Ready-to-eat additive-free cooked pulp and pulp product as well as preparation system and process

Abstract

The invention relates to a ready-to-eat additive-free cooked pulp and pulp product as well as a preparation system and process. A cooking homogenizing unit of the preparation system comprises a main reaction tower and a fluid control module; the main reaction tower comprises a central material dropping pipe, an annular space ascending pipe, a tower top separation area and a tower bottom confluence area; a first feeding pipe is arranged at the top of the central material dropping pipe; a second feeding pipe is arranged on the side wall of the lower part of the annular space ascending pipe; a gas distributor is arranged at the bottom of the main reaction tower and is used for injecting microbubbles into the bottom of the annular space ascending pipe; the fluid control module is configured to control the high-density hard pulp raw material to move downwards at a low speed along the central material descending pipe to complete high-temperature enzyme killing, and the low-density thermosensitive pulp moves upwards along the annular space ascending pipe to complete low-temperature pasteurization under the action of bubble buoyancy and liquid flow entrainment; and the two strands of materials are subjected to heat exchange in the tower bottom converging area, are primarily homogenized in the tower top separating area and are discharged. Through air-lift homogenization and gradient cooking, the original color, texture and nutrition of the mixed pulp and pulp can be reserved to the maximum extent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of health food processing, and in particular to a ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice product, its preparation system, and process. Background Technology

[0002] With increasing consumer health awareness, the market demand for "clean label" foods is growing, meaning that the ingredient list does not contain any chemically synthesized additives (such as preservatives, thickeners, artificial colors, etc.). Fruit pulp and pulp products, as healthy foods rich in vitamins and dietary fiber, are widely used in baking, tea drinks, and direct consumption.

[0003] Currently, common production processes for fruit pulp and syrup products typically include: raw material pretreatment (washing, peeling, and cutting), hardening treatment (using calcium chloride, etc.), color protection treatment (using sodium isoascorbate, sulfites, etc.), sugaring or pre-cooking, canning / bagging, venting and sealing, and high-temperature sterilization (pasteurization or high-temperature and high-pressure sterilization). Existing preparation systems usually consist of a production line comprising a raw material pretreatment unit, a mixing unit, a ripening and homogenizing unit, a cooling and draining unit, and an aseptic filling unit.

[0004] However, due to significant differences in density, firmness, and heat sensitivity among different fruits—for example, firm fruits like water chestnuts and guavas require prolonged blanching at temperatures above 92℃ to soften and deactivate enzymes, while soft fruits like strawberries and mangoes will become excessively soft and mushy under the same conditions, leading to texture damage and nutrient loss—it's impossible to fully preserve the original color, texture, and nutrients of the mixed fruit pulp. Although these two types of fruit pulp can be blanched separately, during independent heating, each type forms its own closed-loop volatile flavor compounds, resulting in a layered texture. Furthermore, the mixing and homogenization process can cause further mechanical damage to the soft fruit pulp and increase the risk of oxidative browning, failing to maximize the preservation of the original color, texture, and nutrients of the mixed fruit pulp. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to improve the problem that the processing of mixed fruit pulp and pulp in the prior art cannot maximize the preservation of the original color, texture and nutrition of the mixed fruit pulp and pulp, this application provides a ready-to-eat, additive-free cooked fruit pulp and pulp product, preparation system and process.

