RU2363164C2 - Microbiocidal processing four-footed animals slaughtered for meat - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food industry.

SUBSTANCE: method provides for: treating external surface of alive animal for at least one time with microbiocidal solution obtained by mixing water with 1,3-dibromosubstituted-5,5-dialkyl-hydantoin. Treatment is carried out at least once when preparing animal to slaughter, before its bleeding. In other version carcase is treated after bleeding. One more version provides for treating raw meat product and/or processed meat food obtained from mentioned carcase. Treatment can be carried out for one or more times on every processing stage.

EFFECT: preventing bacterial contamination of meat.

92 cl, 1 ex, 2 dwg

Description

Contamination of meat and meat products with various pathogens of such species as Listeria, Escherichia, Salmonella, Campylobacter, etc., is a problem that has existed for many years. Although many different microbiocidal materials have been tested for effectiveness, in existing practice, as a rule, antimicrobial agents, such as certain acids or biological agents based on chlorine, such as sodium hypochlorite and calcium hypochlorite, are used in slaughtering animals in slaughterhouses.

Various four-legged animals are slaughtered in slaughterhouses and processed into meat and meat products consumed by humans and domestic animals. Such animals include, for example, cattle, pigs, horses, sheep, bison, rabbits, camels, kangaroos, alligators, crocodiles, and others that are known or are potential sources of meat products, such as buffalo, goats and llamas. These and other four-legged animals, for example, deer, antelope, elk, squirrel, opossum, raccoon and nutria, which are the source of meat, are used in food and for food and are sometimes included in the concept of slaughtered four-legged animals. Also, the term "cattle", used in the conventional sense, includes meat gobies, heifers, cows, calves and bulls; the term “pigs” as used in the conventional sense includes domestic pigs, sows, gilts, hogs, boars and pigs; the term "sheep", used in the conventional sense, includes lambs, rams and sheep.

Many of the four-legged slaughtered animals, in particular those from which beef and pork are obtained, are processed in meat processing plants with high productivity using technologies known from the prior art. Despite modern processing methods, bacterial contamination of fresh meat occurs as an undesirable but inevitable result of the slaughter of live slaughtered four-legged animals for use in food. Although current production and quality control (GMPs) rules and / or government regulations can reduce this pollution, it is not possible to completely remove bacteria from the raw material — fresh meat. Since it is assumed that deep muscle tissue is sterile in healthy animals, essentially all contamination occurs on the surface of the carcass. Particulate matter, dust and dung on wool, animal skin and hooves are one of the significant sources of pollution. In addition, in some cases, rupture of internal organs during the process of their removal is a source of additional contamination of the carcass.

The general nature of the methods and devices used in the process of processing slaughtered tetrapods into food is well known to a person skilled in the art. Of course, the literature on this industry is vast. For example, Qutlines by GRAcuff, PhD, Professor of Food Microbiology, Texas A&M University, of a Patogen Reduction Dialogue held May 6, 2002 describes a typical operation for slaughtering cattle with the following steps: accepting and holding cattle, stunning, bleeding , removal of the head and hooves, skinning, internship, carcass cutting, final washing and cooling. For slaughtering pigs, dr. Acuff, id., Carry out the following steps: receiving and aging pigs, stunning, bleeding, scalding, dehairing, singeing, scraping and removing carbon deposits, gutting, washing and cooling. Other authors give a description that basically repeats the above, but differs in detail. For example, the slaughter and processing of cattle described in the chapter entitled Overview of Meat Processing refers to this part and describes the following steps: pre-transporting cattle, stunning and bleeding, skinning and skinning, internment, cutting and deboning. In addition, the chapter further explains that the carcass is often chopped and crushed after cooling, but according to the latest developments, it has become possible to remove bones while the carcass is still warm, the method is called “hot deboning”. The same chapter describes and explains the steps of slaughtering and processing pigs, including pre-transporting pigs, stunning and bleeding, skinning and trimming, gutting, butchering, with the assertion in this last part that at the end of the carcass it is quickly cooled during the night before the next cutting step into cuts and deboning. Thus, any layman in the steps or methods used in the processing of slaughtered four-legged animals into food can receive extensive information on this subject in the literature referred to.

In the process of traditionally used stages of processing slaughtered tetrapods for food, there are opportunities for microbial and pathogenic contamination. Thus, there is a need for one or more new methods of reducing or preventing such contamination of animal carcasses or parts thereof in the process of processing slaughtered four-legged animals for food. Also, the need is for the above methods not to be too expensive. In addition to this, it is necessary that the above methods do not create excessive obstacles to the operation of existing slaughterhouses and meat plants. In addition, satisfying the above requirements, it is vital that the method used does not cause a noticeable deterioration in the quality and properties of carcass meat, in particular appearance and taste.

The present invention is supposedly able to satisfy the above requirements without causing a noticeable deterioration in the quality and properties of carcass meat as a result of the application of the present invention or the methods of the invention.

A brief description of the present invention

The present invention relates to methods for reducing microbial contamination (I) of a slaughtered four-legged animal (for convenience, hereinafter simply “animal”) prepared for slaughter and / or (II) carcasses of such an animal and / or (III) raw meat product and / or processed meat products obtained from carcasses of such animals.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the process of processing a slaughtered four-legged animal, the external surface of the living slaughtered four-legged animal is treated before slaughter with a microbicidal aqueous composition obtained by mixing at least 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin with an aqueous medium to obtain a microbiocidally effective aqueous composition .

In another embodiment of the present invention, at one or more suitable stages of processing the carcass of an animal, the outer surface of the carcass of a slaughtered animal is treated with a microbiocidal aqueous composition obtained by mixing at least 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin with an aqueous medium to obtain a microbiocidally effective aqueous composition. Depending on the type of carcass, such treatment can be carried out before, during and / or after removing the skin from the carcass, or before or after removing the hair and / or bristles from the carcass.

In another embodiment of the present invention, at one or more suitable stages, before, during and / or after obtaining a raw meat product and / or processed meat products, such products that are treated with a microbiocidal aqueous composition obtained by mixing at least one 1,3-bisubstituted- 5,5-dialkylhydantoin with an aqueous medium to obtain a microbiocidally effective aqueous composition. Some examples of raw meat products include steaks, chops, ribs, meat slices for frying, ham, fillet, offal and minced meat. Some examples of processed meat products include ready-to-eat cooking products, sausages, Frankfurt sausages, and sliced meat.

Significant benefits can be achieved by using a microbiocidally effective aqueous composition obtained from one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins. In addition, the present halogen-based composition is more effective than other halogen-containing biocidal agents such as hypochlorite or N, N′-bromochloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin; The 1,3-bromo-substituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins that make up the microbiocidally effective aqueous compositions are less aggressive with spray devices, fittings, transportation devices and other parts of various cleaning, showering, spraying and / or fogging applied systems. However, due to the very high antimicrobial activity, 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins, such as 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins, can be introduced into the aqueous medium at lower suitable doses and even form compositions with enhanced microbiocidal efficacy, which, when applied to live slaughtered tetrapods during slaughter, do not have a harmful effect. Additionally, 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins form aqueous compositions that are stable in the temperature range from a temperature just below the freezing point of the composition to about 70 ° C, which in these temperature ranges is highly effective against microorganisms and pathogens, even when such compositions are obtained using small doses of 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin (s). Thus, the microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention can be effectively used in most, if not all temperature conditions encountered during processing of slaughtered tetrapods, at least for meat. Additionally, the results of the experiment showed that unexpectedly the consequences of the practice of the present invention do not cause a noticeable decrease in the quality and properties of carcass meat as a result of the application of the methods of the invention. Thus, the combination of extremely high antimicrobial efficacy and the absence of harmful effects on meat make it possible to obtain an aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins, which can also be effectively used to disinfect a raw meat product and / or meat products at any stage: before, during and / or after their receipt.

Various variations and features of the invention can be further identified from the following description along with the figures and claims.

International application WO 03/001931 A1, published January 9, 2003, describes, in particular, the use of aqueous solutions of certain halogen-based microbiocides, such as an aqueous solution of bromine, chlorine or bromine chloride, or any of two, or all three, and a water-soluble source sulfamate anions; or at least one 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydantoin in which one of the halogen atoms is a chlorine atom and the other is a chlorine or bromine atom, and the alkyls independently have 1-4 carbon atoms; or at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin in which one alkyl is methyl and the other alkyl has 1-4 carbon atoms to disinfect carcasses and / or parts of poultry meat obtained from poultry farms. It was shown that the color of chicken skin and the color of chicken meat were not negatively affected during the disinfection process. Treated carcasses of poultry have meat covered in substantially waterproof skin. On the contrary, carcasses of four-legged animals after skinning do not have such a protective waterproof coating, as will be shown hereinafter with direct contact of the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention with beef used as feedstock, a slight change in the color of meat is observed, indicating that the microbiocides used according to the invention in suitable proportions do not adversely affect the quality of the meat. Thus, treating slaughtered four-legged animals, such as cattle, with the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention, in particular before removing the skin and / or carcasses of such animals after skinning, may have little effect, if any, on the quality of the meat.

It is also noteworthy that in the processing of poultry meat, in particular in modern highly automated plants, at least one cooling tank is used for a long period of time, for example, one hour or so, during which microbiocides can exhibit microbiocidal activity. In contrast, in meat processing plants and slaughterhouses where cattle or pigs are processed, sprays are usually used with a relatively short exposure time. In addition, the time for a microbiocide to show its microbiocidal activity is usually shorter in such mills or slaughterhouses than in poultry farms.

Brief Description of the Drawings

1 is a flowchart illustrating the traditional steps of processing cattle in which, according to the present invention, cattle and / or carcasses of cattle can be treated with the aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a block diagram illustrating the traditional stages of processing pigs, in which, according to the present invention, pigs and / or pork carcasses can be treated with aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention.

Additional, detailed description of the present invention

The aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention are obtained from components comprising at least (i) water and (ii) at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin. These components are mixed in microbiocidally effective proportions, and such proportions may vary depending on various factors, such as, for example, the type of animal being processed, the age of the animal being processed, the amount of microbial contamination on the animal being processed, the type and extent of contamination of animals, carcasses and / or their parts subjected to microbial contamination during various operations carried out in slaughterhouses or meat processing plants, type of processed (s) or prepared (s) facility and (s), whether the animal is alive, carcass, raw meat product and / or processed meat products. Typically, however, the components water and at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin are metered in such a way that a microbiocide composition in a microbiocidally effective amount is obtained from water and one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5.5 dialkylhydantoins. In such resulting compositions, typically up to about 400 parts by weight of one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins are mixed with one million parts by weight of water (e.g., the amount of 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin (s) used in the preparation of the composition relative to the amount of water used in the preparation of the composition is up to about 400 ppm by weight). Preferably, the compositions are prepared by mixing up to about 200 parts by weight, more preferably up to about 100 parts by weight and most preferably up to about 50 parts by weight of one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins for every million parts by weight of water used. As a rule, at least about 0.5 parts by weight of one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins are used for every million parts by weight of water, which will be used in the preparation of the aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention, in particular these compositions are used to disinfect or disinfect a raw meat product and / or processed meat products. Preferably, at least about 10 parts by weight, more preferably at least about 20 parts by weight, and most preferably at least about 50 parts by weight of one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkyl hydantoins per million parts by weight of water, should be used. to obtain aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions according to the invention, in particular, these compositions are used to disinfect or disinfect live slaughtered tetrapods and / or carcasses of such animals.

From the foregoing, it follows that the concentration ranges that can be used according to the invention include the following: from about 0.5 to about 400 ppm, from about 0.5 to about 200 ppm, from about 0.5 to about 100 ppm, from about 0.5 to about 50 ppm, from about 10 to about 400 ppm, from about 10 to about 200 ppm, from about 10 to about 100 m d., from about 10 to about 50 ppm, from about 20 to about 400 ppm, from about 20 to about 200 ppm, from about 20 to about 100 ppm, from about 20 up to about 50 ppm, from about 50 to about 400 ppm, from about 50 to about 200 ppm and from about 50 to about 100 ppm. Particularly preferred, in particular, for disinfecting or disinfecting live slaughtered four-legged animals and / or carcasses of such animals, the aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention obtained from one or more 1,3-bisubstituted 5.5-dialkylhydantoins from about 20 to about 100 parts by weight for every million parts by weight of water. Preferred compositions used to disinfect or disinfect the raw meat product and / or processed meat products are from about 0.5 to about 400 parts by weight of one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins per million parts by weight of water . More preferred compositions used to disinfect or disinfect the raw meat product and / or processed meat products comprise from about 50 to about 200 parts by weight of one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins per million parts by weight of water. The most preferred compositions used to disinfect or disinfect the raw meat product and / or processed meat products are from about 50 to about 100 parts by weight of one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins per million parts by weight of water.

Amounts of one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins that are dissolved in water to produce the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention may be expressed differently in terms of the residual bromine content. Thus, in the practice of the present invention, water is mixed with at least one 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dialkylhydantoin microbiocidal agent in an amount to a residual bromine content of up to about 400 ppm (by weight) as free bromine, preferably up to about 200 ppm. (by weight) as free bromine. More preferably, the amount of at least one microbiocidal agent of 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin mixed with water until a residual bromine content of up to about 100 ppm is reached. (by weight) as free bromine, and even more preferably up to about 50 ppm. (by weight) as free bromine. As a rule, in particular, in those compositions that are used to disinfect or disinfect a raw meat product and / or processed meat products, the minimum residual bromine content is at least about 0.5 ppm. (by weight) as free bromine from one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins. Preferably, in particular, in those compositions that are used to disinfect or disinfect live slaughtered tetrapods and / or carcasses of such animals, the minimum residual bromine content is at least about 10 ppm. (by weight) as free bromine, more preferably about 20 ppm. (by weight) as free bromine, and even more preferably about 50 ppm. (by weight) as free bromine from one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins. Particularly preferred, in particular for the disinfection or disinfection of live slaughtered tetrapods and / or carcasses of such animals, are the aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention with a residual bromine content of from about 20 to about 100 ppm. by weight as free bromine from one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins. Preferred compositions used to disinfect or disinfect the raw meat product and / or processed meat products are compositions with a residual bromine content of from about 0.5 to about 400 ppm. by weight as free bromine from one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins. More preferred compositions used to disinfect or disinfect the raw meat product and / or processed meat products are compositions with a residual bromine content of from about 50 to about 200 ppm. by weight as free bromine from one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins. Even more preferred compositions used to disinfect or disinfect the raw meat product and / or processed meat products are compositions with a residual bromine content of from about 50 to about 100 ppm. by weight as free bromine from one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins. The product solution is typically used at a temperature of from about 5 to about 39 ° C, but can be used at higher temperatures, for example, up to about 70 ° C, if necessary.

There are two main types of treatment for slaughtered tetrapods where the present invention can be applied.

It:

I) contacting the aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention with the outer surface of live slaughtered tetrapods during processing in slaughterhouses;

II) contacting the aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention with the carcasses of freshly slaughtered tetrapods processed for meat and / or meat products.

As noted above, there is another category of processing where the present invention can be applied:

III) contacting the aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention with a raw meat product and / or processed meat product obtained from slaughtered animals at any suitable stage (s) before, during and / or after any operation carried out in the process of obtaining and / or processing such raw meat product and / or processed meat products.

Processing Type I

As can be seen from the above, the type of processing I according to the invention relates to the reduction of microbial contamination of meat and / or meat products obtained from processed animals by contacting the external surfaces of the animal during one or more initial stages of processing, at which the animal is not yet slaughtered. These steps include any steps for pre-transporting animals before slaughter (for example, while they are still alive), such as receiving and holding, moving to a stunning area, stunning animals, and transporting or moving stunned animals before bleeding. Thus, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the external surface of the animal is in contact with one or more aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention in at least one of such stages or stages when the animal is still alive.

Preferably, before using one or more of the aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention on a living animal on surfaces such as the back of the animal, legs, hooves and other surfaces where faecal particles are present on the animals, initially rinse off the fecal particles with a hose stream or using a shower at least water or aqueous detergent solutions.

Regardless of whether or not such a preferred washing is carried out, according to the present invention, the live animal is subjected to spraying, showering, fogging, partial bathing or any other suitable treatment by applying at least one aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention to the outer surface animal while it is still alive. Preferably, such at least one aqueous microbiocidally effective composition according to the invention is applied to the whole animal before the animal enters the site for bleeding (for example, bleeding and thus slaughter). This may be supplemented, for example, by arranging at least one shower zone and / or spray zone at the place where the animal moves from the holding sites to the slaughterhouse or meat processing plant. When animals pass through such a zone or zones, they are subjected to a shower and / or spraying of one or more aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention onto the external surface of the animal while it becomes wet from the composition. Such nebulizers may be fixed or allow free movement. Also, showers and / or sprayers can be of varying intensity so as to guarantee thorough wetting of the skins and washing the animal from dirt. Preferably, the animal then passes through a bath with the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention so that at least the lower legs and hooves are washed with such a composition. Such a bath may contain reinforced spray nozzles on the surface of the bath to improve washing efficiency. It is preferable to place such a bath outside the slaughterhouse or meat processing plant and / or at least along the perimeter of the slaughterhouse or meat processing plant, since this arrangement will help to ensure that the amount of microbial contamination brought to the slaughterhouse or meat processing plant is effectively minimized by using the present invention. This, in turn, significantly reduces the likelihood of cross-contamination during subsequent processing operations carried out in a slaughterhouse or meat processing plant.

Another treatment option of type I according to the invention is the use of mists of an aqueous microbiocidally effective composition according to the invention on an animal instead of or in addition to spraying during the movement of the animal to a slaughterhouse or meat processing plant. Also, the sequence of passage through the zones may vary, for example, the passage of the animal (s) through a bath with an aqueous microbiocidally effective composition may occur before or simultaneously with the use of one or more showers or sprays. Another optional step is to provide a fog zone that brings the at least one aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention into contact with the animal after one or more zones where the animal is contacted with the at least one aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention using a shower, spray and / or bath. Summarizing the above, any sequence of contacting at least one aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention with a living animal can be used. And such contacting is preferably carried out when the animal moves to the slaughterhouse or meat processing plant and / or along the perimeter of the slaughterhouse or meat processing plant.

