a poultry processing tank
Jonathon R. Bullard, Chattanooga, TN (US); James A. Faller, Chattanooga, TN (US); and Robert C. Bullard, Signal Mountain, TN (US)
Assigned to Zeco, LLC, Chattanooga, TN (US)
Filed by Zee Company I, LLC, Chattanooga, TN (US)
Filed on Apr. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/303,195.
Application 18/303,195 is a continuation of application No. 17/805,263, filed on Jun. 3, 2022, granted, now 11,659,844.
Application 17/805,263 is a continuation of application No. 15/676,622, filed on Aug. 14, 2017, granted, now 11,350,640, issued on Jun. 7, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/374,468, filed on Aug. 12, 2016.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A23B 4/08 (2006.01); A23B 4/06 (2006.01); A23B 4/20 (2006.01); A23B 4/26 (2006.01)
CPC A23B 4/08 (2013.01) [A23B 4/062 (2013.01); A23B 4/20 (2013.01); A23B 4/26 (2013.01); A23V 2002/00 (2013.01)] 50 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of processing at least a portion of one or more poultry carcasses, the method comprising:
introducing a poultry processing solution comprising a premixed pH adjusted processing solution into a poultry processing tank from an ancillary system located outside of the poultry processing tank, the ancillary system in fluid communication with the poultry processing tank, wherein the premixed pH adjusted processing solution comprises one or more peroxycarboxylic acids and has a desired pH between 7 and 10 and a desired concentration of the one or more peroxycarboxylic acids between 1 ppm and 2000 ppm prior to being introduced into the poultry processing tank; and
maintaining the poultry processing solution within the poultry processing tank at the desired pH between 7 and 10 and the desired concentration of the one or more peroxycarboxylic acids between 1 ppm and 2000 ppm during processing at least a portion of the one or more poultry carcasses;
wherein the ancillary system comprises a mixing assembly configured to be in fluid communication with a source of a processing water, a reservoir of a pH adjustment product, and a reservoir of a solution of one or more peroxycarboxylic acids, wherein the mixing assembly is configured to mix an inlet stream of the processing water, an inlet stream of the pH adjustment product, and an inlet stream of the solution of one or more peroxycarboxylic acids to provide the premixed pH adjusted processing solution having the desired pH between 7 and 10 and the desired concentration of the one or more peroxycarboxylic acids between 1 ppm and 2000 ppm.