[0006] The technical solution provided in this application for a ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice product, its preparation system, and its process is as follows: The first aspect of this application provides a ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice product preparation system, which adopts the following technical solution: A system for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and pulp products includes a raw material pretreatment unit, a mixing unit, a cooking and homogenizing unit, a cooling and draining unit, and an aseptic filling unit arranged sequentially along the material flow direction. The cooking and homogenizing unit includes a main reaction tower and a fluid control module. The main reaction tower includes an internal central feed pipe and an external annular riser pipe, as well as a top separation zone and a bottom confluence zone connecting the two. The top of the central feed pipe is provided with a first feed pipe for feeding high-density, firm fruit pulp raw materials; the lower side wall of the annular riser is provided with a second feed pipe for feeding low-density, heat-sensitive fruit pulp raw materials. A gas distributor is installed at the bottom of the main reaction tower. The gas distributor is connected to a food-grade inert gas source and is used to inject microbubbles into the bottom of the annular riser to build a density difference driving force. The wall of the central downcomer has a vacuum insulation structure, and the fluid temperature in the annular riser is controlled by the waste heat conducted by the central downcomer and the gas-liquid mixing heat exchange. The fluid control module is configured to: control the high-density hard fruit pulp raw material to descend slowly along the central feed pipe under gravity to complete high-temperature enzyme sterilization, and the low-density heat-sensitive fruit pulp to rise along the annular riser pipe under the action of bubble buoyancy and liquid flow entrainment to complete low-temperature pasteurization. The two materials exchange heat in the confluence zone at the bottom of the tower and are discharged after preliminary homogenization in the separation zone at the top of the tower.

[0007] Furthermore, the gas distributor is located directly below the bottom confluence area of ​​the tower and is connected to a pulse airflow controller, which is configured to generate a pulse airflow with a frequency of 0.1 to 0.5 Hz; When the pulsed airflow is generated, the bubble clusters enter the annular riser pipe in a concentrated manner. Utilizing the airlift effect, the high-temperature hard fruit pulp material flowing out of the central drop pipe is instantly mixed with the low-temperature soft fruit pulp material entering from the second feed pipe in a turbulent flow and lifted upwards.

[0008] Furthermore, a first pressure sensor is installed at the bottom of the central drop pipe, and a second pressure sensor is installed in the middle of the annular riser pipe; The fluid control module is further configured to: adjust the gas distributor's intake state in real time based on the pressure difference between the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor; when the pressure difference is lower than a preset threshold, instantaneously increase the gas distributor's intake pressure to the bursting threshold and maintain it for a set time; and / or control the pulse airflow controller to increase the pulse frequency of the pulse airflow and maintain it for a set time.

[0009] Furthermore, the central drop tube is equipped with spiral guide vanes with a spiral angle of 15° to 30° to ensure that the downward residence time of the high-density hard fruit pulp raw material is within the range of 3 to 8 minutes. The axis of the spiral guide vane has a hollow steam chamber, which is connected to an external high-temperature steam source.

[0010] Furthermore, a spiral baffle is coaxially fixed to the inner wall of the annular riser pipe to ensure that the upward residence time of the low-density heat-sensitive fruit pulp raw material is within the range of 30 to 90 seconds.

[0011] Furthermore, multiple second feed pipes are arranged in a circumferential array on the outer wall of the annular riser pipe, and the second feed pipes are tangent to the annular riser pipe and their feeding direction is in the same direction as the spiral baffle.

[0012] Furthermore, a settling chamber is coaxially connected to the top of the main reaction tower, the outer diameter of the settling chamber is larger than the outer diameter of the annular riser pipe, and the tower top separation zone is located in the settling chamber; The first feed pipe passes through the settling chamber and extends downward into the central feed pipe. A return port is reserved radially between the first feed pipe and the central feed pipe. The upper inner wall of the settling chamber is provided with an annular overflow weir that communicates with the homogenized discharge port, and the annular overflow weir is higher than the return port.

[0013] Furthermore, the main reaction tower is provided with a guide cone in the bottom confluence area of ​​the tower, the top of the guide cone points to the outlet of the central feed pipe, and the gas distributor is arranged around the outer periphery of the guide cone.

