TH99012A - Microbial edible fruit and vegetable treatments - Google Patents

Abstract

DC60 (04/04/51) A method of controlling bacterial, yeast, and/or mold contamination of edible fruits or vegetables consisting of the application of an aqueous, light-stable, biodegradable microbial mixture formed from water and (A) at least one component selected from (I) a solid-state microbial compounds containing at least one bromine atom per molecule; II) an aqueous solution/slurry of the compounds of (I); (III) a concentrated aqueous mixture containing at least 50,000 ppm of active bromine derived from water and (i) BrC1 or BrC1 and Br2 and (ii) an excess of alkali metal sulfamate base, in which the relative ratios of (i) and (ii) provide an atomic ratio of nitrogen to active bromine. Methods of controlling bacterial, yeast, and/or mold contamination of edible fruits or vegetables consisting of the application of an aqueous, ultraviolet-induced biodegradable microbial mixture formed from water and (A) at least one selected component of (I) a solid microbial compound containing at least one bromine atom per molecule; II) an aqueous solution/slurry of the compound of (I); (III) a concentrated aqueous mixture containing the active ingredient of (I) or at least one bromine atom per molecule; (i) bromine at least 50,000 ppm derived from water, and (ii) BrC1 or BrC1 and Br2, and (ii) alkali metal sulfame as an excess base, where the relative ratios of (i) and (ii) yield a nitrogen-to-active bromine atomic ratio greater than 0.93, and where the pH of the mixture is greater than 7; (IV) a solid mixture formed by the dehydration of mixture (III), and (B) ascorbic acid dissolved or its salts or esters that are edible to inhibit degradation by ultraviolet light.

Claims (15)

1. A method of controlling bacterial, yeast, and/or mold contamination of at least one edible fruit or vegetable, in which the method consists of the application of the edible fruit or vegetable with an antimicrobial mixture that is stable against UV-induced degradation, such mixture contains less than 100 ppm (wt/wt) of active bromine and has been formed from components including water and: (A) at least one selected antimicrobial component from: I) at least one solid antimicrobial compound containing at least one bromine atom in its molecule; II) an aqueous solution or slurry of at least one solid antimicrobial compound containing at least one bromine atom in its molecule; III) a concentrated aqueous antimicrobial mixture containing the active bromine. Bromine at least 50,000 ppm, in which the mixture shall be formed from the components combined with water and (i) bromine chloride or bromine chloride and bromine, with or without the use of chlorine and (ii) alkali metal salts as an excess base of sulfamic acid, and/or sulfamic acid, alkali metal base, and water, in which the ratios of (i) and (ii) shall be such that the atomic ratio of nitrogen to active bromine is greater than 0.93, and in which the pH of the mixture is greater than 7; IV) a solid antimicrobial mixture which is an aqueous antimicrobial mixture from which the water of III has been removed); (B) at least one selected ultraviolet stabilizer from (i) ascorbic acid, (ii) dehydroascorbic acid, (iii) water-soluble, edible salts or esters of ascorbic acid, (iv) water-soluble, edible salts or esters of dehydroascorbic acid, or (v) a mixture of two or more of any one of (i) up to (iv). 2. The method as described in Claim 1, whereby the components are at least one solid-state antimicrobial compound I). 3. The method as in claim 1, where the component is an aqueous solution or slurry of II). 4. The method as described in Claim 1, where the components are: a microbial mixture containing a concentrated water of II) 5. The method as described in Claim 1, where the said component is a solid-state microbial mixture (IV). 6. The method as in claim 2, where the solid-state antimicrobial compound of I) is (a) at least one 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydrantoin in which both of the halo atoms are bromine atoms and one of the alkyl groups is a methyl group and the rest are C1-4 alkyl groups, or (b) at least one 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydrantoin in which one of the halo atoms is a bromine atom and the rest are chlorine atoms, and both of the alkyl groups, independently, are C1-4 alkyl groups. 7. The method as described in Claim 1, whereby the solid-state antimicrobial compound of I) is at least one 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydrantoin in which both of the halo atoms are bromine atoms and one of the alkyl groups is a methyl group and the rest are C1-4 alkyl groups. 8. The method as described in Requisition 7, where at least one of the 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydantoin shall contain materially 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 9. The method as described in claim 6, whereby the solid-state antimicrobial compound of I) is at least one 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydrantoin in which one of the halo atoms is a bromine atom and the other is a chlorine atom, and both of the alkyl groups, independently, are C1-4 alkyl groups. 10. The method described in claim 9, where at least one of the 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydantoin shall contain substantially N,N'-bromochloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 11. The method as in claim 3, where an aqueous solution or slurry of II) is an aqueous solution or slurry of (a) at least one 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydrantoin in which both of its halo atoms are bromine atoms and one of its alkyl groups is a methyl group and the rest are C1-4 alkyl groups, or (b) at least one 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydrantoin in which one of its halo atoms is a bromine atom and the rest are chlorine atoms, and both of its alkyl groups, independently, are C1-4 alkyl groups. 12. The method as in claim 11, where an aqueous solution or slurry of II) is an aqueous solution or slurry of at least one 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydrantoin in which two of the halo atoms are bromine atoms and one of the alkyl groups is a methyl group and the rest are C1-4 alkyl groups. 13. The method as described in Requisition 12, where at least one of the 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkyl-hydantoin shall contain materially 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 14. The method as in claim 11, where the aqueous solution or slurry of II) is at least one 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydrantoin in which one of the halo atoms is a bromine atom and the other is a chlorine atom, and both of the alkyl groups, independently, are C1-4 groups. 15. The method described in Reputation 6, where at least one of the 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydantoin mentioned shall contain substantially N,N'-bromochloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin.