Strawberry jam sterilization system and sterilization method

Abstract

The strawberry jam sterilization system comprises an installation platform (1), an ultrahigh pressure sterilization device (2), an ohmic electric field sterilization device (3) and a material conveying device (4), the ultrahigh pressure sterilization device (2), the ohmic electric field sterilization device (3) and the material conveying device (4) are arranged on the installation platform (1), the ultrahigh pressure sterilization device comprises a high-pressure kettle body (21), and a high-pressure feeding port (211) and a high-pressure discharging port (212) are formed in the high-pressure kettle body (21). And the high-pressure kettle body is connected with a hydraulic pipeline of the hydraulic device through the hydraulic adjusting device. The ohmic electric field sterilization device comprises a sterilization container (31), and the sterilization container is provided with an electric field generator (311), a sterilization feed port (312) and a sterilization discharge port (313). The inlet end of the material conveying device is communicated with the high-pressure discharge port, and the outlet end is communicated with the sterilization feed port. The sterilization effect and the stability of the strawberry jam can be improved, and the loss of nutritional ingredients in the strawberry jam is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of jam sterilization technology, and more particularly to a strawberry jam sterilization system and sterilization method. Background Technology

[0002] Strawberry jam is a sweet made primarily from strawberries, sugars (granulated sugar / rock sugar), and lemon juice. After pickling to extract pectin, it is cooked into a thick, semi-solid consistency. It is often used to spread on bread or to flavor drinks and desserts. To enhance the texture, strawberry jam usually retains chunks of fruit pulp. Sterilization is required during the production of strawberry jam.

[0003] There are three main sterilization technologies commonly used in strawberry jam production: conventional high-temperature sterilization, which involves heating the strawberry jam at 85°C for 10 minutes to achieve sterilization. This technology relies on traditional heating equipment, such as steam sterilizers. This method is not only energy-intensive, but the high temperature also causes a large amount of heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamin C in the strawberry jam to be lost (the retention rate is only about 50%). At the same time, it can easily cause changes in the flavor and darken the color of the jam, affecting the product quality.

[0004] Ultra-high pressure sterilization technology: This technology uses an ultra-high pressure processing device to sterilize the jam by applying high pressure. The relevant equipment includes core components such as a high-pressure autoclave and a pressure control system. However, the pressure of existing equipment is too high, which will damage the granular pulp in the strawberry jam and affect the taste.

[0005] Ohmic electric field sterilization technology: This technology utilizes the electric field generated by an ohmic electric field sterilizer to achieve sterilization. The equipment consists of an electric field generator, electrode plates, and a sterilization chamber. Many factors influence electric field sterilization, such as the PEF processing parameters, the conditions of the treated medium, and the characteristics of the microorganisms themselves. PEF processing parameters include the pulsed electric field waveform, electric field strength, pulse processing time, and pulse frequency. Medium conditions include the state of the treated medium, conductivity, ionic strength, temperature, pH value, and water activity. Due to the presence of many granular fruit pieces, the medium conditions vary at different locations within the jam, making incomplete sterilization possible.

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problem that existing sterilization equipment affects the quality and sterilization effect of strawberry jam in the production of strawberry jam. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a strawberry jam sterilization system, comprising an installation platform 1 and an ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2, an ohmic electric field sterilization device 3, and a material conveying device 4, all mounted on the installation platform 1. The ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2 includes a high-pressure autoclave 21, which has a high-pressure inlet 211 and a high-pressure outlet 212. The high-pressure autoclave 21 is connected to the hydraulic pipeline 61 of the hydraulic device 6 via a hydraulic regulating device 62. The ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 includes a sterilization container 31, which has an electric field generator 311, a sterilization inlet 312, and a sterilization outlet 313. The inlet end of the material conveying device 4 is connected to the high-pressure outlet 212, and the outlet end is connected to the sterilization inlet 312.

[0008] Preferably, the material conveying device 4 includes a conveying pump 41, the inlet end of the conveying pump 41 is connected to the high pressure outlet 212 through the material pipe 42, and the outlet end of the conveying pump 41 is connected to the sterilization inlet 312 through the material pipe 42.

[0009] Preferably, a pressure sensor and a first thermometer are installed inside the high-pressure vessel body 21, and a safety valve 213 and a pressure relief valve 214 are also installed on the high-pressure vessel body 21.