[0014] The second aspect of this application provides a process for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products using the following technical solution: A process for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products, based on the aforementioned system for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products, includes the following steps: S1. Raw material grading and pretreatment: Based on the density and heat resistance of the raw materials, they are divided into high-density hard group raw materials: passion fruit, snow lotus fruit, guava, water chestnut and low-density heat-sensitive group raw materials: strawberry, mango, avocado, and respectively. They are then washed, peeled, diced or scooped out as pulp. S2. Establish liquid level and temperature field: Inject base fruit pulp into the main reaction tower, heat the central downcomer, and establish an outer ring temperature gradient of 65-75°C in the annular riser and an inner pipe temperature gradient of 90-98°C in the central downcomer through nitrogen circulation applied by the gas distributor. S3. Density difference driven fractional heat treatment: High-density hard component raw material is fed into the first feed pipe and flows slowly from top to bottom to the bottom confluence zone in the central feed pipe; Low-density thermosensitive component raw material is injected into the second feed pipe and, after initial homogenization with the high-density hard component raw material in the bottom confluence zone, flows together from bottom to top in the annular riser pipe. S4. Airlift Flexible Homogenizer: By adjusting the nitrogen flow rate, the upward flow velocity of the fluid in the annular riser is controlled to be 0.1-0.3 m / s. The shear force and buoyancy of the rising bubbles are used to achieve uniform mixing of the two sets of raw materials and oxygen isolation and color protection without mechanical stirring paddle. S5. Synchronous oxygen isolation and discharge: Under the protection of nitrogen gas curtain, the mixed raw materials overflow and are discharged, and after cooling and draining, they directly enter the aseptic filling unit.

[0015] The third aspect of this application provides a ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice product using the following technical solution: A ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and pulp product is prepared based on the above-mentioned ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and pulp product preparation process, comprising 7-10 parts by weight of mango, 4-9 parts by weight of passion fruit, 9-15 parts by weight of snow lotus fruit, 2-5 parts by weight of guava, 6-9 parts by weight of avocado, 6-13 parts by weight of water chestnut, and 15-20 parts by weight of strawberry.

[0016] In summary, the beneficial technical effects of this application are as follows: 1. By constructing a dual-temperature, dual-flow field within the main reaction tower, consisting of a "central high-temperature downward flow" and an "outer ring low-temperature upward flow," the physical property differences between high-density firm fruit pulp and low-density heat-sensitive fruit pulp are utilized. These materials undergo deep cooking at 90–98℃ for 3–8 minutes and surface sterilization at 65–75℃ for 30–90 seconds, respectively. This "temperature-adjusted-to-material" strategy ensures that the high-density firm fruit pulp is soft, palatable, and has completely inactivated enzymes, while preventing the low-density heat-sensitive fruit pulp from becoming mushy or browning. This perfectly resolves the contradiction between "taste and sterilization" in the processing of mixed fruit pulp products. 2. Using pulsed nitrogen bubbles as the power source for stirring and conveying, the buoyancy of the bubbles, the wake turbulence, and the swirling effect of the tangential feed achieve gentle and uniform mixing of high-viscosity fruit pulp. This not only promotes homogenization but also improves heat exchange uniformity and prevents larger fruit particles and seeds from settling in the bottom confluence area of ​​the tower. Furthermore, it avoids the damage to fruit pulp cells caused by the high shear force of traditional mechanical stirring paddles, resulting in a final product with extremely high integrity of fruit pulp particles, minimal juice loss, and a taste closer to fresh fruit. 3. The entire cooking and homogenization process is carried out under the envelopment and propulsion of nitrogen bubbles. Nitrogen is not only a power source, but also a protective medium. A continuous positive pressure inert gas environment is built inside the main reaction tower, which cuts off the enzymatic browning and oxidation reaction path at high temperature from the source. Thus, without adding any chemical preservatives or color protectants, the product can be preserved for a long time and its color can be protected. 4. After high-temperature steam cooks the high-density firm fruit pulp, the residual heat exchanged by the high-density firm fruit pulp in the reflux zone at the bottom of the tower, as well as the convective heat exchange with the low-density heat-sensitive fruit pulp during mixing, just meet the mild heating requirements of the low-density heat-sensitive fruit pulp. No separate heat source is required. This cascade utilization of energy greatly reduces energy consumption. 5. Through the linkage control of the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor and the pulse airflow controller, when abnormal circulating pressure difference is detected, the material bridging and deposition can be actively destroyed by "instantaneous burst blowing" or "high frequency pulse", which solves the technical problem of high solid content fruit pulp clogging the reactor and ensures the continuity and stability of production. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a simplified diagram of each unit of the preparation system according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the cooking homogenization unit in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the preparation process of the embodiment of this application.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 11. Raw material pretreatment unit; 12. Mixing unit; 13. Cooking and homogenization unit; 14. Cooling and draining unit; 15. Aseptic filling unit; 2. Main reaction tower; 21. Top separation zone; 22. Bottom confluence zone; 23. Feed guide cone; 3. Central feed pipe; 31. First feed pipe; 32. Spiral guide vanes; 321. Hollow steam chamber; 4. Annular riser pipe; 41. Second feed pipe; 42. Spiral baffle; 5. Gas distributor; 61. First pressure sensor; 62. Second pressure sensor; 7. Settling chamber; 71. Return outlet; 72. Annular overflow weir. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of this application will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0020] This application discloses a system for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products. (Refer to...) Figure 1 and Figure 2It includes a raw material pretreatment unit 11, a mixing unit 12, a cooking and homogenizing unit 13, a cooling and draining unit 14, and an aseptic filling unit 15 arranged sequentially along the material flow direction; wherein, except for the cooking and homogenizing unit 13, each unit and its interconnection structure are existing technologies, which can be fully implemented by those skilled in the art and need not be elaborated.