Another embodiment of the invention is a new method of applying one or more showers and / or sprayers to a live animal. The method involves the additional use of a portable shower and / or spray booth, which may also contain a zone with a device for the formation of fog and / or a bathtub for partial processing. The treated animals pass through such a cabin in which the external surface (s) of such animal (s) are in contact (for example, by showering, spraying, etc.) with at least one aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention before treatment or in addition to processing in a slaughterhouse or meat factory. Such a portable shower or spray booth can be sized and adapted to transport from one place to another by means of an 18-wheeled trailer for a freight trailer or railway carriage, or they can be universal, suitable for transportation from place to place on a trailer of a wheeled trailer, or by tractor. Such a trailer may be equipped with a device applying the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention, or the trailer may drive up to the place of use. Thus, power for the operation of pumps supplying the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention to showers, nebulizers and / or foggers can be supplied through an energy distribution switchboard or a generator or energy can be supplied directly to the application site. Wastewater from the use of a portable shower and / or spray booth is preferably collected in the same booth. After the solids are removed from the recovered wastewater, if necessary, the microbiocidally effective composition of the invention is further mixed with such particulate-free wastewater, the resulting wastewater can be reused in a portable shower and / or spray booth. This embodiment of the invention, in particular, is used in the case of small slaughterhouses where only one or relatively small number of animals are slaughtered periodically, since the portable shower and / or spray booth can be delivered from place to place for use in various small slaughterhouses where the animal is slaughtered.

In areas where more than one living animal is equipped with a bathtub, shower, spray and / or fogger, the microbiocidally effective concentrations of the respective aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention are used according to the present invention, the same or at least the same can be used in such zones two such compositions, which may vary in concentration. The effective concentration limits are described above, but can be increased if necessary, such as in the case when the animal is excessively contaminated with fecal particles due to unusual conditions, such as unexpected microbial contamination when using animal feed or drinking water, illness of some animals in the herd, delay during transportation or the like

The temperature (s) of the aqueous (s) microbiocidally effective composition (s) according to the invention in the above described type I treatment according to the invention can vary within suitable limits. Thus, the used composition (s) can be applied after heating to a suitable warm temperature or, conversely, cooled to a suitable cold temperature to help calm animals approaching a slaughterhouse or meat processing plant, and thus improve the process of moving animals from the holding site to slaughterhouse or meat processing plant and / or while moving to the stunning area. Also, by appropriately controlling the temperature of the composition (s), it is possible to prevent or at least reduce the ailments associated with overheating (for example, heat stroke) from excessive crowding of animals.

Among the additional advantages in the above type I treatment is that the microbiocidal efficacy of aqueous microbiocidal compositions obtained by mixing one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins with an aqueous medium is extremely high even when a small dose of such compound (s) is used. This in turn avoids or at least minimizes the likelihood of adverse animal behavioral reactions if, for example, when sprayed, the composition gets into the eyes or into other sensitive parts of the animal’s body. The ability to avoid or minimize such adverse behavioral reactions of the animal is favorable for the process of animals moving to the slaughterhouse or meat processing plant and / or platform for stunning, since it keeps the flow uniform.

In small slaughterhouses, where only one or a relatively small number of animals are periodically slaughtered, the above operations can be carried out in various ways. For example, the animal (s) may be sprayed using one or more pressure sprayers equipped with a flexible sleeve suitable for applying the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention. Alternatively, the composition may be applied using, for example, tampons, rags, sponges or hard brushes and / or simply by spraying the composition of the invention onto a live animal from a bucket or bucket. When carrying out such operations, care must be taken to ensure that the external surface of the animal is effectively coated by contacting the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention. As in any operation where the body parts of the operator (s) may be exposed to repeated exposure to a chemical solution, it is advisable for the operator (s) to use waterproof gloves and safety glasses and preferably waterproof outerwear. As noted above, it is preferable to wash the animal with water before contacting it with the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention.

Another place in a slaughterhouse or slaughterhouse where a live animal can come into contact with the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention to obtain the desired results is the place where the animal is stunned and / or the place where the stunned animal is transported before bleeding. Such transportation may include, for example, transporting and / or moving a stunned animal using a conveyor. With this arrangement in a slaughterhouse or meat processing plant, contacting the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention with the outer surface of a stunned animal can be advantageously carried out using a shower system, a spray system and a fogging system or bath. Such an operation can be used in addition to or instead of applying the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention to the external surface of the animal when moving from the holding site to a slaughterhouse or meat processing plant and / or around the area of the slaughterhouse or meat processing plant, as described above. In all cases of type I treatment, it is preferable to ensure that the live animal has been thoroughly washed with water or a washing solution at least before contacting the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention with the animal before slaughter.

According to the invention, it is possible to wash a living animal with water or a washing solution after contacting with an still living animal an aqueous mixture in which one or more surfactant or washing agent is included in the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention.

Processing Type II

Used in the application, including the formula, the term "carcass" refers to the body of a slaughtered four-legged animal at any stage of processing operations used to process a dead animal into meat. Thus, the term “carcass” includes (i) the whole body of a slaughtered animal, (ii) the body of the body remaining after removing the head and / or legs from the body of the animal, (iii) its separated head and legs, (iv) parts of the body of the animal after of how it is divided into two parts.

Used in the application, including the formula, the term “during” refers to a period of time each of two: (i) the time spent on the operation during which it was carried out or (ii) some part of the time or individual periods of time spent on the operation, but not all the time spent on the operation. For example, the phrase “at the time of skinning” means that a certain action has been taken (i) at least during the entire time allotted to the skinning operation of a given carcass, or alternatively, (ii) in one or more time periods , but not during the entire period of time the operation of removing the skin from this carcass. It should also be noted that the skinning removal operation (or other special operation) in this meaning should be continuous, for example, that the skin should be removed from the animal continuously from the beginning to the end of the operation on this carcass. Such removal can be continuous or it is carried out with pauses during the entire operation (for example, skinning), and thus a certain action is carried out in any way (i) during the whole time of this operation (for example, skinning) carried out on this carcass, including any pauses that occur during such an operation, or alternatively, (ii) during one or more periods of time, but not during the entire period of time of this operation (for example, skinning) carried out on this carcass, including any pauses to Which occur during such an operation.

Used in the application, including the formula, the term "product solution" means an aqueous solution, which is obtained by mixing together at least water with one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins. According to existing theoretical concepts, 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins at least lose some of their original chemical structure upon dissolution in an aqueous medium, and the resulting composition of the invention may be referred to herein as a “product solution” because of such specific components.

Used in the application, including the formula, the term "immediately preceding" means a certain action (for example, contacting the mascara with an aqueous microbiocidal composition) performed before the subsequent operation (for example, removal of the skin or skin), which begins without any intermediate operation, for with the exception of transporting the carcass from the place where a particular action was performed to the place where the subsequent operation will be performed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least once the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention is applied to the outer surfaces of the non-carcass of the at least one four-legged slaughtered animal. This contacting can be accomplished by immersing the carcass in an aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention, contacting the carcass with an aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention using a shower, spray or mist, or using any other method of applying the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention, thus to ensure direct contact with the carcass before, during and / or after skinning or after removing wool and / or bristles, but in yubom case before evisceration. Thus, in the case of treating the animal when the hide is removed, followed by feeding with or without intermediate rinsing with water, contacting in the present embodiment of the invention should be carried out before, during and / or after the skinning removal step, but before the start of the feeding operation. Thus, in the case of treating the animal when the skin is not removed before the inside (for example, when the carcass for removing wool and / or bristles is treated with a sawdust or shearing, followed by inside with or without intermediate washing with water), contacting in the present embodiment of the invention generally follows to be carried out after schalking or shearing, but before the start of the nutracing operation. Also, this contacting can be carried out during the removal of wool and / or bristles, while carrying out the removal in a manner other than shredding. In each such case (for example, when the skin is removed or when the skin is not removed before freshness), the contact of the aqueous microbiocidal solution of the invention with carcasses spaced out on a moving conveyor should be carried out so that the surface of each carcass is moistened and remains moist for a period a time of at least 5 seconds, preferably at least 30 seconds. Also, in each of these cases, the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention can be preheated before being contacted with the carcass before being gutted so that the solution, spray or mist has a temperature above room temperature, but not higher than about 70 ° C and preferably not higher. than 39 ° C. Since such heating increases the microbiocidal activity of the aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention, the possibility of such heating of such compositions ensures that the speed of a conventional production line in automated slaughterhouses will not be significantly reduced when using the processing of the invention.

For contacting the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention with an animal carcass during skinning, any of the following methods is suitable, both spraying and fogging, as well as applying. Thus, it is necessary that the usual skinning operation is not too altered due to its adaptation for contacting the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention with the carcass during skinning.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, batches of suspended, spatially unnaturated carcasses of animals pass into a spray treatment zone, such as one or more booths or showers, on the surface of which there are nozzles and / or spray heads for at least one spray gun or shower, preferably a large number of nebulizers through which the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention is applied to the surface of at least one carcass while passing through spray treatment area. When sprayed, it is necessary to ensure that the surfaces of the suspended carcasses are completely accessible and exposed to the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention. In an embodiment of the invention, when the carcasses that are not nutritious enter the spray treatment area, the skin will be peeled off (for example, the skin will be removed) or the skin or skin will remain intact, but the wool and / or bristles are removed from the carcass, usually with a sawdust or haircut, or using Another suitable technology for removing wool and / or bristles, the choice between skinning and removing wool and / or bristles depends on the type of animals being processed. For example, cattle are typically skinned prior to entering the carcass into the spray treatment area of the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention, while pigs typically go through burning for burning on the surface of the wool and / or bristles before feeding the carcasses to the treatment area spray gun. After leaving the spray processing area, the carcasses are usually washed with running water using any suitable technology, such as dipping, spraying, immersion in water, etc., and then the next step is chickens or internally without intermediate rinsing with water.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the application of the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention to the carcass of an animal is carried out during internation. In order to minimize obstruction to a normal or suitable internation, it is preferable to apply the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention to the carcass using a fogger or low-pressure spray device for fine droplet spraying for a longer, if not the entire period of time during which the internship is carried out. Such treatment using a fogger or a fine droplet spray device ensures that both the carcass and the insides are moistened with the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention without compromising the effectiveness of the simultaneously performed nutritional operation. In particular, an advantage of this preferred embodiment of the present invention is that in the event of damage to the viscera, the fight against microbial or bacterial contamination is carried out immediately by the presence and longer application of the highly effective aqueous microbiocidal composition of the invention. As a result of this, microbial or bacterial contamination of subsequent carcasses can be avoided without stopping the line. In addition to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the viscera can be transported or conveyed to a washing zone after removal, where the viscera are immersed in the bath with the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention for a period of time sufficient to guarantee effective microbial and bacterial control.

