Improved food processing

Background: Fresh produce has been associated with microbial outbreaks around the world thought to be caused in part by improper sanitation of fresh produce. Current disinfection methods rely on harsh chemicals which may alter the flavor of the fresh food or potentially cause an allergic reaction for some consumers. Furthermore the chemicals employed in sanitation may have a significant environmental impact. Technology Description: Researchers at the University of California Davis and Drexel University have developed a unique method for disinfecting produce.

The cookstove is operated by solar power using a solar panel that can be mounted on the roof of people's homes, providing an inexpensive and sustainable cooking solution that can be used off grid. The solar panel powers a rechargeable battery in the stove. The cookstove is a gasifying stove, which implies that instead of burning the wood directly (such as in an open fire) the wood is transformed into gas, and the extracted wood gasses burn as a clean flame, letting no toxic vapors escape. This enables people to cook inside their home safely.

Today around 3 billion people cook with dirty fuel sources; such as wood, dung or charcoal. As a result, smoke inhalation related illness ranks with malaria and AIDs as one of the great greatest problems facing the world. In addition, fuel wood scarcity drives families around the world to spend many hours collecting and transporting heavy loads of fuel wood, often to the detriment of already endangered ecosystems. If fire wood is purchased it often makes a sizeable portion of the family's income.

The GreenMax Solar Cooker is developed for a normal family size of 6 to 8 members. The cooker body is made of twin wall aluminum sheets , and twin glass sheets with air insulation allow for maximum solar heat entrapment. 

Four containers are provided to cook food. These containers are  mde of aluminum and are blackodized. The hinged cover of the cooker has a reflecting mirror and the angle of the mirror can be varied . This type of cooker is ideal for rural and semi-urban settings and will also work fine in urban centres, saving housewivesuse of fossil fuels every year.

This type of solar cooker is the most common and inexpensive. Box type cookers have a very simple construction and they are made of low cost materials. It is like a hot box in which food can be cooked. It is the most commonly used model for household cooking, designed to cook for a family of 4-5 members.

The Mbaula Green is ideal for camping, travelling or daily use and is easily transported in a bag.  This energy-efficient, portable stove lends itself to a variety of cooking methods, such as cooking in a pot, a pan or  a  braai. It is  safer than paraffin or gas stoves and uses only 7 - 15 pieces of charcoal to cook a meal for a family, which reduces burning fuel by up to 50% as well as reduces indoor air pollution and decreases the risk of explosive fires.

The solar parabolic cooker measures 1.4 meters in diameter and is designed for commercial and domestic use with a cooking capacity for 15 people at a time. The cooker is built in a heavy and sturdy construction in order to withstand heavy wind speeds, and has a castor wheel for easy moving. The bottom of the cooker is coated with a high thermal absorbing coating, making it applicable for backing, boiling, cooking and frying also. This can be used for cooking in domestic as well as industrial canteens, hostels, hotel and restaurants.

The Sunfire 15 Parabolic  Solar Cooker allows users to cook for free using clean and naturally available fuel: Sunlight. 

The Sunstove 2000 solar oven allows users to  cook food without having to use non-renewable or inefficient energy sources. The stove works by using solar energy with a reflective inner surface and perpex lid to trap solar radiation. It cooks and bakes food such as porridge, rice, stews, soup and bread, and can reach 124°C. Water can be brought to boil in 60 minutes.

The entire cooker is made in a folding design, which enables easy and cheap transportation. The cooker can be assembled in 15 minutes, and the reflector strips take an additional 40 mins to assemble. 

The reflector frame has a paraboloid shape with a short focal length. It is made of 5 circles of bright bars cut into segments and connected by bolts with 6 parabolic strips measuring 16mm x 3 mm.

The cooker has dual axis tracking, and the parabolid can tilt around its horizontal axis as well as revovle around its vertical axis.