[0021] Specifically, the homogenization unit 13 in this embodiment includes a main reaction tower 2 and a fluid control module. The main reaction tower 2 includes an internal central downcomer 3 and an external annular riser 4, as well as a top separation zone 21 and a bottom confluence zone 22 connecting the top and bottom of the two. Specifically, the central downcomer 3, the annular riser 4, and the main reaction tower 2 are coaxially arranged from the inside to the outside, and all three are made of 316L stainless steel. The inner diameter of the central downcomer 3 is 40% to 60% of the inner diameter of the main reaction tower 2.

[0022] The top of the central feed pipe 3 is equipped with a first feed pipe 31, which is used to input high-density hard fruit pulp raw materials, such as passion fruit, snow lotus fruit, guava, water chestnut, etc.; the lower side wall of the annular riser pipe 4 is equipped with a second feed pipe 41, which is used to input low-density heat-sensitive fruit pulp raw materials, such as strawberry, mango, avocado, etc.

[0023] The bottom of the main reaction tower 2 is equipped with a gas distributor 5, which is connected to a food-grade inert gas source to inject microbubbles into the bottom of the annular riser 4 to build a density difference driving force; specifically, the gas distributor 5 is connected to food-grade nitrogen.

[0024] The central downcomer 3 has a vacuum insulation structure on its wall. The fluid temperature in the annular riser 4 is controlled by the residual heat conducted through the central downcomer 3 and the heat exchange from gas-liquid mixing. Specifically, the central downcomer 3 has a double-layer structure, with a vacuum below 10⁻³ Pa between the inner and outer layers, and is filled with aerogel insulation material. Furthermore, the central downcomer 3 is equipped with spiral guide vanes 32 with a spiral angle of 15°–30° to ensure that the residence time of the high-density, firm fruit pulp raw material is within the range of 3–8 minutes, guaranteeing sufficient starch gelatinization and complete enzyme inactivation. The axis of the spiral guide vanes 32 has a hollow steam chamber 321, which is connected to an external high-temperature steam source via a rotary joint. The steam temperature is 120°C–130°C, providing a heat source for the material inside the central downcomer 3 through thermal radiation and condensation heat transfer.

