Apparatus and process for heat treating a packaged food product

a technology for packaging food products and apparatuses, which is applied in the direction of transportation and packaging, packaging, electric/magnetic/electromagnetic heating, etc., can solve the problems of not efficiently integrating energy into the system, and many prior art systems are not able to (efficiently) heat treat packaged food products, so as to achieve efficient energy and energy efficient

US20130316051A1Inactive Publication Date: 2013-11-28KK TOPCON
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Applications(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2013-11-28
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

The invention provides an apparatus (for heat treating a packaged food product), comprising (a) a channel surrounding a channel interior, (b) a pressurizer, (c) a transport unit, (d) a first electrode, surrounding at least part of the channel interior over a first electrode length, (e) an electrode configuration comprising (i) a second electrode surrounding at least part of the channel interior over a remote part surrounding length (for shielding at least part of the channel), and (f) a radio frequency wave generator configured to generate RF-waves between the first and second electrode. With such apparatus efficiently energy may be coupled into the packaged food product, for instance for heating a meal and / or for pasteurizing a food product. A further advantage of the present apparatus and such process is that it may be configured to be used in a continuous process.
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Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of International Application No. NL 2008879 filed May 25, 2012. The contents of this application are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to an apparatus for heat treating a packaged (food) product, as well as to a process for heat treating a packaged (food) product with such apparatus.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Processes to heat treat food products are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,532, for instance, describes a method and apparatus for even and rapid heating, pasteurization or sterilization of products contained in a package, such as, for example, pharmaceutical products or food, which are conveyed through a microwave treatment chamber on a continuous conveyor belt. In order to heat components of the products having different heat absorption for the purpose of reaching the pasteurization temperature rapidly and evenly, the temperature of the c...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0064]FIG. 1a schematically depicts an embodiment of the apparatus, indicated with reference 1 for heat treating a packaged food product (not depicted, however see amongst others FIGS. 1b-1c) in e.g. a continuous packaged food heat treating process. The apparatus 1 comprises a channel 100 with a channel length L, a channel axis 110 and a channel wall 103 (of insulating material, except where the electrodes are; see also below). The channel wall 103 surrounds a channel interior 105. Here, the channel interior is empty, but during processing, the channel interior 105 will be in general be filled with (pressurized) liquid (such as de-ionized a water). The apparatus also comprises a pressurizer (schematically depicted) configured to control the pressure of the liquid (not depicted, however see amongst others FIGS. 1b-1c) within the channel 100. Further, the apparatus comprises a transport unit 300 configured to transport the packaged food product in a propagation direction 102 through t...