Method for treating processed food products

1. A method for treating a processed food product to reduce bacterial contamination of the processed food product or to retard bacterial growth on the processed food product, comprising contacting the processed food product with an aqueous solution in an amount effective to reduce said contamination or to retard said growth, said aqueous solution consisting essentially of (a) an alkali silicate, an alkali carbonate and an alkali hydroxide or (b) an alkali silicate and an alkali hydroxide.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkali silicate comprises one or more crystalline or amorphous alkali silicate compound according to the formula:

M 2 Om(SiO2)nH 2 O

wherein:

M is sodium or potassium,

m is a number, wherein 0.5≦m≦3.5, indicating the number of mole(s) of the SiO 2 moiety per 1 mole of M 2 O moiety; and

n indicates the water content, expressed as wt % water, wherein 0%≦n≦55%.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkali silicate comprises one or more crystalline metasilicate according to M 2 O(SiO 2 )n′H 2 O, wherein M is Na or K and n′ is 0, 5, 6 or 9 and indicates the number of moles of water per SiO 2 moiety.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkali silicate comprises one or more of anhydrous sodium metasilicate, anhydrous potassium metasilicate, sodium metasilicate pentahydrate, sodium metasilicate hexahydrate and sodium metasilicate nonahydrate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises greater than or equal to 0.05 percent by weight alkali silicate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises from 1 to 15 percent by weight alkali silicate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises one or more alkali carbonate or alkali bicarbonate compound according to formula:

wherein:

M′ is sodium or potassium,

a is 0 or 1, and

n″ is a number wherein 0≦n″≦fully hydrated.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises an alkali carbonate selected from sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate, each of which may be in anhydrous or hydrated form, and mixtures thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises greater than 0.05 percent by weight alkali silicate and greater than 0.05 percent by weight alkali carbonate.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the aqueous solution comprises from 0.5 to 10 percent by weight alkali silicate and from 0.2 to 15 percent by weight alkali carbonate.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises an alkali hydroxide according to formula:

M″OH

wherein:

M″ is sodium or potassium.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises sodium hydroxide as the alkali hydroxide.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises greater 1 than 0.05 percent by weight alkali silicate and greater than 0.05 percent by weight alkali hydroxide.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises from 0.5 to 10 percent by weight alkali silicate from 0.1 to 2 percent by weight alkali hydroxide.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises greater than or equal to 0.05 percent by weight alkali silicate, greater than or equal to 0.05 percent by weight alkali carbonate and greater than or equal to 0.05 percent by weight alkali hydroxide.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises from 0.5 to 10 percent by weight alkali silicate, from 0.2 to 15 percent by weight alkali carbonate and from 0.1 to 2 percent by weight alkali hydroxide.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processed food product is contacted with the aqueous solution after processing and before packaging by dipping the product in the aqueous solution or by spraying the aqueous solution on the processed food product.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the duration of the dipping or spraying is from about 1 second to about 5 minutes.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processed food product is contacted with the aqueous solution by spraying the aqueous solution onto the processed food product under a gage pressure of greater than 2 pounds per square inch.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processed food product is contacted with the aqueous solution by spraying the aqueous solution onto the processed food product under a gage pressure of 3 to 40 pounds per square inch.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution is at a temperature of from 0 to about 85° C.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution is at a temperature of from 0 to about 70° C.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution is recovered after contacting the food product and is recycled.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processed food product is a processed meat food product.

25. A method for treating a processed food product to reduce bacterial contamination of the processed food product or to retard bacterial growth on the process food product, comprising contacting the processed food product with a substantially ethanol free aqueous solution in an amount effective to reduce said contamination or to retard said growth, said aqueous solution consisting essentially of (a) an alkali silicate, an alkali carbonate and an alkali hydroxide or (b) an alkali silicate and an alkali hydroxide.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises greater than or equal to 0.05 percent by weight alkali carbonate and greater than or equal to 0.05 percent by weight alkali hydroxide.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises from 0.1 percent by weight to saturation of alkali carbonate and from 0.5 to 5 percent by weight alkali hydroxide.