[0025] Furthermore, referring to Figure 2A spiral baffle 42 is coaxially fixed to the inner wall of the annular riser 4, extending the upward path of the low-density heat-sensitive raw material and increasing the residence time, so that the upward residence time of the low-density heat-sensitive fruit pulp raw material is within the range of 30 to 90 seconds; at the same time, it can also generate swirling flow, enhancing the radial mixing of the raw material. Multiple second feed pipes 41 are arranged in a circumferential array on the outer wall of the annular riser 4. The second feed pipes 41 are tangential to the annular riser 4 and their feeding direction is in the spiral direction of the spiral baffle 42, which allows the low-density heat-sensitive raw material to enter the annular riser 4 at a certain tangential velocity, forming an initial swirling flow, which superimposes with the subsequent air rise flow to improve the homogeneous mixing efficiency.

[0026] The fluid control module is configured to control the high-density hard fruit pulp raw material to descend slowly along the central feed pipe 3 under gravity to complete high-temperature enzyme sterilization, and the low-density heat-sensitive fruit pulp to ascend along the annular riser pipe 4 under the action of bubble buoyancy and liquid flow entrainment to complete low-temperature pasteurization. The two materials exchange heat in the bottom confluence zone 22 and are discharged after preliminary homogenization in the top separation zone 21.

[0027] Specifically, the gas distributor 5 is located directly below the bottom confluence area 22 of the tower and is connected to a pulse airflow controller, which is configured to generate a pulse airflow with a frequency of 0.1 to 0.5 Hz. When the pulsed airflow is generated, the bubble clusters enter the annular riser pipe 4 in a concentrated manner. Utilizing the air lift effect, the high-temperature hard fruit pulp raw material flowing out of the central feed pipe 3 is instantly mixed with the low-temperature soft fruit pulp raw material entering from multiple second feed pipes 41 in a turbulent flow and lifted upwards.

[0028] Furthermore, referring to Figure 2 The bottom of the central drop pipe 3 is equipped with a first pressure sensor 61, and the middle of the annular riser pipe 4 is equipped with a second pressure sensor 62. The fluid control module is also configured to: adjust the air intake state of the gas distributor 5 in real time according to the pressure difference value of the first pressure sensor 61 and the second pressure sensor 62; when the pressure difference value is lower than the preset threshold, instantaneously increase the air intake pressure of the gas distributor 5 to the bursting threshold and maintain it for a set time; and / or control the pulse airflow controller to increase the pulse frequency of the pulse airflow and maintain it for a set time.

[0029] Therefore, during the cooking and homogenization process in the cooking and homogenization unit 13, the high-density hard fruit pulp raw material slowly descends in the central feed pipe 3 mainly by gravity. The central feed pipe 3 can be indirectly heated by the hollow steam chamber 321 inside its spiral guide vanes 32, so that the temperature inside the pipe is maintained at 90-98°C. The high-density hard fruit pulp raw material undergoes a long-term high-temperature blanching process here, which thoroughly softens and deactivates enzymes, and then enters the bottom reflux zone at the bottom of the main reaction tower 2. Meanwhile, the low-density heat-sensitive fruit pulp raw material enters from the lower part of the annular riser 4 and is immediately carried upward by the preheated material from the bottom confluence zone 22 and the rising bubbles output from the gas distributor 5. Its heat source mainly comes from the residual heat exchanged by the high-temperature raw material in the bottom confluence zone 22 and the convective heat exchange between the two raw materials during mixing. This allows the annular riser 4 to naturally form a mild heat treatment zone of 65-75°C, which ensures that the high-density hard fruit pulp raw material is soft and palatable and that enzyme activity is completely destroyed, while ensuring that the low-density heat-sensitive fruit pulp raw material does not become soft or brown. This perfectly solves the contradiction between "taste and sterilization" in the processing of mixed fruit pulp products. Moreover, this treatment method is energy-saving and promotes the diffusion and fusion of flavor substances driven by the temperature gradient, which can well preserve the original texture and nutrition of the mixed fruit pulp.