In an additional embodiment of the present invention, washing of the inner and outer surfaces of the carcass is carried out before and / or during and / or after the cutting operation of the carcass. When carrying out the washing operation of the inner and outer surfaces of the carcass according to the invention, it is preferable to use a spray supply system, such as a nozzle or a bayonet mount, which according to the present invention applies a spray of the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention under pressure into the internal cavity of the carcass and another spray supply system, such as rows of nozzles by such a system apply the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention to the external surface of the carcass. In particular, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention is applied to the internal cavity of the carcass using a spray delivery system having a higher concentration of microbiocide derived from 1,3-bromo-substituted-5,5-dialkyl hydantoin (s) than the concentration a microbiocide obtained from 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin (s) in water, applied to the external surface of the carcass using a spray feed system. 1,3-bromo-substituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins used to obtain microbiocide (s) in water used to wash the internal cavity of the carcass and 1,3-dibromo-substituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins used to produce microbiocide (s) in water used for washing the external surface of the carcass, can be and, as a rule, are one and the same chemical composition. However, to obtain these corresponding aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention, other chemical compositions of 1,3-bisubromubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin (s) can be used to flush the internal and external surfaces.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, a plurality of suspended carcasses of animals suspended from animals, when they are conveyed or otherwise transported to the cooling zone and / or after they have been delivered to the cooling zone, is processed but still warm (for example, the carcasses have not completely cooled down from the original body temperature of a living animal), apply the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition according to the invention using at least one spray, shower or fogger on both sides, both on the inside Yu, and the outer surface of the carcass. When transporting suspended carcasses to the cooling zone, moving carcasses may be processed using a spray gun, shower or fogger using one or more suitable sprayers or booths with a fogger or one or more shower units. Optionally, after applying the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention, running water may be applied. When the carcass is in the cooling zone, as a rule, it is fixed motionless or is in rotation, such treatment using a spray, shower or fogger can be carried out continuously for a suitable period of time, but it is preferable to periodically apply to the carcasses using a spray, shower or fogger. This preferred embodiment of the invention is advantageous, in particular, for use in the processing of cattle, when the carcasses are usually in the cooling zone for a period of time from about 6 to about 16 hours. Application using a spray, shower or fogger, especially if it was carried out periodically during the entire period of stay, not only effectively prevents the development and growth of microbes, but also prevents the loss of softness of meat. The application of plain water using a sprayer, shower or fogger in sharp contrasts while in the cooling zone to protect the meat from drying out and gain stiffness, where there has been a tendency to explosive growth of the bacterial population.

Another feature of the present invention is that suspended, carcassed animal carcasses delivered using a conveyor or other transport method to the cooling zone, and / or after they have been delivered to the cooling zone, can be treated using an aqueous microbiocidally effective sprayer, shower or fogger the composition according to the invention at a temperature below 15 ° C or lower and preferably at a temperature of about 10 ° C or lower and more preferably at a temperature of about 7 ° C or lower, but in all cases above the freezing temperature of the microbiocidal solution. Thus, it can be seen that the processing by applying a cold solution using a spray, shower or fogger provides several functions. Firstly, treatment by applying cold solution to the carcasses using a nebulizer, shower or fogger provides excellent microbial and / or bacterial control even when used at such low temperatures. Secondly, the processing by applying a cold solution using a spray, shower or fogger can be carried out during the feeding of carcasses using a conveyor or other transportation method to the cooling zone and / or immediately after they have been delivered to the cooling zone, contributing to cooling carcass. Thirdly, the processing by applying a cold solution using a spray, shower or fogger can be carried out when they have almost reached the required cooling temperature, which will not lead to a significant increase in the temperature of the cooled carcasses. In all cases of spray application, it is necessary to ensure that the surfaces of the suspended carcasses are accessible to the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, effective microbiocidal control in the processing of slaughtered four-legged animals, in particular cattle or pigs, is achieved by using the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention in at least two or three important stages or stages of processing the animal, which practically does not reduce productivity, but allows you to achieve more effective microbial control compared with the use of hypochlorite or other micro robocides, chlorine derivatives.

Namely, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water is treated with at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin to obtain an aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention applied to the carcass of a slaughtered four-legged animal during at least two of the following three operations : (1) before, during and / or after removal of the hide or before and / or after removal of the wool and / or bristles, and in some cases during removal of the wool and / or bristles by methods other than shredding, (2) during nutrition and (3) immediately before and / or during cooling. Methods for performing each of these three operations have been described hereinabove.

In a specific preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention is applied at least two times, preferably at least three times, more preferably at least four times and most preferably at least five times during the following operations performed at the slaughterhouses in the process of slaughtering cattle according to the prior art: (1) skinning, (2) disinfection between skinning and before being gutted, (3) gutting, (4) chopping shea, (5) final flushing, and (6) cooling. Operations other than (2), as a rule, are carried out in slaughterhouses in the process of slaughtering cattle according to the prior art, but, of course, without using the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition according to the invention during any operation. Operation (2) is a presumably unique operation of the invention. Methods for performing operations (1), (2), (3), (4) and (6) according to the present invention have been described above. During operation (5), i.e. final washing according to the present invention, any conventional method of carrying out such an operation can be applied by simply introducing the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention into some or all of the washing water.

In another specific preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention is applied at least two times, preferably at least three times, more preferably at least four times during the following operations used in the prior art in slaughterhouses during slaughtering pigs : (1) disinfection between skinning and before the inside, (2) inside, (3) cutting, and (4) cooling. Operations other than (1) are usually carried out in slaughterhouses during cattle slaughter according to the prior art, but, of course, without using the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention during any operation. Operation (1) is a presumably unique operation of the invention. Methods for performing operations (1), (2), (3) and (4) according to the present invention have been described above.

When performing operations using the nebulizer according to the present invention at one or more different stages or locations of the animal carcass processing line, the nozzles used to apply the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the present invention to the animal carcass can be fixed or movable nozzles. In addition, during the application steps using a nebulizer, shower or mist former practiced in accordance with the invention, rotating brushes or other methods for enhancing contact between the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention and the carcasses, such as ultrasound, can be used. Then the carcass can be washed with clean water, if necessary or desirable. Such washing with water can be carried out with fresh or recycled water, or a combination of the two. Before use, recirculating water must be effectively cleaned of residual impurities.

According to an additional embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to minimize the amount of wastewater produced in the implementation of the variants of the invention. For example, a system where many individual suspended carcasses are transported through a production line has various stops for processing, at least one such stop is provided by at least one suitably located motion sensor or detector operatively connected to a device for switching the flow of water microbiocid on and off effective composition according to the invention at such a stop or line. When the sensor determines that the carcass enters a certain area in which a stop is provided, where they are applied to the carcass using a spray, shower or fogger, the sensor sends a signal to turn on / off the device, which feeds the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention. This flow can be maintained and then terminated by the system in various ways. One of these methods is to coordinate the time period determined for feeding with the speed of carcasses moving along the line, at which stop after a sufficient period of time during which a predetermined amount of the composition is applied to the carcasses using a spray, shower or fogging, feeding the composition to the device for spraying, showering or fogging stops automatically.

Another way is to automatically shut off the supply of a predetermined volume of fluid directed to a spray device, shower or fogger. Another way is another sensor or motion detector, which detects at a stop when the carcasses have moved to the second position, and after that the signal to the device turns on or off. Sensors or motion detectors can be focused on recognizing the presence of mascara. Alternatively, the sensors or motion detectors may be focused on detecting the presence of a suitable part of the carcass transported by the system, such as a moving arm with a mechanism for hanging carcasses, or a mechanism for hanging carcasses, or part of a mechanism for hanging carcasses, such as a mesh pan, cable, chain, chain or hook for holding suspended mascara.

Suitable devices for detecting or detecting movement are known in the art and can be adapted for use in minimizing the amount of wastewater when implementing embodiments of the present invention. The sensor, the so-called "electric eye", detects the presence of a person entering the elevator, and the elevator doors open or close again and is a ubiquitous device. Various other devices are known. See, for example, US Patent No. 6623348.

In the implementation of the present invention according to processing type II, the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition according to the invention can be applied before and / or during the cutting of the carcass for control purposes.