[0010] Preferably, a second thermometer is provided inside the sterilization container 31.

[0011] Preferably, the system also includes a controller 5, which is connected to the hydraulic regulating device 62, the electric field generator 311, the delivery pump 41, the pressure sensor, the first thermometer, the second thermometer, the safety valve 213, and the pressure relief valve 214, respectively, and the system operates automatically.

[0012] The strawberry jam sterilization method includes the following steps: Step S1: Adding strawberry jam to an ultra-high pressure sterilizer 2 and sterilizing it under specific pressure and temperature conditions to obtain pre-processed jam. Step S2: Transporting the pre-processed jam to an ohmic electric field sterilizer 3 via a material conveying device 4. Step S3: Controlling the ohmic electric field sterilizer 3 to further sterilize the strawberry jam under specific electric field strength and temperature conditions to obtain qualified strawberry jam.

[0013] Preferably, in the first step S1, the pressure of the ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2 is 400~600MPa, the temperature is 30~40℃, and the time is 5~25min.

[0014] Preferably, in the third step S3, the electric field strength in the ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 is controlled to be 20~50V / cm, the temperature to be 65~75℃, and the time to be 110~130s.

[0015] Preferably, in the first step S1, the pressure in the ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2 is 500 MPa, the temperature is 35°C, and the sterilization time is 15 min.

[0016] Preferably, in the third step S3, the electric field strength in the ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 is 35V / cm, the temperature is 70℃, and the sterilization time is 120s.

[0017] This invention combines an ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2 and an ohmic electric field sterilization device 3. The ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2 performs preliminary sterilization of strawberry jam at a lower pressure. After preliminary sterilization, the strawberry jam is transported to the ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 via a material conveying device 4 for further sterilization, thus achieving thorough sterilization of the strawberry jam. By combining the two sterilization devices, the sterilization conditions of the ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2 and the ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 are reduced respectively. This not only preserves the granular fruit pulp in the strawberry jam and prevents the loss of heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamin C, thus ensuring product quality and maintaining good color and flavor of the strawberry jam, but also improves the sterilization effect and stability of the strawberry jam. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the connection relationship of the strawberry jam sterilization system; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a strawberry jam sterilization system; Figure 3 . Schematic diagram of strawberry jam sterilization method.

[0019] In the diagram, 1. Installation platform, 11. First platform, 12. Second platform, 13. Support leg, 14. Shock-absorbing pad, 2. Ultra-high pressure sterilization device, 21. Autoclave body, 211. High pressure inlet, 212. High pressure outlet, 213. Safety valve, 214. Pressure relief valve, 3. Ohmic electric field sterilization device, 31. Sterilization container, 311. Electric field generator, 312. Sterilization inlet, 313. Sterilization outlet, 4. Material conveying device, 41. Conveying pump, 42. Material pipe, 5. Controller, 6. Hydraulic device, 61. Hydraulic pipeline, 62. Hydraulic regulating device. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a strawberry jam sterilization system, including an installation platform 1 and an ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2, an ohmic electric field sterilization device 3, a material conveying device 4, and a controller 5, all mounted on the installation platform 1.

[0022] The installation platform 1 includes a first platform 11 and a second platform 12. The first platform 11 and the second platform 12 are fixedly connected by multiple support legs 13. The second platform 12 is located on the upper part of the first platform 11. The bottom of the support legs 13 is provided with shock-absorbing pads 14. The shock-absorbing pads 14 can reduce the vibration during the operation of the equipment and extend the service life of the equipment.

[0023] The ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2 is set on the first platform 11 and includes a high pressure vessel 21. The high pressure vessel 21 is provided with a high pressure inlet 211, a high pressure outlet 212, a safety valve 213 and a pressure relief valve 214. A pressure sensor and a first thermometer are installed inside the high pressure vessel 21.

[0024] The high-pressure vessel body 21 is connected to the hydraulic pipeline 61 of the hydraulic device 6 via the hydraulic regulating device 62.

[0025] The hydraulic device 6 is used to control the pressure inside the autoclave 21 through hydraulic oil for high-pressure sterilization. The high-pressure sterilization method is existing technology, such as the content described in the patent with patent number 202411961404.7, which will not be repeated here.

