A food processing apparatus includes a reaction vessel that has a tubular shape with a bottom and contains a reactant that is liquid and to be used for food, a reactor (for example, a reaction pipe) that is disposed in the reaction vessel and provided with a photocatalyst, a light source that irradiates the photocatalyst with light, a cooler that cools the reactant in the reaction vessel, a lid that closes an opening of the reaction vessel, and a gas supplier (for example, a gas container) that supplies an oxygen-containing gas into the reaction vessel via a first through-hole formed in the lid or in a part of a side wall portion of the reaction vessel in a vicinity of the lid. An inside of the reaction vessel is controllably gastight.

A multilayer container for elevated temperature, high pressure processing of a material within the container, using a pressure transmission liquid within the container, the multilayer container having, a container wall having an inner layer formed of a plastic for containing the liquid in contact with the inner side thereof and at least one further layer outboard of the inner layer and formed of different plastic from the inner layer, wherein the inner layer has a compression heating coefficient at least as high as the compression heating coefficient of the pressure transmission liquid in contact with the inner side thereof and the at least one further layer has a lower thermal conductivity at ambient pressure and temperature than the inner layer.

The disclosed apparatus, systems and methods relate to modified atmosphere and pasteurized retail fresh protein preparations. Protein is packaged in a modified atmosphere lacking significant amounts of oxygen and then exposed to high-pressure pasteurization. The protein can be sealed or bagged within the modified atmosphere, and that combined with high-pressure pasteurization can extend the shelf-life of the packaged protein.

A packaged food product and methods of making and using it. In some embodiments. The packaged food product may comprise a cup containing multiple ingredients in sealed pouches suitable for use in making an omelet or other egg-based entr?es, with the cup being suitable for microwave cooking of an egg-based entr?e. The ingredients may include vegetable components that offer organoleptic properties similar to those of fresh vegetables after an extended period of time. Ideally, time required for processing, shipment, storage, etc., which may be, e.g., several weeks, may pass without unacceptable degradation of taste, texture, mouth feel, flavor, aroma, color, nutritional content or other important qualities. In some embodiments, the ingredients may also include additional components, such as, for example, one or more meats, and/or one or more varieties of cheese.

A device for indicating exposure to a pressure. The device may include a base layer, a plurality of microcapsules, and a coating, with the microcapsules being disposed between the base layer and the coating. The microcapsules contain a indicator material that can be released once the microcapsules burst. The microcapsules then have a compressive bursting strength that is chosen or designed to be less than a selected pressure (e.g., the pressure being that to which a particular article may be exposed during high pressure processing). Thus, when the device is subjected to a pressure greater than the compressive bursting strength, at least some microcapsules burst, the indicator material is released from the microcapsules, and the release of the indicator material can be detected by observation of the device. The device may be a label that is associated (such as by being affixed) to the article being subjected to pressure (or multiple labels being associated (such as by being affixed) to multiple articles. Alternatively, the device may be associated with an article or articles without being affixed thereto.

Methods and apparatuses for reducing the bioburden of cannabis using low-pressure radiant energy processing. The present invention achieves sufficient microbial killing and/or adequate drying without impacting product quality (terpene loss, smell, color, texture, etc.) by appropriate determination and application of pressure(s) and radiant energy (e.g., microwave intensity).

The systems and methods of the present invention provide an economically feasible means of thermally processing items such as food products. In some embodiments, the thermal process is a pasteurization process. In other embodiments, the thermal process is a sterilization process. The thermal process utilizes a volumetric heating process to quickly and efficiently add heat energy to the item and then utilizes a surface heating process to obtain a relatively even, highly elevated, temperature throughout the item. In this way, the time required to perform various thermal processes, such as pasteurization and/or sterilization, is greatly reduced compared with traditional processes while still being more reliable and more predictable than other recently developed processes. Furthermore, the system and method is less complicated and more efficient than other systems and processes currently known. Furthermore still, the method includes spraying fluid onto a surface of the item to reduce edge heating.

A handheld vacuum marinator device is provided. The device can include a suction function button configured to activate a suction procedure when depressed and a marinade function button configured to activate a marinade procedure when depressed. The suction procedure includes activating a vacuum device to pull a vacuum through a suction inlet and deactivating the vacuum device when a first vacuum level is detected, and the marinade procedure includes initiating a plurality of cycles of activating the vacuum device to pull the vacuum through the suction inlet, deactivating the vacuum device when a second vacuum level is detected, holding the second vacuum level for a first preset amount of time, releasing the vacuum after the first preset amount of time, and waiting a second preset amount of time to reactivate the vacuum device for a start of a next one of the plurality of cycles.

A process for treating milk including the steps of: a homogenization step wherein the milk is maintained at a temperature of below about 60? C.; and, a high pressure processing step, wherein the milk is subjected to an elevated pressure above about 350 MPa wherein the elevated pressure of the high pressure processing step does not induce an increase in the temperature of the milk in excess of a limiting temperature of about 60? C. during the high pressure processing step.

A method and apparatus for drying foodstuffs of plant or animal origin that includes introducing the foodstuffs to be dried into a drying chamber for drying and heating the foodstuffs to a temperature which causes an evaporation of water contained in the foodstuffs until the amount of water contained in the foodstuffs is reduced to a predetermined value indicating that the foodstuffs are dried. The heating of the foodstuffs is performed by generating an oscillating magnetic field such that prior to said heating, the pressure inside said drying chamber is reduced to a predetermined value below atmospheric pressure.