Processing Type III

This type of treatment according to the present invention includes contacting with a raw meat product and / or processed meat product obtained from a slaughtered animal (s), an aqueous microbicidal composition obtained by mixing at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin with aqueous medium to obtain an aqueous microbiocidally effective composition. Contacting is carried out at one or more suitable stages before, during and / or after the formation or preparation of such a raw meat product and / or meat products. Methods of contacting the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention with a raw meat product and / or processed meat product are similar to those described above. Thus, spray application, dipping, bathing, showering or the like can be applied. Also, in small slaughterhouses or meat processing plants for applying an aqueous microbiocidally effective composition according to the invention, sponges for manual application or rags for washing can be used. The raw meat product and / or processed meat product or their precursors can be transported using an automatic conveyor device, such as a conveyor belt, on which such products or their precursors are delivered or transported, or a moving conveyor, a moving conveyor or cables to which such products or their predecessors are suspended, served and transported.

An aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention can be applied to a raw meat product, typically obtained from an animal carcass. Non-limiting examples of raw meat products include: (a) portioned meat, e.g. steaks, chops, rib meat, steaks, ham, fillet, bacon and other similar lumpy meat products, (b) offal such as liver, kidney, rumen, pork scars, tongue and other organs or parts of organs, and (c) minced meat such as ground beef, pork minced meat, raw sausage minced meat, and the like. Non-limiting examples of processed meat products that the microbiocidally effective composition of the invention may come into contact with include ready-to-eat cooking products, sausages, Frankfurt sausages, sliced meat, jerky and / or other processed meat products.

Preferably, the raw meat product in contact with the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention includes red meat, pieces of red meat, white meat and pieces of white meat. Most preferred for contact with the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention are red meat (beef) of cattle or raw white meat (pork) from pigs.

In treatment type III, the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention used can be prepared by mixing water and at least one microbiocidal 1,3-bisubromubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin agent in an amount of about 0.5 to about 400 ppm. (by weight). The specific concentration of one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins used in preparing such compositions may vary depending on the particular processed raw meat product and / or processed meat product. In many cases, such as processing sliced raw meat or minced meat, or sliced processed meat products, the concentration of the 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkyl hydantoin microbicidal agent used to prepare the composition used may be closer to minimum values, for example, from about 0.5 to about 100 ppm. (by weight) and in some cases from about 0.5 to about 50 ppm. (by weight). In other words, in many cases, residual bromine in the compositions obtained from water and one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins used can be from about 0.5 to about 100 ppm. (by weight) as free bromine, in some cases from about 0.5 to about 50 ppm. (by weight) as free bromine.

Drawing References

The blocks of the diagrams of figures 1 and 2 serve to illustrate, but do not limit the application of the present invention, respectively, for cattle and pigs. As can be seen from the cattle processing steps shown in FIG. 1 and the pig processing steps shown in FIG. 2, there are a series of steps that can usually be used in most slaughterhouses or meat processing plants according to the prior art. It should be understood and noted that some of the above steps may be combined with one or more steps and that some steps may be deleted. In addition, some of the steps described may be carried out in a different order from the above. However, FIGS. 1 and 2, according to the authors, illustrate at least some of the methods for practicing the present invention in relation to live animals and their carcasses after slaughter. The methods of the invention, while partially limiting the number of steps in the processing of a raw meat product, can be understood from these figures.

Returning to FIG. 1, numerous common steps are presented in which, according to the present invention, an aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention can be applied to a living animal, carcass or parts of the carcass. Thus, the application can be carried out, as in acceptance 10 and in cattle aging and / or during the transition of a live animal to stunning, as in 12, and / or during stunning, as in 14, and / or during transportation of the stunned an animal for bleeding, as at 16. Such application can also be carried out at any one or more of the following stages: before removing the head and hooves, as at 18 and / or during the removal of the head and hooves, as at 20, and / or before skinning, as at 22, and / or during skinning, as at 24, and / or before chickpeas alignment, as at 26, and / or during the internship, as at 28. At this stage of processing, one of two generally accepted methods can be used. In the first method, the application according to the invention can be carried out in one or more of the following steps: before stripping and washing the carcasses, as 30A, and / or during stripping and washing the carcasses, as 32A, and / or before cutting and deboning, as 34, and / or during cutting and deboning, as at 36, and / or before cooling and cold storage, as at 38, and / or during cooling and cold storage, as at 40. In the second method, the application according to the invention can be carried out at one or more of the following stages: before cooling, as at 30V, and / or during cooling precipitation, as at 42, and / or before chopping and deboning, as at 44, and / or during chopping and boning, as at 46, and / or before cooling and cold storage, like at 48, and / or during refrigeration storage, as at 50. It should be noted that according to the present invention, the application can be carried out in one or more of the shown steps, except during bleeding, as shown in figure 1. This is advantageous since application during bleeding tends to dilute the blood released from the animal. However, according to the present invention, application is possible during bleeding.

In Fig.2, similarly to Fig.1, the stages of processing a pig are presented, in which according to the present invention, an aqueous microbiocidally effective composition according to the invention can be applied to a live animal, carcass or parts of the carcass. Thus, such application can be carried out both during acceptance and aging of pigs 11 and / or during the transition of a live animal to stunning, as at 13, and / or during stunning, as at 15, and / or during transportation of the stunned animal for bleeding, as at 17. Such application can also be carried out at any one or more of the following stages: before the scalding, as at 19 and / or during the scalding, as at 21, and / or before dehairing, as at 23, and / or during dehairing, as at 25, and / or before the shredding, as at 27, and / or before the scraping removing carbon deposits, as at 29, and / or during scraping and removing carbon deposits, as at 31, and / or before suction, as at 33, and / or during internations, as at 35, and / or before cutting, as at 37, and / or during chopping, as at 39, and / or before cooling the carcass, as at 41, and / or while cooling the carcass, as at 43, and / or before chopping and deboning, as at 45, and / or during chopping and deboning, as in 47, and / or before refrigerated storage, as in 49, and / or during refrigerated storage, as in 51. It should be noted that according to the present invention, the application, as shown in figure 2, may be carried out in one or more of the steps shown, except during bleeding and during shredding. Not applying during bleeding is preferable, since there is a tendency to dilute the blood released from the animal. However, according to the present invention, application is possible during bleeding. In addition, not applying during the filing is another preference, since the application of an aqueous solution to the carcass during the filing under the usual conditions used during the filing operation could not be carried out. However, if the opal conditions can be designed in such a way that the presence of the solution does not have an undue effect on the operation, the application according to the present invention can be carried out under such conditions.

Other signs.

As follows from the above, one or more aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions according to the invention are used to effectively control microbial and bacterial contamination of live slaughtered tetrapods, carcasses of slaughtered tetrapods and / or raw meat product and / or processed meat products obtained from carcasses of slaughtered tetrapods on one or more special locations in a slaughterhouse or slaughterhouse. Such aqueous microbiocidally effective compositions of the invention are prepared by dissolving in water one or more 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins. 1,3-Bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins are preferred in which one of the alkyl groups is a methyl group and the other alkyl group contains carbon atoms from 1 to about 4. Thus, these preferred microbiocides include 1,3-bisubstituted- 5,5-dimethylhydantoin, 1,3-bisubstituted-5-ethyl-5-methylhydantoin, 1,3-bisubstituted-5-n-propyl-5-methylhydantoin, 1,3-bisubstituted-5-isopropyl-5-methylhydantoin, 1,3-bisubstituted-5-n-butyl-5-methylhydantoin, 1,3-bisubstituted-5-isobutyl-5-methylhydantoin, 1,3-bisubro substituted-5-sec-butyl-5-methylhydantoin, 1,3-bisubstituted-5-tert-butyl-5-methylhydantoin, and mixtures of any two or more thereof. Of these microbiocidal agents, respectively, are preferred, more preferred and even more preferred members of this group in terms of efficacy of 1,3-bisubstituted-5-isobutyl-5-methylhydantoin, 1,3-bisubstituted-5-n-propyl-5-methylhydantoin and 1,3-bisubstituted-5-ethyl-5-methylhydantoin. Of the mixtures of these microbiocides that can be used according to the present invention, 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin is preferred for use as one of the components of a mixture of 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin and 1,3- disubstituted-5-ethyl-5-methylhydantoin. The most preferred member of this group of microbiocides is 1,3-bromo-substituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. This compound is commercially available under the trademarks XtraBrom ^® 111 microbiocide and XtraBrom ^® 111T microbiocide (Albemarle Corporation). When a mixture of biocides from two or more of these 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins is used according to the present invention, the individual biocides of the mixture can be in any proportions relative to each other. Mono-N-bromo-substituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin (s) may be present in small proportions among 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin (s), but such compositions are not preferred.

Methods for producing 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin (s) are known and described in the literature. In particular, a preferred method is described in WO 01/53270 published July 26, 2001.

The 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin (s) used according to the present invention can be directly mixed with water for use in the various steps or locations described above. For these purposes, suitable feeding devices can be used which can measure in water passing through the device suitable quantities of the microbiocides of 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkyl hydantoin (s). Alternatively, predetermined amounts of finely divided 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin (s) can be added to water in amounts in excess of the final level used, and the resulting concentration can be further diluted, preferably with stirring, with one or more different amounts of water to produce one or more processing aqueous compositions for use during the respective steps and processes.

