Introduction of Food Antibacterial Coatings

With the development of technology, ultrasonic spraying technology has been applied to antibacterial spray coatings in various industries from medical, food, textile, electronic equipment to building materials. Ultrasonic spraying technology is highly suitable for applications that require the uniform application of low-dose antibacterial agents on the surface. Especially silver, copper, zinc oxide, zirconium, zinc pyrithione, gold nanoparticles, and titanium dioxide based antibacterial materials, used as colony inhibitors for textiles, medical catheters, and other surfaces.

For example, silver nanoparticles are an expensive material that manufacturers need to accurately measure in order to avoid waste. The ultrasonic nozzle of FUNSONIC can easily form spray flow and accurately control spray speed. If the catheter is coated, an ultrasonic nozzle with a low speed narrow spray pattern is usually used. In contrast, vortex type ultrasonic nozzles will operate at higher speeds for coating textiles. Both configurations maximize the transfer efficiency of coating materials while minimizing waste while maintaining production requirements.
 

Antibacterial spraying in the food industry

Unlike medical, textile, and building materials that primarily use silver based antibacterial coating formulations, the food industry uses various FDA approved formulations to process various foods. For example, in the meat industry, lauric acid arginine (LAE) is widely used in ready to eat meat (RTE) as a low-dose antibacterial agent in the manufacturing process. When LAE is used at very low doses, the FDA considers antimicrobial agents as "processing aids", thereby exempting them from final consumer product labeling. Ultrasonic nozzles can accurately measure RTE with micrometer level precision and high uniformity, maintaining FDA requirements and label exemptions. In the baking industry, ultrasonic spraying technology is used to spray potassium sorbate to inhibit the formation of mold.

FDA lists dozens of approved antimicrobial coating materials and formulations currently used as sprays, such as sodium series (benzoate, diacetate, propionate, hypochlorite, octanoate). Many acids, such as propionic acid, acetic acid, sorbic acid, citric acid, and lactic acid. Many mixtures were also listed, such as lactic acid, citric acid, and potassium hydroxide. Finally, bacteriophage preparations, carnivorous bacteria, and lactoferrin are sprayed onto food as antibacterial agents. At present, it is not clear whether any of these materials have been sprayed with ultrasonic nozzles, but the solid structure of our ultrasonic technology and the fact that living microorganisms have been atomized make us think that many of these chemicals can be sprayed with ultrasonic spray technology.