JPH0870831A - Method for sterilizing solid or solid-containing liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] To provide a method for sterilizing a solid substance or a liquid containing a solid substance, which can prevent the deterioration of quality and the deterioration of flavor and can be sterilized efficiently in a short time. [Structure] The solid a and the liquid b are separately sterilized by heating,
After sterilization, both are mixed and filled in a bag c or a container and sealed. When heat sterilizing the solid material alone, the solid material is weighed in packs one by one into the retainer 4, divided into small parts for sterilization, and after sterilization, a bag or container is filled from the retainer and sealed. After filling and sealing in a bag or container, retort or refrigerate / freeze. The above method applies only to solids.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for sterilizing a solid substance or a liquid containing a solid substance, which is used for pre-sterilization of a retort food product in a pre-stage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, retort foods are unsterilized foods, for example, a mixture of a solid substance and a liquid substance is filled in a plastic or aluminum bag, sealed, and then subjected to a retort device for heat sterilization. ing.

[0003]

In the conventional sterilization method, the solid material and the liquid are heat-treated at the same time through a sealed bag or the like, so that the treatment suitable for the solid matter and the treatment suitable for the liquid can be separately performed. This is not possible, and the treatment time tends to be as long as several tens of minutes to several hours, and the thicker the bag, the more time it takes. Therefore, there is a problem that the food is exposed to high temperature for a long time and the quality is deteriorated and the flavor is deteriorated.

Further, conventionally, when sterilizing only solid substances, a large amount is sterilized by one large pressure cooker over a long period of time, which tends to cause uneven processing, resulting in overcooking. It needs to be weighed or dispensed to fill the bag after processing, and it is easy to lose its shape.In addition, juice such as drip that has exuded from the solid matter during the sterilization process accumulates at the bottom of a large pressure cooker. It is very difficult to fill each bag with solids in small portions,
The current situation is that the drip containing the umami component is discarded.

The present invention has been proposed in view of these problems, and an object thereof is to prevent deterioration of quality and deterioration of flavor and to perform solid sterilization treatment efficiently in a short time or It is to provide a sterilization method of a solid-containing liquid.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention sterilizes a solid substance and a liquid substance separately by heating, and after sterilization, the both are mixed and filled in a bag or a container and sealed. It is something that is done.

Further, according to the present invention, when the solid matter is sterilized by heating alone, the solid matter is weighed into the retainer one pack at a time,
It is divided into small parts for sterilization, and after sterilization, they are filled in bags or containers from a retainer and sealed.

Further, the present invention is such that after the bag or container is filled and sealed, it is subjected to retort treatment or refrigeration / freezing treatment.

Further, the present invention applies the above method to only solid materials.

[0010] The above solids can be divided into retainers in small amounts by one pack and sterilized by heating. After sterilization, the bags or containers can be filled and sealed from the retainers and then distributed as products. Then, it is preferable to perform vacuum treatment before and after the heat sterilization.

[0011]

The solid material and the liquid material are heat-sterilized separately, and after the sterilization, the both are mixed, filled in a bag or a container, and sealed, so that the solid material and the liquid material can be efficiently treated in a short time. Each can be sterilized by the optimum method. As a result, deterioration of quality and deterioration of flavor can be prevented, rather the flavor can be improved and a high-quality retort food can be provided.

Further, when the solid matter is sterilized by heating alone, the solid matter is weighed into a retainer one pack at a time, sterilized in small portions, sterilized, and then filled into a bag or container from the retainer and sealed. The sterilization of solids can be performed uniformly in a short time, the processing time can be further shortened to provide high-quality retort foods, and the work of filling solids after sterilization can be facilitated. In addition, the drip exuded from the solid matter during the sterilization treatment can also be filled in the bag or container together with the solid matter.

Furthermore, after filling and sealing in the above-mentioned bag or container, by performing retort treatment or refrigeration / freezing treatment,
In the case of retort treatment, since pre-sterilization is performed, the retort sterilization conditions can be relaxed and the quality can be improved. Further, in the case of refrigeration / freezing treatment, the number of initial germs can be reduced and the quality and safety can be improved by the preliminary sterilization.

Further, by applying the above method only to the solid matter, it becomes easy to fill the bag or container after the sterilization treatment and the drip exuded from the solid matter during the sterilization treatment is put into the retainer. Because it is housed with
It can be filled together with the solid in a bag or container. Then, after being filled and sealed in a bag or a container, it may be distributed as a product as it is, or may be distributed after being subjected to retort treatment or refrigeration / freezing treatment. In any case, since it is pre-sterilized, the quality and safety can be improved.

Further, it is preferable to perform vacuum treatment before and after the heat sterilization. This vacuum treatment enables efficient heating and cooling.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view showing the constitution of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a process explanatory drawing of the present invention. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a solid matter (a) is charged into a sterilizer main body (2) by a solid matter charging machine (1), and the solid matter (a) is charged in the sterilizer main body (2). After sterilization and sterilization, the bag is taken out from the sterilizer main body (2) and then filled in the bag (c) together with the liquid material (b) separately sterilized by the filling machine and the packaging machine (3), and the intermediate product or It is taken out as the final product, and then retort or refrigerated / frozen.

