Patent ID: 7217358

Claim:
An apparatus for treating cut comestible(s) with ultraviolet light to at least reduce the presence of microorganisms on the cut comestible(s), the apparatus comprising: a tube which is transparent to ultraviolet radiation and having at least a part of its length vertically oriented, said tube having a first end and a second end, said first end being higher than the second end; means for providing a feed of the cut comestible(s) and water through the tube into said first end in an manner which establishes a vortex flow over at least the part of its vertically oriented length of said tube, ultraviolet radiating means surrounding said tube to radiate ultraviolet radiation into said tube over at least the part of its vertically oriented length; a holding tank for receiving water and the cut comestibles from the second end of the tube; and an outlet feed conveyor for removing the cut comestible(s) from the holding tank.