SureBeam - provider of electron beam and x-ray irradiation technology - has been awarded a US patent that extends its current two-pass patented x-ray system to a four-pass system that is said to result in increased processing efficiency.
The new technology will allow gains to be made in throughput of certain products while adding no additional operating costs, the company claims. Processing efficiency is capable of increasing by 5-15 per cent as a result of this enhanced technology. The four-pass system is currently in place at SureBeam's Chicago and Los Angeles service centres and is fully operational.
"This new patent is a logical extension of our core patents in the two-pass system," said Mark Stephenson, SureBeam's vice president of Public Relations. "The state-of-the-art, four-pass system will provide greater operating efficiencies that will become especially important for produce customers as a disinfestation treatment in addition to eliminating the threat of food-borne bacteria in large meat products - both of which are growth markets for SureBeam."
The company's x-ray and electron beam technology is a process that uses ordinary electricity to eliminate the threat of dangerous bacteria - such as E.coli, Listeria, and Salmonella - from food products, as well as being used an effective disinfestation treatment to destroy harmful pests.
SureBeam processed ground beef is currently sold in thousands of retail supermarkets across the United States. This is in addition to the nation-wide availability by home delivery, direct mail and food service.