Abstract: It has been discovered that precise control of relative humidity within the Spray Chill rooms of meat processing facilities can help control carcass water weight loss. Through the use of a specially designed air wash system this loss can be controlled. As an additional beneficial effect of this process, it has been proven that a significant reduction of airborne bacteria can be seen through the application of proper air wash sump chemistry through the specialized process. Further to this development, and in combination with the proper sump chemistry humidifying system, continual cleaning of the process air and internal areas of the air handler as well as the filter and fill materials is seen, allowing for a continual cleansing of the system while delivering sanitized air and providing high room humidity for the control of water loss during the carcass chilling operation and the reduction of airborne bacteria in the spray chill room or any meat storage area.

Abstract: Voltage is applied to conducting loops wrapped around the outside of a non-conducting chamber (e.g., a glass tube) to generate a capacitively coupled discharge plasma inside the chamber. In one embodiment, a seed gas is injected into the chamber through an inlet in an otherwise closed end of the chamber, while the other end is open to the ambient atmosphere. In such an embodiment, the seed gas is used to ignite the plasma in air at essentially atmospheric pressure. The present invention has different applications, including, but not limited to, (a) passivating toxic or polluting gases that are injected into the chamber along with the seed gas and (b) treating materials placed within a second chamber that is connected to the open end of the plasma-generating chamber such that active species migrate into the second chamber to interact with the materials placed therein.