Method for producing packaged drink

Abstract

It is intended to provide a process for producing a packaged drink whereby filling can be performed at room temperature without resorting to using a chemical or sterile water, the favorable taste and flavor of the content can be maintained while relieving the thermal degradation thereof, it becomes unnecessary to employ a heat-resistant container or to thermally sterilize or cool after sealing, and thus both of the equipment cost and the running cost can be largely reduced. After thermally sterilizing the content to give a definite sterilization value, it is quickly cooled to room temperature and then stored in a storage tank that has been preliminarily sterilized under such conditions as being equal to or exceeding the thermal sterilization conditions for the contents. While maintaining the storage tank under positive pressure with the use of a sterile gas, the content is fed into a filling machine that has been preliminarily sterilized under such conditions as being equal to or exceeding the thermal sterilization conditions for the contents. Thus, the liquid-feeding system ranging from the storage tank to the filling machine is made a closed liquid-feeding pathway free from the invasion of air from the outside. The drink is filled into a container having been sterilized with hot water in an environment-controlled space isolated from the outside wherein the surroundings have been thermally sterilized and washed with hot water at 65° C. to 100° C.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to a method for producing a packaged drink, in particular a packaged drink such as a packaged tea drink and a packaged acidic drink.BACKGROUND[0002]Hot pack methods and aseptic methods are conventionally known methods for producing packaged drinks of low acidic drinks such as green tea drinks or the like, or acidic drinks such as drinks with fruit juice or the like that are packaged in, for instance, PET bottles. In hot pack methods, the drink, for instance is thermally sterilized at conditions equal to or exceeding 120° C. and 4 minutes, for low acidic drinks having a pH of 4.6 or higher such as tea drink or the like, and conditions equal to or exceeding 85° C. and 30 minutes for acidic drinks having a pH of 4.6 or lower, the content being then filled, with the liquid temperature kept at 65° C. to 90° C., into washed containers that are then sealed, the containers being sterilized herein by the heat of the content. Thereafter, to s...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020]The method for producing a packaged drink of the present invention enables room-temperature filling of, for instance, acidic drinks such as fruit juice drinks, as well as tea- or milk-containing drinks or the like, without the need for containers, equipment and the environment to be sterilized with a chemical agent solution or washed with sterile water, as is the case in aseptic filling methods. The invention allows thus obtaining a good packaged drink, as afforded by aseptic filling methods, without flavor loss due to content thermal deterioration, which occurs in hot pack methods. The method of the present invention, moreover, resorts to simpler equipment than aseptic filling, and uses no chemical agent solution. Hence, the method of the present invention affords substantial savings in equipment costs and running costs while increasing the efficiency and speed of the production line. In the method of the present invention, the containers need not be heat-resistant or resistant to vacuum deformation, and thus the walls of the containers may be thinner, which allows reducing container costs. The method of the present invention, moreover, requires no post-sterilization or cooling after sealing, and hence equipment is simpler than in hot pack methods. The method of the present invention requires no large amounts hot water, and allows thus reducing equipment and running costs while increasing line speed. The products, moreover, can move onto inspection, box packing and so forth immediately after filling and sealing, which allows increasing line efficiency while achieving energy savings.

[0021]In the method for producing a packaged drink of the present invention, in which a surrounding environment is thermally sterilized and washed using a chemical agent, the use of chemical agent is restricted, in the case of acidic drinks such as fruit juice drinks, as well as tea- or milk-containing drinks or the like, to the step of sterilizing and washing the surrounding environment, in which the containers are washed, filled and sealed, that is carried out prior to filling. Hence, room temperature filling becomes possible without the need for large amounts of chemical agent solution, sterile water and so forth, as is the case in aseptic filling. The method of the present invention allows thus obtaining a good packaged drink, as afforded by aseptic filling methods, with little flavor loss due to content thermal deterioration, which occurs in hot pack methods.

[0022]Also, less chemical agent and washing liquid need be used, compared to aseptic filling, and hence equipment can be scaled down in proportion. The method of the present invention, moreover, requires no post-sterilization or cooling after sealing, and hence equipment is simpler than in hot pack methods. This affords, as a result, substantial savings in equipment costs and running costs.

[0023]In the method for producing a packaged drink of the present invention, the drink is thermally sterilized to a sterilization value equal to or higher than that of thermal sterilization at 135° C. and 7.58 seconds, when the drink is a drink comprising 30 mg % or more of catechins at a pH of 4.6 or higher. However, the drink is quickly cooled down to room temperature after sterilization, and therefore, the method of the present invention allows mitigating thermal deterioration and preserving flavor, in addition to the above effects. In a tea drink comprising 30 mg % or more of catechins at a pH of 4.6 or higher, the environment after filling and sealing is an environment where spore-forming bacteria cannot survive, and hence sterilizing and washing the containers with hot water prior to drink filling does away with the need for sterilization after filling using a pasteurizer.

[0024]When in the method for producing a packaged drink of the present invention the drink is an acidic drink having a pH below 4.6, thermally sterilizing the acidic drink to a sterilization value identical to or higher than 85° C. and 30 minutes allows inhibiting bacterial growth after sealing, besides the above effects. Also, the drink is quickly cooled after thermal sterilization, which allows preventing flavor and component deterioration. Moreover, sterilizing and washing the container with hot water prior to drink filling does away with the need for sterilization after filling using a pasteurizer.

[0025]In the method for producing a packaged drink of the present invention, besides the above effects, making the environment-controlled space where the containers are sterilized with hot water, the content is filled and the containers are sealed, into a space housed in a box, has the effect of isolating that space from the outside, which allows preventing contamination from outside.

Problems solved by technology

Hot pack methods are highly problematic in that the content is kept at a high temperature, of 60° C. or above, over a long time, with the content being filled in that state.

As a result, the content may undergo thermal deterioration, which may result in rapid loss of taste and flavor.

The foregoing drives up thus the cost of the containers, which is a drawback.

In terms of equipment, hot pack methods suffer the drawback of increased equipment space and higher equipment costs brought about by the need for large-scale pasteurizers for post-sterilization and cooling.

From the viewpoint of running costs, pasteurizers are also problematic in that they require large amounts hot water, which entails greater water consumption and higher energy costs.

The method is hence problematic in terms of the substantial equipment cost and running costs associated therewith.

The method, however, is problematic in that it requires a cooling step after sealing, and results in loss of taste and / or flavor, brought about by content thermal deterioration, although to a lesser extent than in conventional hot pack methods.

Also, the method cannot obviate the need for the containers to be resistant to vacuum deformation.

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