Solid matter (a) to be put into the sterilizer body (2)
Is weighed in advance in the retainer (4) one pack at a time, accommodated in small portions, and in this state, is introduced into the sterilizer main body (2) by the solid matter introduction machine (1). This retainer (4)
Is made of heat-resistant plastic or metal and has a cup shape with an open top.

The solid material charging device (1) includes a retainer (4).
The solid matter (a) stored in the sterilizer is sequentially charged into the sterilizer main body (2). For example, a known method such as a conveyor method or a pusher method can be adopted.

The main body of the sterilizer (2) is mainly composed of a long pressure cooker (2a) having a pressure-resistant cylindrical or rectangular tube shape,
An inlet valve (2b) and an outlet valve (2c) are provided at both ends of the pressure cooker (2a). This inlet valve (2
As the b) and the outlet valve (2c), various types of valves such as a ball valve type, a slide valve type and the like can be adopted. Then, when the solid matter (a) stored in the retainer (4) is charged into the sterilizer main body (2) by the solid matter charger (1), the inlet valve (2b) is opened, and the sterilizer main body ( When the solid matter (a) stored in the retainer (4) is taken out from 2), the outlet valve (2c) is opened. Also, the solid matter (a) stored in the retainer (4)
When the sterilization process is performed in the pressure cooker (2a) of the sterilizer main body (2), the inlet valve (2b) and the outlet valve (2c) are closed in an airtight state.

The inside of the pressure cooker (2a) is constructed so that the solid matter (a) accommodated in the retainer (4) can be received in a pressed state in a single row, sterilized and discharged. . As a means of sterilization, the pressure cooker (2a)
A pressure reducing pipe (6) equipped with a pressure reducing valve (5) and connected to a vacuum pump (not shown), and a steam supply pipe (8) equipped with a steam supply valve (7) and connected to a steam generation source (not shown). )
And an exhaust pipe (1) that is equipped with an exhaust valve (9) and opens to the atmosphere.
0) and a vacuum break valve (11) are connected to an atmosphere introduction pipe (13) for introducing the atmosphere through a filter (12), and further, a drain valve (14) and a trap (15). A drain pipe (16) equipped with is connected.

The filling machine and the packaging machine (3) discharge the sterilized solid matter (a) discharged from the outlet valve (2c) of the main body (2) of the sterilizer while being stored in the retainer (4). , The retainer (4) is transferred and filled into the bag (c), and the liquid material (b) that has been sterilized separately from the solid material (a) is also packed in the bag (c) and sealed to form an intermediate product or It is configured to be sent out as a final product, and thereafter, retort processing or refrigeration / freezing processing is performed. The filling machine and the packaging machine (3) are installed in the clean booth (17) together with the outlet valve (2c) of the sterilizer body (2).

The retainer (4), which has been emptied by filling the bag (c) with the solid (a) by the filling machine and the packaging machine (3), is collected and placed on the side of the solid loading machine (1). Returned,
To be reused. In this case, the retainer (4) may be reused after being washed through the washing machine (18) depending on the degree of dirt or the like.

The embodiment of the present invention has the above-mentioned structure. Next, the entire operation will be described with reference to the process chart of FIG. First, the solid matter (a) is put into the retainer (4) one pack at a time. Then, the retainer (4) charged with the solid matter (a) is opened by the solid matter charging machine (1) into the pressure cooker (2a) of the main body (2) of the sterilizer, and the inlet valve (2b) is opened to a predetermined number. Load and load. After loading, inlet valve (2b)
, And of course the outlet valve (2c) is closed from the beginning. In this state, only the pressure reducing valve (5) is opened and the other valves (7), (9), (11) and (14) are closed. Then, a vacuum pump (not shown) is driven to drive the pressure cooker (2a).
Degas the inside under reduced pressure. After this degassing under reduced pressure, the pressure reducing valve (5) is closed and only the steam supply valve (7) is opened. Then, steam (saturated steam) is injected from the steam supply source (not shown) into the pressure cooker (2a) via the steam supply pipe (8) to raise the temperature. In this case, the amount of steam injected into the pressure cooker (2a) is adjusted by the steam supply valve (7) and held at a constant temperature for a predetermined time (for example, 133 ° C., 30 seconds to 10 minutes). As a result, the solid matter (a) contained in each retainer (4) is uniformly heat-sterilized. In this way, by decompressing the pressure cooker (2a) and injecting steam, air bubbles in the tissue of the solid matter (a) such as vegetables can be degassed and prevented from collapsing during heating and sterilization. At the same time, the boiling point of the water content is lowered, sterilization can be achieved in a short time, and heat damage to the solid (a) can be reduced.

