Patent ID: 8062650

Claim:
A method for inhibiting live cells including eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells on an item having a biologically inhibiting material, the method comprising: providing food, liquid food product or drinking water; and contacting the food, liquid food product or drinking water with the biologically inhibiting material that comprises an anode material which does not dissolve during a galvanic process such that a silver ion content released is less than 100 μg/l, and a cathode material, wherein both of the anode material and the cathode material have a positive galvanic potential, wherein the potential of the cathode material is higher than the potential of the anode material, wherein the anode material and the cathode material each comprise exposed active surfaces with separated areas of anode material and cathode material, and wherein a distance between any point on the active surface and both the adjacent cathode material and the adjacent anode material does not exceed 200 μm for inhibiting live cells by oxidation on the surface of the biologically inhibiting material.