JPH11221007A - Animal meat disinfection method and apparatus using ozone fog - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently and reliably contact an ozone component with livestock meat mainly treated as carcass so as to obtain a high sterilization effect at a low cost, and to provide a large-scale ventilation facility. Equipment cost can be reduced as unnecessary. SOLUTION: Livestock meat 12 hung by a hook is surrounded by covers 14 with an injection nozzle 27, and the cover 1
The ozone fog 15 in the form of fine mist of ozone water is sprayed on the livestock meat 12 from the spray nozzles 4 and 14 to remove bacteria. When the ozone fog 15 is sprayed on the meat 12, ozone gas and water may be mixed by the injection nozzle 27 immediately before the injection to generate the ozone fog 15.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for sterilizing livestock meat using ozone fog.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, carcasses treated with slaughter facilities (with bones that have been cut off from the slaughtered livestock to remove internal organs, heads, tails, and extremities and bisected to the left and right along the median line) Must be sterilized at the final stage before refrigeration, and also at the stage of transport from meat processing equipment to meat processing equipment.

[0003] In performing such a carcass disinfection treatment, the surface of the meat is deteriorated if it is disinfected with boiling water. Therefore, the carcass is washed and disinfected with a shower of sodium hypochlorite to remove the bacteria. In general, such methods relying on chemicals have the problems of odor and persistence of the chemicals, and also have the problem that the septic tank used for wastewater treatment of the chemicals is damaged in a short period of time. there were.

Therefore, in recent years, it has been studied to remove carcasses by using ozone, which has a high bactericidal activity, which is decomposed into oxygen only by leaving it at room temperature, and has already been implemented. As an example, a technique of removing bacteria by fumigating carcasses with ozone gas is known.

[0005]

However, the technique of fumigating carcasses with ozone gas has the disadvantage that the substantial contact rate between ozone gas and carcasses is poor, and the ratio of ozone gas that contributes to sterilization is very small. , This makes it impossible to expect a high eradication effect, and moreover,
There was a problem that ozone gas could not be used efficiently.

Furthermore, since the entire room where the carcasses are suspended by hooks must be filled with ozone gas,
A large amount of ozone gas is required, resulting in high costs.In addition, after the sterilization treatment is completed, workers cannot enter unless the entire fumigation room is ventilated. As a result, there was also a problem that equipment costs soared.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and provides an efficient and reliable contact of ozone components to livestock meat, which is mainly treated as carcass, so that a high sterilization effect can be obtained at low cost. Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to eliminate large-scale ventilation equipment and reduce equipment costs.

[0008]

According to the present invention, meat covered by a hook is surrounded by a cover having a spray nozzle, and ozone fog in which ozone water is finely atomized is sprayed on the meat from the spray nozzle of the cover. And a method for disinfecting livestock meat using ozone fog, which comprises removing bacteria.

In this manner, ozone fog in which ozone water is finely atomized is reliably sprayed on the surface of the meat, and the ozone component dissolved in the fine water particles of the ozone fog and the meat have a high contact rate. Because of the contact, a high sterilization effect can be obtained even with a minimum necessary amount of ozone fog, and the ozone component is used efficiently.

At this time, the ozone fog is sprayed on the meat while being surrounded by the cover, so that the ozone fog does not diffuse out of the cover, and most of the ozone fog sprayed on the meat is blown. Is dropped as droplets, so the amount of ozone gas remaining at the ozone fog injection location is very small, and only a local air supply fan or the like is required at the ceiling or the like of the ozone fog injection location. It is possible to avoid soaring equipment costs as unnecessary.

In spraying ozone fog onto meat, it is preferable to mix ozone gas and water with an injection nozzle immediately before injection to generate ozone fog. In this case, decomposition of ozone components proceeds. It is possible to effectively perform the disinfection treatment in a high activity state, and moreover, a hydroxy radical (OH radical) having a higher activity than ozone is easily generated. Will be improved.

Further, the method for sterilizing meat with ozone fog according to the present invention comprises a cover surrounding the meat suspended by a hook, and a plurality of spray nozzles provided inside the cover and mixing and spraying ozone gas and water. Water supply means for sending water to the injection nozzle, an ozone generator for generating ozone gas, and air supply means for sending ozone gas from the ozone generator to each of the injection nozzles by an air flow. It can be carried out by a meat sterilization apparatus characterized by the following.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings, reference numeral 12 denotes livestock meat processed as carcasses and suspended by hooks 13 in meat processing equipment and meat processing equipment. The meat A is hung by a hook 13 toward a predetermined disinfection treatment place in the equipment, and the arrow A (FIG.
(See FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) by a driving device (not shown) at the sterilization treatment place in the direction of arrow B (see FIGS. 1 and 2) substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the meat 12 is conveyed. And a pair of covers 14, 14.