[0030] Furthermore, by controlling the gas distributor 5 to pulse food-grade nitrogen gas flow into the annular riser 4 via the pulse airflow controller, firstly, the pulse airflow can create a powerful "airlift effect," not only lifting the material upwards but, more importantly, creating instantaneous and intense turbulence in the bottom confluence zone 22. This causes the high-temperature, hard fruit pulp material falling from the central feed pipe 3 to mix rapidly and violently with the low-temperature, soft fruit pulp material entering from the side wall. This not only promotes homogenization but also improves heat exchange uniformity and prevents larger fruit particles and seeds from settling in the bottom confluence zone 22. Secondly, the bubbles break down during the ascent. The microjet generated by the cracking, and the vortex formed by the material under the action of the spiral baffle 42, further promote the homogenization effect of high-temperature hard fruit pulp raw materials and low-temperature soft fruit pulp raw materials; thirdly, the nitrogen oxygen barrier effect of the air-lift process is carried out simultaneously with the homogenization process, without the need for additional antioxidants or subsequent degassing processes, effectively inhibiting oxidative browning and ensuring the natural color of the product; fourthly, the gentle fluid shear force generated by microbubbles replaces high-shear machinery, achieving excellent mixing uniformity while greatly protecting the integrity of fruit pulp cells, avoiding fat precipitation and bitter substance release.

[0031] In addition, by setting the first pressure sensor 61 and the second pressure sensor 62, the pressure difference between the inner pipe flow channel and the gap flow channel can be monitored in real time. This is a direct indicator of whether the flow in the annular gap riser pipe 4 is smooth and whether the gas lifting power is sufficient. The fluid control module dynamically adjusts the air intake strategy based on this feedback and actively removes the blockage risk by using "instantaneous burst blowing" or "high frequency pulse". It can promptly eliminate possible flow stagnation or uneven mixing and ensure the continuous and stable operation of the cooking and homogenization process.

[0032] In addition, refer to Figure 2 The top of the main reaction tower 2 is coaxially connected to a settling chamber 7. The outer diameter of the settling chamber 7 is larger than the outer diameter of the annular riser pipe 4. The tower top separation zone 21 is located in the settling chamber 7. The first feed pipe 31 passes through the settling chamber 7 and extends downward into the central feed pipe 3. A return port 71 is reserved radially between the first feed pipe 31 and the central feed pipe 3. The upper inner wall of the settling chamber 7 is provided with an annular overflow weir 72 that is connected to the homogenized discharge port. The annular overflow weir 72 is higher than the return port 71.

[0033] Furthermore, the main reaction tower 2 is provided with a guide cone 23 in the bottom confluence area 22, with the top of the guide cone 23 pointing towards the outlet of the central feed pipe 3, and the gas distributor 5 is arranged around the outer periphery of the guide cone 23.

[0034] Therefore, the guide cone 23 can smoothly guide heavy materials (such as grains) falling from the central feed pipe 3 along the conical surface of the guide cone 23 to the air rise area above the peripheral gas distributor 5, effectively avoiding dead zone accumulation. When the high-temperature hard fruit pulp raw material and the low-temperature soft fruit pulp raw material rise to the top separation zone 21 in the annular riser pipe 4, the flow rate of the mixture drops sharply due to the expansion of the diameter of the top settling chamber 7, and the bubbles escape. At this time, the mixture loses buoyancy. The unripe hard fruit pulp has a high density and naturally sinks back to the return port 71 under the action of gravity for secondary circulation cooking. The ripe fruit pulp and pulp have good suspension properties and overflow over the annular overflow weir 72 with the liquid level and are discharged, which can realize self-grading discharge.