[0026] The ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 is installed on the first platform 11 and includes a sterilization container 31. The sterilization container 31 is equipped with an electric field generator 311, a sterilization inlet 312 and a sterilization outlet 313. A second thermometer is installed inside the sterilization container 31.

[0027] The ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 achieves sterilization by applying a low-frequency alternating current (50-60Hz) to the strawberry jam. The ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 is existing technology, as described in patent number 202411983027.7, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0028] The material conveying device 4 is installed on the first platform 11. The material conveying device 4 includes a conveying pump 41. The inlet end of the conveying pump 41 is connected to the high pressure outlet 212 through the material pipe 42, and the outlet end of the conveying pump 41 is connected to the sterilization inlet 312 through the material pipe 42.

[0029] After initial sterilization in the ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2, the strawberry jam is transported to the ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 via the transfer pump 41 and the material pipe 42 for secondary sterilization.

[0030] The controller 5 is mounted on the second platform 12 and is connected to the hydraulic regulating device 62, the electric field generator 311, the delivery pump 41, the pressure sensor, the first thermometer, the second thermometer, the safety valve 213, and the pressure relief valve 214. It receives temperature information from the first thermometer and the second thermometer, as well as pressure information from the pressure sensor, and controls the hydraulic regulating device 62, the electric field generator 311, the delivery pump 41, the safety valve 213, and the pressure relief valve 214 according to preset values, thereby controlling the automatic operation of the system.

[0031] The controller 5 is equipped with a display screen and control buttons. The display screen shows information such as temperature and pressure of each device, making it convenient for staff to view. The control buttons allow for pre-entry of various parameters, which the controller uses to control the operation of each device, thus enabling the system to operate automatically.

[0032] like Figure 3 As shown, the strawberry jam sterilization method includes the following steps: First step S1, adding strawberry jam into an ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2, sterilizing the strawberry jam for 5 to 25 minutes under the conditions of pressure of 400~600MPa and temperature of 30~40℃, to obtain pre-processed jam.

[0033] For strawberry jams with different levels of ripeness, the ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2 can be set with different sterilization pressures and times to achieve the best sterilization effect.

[0034] In this embodiment, the ultra-high pressure sterilization pressure is 500 MPa, the temperature is 35°C, and the time is 15 min.

[0035] In the second step S2, the pre-processed jam is transported to the ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 via the material conveying device 4.

[0036] In the third step S3, the ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 is controlled to sterilize the strawberry jam again under certain electric field strength and temperature conditions to obtain qualified strawberry jam.

[0037] The electric field strength, temperature, and time of the ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 can be set between 20 and 50 V / cm according to the initial total number of bacterial colonies in the jam. When the total number of bacterial colonies is high, the electric field strength can be appropriately increased.

[0038] The sterilization temperature of the Ohmic Electric Field Sterilization Device 3 is set between 65 and 75°C, and the sterilization time is set between 110 and 130 seconds.

[0039] In this embodiment, the electric field strength of the ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 is set to 35V / cm, the temperature to 70℃, and the time to 120s.

[0040] By combining the ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2 and the ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 to sterilize strawberry jam, not only can the nutrients and quality of the strawberry jam be preserved, with vitamin C retention rates reaching 70% and 65% respectively, significantly higher than conventional high-temperature and high-pressure sterilization, but the original flavor and color of the strawberry jam can also be better maintained, improving the sensory score by 1-2 points (out of 9). Furthermore, it can improve sterilization stability, increasing the pressure control precision of ultra-high pressure sterilization to ±1MPa, controlling the ohmic electric field strength deviation within ±0.5V / cm, and reducing the difference in total bacterial count between different batches to ≤10CFU / g.

[0041] Moreover, it can improve production efficiency, with the equipment occupying only 60% of the area required to purchase the two separate pieces of equipment. It also features short mode conversion time, making it suitable for small-batch, multi-variety production, and increasing production efficiency by 30%. Furthermore, it can reduce costs. The integrated design of this invention reduces equipment procurement costs by 25% compared to purchasing ultra-high voltage and ohmic electric field equipment separately, and energy consumption by 20% compared to conventional high-temperature sterilization equipment.