Other additives may be used in conjunction with 1,3-di-bromo-5,5-dialkylhydantoin (s), the other additive or additives should be non-toxic, miscible with aqueous microbicidal solutions obtained by dissolving 1,3-di-bromo-5,5-dialkylhydantoin ( o) in water to obtain the treated water used according to the present invention, but in no way reducing the microbiocidal effectiveness of the treated water in any method implemented. By “in conjunction with” it should be understood that in many cases, another additional component (s) is separately added to the water used; for example, other additives, if they are susceptible to oxidation by common oxidizing agents, are not directly mixed with undissolved 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin (s). Generally, additives that are compatible with aqueous whitening solutions of hypogalagenite, such as certain radical scavengers, chelating agents, pH buffering agents, surfactants, detergents, and polymers, are described in detail, for example, in US Pat. No. 6,505,718 or, if necessary then other published literature on this subject may be used. One or more wetting agents, hydrotropes, thickeners, antifoam agents and similar functional additives that meet these criteria can also be used. If an additive is used, the amount of each suitable additive for use with the 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin (s) should be sufficient to ensure that the properties of each additive are manifested, taking into account what it is used for. In this regard, recommendations of manufacturers of such other additives are useful as recommendations.

Preferably, one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin or more than one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin is the only source that produces microbiocidal activity in the aqueous medium treated by it. However, the present invention includes the use in these operations of an aqueous medium treated with (A) at least 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin and (B) at least one other microbicidal agent, which creates a suitable, stable, compatible aqueous microbicidal composition. In other words, the solution of products (A) and (B) must be compatible with each of the others present in the aqueous medium in quantities and proportions that provide the aqueous microbiocidal composition.

Using the application or washing operations of the present invention, it is guaranteed that pathogens such as Listeria, Escherichia, Salmonella, Campylobacter and others are effectively controlled if substantially not removed from the meat product. In addition, on large processing lines for slaughtered four-legged animals, where high productivity is a very important factor, the microbiocide used according to the invention at these stages or stops is very effective because it does not require slowing down the speed of the line during use of the microbiocide. Thus, processing lines can operate at normal speed, if not at a higher speed. In addition, the water used in the respective steps or stops can be treated with a suitable amount of the microbiocide of the given microbiocidal agent of the 1,3-bisubromubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin, and thus it is possible to use only one such agent in the meat processing plant, thereby simplifying supply, storage and inventory aspects of the plant. Of course, you can use water containing the same concentration of microbiocide (i.e. the same amount of residual bromine obtained by dissolving in water a given amount of one or more 1,3-dibromosubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin) in water passing on each of the numerous steps or locations in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention is used in more than one step or at a location on a processing line.

In carrying out various embodiments of the present invention, aqueous washing solutions can be used before and, in particular, after applying the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention to a live animal, carcass of an animal, raw meat product, and / or processed meat product. Such aqueous wash solutions may contain any set of additional components used, such as, for example, sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, potassium sorbate, sodium bisulfate, lactic acid, sodium metasilicate, acidified sodium chlorite, a polypeptide antibiotic such as nisin or other known components performing similar functions.

The carcass of the animal, the raw meat product and / or the processed meat product after applying the aqueous microbiocidally effective composition of the invention and optionally the subsequent washing solution can be treated with additional disinfection operations. Thus, according to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of treating a carcass of a slaughtered four-legged animal and / or a raw meat product obtained from said carcass and / or processed meat product obtained from said carcass, this method includes (a) applying to the carcass raw meat product obtained from the specified carcass and / or processed meat product obtained from the specified carcass of at least one microbiocidal composition obtained by mixing together at least (i) water and (ii) at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin, and (b) processing the resulting carcass, a raw meat product obtained from said carcass, and / or processed meat product obtained from said carcass by at least one disinfection method, selected from the group consisting of ionizing radiation, UV radiation, ultrashort waves, pulsed radiation, electric fields, hydrostatic pressure, sonication, infrared radiation, ozone treatment and ozone flushing. Steps (a) and (b) can be carried out in any sequence and / or simultaneously.

Methods suitable for determining “residual bromine” are known and are reported in the literature. See, e.g., Standart Methods For the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 18 ^th Edition, 1992, from American Public Health Association, 1015 Fifteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 (ISBN 0-87553-207-1), pages 4- 36 and 4-37; Hach Water Analysis Handbook, Third Edition, 1997, by Hach Company, Loveland Colorado, especially pages 1206 and 1207 and the Handbook of Industrial Water Conditioning, 7 ^{th edition, Betz Laboratories, Inc.,} Trevose, PA 19047 (Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76-27257), 1976, pages 24-29. Since these references generally refer to “residual chlorine,” the same technology is used to determine “residual bromine,” taking into account the higher atomic mass of bromine compared to chlorine.

The term "residual bromine" refers to the number of varieties of bromine present in the treated water used for disinfection. Residual contents can be defined as either “free” or “general” depending on the method of the analytical test. In this case, the numerical values for the residual bromine here were given in terms of the mass of free bromine. Such values given here can be determined using the analytical method for "free chlorine" and are given here below. However, if required, “residual bromine” can be determined in terms of the mass of “free bromine” using the analytical method for “free chlorine” given below. In both cases, the numerical values are calculated in terms of chlorine, and thus, multiplying these values by 2.25, we obtain the corresponding numerical values for bromine. As a rule, the numerical values in terms of the mass of “total bromine” in this sample will be higher than the numerical values in terms of the “mass of free bromine” in this sample. An important point to understand is that the present invention relates to residual bromine, which is actually present in the treated aqueous medium, any of the two numerical values are determined using a method for determining free chlorine or a method for determining total chlorine, but it is recommended to use a method for determining free chlorine.

The standard test for determining low levels of active halogen is known as the DPD test, based on the classic methods of determination developed by Palin in 1974. See ATPalin, “Analitical Control of Water Disinfection With Special Reference to Differential DPD Methods For Chlorine, Chlorine Dioxide, Bromine, Iodine and Ozone”, J. Inst. Water Eng., 1974, 28, 139. Since there are various upgraded versions of the Palin methods, the recommended version of the test is fully described in the Hach Water Analysis Handbook, 3 ^rd edition, copyright 1997. The method for “total chlorine” (for example, active chlorine) is indicated in this publication, as Method 8167, on page 379, a summary of the “total chlorine” test involves introducing into a diluted water sample containing active halogen a powder containing a powdery DPD indicator (eg, N, N′-diethyl diphenyldiamine, KI and buffer). Active halogen species present react with KI to form iodine species that change the red / pink color of the DPD indicator. The color intensity depends on the concentration of the “total chlorine” species (eg, “active chlorine”) present in the sample. This intensity is measured by a colorimeter calibrated to read the quantitative values of "total chlorine" in terms of Cl ₂ mg / l. If the active halogen present is active bromine, the result in terms of Cl ₂ mg / L is multiplied by 2.25 to express the result of active bromine in terms of Br ₂ mg / L.

The method for determining DPD is described in more detail below:

1. Determination of the number of species present in water that meet the “total chlorine” test, the water sample should be analyzed no later than a few minutes after sampling, and preferably immediately after sampling.

2. The Hach 8167 method for determining the number of species present in a water sample that meets the “total chlorine” test, including the use of a Hach Model DR 2010 colorimeter. The program for determining the amount of chlorine entered into the memory is displayed by typing “80” on the keyboard, followed by setting the absorption of the wavelength at 530 nm by rotating the scale on the device. Two identical sample cuvettes are filled to the 10 ml mark with water for examination. One of the cells, arbitrarily selected, without sample. A tablet containing DPD for total chlorine is introduced into the second cuvette. Shake for 10-20 seconds to mix until a pink / red color indicates the presence in water of species that respond positively to the DPD test reagent "total chlorine". Shift Timer keys are pressed on the keyboard to start a three-minute reaction time, after three minutes the device beeps, signaling that the reaction has ended. A sampleless cuvette is placed in the Hach Model DR 2010 sample compartment and the lid is closed to prevent the effect of stray light. Then press the Zero key. After a few seconds, the display registers 0.00 Cl ₂ mg / L. Then, the sample cuvette containing no sample is used as the zero of the scale by sliding out of the Hach Model DR 2010 cuvette section and the test sample is inserted into which the total chlorine DPD test reagent is introduced. Then the diffused light is closed, as was done for a cell without a sample, and the Read key is pressed. The result in Cl ₂ mg / L is displayed after a few seconds. This is an indicator of the level of “total chlorine” in the test sample of water. It should be noted that the sample tested for halogen is diluted, if necessary, so that the measured amount of chlorine falls within the scale of the device. Dilution is necessary to determine the actual amount of chlorine present in the sample.

3. One method for measuring free chlorine is the Hach 8021 Method for determining the number of species present in a water sample that meet the “free chlorine” test. This test involves using the Hach Model DR 2010 colorimeter. The program for determining the amount of chlorine entered into the memory is displayed by typing “80” on the keyboard, followed by setting the absorption of the wavelength at 530 nm by rotating the scale on the device. Two identical sample cuvettes are filled to the 10 ml mark with water for examination. One of the cells, arbitrarily selected, without sample. A sampleless cuvette is placed in the Hach Model DR 2010 sample compartment and the lid is closed to prevent the effect of stray light. Then press the Zero key. After a few seconds, the display registers 0.00 Cl ₂ mg / L. Then, the sample cuvette containing no sample is used as the zero of the scale by sliding out of the Hach Model DR 2010 cuvette section. A tablet containing DPD for total chlorine is introduced into the second cuvette. Shake for 10-20 seconds to mix until pink / red appears, indicating the presence in water of species that respond positively to the DPD free chlorine test reagent. Immediately (one minute after injection of the sample) place the resulting sample in the holder of the cell. Then the diffused light is closed, as was done for a cell without a sample, and the Read key is pressed. The result in Cl ₂ mg / L is displayed after a few seconds. This is an indicator of the level of “free chlorine” in the sample of water. It should be noted that the sample tested for halogen is diluted, if necessary, so that the measured amount of chlorine falls within the scale of the device. Dilution is necessary to determine the actual amount of chlorine present in the sample.