[0035] This application discloses a process for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products, based on the aforementioned system for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products, with reference to... Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 It includes the following steps: S1. Raw material grading and pretreatment: Based on the density and heat resistance of the raw materials, they are divided into high-density hard group raw materials: passion fruit, snow lotus fruit, guava, water chestnut and low-density heat-sensitive group raw materials: strawberry, mango, avocado, and respectively. They are then washed, peeled, diced or scooped out as pulp. S2. Establish liquid level and temperature field: Inject base fruit pulp into the main reaction tower 2, and continuously introduce high temperature steam into the hollow steam chamber 321 of the spiral guide vane 32 to heat the central downcomer 3. Establish an outer ring temperature gradient of 65-75°C in the annular riser 4 and an inner pipe temperature gradient of 90-98°C in the central downcomer 3 by circulating nitrogen gas applied by the gas distributor 5. S3. Density difference driven fractional heat treatment: The high-density hard component raw material is fed into the first feed pipe 31 and flows slowly from top to bottom to the bottom confluence zone 22 in the central feed pipe 3; the low-density thermosensitive component raw material is injected into the second feed pipe 41 and, after initial homogenization with the high-density hard component raw material in the bottom confluence zone 22, flows together from bottom to top in the annular riser pipe 4. S4. Airlift Flexible Homogenizer: By adjusting the nitrogen flow rate, the upward flow velocity of the fluid in the annular riser 4 is controlled to be 0.1-0.3 m / s. The shear force and buoyancy of the rising bubbles are used to achieve uniform mixing of the two sets of raw materials and oxygen isolation and color protection without mechanical stirring paddle. S5. Synchronous oxygen isolation and discharge: Under the protection of nitrogen gas curtain, the mixed raw materials overflow and are discharged, and after cooling and draining, they directly enter the aseptic filling unit 15.

[0036] In step S3, the adaptive thermal process is achieved by utilizing fluid thermodynamic characteristics: The average residence time of the high-density rigid raw material in the central drop tube 3 is controlled at 5 to 8 minutes, and it undergoes high-temperature bleaching to thoroughly soften the fiber. The average residence time of the low-density heat-sensitive raw material in the annular riser 4 is controlled at 30 to 90 seconds. It only receives residual heat from the central dropper 3 and mixed heat from the confluence zone for surface sterilization, thus preserving the texture of the fruit pulp.

[0037] This application discloses a ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and syrup product, prepared based on the above-mentioned preparation process for a ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and syrup product, comprising 7-10 parts by weight of mango, 4-9 parts by weight of passion fruit, 9-15 parts by weight of snow lotus fruit, 2-5 parts by weight of guava, 6-9 parts by weight of avocado, 6-13 parts by weight of water chestnut, and 15-20 parts by weight of strawberry.

[0038] It also includes 10 to 20 parts by weight of pineapple, 18 to 20 parts by weight of lemon, 7 to 16 parts by weight of orange, and 2 to 4 parts by weight of kumquat.

[0039] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this application shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms "first," "second," "third," and similar words used in this application specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. The terms "an" or "a" and similar words do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms "comprising" or "including" and similar words mean that the elements or objects preceding "comprising" or "including" encompass the elements or objects listed following "comprising" or "including" and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects. "Above," "below," "left," "right," etc., are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0040] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A system for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products, comprising a raw material pretreatment unit, a mixing unit, a cooking and homogenizing unit, a cooling and draining unit, and an aseptic filling unit arranged sequentially along the material flow direction, characterized in that, The cooking homogenization unit includes a main reaction tower and a fluid control module; The main reaction tower includes an internal central feed pipe and an external annular riser pipe, as well as a top separation zone and a bottom confluence zone connecting the two. The top of the central feed pipe is provided with a first feed pipe for feeding high-density, firm fruit pulp raw materials; the lower side wall of the annular riser is provided with a second feed pipe for feeding low-density, heat-sensitive fruit pulp raw materials. A gas distributor is installed at the bottom of the main reaction tower. The gas distributor is connected to a food-grade inert gas source and is used to inject microbubbles into the bottom of the annular riser to build a density difference driving force. The wall of the central downcomer has a vacuum insulation structure, and the fluid temperature in the annular riser is controlled by the waste heat conducted by the central downcomer and the gas-liquid mixing heat exchange. The fluid control module is configured to: control the high-density hard fruit pulp raw material to descend slowly along the central feed pipe under gravity to complete high-temperature enzyme sterilization, and the low-density heat-sensitive fruit pulp to rise along the annular riser pipe under the action of bubble buoyancy and liquid flow entrainment to complete low-temperature pasteurization. The two materials exchange heat in the confluence zone at the bottom of the tower and are discharged after preliminary homogenization in the separation zone at the top of the tower.