Each of the covers 14, 14 extends a required length in the vertical direction so as to cover the entire length of the meat 12 suspended by the hook 13, and is curved so as to form a concave surface inward when viewed in plan. 2) and the cover 1
A number of injection nozzles 27 for mixing and spraying ozone gas and water are provided inside the four and fourteen.

As shown in FIG. 3, an ozone generator 23 for generating ozone gas (O ₃ ) from oxygen sent from an oxygen generator 22 for extracting oxygen (O ₂ ) by pressurizing and depressurizing air. Is provided at a required place in the facility, and the compressed air flow sent from the air compressor 24 (air sending means) and the ozone gas sent from the ozone generator 23 are mixed via the air / ozone mixer 25. While being sent out to each of the injection nozzles 27, water stored in a water storage tank (not shown) is sucked by a water supply pump 26 (water supply means) and supplied to each of the injection nozzles 27. ing.

The details of each of the injection nozzles 27 are as shown in FIG.
A swirl chamber formed integrally with the gas circulation unit 30 so as to form a swirl chamber 31 around an outer peripheral surface of a portion near the downstream end of the gas circulation unit 30 and having a spray port 32 at a portion near the downstream end. Part 33 and a liquid flow path 34 formed integrally with the swirl chamber forming part 33 and communicating with the swirl chamber 31
And a liquid circulation section 35 having

On the other hand, the details of the air / ozone mixer 25 are as shown in FIG.
An air passage 17 extending from one end surface of the air passage 6 toward the other end of the body and having a passage section gradually reduced at a portion near the downstream end, and extending from the downstream end of the air passage 17 to the other end of the body. And a throat 18 having a flow path cross section substantially equal to the downstream end of the air flow path 17, and having a total length longer than the air flow path 17 and the throat 18 and penetrating from the downstream end of the throat 18 to the other end surface of the body 16. A mixture flow passage 19 having a passage cross-section slightly larger than the throat 18 and an ozone flow extending from the outer surface of the body 16 to the vicinity of the upstream end of the mixture passage 19 and having a smaller passage cross-section at a portion near the center of the body. Path 20 and a mixture flow path 19 from the downstream end of the ozone flow path 20.
The body 16 is formed by machining a metal material or by precision metal casting.

The ozone discharge port of the ozone generator 23 is connected to an ozone flow path 20 (see FIG. 5) of an air ozone mixer 25 via an ozone supply pipe 36.
4 is connected to the air flow path 17 (see FIG. 5) of the air / ozone mixer 25 via an air supply pipe 37, and the mixed air flow path 1 of the air / ozone mixer 25.
9 (see FIG. 5) are connected to gas flow paths 29 (see FIG. 4) of the respective injection nozzles 27 via an air ozone supply pipe 38, and a water supply pipe 39 is connected to a water discharge port of the water supply pump 26. The liquid flow paths 34 of the respective injection nozzles 27 (see FIG. 4)
Is connected.

As the ozone generator 23, any of a generator that generates ozone by silent discharge to oxygen, a generator that generates ozone by creeping discharge to oxygen, and a generator that generates ozone by irradiation of ultraviolet rays to oxygen may be used. Can be.

When the air and ozone are mixed by the air / ozone mixer 25, the pressure discharged from the air compressor 24 to the air flow path 17 is 3 to 5 kg /.
A compressed air flow of about ² cm ² is supplied, and the pressure discharged from the ozone generator 23 is 1 kg /
Supply ozone gas lower than cm ² .

The compressed air flow supplied to the air passage 17 is compressed when flowing into the throat 18 from the air passage 17,
It expands when flowing through the air-fuel mixture flow path 19 through the throat 18, and attempts to flow through the air-fuel mixture flow path 19 downstream at a supersonic speed.

The ozone gas supplied to the ozone flow path 20 is
As the pressure drops due to the expansion of the compressed air flow flowing through the mixture flow path 19, the ozone flow path 20
Then, the mixture is sucked into the vicinity of the upstream end of the air-fuel mixture flow path 19, and the mixed flow of air and ozone flows through the air-fuel mixture flow path 19 toward the downstream side.