One of the results achieved by the implementation of the present invention is that highly effective minimization of microbial contamination of a slaughterhouse or meat factory can be achieved by minimizing the spread of microbial contamination brought to the slaughterhouse or meat factory by live animals themselves. Another result is that highly effective minimization of microbial contamination of carcasses and meat products can be achieved at each stage or location of the carcass of an animal on a processing line. In addition, the present invention allows to obtain a meat product in which the taste, organoleptic characteristics, appearance, quality of the product do not undergo significant negative changes in any of the above indicators, thanks to the microbiocidal treatment carried out according to the invention. The use of the present invention makes it possible to achieve a significantly higher microbial control than that achieved by using prior art microbiocides for treating animal carcasses, such as a hypochlorite solution.

As shown above, it is very important that the method used to effectively control microbial and / or bacterial contamination on carcasses of animals and their parts does not cause any noticeable deterioration in the quality or properties of meat from carcasses, in particular appearance and taste meat. The following example demonstrates the ability of the present invention to avoid any noticeable deterioration in the quality or properties of meat from carcasses of slaughtered four-legged animals, in particular the appearance and taste of meat.

Example

A study was conducted of individual samples of raw meat with direct application of the test substance to determine the effect of each such substance on the quality of the meat. Tenderloin was used as a raw meat product. Test materials: (a) household bleach (commercially available whitening hypochlorite solution); (b) household chlorine bleach diluted in water in a ratio of 50 ppm; (c) 2% aqueous solution of lactic acid; according to the present invention, (d) bromine from 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin (DBDMH) 100 ppm Individual beef samples (about 30 grams each) were placed on glass trays of 80 mm × 40 mm. Each such 30.0 gram sample was treated with one of the appropriate test materials for 5 minutes. Beef samples were not completely immersed in the respective test materials. On the contrary, the quantities used were such that one side of each beef sample did not come in contact with the test material. After 5 minutes exposure, the surface treated with the test material was washed with distilled water and dried by wetting with a paper towel. A few minutes later, a comparison was made of the color of the processed meat and a piece of unprocessed meat and also meat samples processed with other test materials. The beef sample treated with commercially available household bleach was significantly darker; the beef sample treated with diluted water with commercially available household bleach was slightly darker than untreated meat. The meat sample treated with lactic acid was very similar in color to the color of raw beef. Surprisingly, it was found that a beef sample treated with the aqueous microbiocidal composition of the invention obtained from DBDMH and water was slightly lighter in appearance than untreated beef. Assuming that the oxidation potential of the materials used for testing is important, we can assume the following effect: household bleach> diluted household bleach> DBDMH.

Also, based on the results of the use of bleach, it could be assumed that the meat processed with DBDMH should be darker in appearance, and not become lighter.

Compounds introduced by chemical names or formulas anywhere in this document, introduced in the singular or plural, are named as they are before coming into contact with another substance introduced by a chemical name or chemical group (for example, another component, solvent, or t .P). This does not mean that the chemical reagent changes if changes occur in the resulting mixture or solution, such changes are a natural result of the binding of certain substances together under the conditions given for the implementation of the present invention. For example, the phrase “water treated with at least one 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydantoin” and phrases similar in importance to that only before coming into contact with an aqueous medium such as water of at least one of the above 1 , 3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydantoin refers to a specific 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydantoin. Thus, the phrase is not intended to suggest or imply that the chemical compound exists unchanged in water. The changes that occur are a natural result of combining these substances together and, therefore, no additional processing is necessary.

Also, even in the claims, there may be a reference to substances in the present tense (for example, “includes”, “is”, etc.), a reference refers to a substance as existing at that time only before the first contacting, mixing or stirring with one or more other substance in accordance with the present disclosure of the invention.

Unless otherwise indicated, the article “a” or “an”, if used elsewhere in this document, does not limit and should not be construed as limiting the description or claims for a single element to which the article refers. Preferably, the article “a” or “an”, if used elsewhere in this document, is intended to include one or more of these elements, unless otherwise indicated in the text.

All documents mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference, as if these documents were cited herein in their entirety.

The present invention allows modifications to the described options to the extent defined in the attached claims.

Claims (92)

