Peracetic acid vapor sterilization of food and beverage containers
View Patent ↗The present invention is directed to a method of sterilizing a surface comprising treating such surface with a vapor comprising peracetic acid at a concentration of at least about 3500 ppm at between about 57° and about 75° C. Such method is preferably conducted in the absence of a hydrogen peroxide initiator, and is particularly suitable for the sterilization of polyethylene terephthalate bottles.
1. A method of sterilizing a surface comprising the steps of:
(a) adding a peracetic acid solution to a heated gas stream to form a vapor phase peracetic acid stream; and
(b) sterilizing said surface with said vapor phase peracetic acid stream wherein the peracetic acid is substantially entirely in the gaseous form with a concentration of between about 3500 ppm and about 10,000 ppm with a temperature between about 57° and about 75° C. wherein said sterilizing occurs for 5 to 10 seconds.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said surface is composed of plastic.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said surface is polyethylene terephthalate.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said sterilizing is conducted in the absence of a hydrogen peroxide activator.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of peracetic acid is at least about 3750 ppm.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the concentration of peracetic acid is between about 3750 and about 4250 ppm.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the vapor is less than 100% saturated.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the saturation of the vapor is less than about 85%.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the saturation of the vapor is between about 75% and about 85%.