Breakthrough Food Safety Product Kills Pathogens
AND Protects Consumers
Source of Article:http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/industrials/breakthrough-food-safety-product-kills-pathogens-protects-consumers/-1487406571
MINNEAPOLIS, Sep 04, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) ----Cantaloupes from
Central America, seafood from China,
peppers from Mexico,
tomatoes from Florida
... Long established refrigeration technology and the global transportation
industry allow people to experience fresh and frozen products from around the
world each and every day. Most consumers assume these products are safe to eat,
but highly publicized incidents of food-borne illnesses are creating growing
concerns over E. coli, Salmonella, molds, viruses and other health- or
life-threatening microorganisms within our food supply. The United States
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 76 million cases of
food-borne illness, resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths,
occur nationwide each year. These concerns have generated calls for better food
handling processes and technologies across the supply chain. Today, Ingersoll
Rand offers a solution to assist with food-safety challenges.
The Ingersoll
Rand Environment Management System (EMS: 33.46, +1.13, +3.49%) is made up of a suite of solutions to
help customers understand and address their food safety concerns, including
environmental sampling, food safety consulting, and asset-based solutions. One
of the core elements of the EMS suite is a
patented breakthrough surface and air sanitation technology that uses oxygen
ions to cleanse the ambient environment, killing bacteria, viruses and molds
that reduce the quality, safety and shelf life of perishable products. EMS sanitizes the surfaces of food and food-handling or processing
equipment, and the air itself. Yet it is completely harmless to humans, animals
and the environment.
"Operational,
health agency and environmental mandates have been in place for years to
regulate food safety," says Michael Higgins, EMS
general manager. "The reality is that they are not fool proof. Food still
gets thrown away and recalled, and consumers still get sick.
"The EMS system safely and significantly decreases bacterial
and viral presence in real world applications, not just in laboratory
settings," continues Higgins. "Plus, this technology is safe for all
fresh perishables, including organics. Because one of the results of this
technology is increased product shelf life, it gives people more time to enjoy
their food, which helps extend the family food budget."
Utilizing a
comprehensive two-stage cleaning process that works 24/7, EMS
neutralizes airborne impurities while sanitizing surface areas without the use
of harsh chemical cleaners. In stage 1, the primary air cleaning occurs as air
passes through the EMS non-thermal reaction
chamber, where airborne impurities are destroyed at a molecular level. In stage
2, the transformed oxygen in the air cleans surfaces of food and equipment and
further cleans the air. "It is a remarkably complex process made simple by
EMS," says Higgins.
The system is
USDA-tested and FDA-compliant, and has been scientifically validated. Photos
and scientific test results are available by request.
EMS systems are already being used in various installation configurations
including: pre-coolers, processors, packaging rooms, distribution centers, cold
storage facilities, temperature-controlled labs, grocery stores, restaurants,
and transport refrigeration units. "Given the global nature of perishable
supply chains today, utilizing this technology at any step in the chain can
help enhance the safety of the perishable, protect consumers, reduce losses,
and protect the hard-earned brand equity that all of our customers have spent
years building," concluded Higgins.
Climate Control
Technologies is a business sector of diversified industrial firm Ingersoll-Rand
Company Limited, and provides equipment and services to manage
controlled-temperature environments for food and other temperature sensitive
products. The sector encompasses both transport and stationary refrigeration
solutions and includes the Thermo King(R: 63.48, -1.52, -2.33%) and Hussmann(R: 63.48,
-1.52, -2.33%) product brands. More information about
the EMS technology can be found at
www.ems.ingersollrand.com.
