Method and apparatus for handling sterilized food product

Abstract

A method is for handling a sterilized food product and includes sterilizing an intermodal container including a rigid shell having an elongate shape with opposed closed ends and a discharge port in one of the closed ends. The intermodal container also includes at least one support frame assembly supporting the rigid shell and configured to permit rotation between a generally horizontal orientation and a generally upright orientation. The method may also include aseptically filling the intermodal container with the sterilized food product; and transporting the filled intermodal container in the generally horizontal orientation via at least one of rail, truck, and ship and while maintaining the sterilized food product in aseptic conditions. The method may also include rotating the intermodal container to the generally upright orientation, and emptying the sterilized food product from the discharge port.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to the field of food science, and, more particularly, to the area of aseptically handling food products.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]In the field of food processing, it is common to process food at one location and transport bulk quantities to another location for further processing or final packaging. Various methods have been developed for containing and transporting food products. For example, fruit juice or milk is often processed at one facility and sent to another facility for final packaging. The two facilities may be located in close proximity to each other or may be in different countries. Because food products are susceptible to degradation due to microbial spoilage, various processing methods are used to retard or prevent the growth of microorganisms during this transportation and storage. These include sterilizing the food product inside a container, hot-filling a clean container, or putting the sterile food p...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]In view of the foregoing background, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for the efficient aseptic handling of food products, such as food products having a high viscosity.

[0017]These and other objects, features and advantages in accordance with the invention are provided by a method for handling a sterilized food product including sterilizing an intermodal container comprising a rigid shell having an elongate shape with opposed closed ends and a discharge port in one of the closed ends, and at least one support frame assembly supporting the rigid shell and configured to permit rotation between a generally horizontal orientation and a generally upright orientation. The method may also include aseptically filling the intermodal container with the sterilized food product; and transporting the filled intermodal container in the generally horizontal orientation via at least one of rail, truck, and ship and while maintaining the sterilized food product in aseptic conditions. In addition, the method may also include rotating the intermodal container to the generally upright orientation, and emptying the sterilized food product from the discharge port. Accordingly, a bulk quantity of sterilized food product may be efficiently transported and emptied from the intermodal container using the advantage of gravity-based emptying. Of course, the method is particularly advantageous for such emptying when the sterilized food product comprises a viscous sterilized food product, such as citrus pulp, for example, or other food product having an absolute viscosity of greater than 500 centipoise.

Problems solved by technology

Disadvantages of sterilizing inside a container include the expense of such a container and the food product degradation due to the amount of heat required.

Also, because of the need to sterilize the cold point of the food product, this type of processing is common for final packaging, but not typically done for bulk products.

Disadvantages of freezing include the energy required for freezing, the energy required to keep the product frozen during the transportation and storage cycle, and the cost of the drums.

Additional disadvantages include the potential physical and chemical changes of the product due to freezing.

There are many disadvantages to the use of chemical preservatives for certain food products.

While widely used, the disadvantages of this method include the cost of the bags and the boxes.

When shipped overseas, the return of empty boxes for further use incurs additional cost.

An additional disadvantage of such a system is that the bags cannot be aseptically unloaded.

While providing a safe and economical method to aseptically transport liquid food products, the use of aseptic tankers, rail cars and intermodal containers does not lend itself to the aseptic transportation of high viscosity products, such as, for example, tomato paste, high viscosity fruit purees or citrus pulp.

These products, if placed into a typical tank with a free-draining bottom will not flow out of the tank or will flow at such a slow speed that gravity draining is impractical.

However, because these products do not readily flow by gravity, it is not easy to remove such high viscosity food products from such a container.

Since the hose is disconnected and exposed to the atmosphere, the aseptic condition is lost.

This sterilization process may require a substantial amount of time between containers.

Since it is a manually intensive process, it may be susceptible to user-error which could result in product contamination.

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