Method and Device for Aseptic Filling

Abstract

A method and a device for the aseptic filling of a liquid food product that contains at least one solid particle, including disinfection with a disinfection unit of at least a part of the external surface of at least one first container which contains the solid particle, and disinfection of at least a second container, opening of the disinfected first container with an opening unit and removal of the solid particle, and filling via a filling unit of a disinfected second container with the solid particle and a liquid food.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present application claims the benefit of priority of German Application No. 102010062797.6, filed Dec. 10, 2010. The entire text of the priority application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE[0002]The disclosure relates to a method and device for the aseptic filling of liquid food products which contain solid particles.BACKGROUND[0003]There is a growing market for liquid food products such as fruit juice drinks containing solid particles such as, for example, whole pieces of fruit, especially aloe vera, coconut, pineapple, peach or mandarin orange sacs. These pieces of fruit are added to the carrier juice in proportions of up to 50 percent by weight and can measure up to 1 cm×1 cm×1 cm.[0004]In traditional filling plants, food products of this type are filled into containers such as glass bottles, PET or polyolefin bottles or pouches, and the carrier fruit juice and the fruit pieces are filled ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a cost-effective and efficient method for aseptically filling liquid food products containing solid particles. The method involves disinfecting the external surface of the container containing the solid particles, opening the container and removing the solid particles, and then filling the container with the solid particle and liquid food product. The method ensures that the solid particles are not subjected to excessive thermal and mechanical stress, which helps to maintain their quality. The method can be carried out without the need for a clean room and can be particularly efficient in cases where the solid particles are delivered in a cylindrical can. The method also includes steps of producing a mixture of the solid particles with a liquid carrier and predosing the solid particles and / or the mixture with the liquid carrier to make handling easier during the filling process. The method further includes steps of testing the leak-tightness of the container containing the solid particles.

Problems solved by technology

This thermal and mechanical stress leads in turn to unwanted product damage, such as the reduction in the size of the particles and a more widespread particle size distribution of the solid particles.

Furthermore, the traditional methods and devices are very cost-intensive and inefficient because of this additional pasteurisation stage.

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