1. A method of processing a slaughtered four-legged animal for consumption as meat and / or meat product (s), comprising:
I) contacting the external surfaces of a living animal at least once with a microbiocidal solution obtained by mixing together at least (i) water and (ii) at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin, said contacting being carried out at least once, when the animal is on its way to slaughter, but before it is bloodless; or
II) contacting the carcasses of the specified animal after bleeding with a microbiocidal solution obtained by mixing together at least (i) water and (ii) at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin; or
III) contacting at least one raw meat product and / or at least one processed meat product obtained from said carcass at least once with a microbiocidal solution obtained by mixing together at least (i) water and (ii) at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin; or
IV) carrying out any two or all three of stages I), II) and III). 2. The method according to claim 1, in which at least carry out stage I). 3. The method according to claim 1, in which at least carry out stage II). 4. The method according to claim 1, in which at least carry out stage III). 5. The method according to claim 1, in which any two or all three of stages I), II) and III) are carried out. 6. The method according to claim 1, in which at least stage I) is carried out, wherein the contacting according to stage I) is carried out at least once outside the perimeter of the slaughterhouse or meat processing plant. 7. The method according to claim 1, in which at least stage I) is carried out, wherein the contacting according to stage I) is carried out at least once outside the perimeter of the slaughterhouse or meat processing plant in order to minimize the spread of microbial contamination in the area of the slaughterhouse or meat processing plant where the carcasses of animals are processed. 8. The method according to claim 1, in which at least stage I) is carried out, wherein the contacting according to stage I) is carried out at least once in one or more places in the area of the slaughterhouse or meat processing plant, where live animals are treated before bleeding, to minimize the spread of microbial contamination, reaching one or more places in the area of the slaughterhouse or meat processing plant, where carcasses of animals are processed for subsequent bleeding. 9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, in which the contacting according to stage I) is carried out at least once in the zone through which the animal passes or moves while the animal is still alive, and in this zone said contacting according to stage I) is carried out using a shower and / or sprayer on the outer surfaces of said animal microbiocidal solution obtained by mixing together at least (i) water and (ii) at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin. 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said contacting according to stage I) is also carried out by causing the animal to pass or by passing the animal into at least one bath with a microbiocidal solution obtained by mixing together at least (i) water and (ii) according to at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin so that said microbicidal solution contacts at least the hooves and lower legs of the animal. 11. The method according to claim 10, in which the specified animal is encouraged to pass or pass into the specified bath before, during and / or after the passage of the animal or its passage through the specified zone in which the specified shower and / or spray. 12. The method according to claim 10, in which the specified animal is prompted to pass or pass into the specified bath during and / or after the passage of the animal or its passage through the specified zone in which the specified shower and / or spray. 13. The method of claim 10, wherein said animal is prompted to pass or is passed into said bath after the animal has passed or passed through said zone in which said shower and / or spray is located. 14. The method according to claim 9, in which the contacting is carried out using a portable shower or spray device. 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the contacting is carried out using a portable shower or spray device. 16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the specified slaughtered four-legged animal is selected from the group consisting of cattle, pigs and sheep. 17. The method according to claim 9, in which the specified slaughtered four-legged animal selected from the group consisting of cattle, pigs and sheep. 18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin is 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 19. The method according to claim 9, wherein said at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin is 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 20. The method of claim 10, wherein said one or more of 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins contains 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 21. The method according to claim 11, in which the specified one or more of 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins contains 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 22. The method of claim 12, wherein said one or more of the 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins contains 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 23. The method according to item 13, in which the specified one or more of the 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins contains 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 24. The method of claim 14, wherein said at least one or more of the 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins contains 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 25. The method according to clause 15, in which the specified one or more of 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins contains 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 26. The method according to clause 16, wherein said at least one or more of 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins contains 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 27. The method according to 17, in which said at least one or more of 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoins contains 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 28. The method according to claim 3, in which the specified slaughtered four-legged animal selected from the group consisting of cattle, pigs and sheep. 29. The method according to claim 3, in which the specified contacting is carried out at least before, during and / or after removal of the skin from the carcass of the animal from which the skin is removed during processing. 30. The method according to claim 3, in which the specified contacting is carried out at least before and / or during removal of the skin from the carcass of the animal from which the skin is removed during processing. 31. The method according to claim 3, in which the specified contacting is carried out at least before removing the skin from the carcass of the animal from which the skin is removed during processing. 32. The method according to claim 3, in which the specified contacting is carried out at least before, during and / or after dehairing the carcass of the animal with which the wool is removed during processing. 33. The method according to claim 3, in which the specified contacting is carried out at least before, during and / or after removal of the skin from the carcass of the animal with which the skin is removed during processing. 34. The method according to claim 3, in which the specified contacting is carried out at least before, during and / or after removal of the bristles from the carcass of the animal with which the bristles are removed during processing. 35. The method according to claim 3, wherein said contacting is carried out at least during removal of the bristles from the carcass of the animal, with which the bristles are removed during processing by a method other than opal. 36. The method according to claim 3, in which the specified animal is selected from the group consisting of gobies, heifers, cows, calves and bulls, and said contacting is carried out at least one or more times before removing the head and / or removing hooves and / or at least one or more times during head removal and / or hoof removal and / or at least one or more times after head removal and / or hoof removal. 37. The method according to any one of paragraphs.29-31, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of gobies, heifers, cows, calves and bulls. 38. The method according to any one of claims 34 or 35, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of domestic pigs, sows, gilts, hogs, boars and pigs. 39. The method of claim 28, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of bulls, heifers, cows, calves, and bulls, and said contacting is carried out at least (i) during the cutting of the carcass and / or (ii) one or more than once after chopping up the carcass. 40. The method of claim 28, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of bulls, heifers, cows, calves and bulls, and said contacting is carried out at least (i) during the final wash and / or (ii) one or more than once after the final rinse. 41. The method of claim 28, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of bulls, heifers, cows, calves and bulls, and said contacting is carried out at least (i) one or more times during cooling and / or (ii ) one or more times after cooling. 42. The method according to paragraph 41, in which after said cooling said contacting is carried out at least (i) one or more times during cutting and deboning and / or (ii) one or more times after cutting and deboning. 43. The method of claim 28, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of bulls, heifers, cows, calves and bulls, and said contacting is carried out at least one or more times during hot boning. 44. The method of claim 28, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of domestic pigs, sows, gilts, hogs, boars and pigs, and said contacting is carried out at least before the carcass heading. 45. The method of claim 28, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of domestic pigs, sows, gilts, hogs, boars and pigs, and said contacting is carried out at least during and / or one or more times after dehydration and / or carcasses of carcasses. 46. The method of claim 28, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of domestic pigs, sows, gilts, hogs, boars and pigs, and said contacting is carried out at least during and / or one or more times after scraping and / or removing carbon from the specified carcass. 47. The method of claim 28, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of domestic pigs, sows, gilts, hogs, boars, and pigs, and said contacting is carried out at least during and / or one or more times after calving. 48. The method of claim 28, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of domestic pigs, sows, gilts, hogs, boars and pigs, and said contacting is carried out at least during and / or one or more times after the final washing . 49. The method of claim 28, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of domestic pigs, sows, gilts, hogs, boars and pigs, and said contacting is carried out at least during cooling and / or one or more times after cooling . 50. The method of claim 28, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of domestic pigs, sows, gilts, hogs, boars and pigs, and said contacting is carried out at least during the cutting of the carcass and / or in the next step after cutting carcasses. 51. The method of claim 28, wherein said animal is selected from the group consisting of domestic pigs, sows, gilts, hogs, boars and pigs, and said contacting is carried out at least one or more times during cutting and deboning of the carcass. 52. The method according to any one of claims 28-36 or 39-51, wherein said at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin used in the preparation of said microbicidal solution is at least one 1.3 a bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin in which one of the alkyl groups is a methyl group and the other alkyl group contains from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms. 53. The method according to clause 37, in which the at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin used to obtain the specified microbiocidal solution is at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin in which one of the alkyl groups is a methyl group and the other alkyl group contains from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms. 54. The method of claim 38, wherein said at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin used to prepare said microbicidal solution is at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin in which one of the alkyl groups is a methyl group and the other alkyl group contains from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms. 55. The method according to paragraph 52, wherein said at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin used in the preparation of said microbicidal solution is 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 56. The method according to item 53, wherein said at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin used in the preparation of said microbicidal solution is 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 57. The method according to item 54, in which the specified at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin used to obtain the specified microbiocidal solution, is 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 58. The method of claim 52, wherein the microbiocidal solution used in said contacting has a residual bromine content such as Br _{2 of} about 400 ppm. or less. 59. The method of claim 53, wherein the microbiocidal solution used in said contacting has a residual bromine content such as Br _{2 of} about 400 ppm. or less. 60. The method according to item 54, in which the used microbiocidal solution in the specified contacting has a residual content of bromine, such as Br ₂ , about 400 ppm or less. 61. The method according to item 55, in which the used microbiocidal solution in the specified contacting has a residual content of bromine, such as Br ₂ , about 400 ppm or less. 62. The method according to p, in which the used microbiocidal solution in the specified contacting has a residual content of bromine, such as Br ₂ , about 400 ppm or less. 63. The method according to clause 57, in which the used microbiocidal solution in the specified contacting has a residual content of bromine, such as Br ₂ , about 400 ppm or less. 64. The method according to § 58, wherein said residual bromine content is about 100 ppm. or less. 65. The method according to § 59, wherein said residual bromine content is about 100 ppm. or less. 66. The method of claim 60, wherein said residual bromine content is about 100 ppm. or less. 67. The method of claim 61, wherein said residual bromine content is about 100 ppm. or less. 68. The method according to claim 62, wherein said residual bromine content is about 100 ppm. or less. 69. The method of claim 63, wherein said residual bromine content is about 100 ppm. or less. 70. A method of processing at least one raw meat product obtained from the carcass of at least one slaughtered four-legged animal and / or at least one processed meat product obtained from the carcass of at least one slaughtered four-legged animal, comprising contacting said at least one raw meat product and / or said at least one processed meat product, at least once, with a microbiocidal solution obtained by mixing together at least (i) water; and (ii) at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin. 71. The method according to item 70, in which at least one of the specified 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin used to obtain the specified microbiocidal solution is at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin in which one of the alkyl groups is a methyl group and the other alkyl group contains from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms. 72. The method according to item 70, in which at least one of the specified 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin used to obtain the specified microbiocidal solution is a 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin. 73. The method according to any one of claims 70-72, wherein the microbicidal solution used in said contacting has a residual bromine content such as Br _{2 of} about 400 ppm. or less. 74. The method according to p, in which the specified residual content of bromine, such as Br ₂ , is from about 0.5 to about 200 ppm 75. The method according to p, in which the specified residual content of bromine, such as Br ₂ , is from about 0.5 to about 100 ppm 76. The method according to p, in which the specified residual content of bromine, such as Br ₂ , is from about 0.5 to about 50 ppm 77. The method according to any of paragraphs.70-72, in which at least one raw meat product is subjected to the specified contacting. 78. The method according to p, in which said at least one raw meat product is washed with water for at least 5 minutes after the specified application. 79. The method of claim 78, wherein said at least one raw meat product is a cut of raw beef that does not darken when contacted. 80. A method of reducing microbial contamination of a carcass of a slaughtered four-legged animal, comprising at least contacting said carcass at least once with an aqueous microbiocidal composition before, during and / or after removing the skin, wool, bristles or skin from the carcass, said composition comprising a microbiocid effective solution of at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin and water. 81. The method according to p. 80, in which the specified contacting is carried out immediately before removing the skin, wool, bristles or skin from the specified mascara and, optionally, is additionally carried out during and / or after removal of the skin, wool, bristles or skin from the specified mascara. 82. The method of claim 80, wherein said contacting is carried out immediately before removing the skin, wool, bristles, or skin from said carcass, and optionally further before and / or after removing the skin, wool, bristles, or skin from said carcass. 83. The method of claim 80, wherein said contacting is carried out immediately before removing the skin, wool, bristles, or skin from said carcass, and optionally further before and / or during removal of the skin, wool, bristles, or skin from said carcass. 84. The method according to p. 80, in which the specified contacting is carried out one or more times, but only after removing the skin, wool, bristles or skin from the specified mascara. 85. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which at least one of the specified 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin used to obtain the specified microbiocidal solution, is at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5 , 5-dialkylhydantoin, in which one of the alkyl groups is a methyl group and the other alkyl group contains from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms. 86. A method of processing carcasses of a slaughtered four-legged animal and / or raw meat product obtained from said carcass and / or processed meat product obtained from said carcass, comprising:
a) contacting said carcass, raw meat product obtained from said carcass and / or processed meat product obtained from said carcass at least once with a microbiocidal solution obtained by mixing together at least (i) water and (ii) at least at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin, and
b) treating said carcass, raw meat product obtained from said carcass, and / or processed meat product obtained from said carcass with at least one disinfection method selected from the group consisting of ionizing radiation, UV radiation, ultra short waves, pulsed radiation, electric fields, hydrostatic pressure, sonication, infrared radiation, ozone treatment and ozone flushing,
a) and b) application in any sequence and / or at the same time. 87. The method according to p, in which at least one of the specified 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin used to obtain the specified microbiocidal solution, is at least one 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin in which one of the alkyl groups is a methyl group and the other alkyl group contains from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms. 88. The method according to p, in which at least one of the specified 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin used to obtain the specified microbiocidal solution, is a 1,3-bisubstituted-5,5-dialkylhydantoin. 89. The method according to any one of claims 86-88, wherein the microbicidal solution used in said contacting has a residual bromine content such as Br _{2 of} about 400 ppm. or less. 90. The method according to p, in which the specified residual content of bromine, such as Br ₂ , is from about 0.5 to about 200 ppm 91. The method according to p, in which the specified residual content of bromine, such as Br ₂ , is from about 0.5 to about 100 ppm 92. The method according to p, in which the specified residual content of bromine, such as Br ₂ , is from about 0.5 to about 50 ppm

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