As described above, in the air / ozone mixer 25 shown in FIG. 5, the total length of the air-fuel mixture flow path 19 through which the supersonic flow flows is formed longer than that of a general Laval nozzle. In addition, a pressure rise near the upstream end of the air-fuel mixture flow channel 19 due to a shock wave generated in the supersonic flow or an expansion wave of the supersonic flow in the downstream portion of the air-fuel mixture flow channel 19 is suppressed.

Further, the ozone injection port 21 is connected to the air-fuel mixture flow path 19.
Of the mixture flow path 1
9 without being affected by the air flow distribution state of a downstream portion near the pressure is low ozone gas is mixed than the pressure 1 kg / cm ² to 3-5 kg / cm ² about the compressed air flow, mixing of air and ozone The mixed stream can be discharged from the air-fuel mixture flow path 19 to the outside of the air-ozone mixer 25 without greatly reducing the pressure of the stream, so that the spray pressure on the injection nozzle 27 for mixing and spraying ozone and water can be reduced. It becomes possible to secure.

Table 1 shows the area ratio A3 / A of the flow path cross-sectional area A3 of the air-fuel mixture flow path 19 to the flow path cross-sectional area A0 of the throat 18.
0, the pressure P 1 of the compressed air flow at the upstream end of the air flow path 17, the pressure P 2 of the ozone gas in the ozone flow path 20, the pressure P 3 of the mixed flow of air and ozone at the downstream end of the air flow path 19, The relationship between the Mach number M of the mixed flow of air and ozone at the downstream end of No. 19 was obtained by measurement.

[Table 1]

Generally, the discharge pressure at the time of continuously discharging ozone from the ozone generator 23 is limited to 0.5 kg / cm ² or less due to the performance of the seal portion. Is 1.5 kg / cm ²
Since an airflow having a nebulization discharge pressure of about a degree is required, the flow path cross-sectional area ratio A3 / A0 of the mixture flow path 19 to the throat 18 is required.
Is desirably set to about 2.

When sterilizing the meat 12 in the meat processing equipment or meat processing equipment, the meat 12 suspended by the hook 13 at a predetermined sterilization processing place in the equipment is used.
Then, the covers 14 are closed to surround the meat 12, and the oxygen generator 22, the ozone generator 23, the air compressor 24, and the water supply pump 26 are operated.

The ozone generator 23 generates ozone from the oxygen extracted by the oxygen generator 22 and has a pressure of 0.5 kg /
about ² cm ² of ozone gas, and the air compressor 24
The air is compressed to discharge a compressed air flow having a pressure of about 4 kg / cm ² , and the water supply pump 26 suctions from the water storage tank to discharge the water flow.

The compressed air flow discharged from the air compressor 24 flows into the air flow path 17 (see FIG. 5) of the air / ozone mixer 25 via the air supply pipe 37, and the ozone generator 2
The ozone gas discharged from 3 passes through an ozone supply pipe 36 to the ozone flow path 20 of the air / ozone mixer 25 (see FIG. 5).
And, as described above, a pressure of 1.5 kg / c from the mixture path 19 (see FIG. 5) of the air / ozone mixer 25.
A mixed flow of about m ² of air and ozone is discharged.

The mixed flow of air and ozone flows into the gas flow path 29 of the injection nozzle 27 via the air / ozone supply pipe 38, and the water flow discharged by the water supply pump 26 is supplied to the liquid flow path of the injection nozzle 27. 34, a mixed flow of air and ozone from the gas flow path 29 is blown against the water flow to which the swirling force is applied by flowing into the swirl chamber 31 from the liquid flow path 34, Fine mist-like ozone water in which ozone and fine water particles are mixed is sprayed as ozone fog 15 from the mouth 32 toward the surface of the meat 12, and the ozone fog 15 covers the surface of the meat 12.

At this time, the contact between the ozone and the water inside the swirl chamber 31 of the injection nozzle 27 generates highly active hydroxyl radicals (OH radicals) and is sprayed from the injection nozzle 27 and sprayed from the cover 14. , 14
The ozone floating inside the water and the water molecules of the fine water particles react with each other to continuously generate hydroxyl radicals. The resulting hydroxyl radicals and ozone dissolved in the fine water particles of the ozone fog 15 With the components, the sterilization treatment of the meat 12 is performed.

In this way, the ozone fog 15 in the form of fine mist of ozone water is reliably sprayed on the surface of the meat 12, and the ozone component dissolved in the fine water particles of the ozone fog 15 and the meat 12 are separated. Since the contact is performed at a high contact rate, a high sterilization effect can be obtained even with a minimum necessary amount of the ozone fog 15, and the ozone component is efficiently used.