[0042] This invention combines an ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2 and an ohmic electric field sterilization device 3. The ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2 performs preliminary sterilization of strawberry jam at a lower pressure. After preliminary sterilization, the strawberry jam is transported to the ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 via a material conveying device 4 for further sterilization, thus achieving thorough sterilization of the strawberry jam. By combining the two sterilization devices, the sterilization conditions of the ultra-high pressure sterilization device 2 and the ohmic electric field sterilization device 3 are reduced respectively. This not only preserves the granular fruit pulp in the strawberry jam and prevents the loss of heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamin C, thus ensuring product quality and maintaining good color and flavor of the strawberry jam, but also improves the sterilization effect and stability of the strawberry jam.

[0043] Variations The difference between this variation and the previous embodiment is that the conveying pump 41 in the material conveying device 4 is replaced with a food-grade screw conveyor or conveyor belt. The screw conveyor or conveyor belt is suitable for conveying high-viscosity jams or bagged jams. Other structures and usage methods are the same as in the previous embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0044] It should be noted that the above embodiments are illustrative of the present invention and not intended to limit the invention.

Claims

1. A strawberry jam sterilization system, characterized in that, It includes an installation platform (1) and an ultra-high pressure sterilization device (2), an ohmic electric field sterilization device (3) and a material conveying device (4) installed on the installation platform (1). The ultra-high pressure sterilization device (2) includes a high-pressure autoclave (21). The high-pressure reactor body (21) is provided with a high-pressure feed port (211) and a high-pressure discharge port (212). The high-pressure reactor body (21) is connected to the hydraulic pipeline of the hydraulic device through a hydraulic regulating device (62). The ohmic electric field sterilization device (3) includes a sterilization container (31), which is equipped with an electric field generator (311), a sterilization inlet (312) and a sterilization outlet (313). The inlet end of the material conveying device (4) is connected to the high-pressure outlet (212), and the outlet end is connected to the sterilization inlet (312).

2. The strawberry jam sterilization system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material conveying device (4) includes a conveying pump (41). The inlet end of the conveying pump (41) is connected to the high pressure outlet (212) through the material pipe (42), and the outlet end of the conveying pump (41) is connected to the sterilization inlet (312) through the material pipe (42).

3. The strawberry jam sterilization system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pressure vessel body (21) is equipped with a pressure sensor and a first thermometer. The pressure vessel body (21) is also equipped with a safety valve (213) and a pressure relief valve (214).

4. The strawberry jam sterilization system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The sterilization container (31) is equipped with a second thermometer inside.

5. The strawberry jam sterilization system according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a controller (5). The controller (5) is connected to the hydraulic regulating device, the electric field generator (311), the delivery pump (41), the pressure sensor, the first thermometer, the second thermometer, the safety valve (213), and the pressure relief valve (214) respectively, and the control system operates automatically.

6. A method for sterilizing strawberry jam, characterized in that, include, In the first step (S1), the strawberry jam is added to the ultra-high pressure sterilization device (2) and sterilized under certain pressure and temperature conditions to obtain pre-processed jam. In the second step (S2), the pre-processed jam is transported to the ohmic electric field sterilization device (3) through the material conveying device (4); In the third step (S3), the ohmic electric field sterilization device (3) is controlled to sterilize the strawberry jam again under certain electric field strength and temperature conditions to obtain qualified strawberry jam.

7. The method for sterilizing strawberry jam according to claim 6, characterized in that, In the first step (S1), the pressure in the ultra-high pressure sterilization device (2) is 400~600MPa, the temperature is 30~40℃, and the time is 5~25min.

8. The method for sterilizing strawberry jam according to claim 7, characterized in that, In the third step (S3), the electric field strength in the ohmic electric field sterilization device (3) is controlled to be 20~50V / cm, the temperature to be 65~75℃, and the time to be 110~130s.

9. The method for sterilizing strawberry jam according to claim 8, characterized in that, In the first step (S1), the pressure in the ultra-high pressure sterilization device (2) is 500 MPa, the temperature is 35°C, and the sterilization time is 15 min.

10. The method for sterilizing strawberry jam according to claim 9, characterized in that, In the third step (S3), the electric field strength of the ohmic electric field sterilization device (3) is 35V / cm, the temperature is 70℃, and the sterilization time is 120s.

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