A refrigerator includes a body including a storage compartment; a door configured to open and close the storage compartment; a door opening and closing sensor configured to detect a door open state and a door closed state; a temperature sensor provided in the storage compartment, and configured to detect a temperature of the storage compartment; an illuminator provided in the storage compartment and configured to irradiate an item in the storage compartment with the light; a storage unit configured to store sterilization information including at least one preset dose for sterilization of the item; and a processor configured to: drive the illuminator to irradiate the item with the light at the preset dose, based on a signal output by the door opening and closing sensor indicating that the door is in the door closed state and the measured temperature being outside of a preset temperature range, and terminate driving of the illuminator, based on an irradiation time period for the preset dose elapsing.

A continuous flow sterilization system includes an inclined treatment chamber having a first end and a second end. An ozone generator generates a flow gas containing ozone; an input opening to receive a bulk material into the treatment chamber. An input port is provided for introducing the flow gas containing of ozone into the treatment chamber. A first sensor measures a level of ozone in the gas output of the treatment chamber. The other sensors measure ozone concentration and temperature within the treatment chamber. An output opening provides an exit for the bulk material. An output port provides an exit for the flow gas. An auger is disposed within the treatment chamber to move the bulk material through the treatment chamber.

A dip tank and recycling system for applying antimicrobial solution to food items, including a dip tank having a bottom and sides, and holding a liquid antimicrobial solution. A conveyor to convey food items through the tank passes through the liquid antimicrobial solution held in the tank such that food items conveyed on the conveyor are dipped in the liquid antimicrobial solution. At least two discharge nozzles spray fresh antimicrobial solution into the tank. The discharge nozzles are located in the sides of the tank, and are positioned above the level of the conveyor but below an expected top level of the liquid antimicrobial solution contained within the tank such that food items conveyed on the conveyor are agitated by the force of the spray from the discharge nozzles. The spray from the discharge nozzles causes unstacking of items on the conveyor, producing an even application of the antimicrobial solution.

A dip tank and recycling system for applying antimicrobial solution to food items, including a dip tank having a bottom and sides, and holding a liquid antimicrobial solution. A conveyor to convey food items through the tank passes through the liquid antimicrobial solution held in the tank such that food items conveyed on the conveyor are dipped in the liquid antimicrobial solution. At least two discharge nozzles spray fresh antimicrobial solution into the tank. The discharge nozzles are located in the sides of the tank, and are positioned above the level of the conveyor but below an expected top level of the liquid antimicrobial solution contained within the tank such that food items conveyed on the conveyor are agitated by the force of the spray from the discharge nozzles. The spray from the discharge nozzles causes unstacking of items on the conveyor, producing an even application of the antimicrobial solution.

Described herein are conveyor systems and application units which can be used to transport and simultaneously treat, or to facilitate treatment and inspection of produce, agricultural products, or other items. The conveyor systems and application units can be configured to allow products to be simultaneously rotated as they are moved along a packing line, which can facilitate the uniform application of spray coatings and/or allow the products to be uniformly blow dried while they are moved. Exemplary conveyor systems and application units can include a bed formed of a plurality of rollers and a rotation inducing device that causes the rollers to rotate while they are laterally transported, thereby causing the products lying on top of the bed to rotate during transport.

The invention is a cooling tunnel for rapidly cooling a food product (1). The cooling tunnel (10) includes a plurality of thermal zones (21, 31) within the tunnel, and a conveying means (14) for transporting the food product sequentially therethrough. In operation, circulating air and the food product within each thermal zone are in a heat exchange relationship whereby heat from the food product is transferred to the circulating air and a heat exchanger extracts heat from the circulating air and exhausts the heat from the thermal zone.

A system for processing material, including at least one microwave generator, at least one microwave guide operatively connecting the at least one microwave generator to at least a first conveyor unit, and the first conveyor unit provided in a first housing that comprises at least one opening configured to receive microwave energy via a first microwave guide. The first conveyor unit is configured to receive and process a quantity of material, which includes heating the material to a first temperature by applying microwave energy to the material within the first housing.

An in-line shell egg pasteurizer has a clean-in-place system. Empty shell egg carriers are placed in the water bath for multiple cleaning cycles. The cleaning solution level is lowered to expose the shell egg carriers and the top parts of the water bath walls. An air perturbation is used to agitate cleaning solution held in the bottom of the water bath and clean heating coils and other components located in the bottom of the water bath. Sprayers (e.g., nozzles, cleaning spray balls, etc. . . . ) mounted on a hood over the water bath clean the top parts of the water bath walls and the empty shell egg carriers placed in the water bath.

The invention relates to a system (1) and a method for pasteurizing foods packed in closed containers (2). The containers (2) are supplied with a processing liquid (11) in at least one heating zone (5,6), at least one pasteurization zone (7, 8), and at least one cooling zone (9, 10). In order to cool and heat the processing liquid (11) as needed, a coolant (23) is cooled by means of a heat pump (22) in a cooling circuit (20), and a heating medium (33) is heated by means of the heat pump (22) in a heating circuit via a respective heat exchanger (19, 30) in each case. In order to provide cooling energy, the cooled coolant (23) is introduced into a lower end region of a cold buffer store (24), and in order to provide heating energy the heated heating medium (33) is introduced into an upper end region of a heat buffer store (35).

Device and method suitable for disinfecting herbs using plasma are disclosed. The device comprises a chamber and two sets of electrodes in an opposed position one relative to the other, inside the chamber. Each electrode in one set has a counterpart electrode in the other set, the two electrodes positioned facing each other and being configured to connect to a RF HV power supply, to produce a plasma-generating EM field in the space between the electrodes. The device further comprises a dielectric carrier positioned inside the chamber in the space between the two sets of electrodes, the carrier being dimensioned and configured to carry herbs in granular form such as powder or particles thereon. A portable sealable container comprising a unidirectional valve is also disclosed, configured to store herbs thereinside during plasma treatment in the device, and to store the disinfected herbs after treatment under vacuum. A device for disinfecting herbs by evaporating a disinfection agent in an evacuated chamber is also disclosed where plasma is used in any of several methods to enhance, improve and expedite the disinfection process.