Patent ID: 7781745

Claim:
An apparatus for sterilizing a food product, the apparatus comprising: an ionization unit capable of holding the food product; a housing enclosing the ionization unit; a bipolar ionization assembly comprising, a generator unit positioned within the housing, and at least one ionization tube connected to the generator unit and recessed in a wall of the ionization unit, the at least one ionization tube comprising at least one ionization electrode capable of generating bipolar ionization within the ionization unit for sterilizing the food product; and a pulse power energization assembly comprising, at least one ultraviolet light energy source configured within the housing for generating pulsed energy, and at least one ultraviolet light emitting unit connected to the at least one ultraviolet light energy source and recessed in the wall of the ionization unit, the at least one ultraviolet light emitting unit capable of generating pulsed ultraviolet light within the ionization unit upon receiving the pulsed energy from the at least one ultraviolet light energy source, the pulsed ultraviolet light capable of irradiating the food product for sterilizing the food product.