After the holding in the pressure cooker (2a) for a certain temperature and for a certain period of time, the exhaust valve (9) is opened, the steam in the pressure cooker (2a) is discharged, and the atmospheric pressure is restored. afterwards,
The exhaust valve (9) is closed, the pressure reducing valve (5) is opened again, and the pressure inside the pressure cooker (2a) is reduced by the vacuum pump, so that the solid matter (a) is vacuum-cooled to a proper temperature at a proper speed. (For example, cooling from 100 ° C. to room temperature). After cooling, the pressure reducing valve (5) is closed, the vacuum break valve (11) is opened, and the atmosphere sterilized by the filter (12) is introduced into the pressure cooker (2a) from the atmosphere introducing pipe (13). After this,
The outlet valve (2c) is opened, and the sterilized solid (a) and the retainer (4) are cleaned (1).
7) It is taken out into the bag, and is filled with the liquid material (b) separately sterilized into the bag (c) by the filling machine and the packaging machine (3) and then sealed. The retainer (4) is then reused.
And what was taken out from the filling machine and the packaging machine (3) is made into an intermediate product or a final product, and the intermediate product is subjected to retort treatment or refrigeration / freezing treatment. In the pressure cooker (2a), the next loading of the solid matter (a) is carried out as described above, sterilized, and taken out. Thereafter, this process is repeated, and a predetermined number of the solids (a) are stored in the retainer (4) in the retainer (4) and the pressure cooker (2) of the main body (2) of the sterilizer is used.
Sterilization is carried out in batch mode in a).

In the above embodiment, the case where the solid substance (a) and the liquid substance (b) are filled and sealed in the bag (c) is exemplified. However, in the present invention, only the solid substance (a) is packed in the bag (c). ) May be applied when it is filled and sealed.

Further, the case where the inlet valve (2b) and the outlet valve (2c) are provided on both sides of the pressure cooker (2a) is illustrated, but the valve is provided only at one end and the other end is closed, The solid matter (a) may be put in and taken out from one end where the is provided. Further, instead of the bag (c), it may be in the form of various containers such as a tray used for retort pack packaging.

[0028]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the solid matter and the liquid matter can be sterilized by the optimum method in a short time and efficiently. As a result, deterioration of quality and deterioration of flavor can be prevented, rather the flavor can be improved and a high-quality retort food can be provided.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to sterilize the solid matter uniformly in a short time, further shorten the processing time, and provide a high-quality retort food product. The filling work of the solid matter after sterilization can be facilitated, and the drip exuded from the solid matter during the sterilization treatment can also be filled in the bag or the container together with the solid matter.

Further, according to the invention of claim 3, since the pre-sterilization is carried out, the retort sterilization condition can be relaxed and the quality can be improved. Further, even in the case of freezing treatment, the number of initial bacteria can be reduced and the quality and safety can be improved by the above-mentioned preliminary sterilization.

According to the invention of claim 4, the bag or container after the sterilization treatment can be easily filled with the solid matter, and the drip exuded from the solid matter during the sterilization treatment is solidified in the retainer. Since it is housed together with it, it can be filled with a solid material in a bag or a container.

Furthermore, according to the invention of claim 5, the same effect as that of claim 3 can be expected for a retort food or a refrigerated / frozen food composed of only solids.

Further, by performing the vacuum treatment before and after the heat sterilization, efficient heating and cooling can be performed, and deterioration of quality and deterioration of flavor can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a process explanatory diagram of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Solid material throwing machine 2 Sterilizer main body 3 Filling machine and packaging machine 4 Retainer a Solid material b Liquid material c Bag

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Mr. Shin Sakamoto 2-9-17 Kitakunomoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture (72) Inventor Ryuichi Tsutsumi 2-38 Kasugamotocho, Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture (72) Inventor Tetsuo Asahara 323-1 Mishima New Life Mishima 201, Higashiosaka City, Osaka Prefecture

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A solid material and a liquid material are separately heat-sterilized,
A method for sterilizing a solid-containing liquid, which comprises sterilizing, mixing both, filling a bag or a container, and sealing the mixture. 2. When heat sterilizing a solid substance alone, one pack of the solid substance is weighed in a retainer, divided into small portions for sterilization, and after sterilization, the retainer is filled in a bag or container and sealed. The method for sterilizing a solid-containing liquid according to claim 1. 3. The method for sterilizing a solid-containing liquid according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bag or container is filled and sealed, and then retort or refrigerated or frozen. 4. A method for sterilizing solid matter, which is characterized in that the solid matter is subdivided into retainers by one pack and sterilized by heating, and after sterilization, the retainer is filled into a bag or container and sealed. 5. The method for sterilizing a solid according to claim 4, wherein the bag or container is filled and sealed, and then retort or refrigerated / frozen. 6. The method for sterilizing a solid according to claim 4, wherein the bag or the container is filled and sealed and then distributed as a product. 7. The method for sterilizing a solid-containing liquid material or a solid material according to claim 1, wherein vacuum treatment is performed before and after the heat sterilization.