In particular, as in this embodiment, the ozone fog 15
When the ozone gas and water are mixed with the injection nozzle 27 immediately before the injection to generate the ozone fog 15 when the ozone gas and water are sprayed on the meat 12, the ozone component is effectively decomposed in a highly active state where the decomposition of the ozone component has not progressed. It is possible to carry out the disinfection treatment, and moreover, a hydroxy radical having a higher activity than ozone is easily generated. Therefore, the disinfection effect is synergistically improved by the hydroxy radical.

Here, for example, if ozone water is washed and disinfected by pouring it into the meat 12 in the form of a shower, a high contact ratio between the ozone component and the meat 12 can be similarly obtained, but the amount of treatment for drainage of the ozone water is too large. However, if the sterilization is performed using the ozone fog 15 as in the present embodiment, the amount of ozone water drainage is small and the running cost is increased. There is no.

At this time, the ozone fog 15 is sprayed on the meat 12 while being surrounded by the covers 14, 14, so that the ozone fog 15 does not diffuse outside the covers 14, 14. , Livestock 1
Most of the ozone fog 15 sprayed on the nozzle 2 drops as droplets, so that only a small amount of ozone gas remains at the injection location of the ozone fog 15. , It is possible to avoid a large ventilating facility and avoid a rise in facility costs.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment, the ozone component can be efficiently and surely brought into contact with the livestock meat 12 which has been treated as carcass, and a high sterilization effect can be obtained at low cost. By eliminating the need for ventilation equipment, it is possible to significantly reduce equipment costs.

Further, in this embodiment, in particular, the ozone gas and water are mixed by the injection nozzle 27 immediately before the injection to generate the ozone fog 15, so that the active component in which the decomposition of the ozone component has not progressed. Bactericidal treatment can be carried out effectively in a high state, and moreover, a hydroxy radical having a higher activity than ozone is easily generated, and the bactericidal effect can be synergistically improved by the hydroxy radical.

Further, as an incidental effect, the ozone fog 15 is sprayed on the surface of the meat 12 so that the meat 1
Since the attachments on the surface of No. 2 can be washed at the same time, the work process can be simplified.

It should be noted that the method and apparatus for sterilizing livestock meat with ozone fog of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiment, but include an ozone generator that generates ozone by water electrolysis without using an oxygen generator. It is possible to apply it or to adopt a configuration in which a water pipe is connected to a water pipe via a stop valve without using a water supply pump, and between the covers opened at required intervals without opening and closing the covers. Of course, the sterilization treatment may be performed while the meat is continuously passed through the meat, and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0041]

According to the above-described method and apparatus for disinfecting livestock meat with ozone fog according to the present invention, the following various excellent effects can be obtained.

(I) An ozone component can be efficiently and reliably brought into contact with livestock meat, which is mainly treated as carcass, so that a high sterilization effect can be obtained at low cost.
Eliminating large-scale ventilation equipment makes it possible to greatly reduce equipment costs.

(II) When the ozone fog is sprayed on the meat, ozone gas and water are mixed by the injection nozzle immediately before the injection to generate the ozone fog. Can effectively remove bacteria, and moreover, a hydroxy radical (OH radical) having a higher activity than ozone can be easily generated, and the hydroxy radical can synergistically improve the bacteria removing effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of an embodiment for implementing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view in the direction of arrows II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a system diagram of ozone gas and water sent to an injection nozzle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing details of an injection nozzle of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing details of the air / ozone mixer of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 12 Meat 13 Hook 14 Cover 15 Ozone fog 23 Ozone generator 24 Air compressor (air supply means) 26 Water supply pump (water supply means) 27 Injection nozzle

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. Meat suspended from a hook is surrounded by a cover with an injection nozzle, and ozone fog in the form of fine mist of ozone water is sprayed on the meat from the injection nozzle of the cover to sterilize the meat. Animal flesh disinfection method using ozone fog. 2. The method for sterilizing livestock meat with ozone fog according to claim 1, wherein ozone fog is generated by mixing ozone gas and water with an injection nozzle immediately before injection. 3. A cover surrounding the meat suspended by a hook, a plurality of spray nozzles provided inside the cover and mixing and spraying ozone gas and water, and a water supply for sending water to the spray nozzles. Means, an ozone generator for generating ozone gas, and air supply means for sending out the ozone gas from the ozone generator to each of the injection nozzles by an air stream.