Patent ID: 8549994

Claim:
A produce decontamination apparatus comprising a substantially enclosed chamber for accepting produce to be decontaminated and/or sterilised, the chamber having a negative pressure and including a produce inlet and a produce outlet, means for producing a free radical saturated atmosphere within the chamber so that, in use, the free radical saturated atmosphere decontaminates and/or sterilises the produce, the means for producing a free radical saturated atmosphere including one or more first atomising sprayheads, a supply of ozonised liquid which is supplied to the first sprayheads, means for breaking down an ozone forming part of the ozonised liquid once discharged from the first sprayheads, and means for catalysing breakdown of hydrogen peroxide formed from ozone of the ozonised liquid once the ozonised liquid is discharged from the first spray heads, the chamber including at least two conveyor belts that are vertically spaced apart and horizontally positioned relative to each other so that one end of an upper conveyor belt overhangs a lower conveyor belt whereby produce is moved along the upper conveyor belt and dropped to the lower conveyor belt to be fully exposed to the free radical saturated atmosphere prior to exit from the chamber wherein the means for catalysing the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide includes one or more second atomising sprayheads, and a supply of catalysing liquid which is supplied to the second sprayheads, the catalysing liquid catalysing the breakdown of the hydrogen peroxide formed from the ozone of the ozonised liquid once the catalysing liquid is discharged from the second sprayheads.