2. The system for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas distributor is located directly below the bottom confluence area of ​​the tower and is connected to a pulse airflow controller, which is configured to generate a pulse airflow with a frequency of 0.1 to 0.5 Hz. When the pulsed airflow is generated, the bubble clusters enter the annular riser pipe in a concentrated manner. Utilizing the airlift effect, the high-temperature hard fruit pulp material flowing out of the central drop pipe is instantly mixed with the low-temperature soft fruit pulp material entering from the second feed pipe in a turbulent flow and lifted upwards.

3. The system for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products according to claim 2, characterized in that, A first pressure sensor is installed at the bottom of the central drop pipe, and a second pressure sensor is installed in the middle of the annular riser pipe. The fluid control module is further configured to: adjust the gas distributor's intake state in real time based on the pressure difference between the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor; when the pressure difference is lower than a preset threshold, instantaneously increase the gas distributor's intake pressure to the bursting threshold and maintain it for a set time; and / or control the pulse airflow controller to increase the pulse frequency of the pulse airflow and maintain it for a set time.

4. The system for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central dropping pipe is equipped with spiral guide vanes with a spiral angle of 15° to 30° to ensure that the downward residence time of the high-density hard fruit pulp raw material is within the range of 3 to 8 minutes. The axis of the spiral guide vane has a hollow steam chamber, which is connected to an external high-temperature steam source.

5. The system for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products according to claim 1, characterized in that, A spiral baffle is coaxially fixed to the inner wall of the annular riser pipe to ensure that the upward residence time of the low-density heat-sensitive fruit pulp raw material is within the range of 30 to 90 seconds.

6. The system for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products according to claim 5, characterized in that, Multiple second feed pipes are arranged in a circumferential array on the outer wall of the annular riser pipe. The second feed pipes are tangent to the annular riser pipe and their feeding direction is in the spiral direction of the spiral baffle.

7. The system for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main reaction tower is coaxially connected to a settling chamber at the top. The outer diameter of the settling chamber is larger than the outer diameter of the annular riser pipe. The tower top separation zone is located in the settling chamber. The first feed pipe passes through the settling chamber and extends downward into the central feed pipe. A return port is reserved radially between the first feed pipe and the central feed pipe. The upper inner wall of the settling chamber is provided with an annular overflow weir that communicates with the homogenized discharge port, and the annular overflow weir is higher than the return port.

8. The system for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main reaction tower is provided with a guide cone in the bottom confluence area of ​​the tower, the top of the guide cone points to the outlet of the central feed pipe, and the gas distributor is arranged around the outer periphery of the guide cone.

9. A process for preparing ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice products, based on the ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice product preparation system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Raw material grading and pretreatment: Based on the density and heat resistance of the raw materials, they are divided into high-density hard group raw materials: passion fruit, snow lotus fruit, guava, water chestnut and low-density heat-sensitive group raw materials: strawberry, mango, avocado, and respectively. They are then washed, peeled, diced or scooped out as pulp. S2. Establish liquid level and temperature field: Inject base fruit pulp into the main reaction tower, heat the central downcomer, and establish an outer ring temperature gradient of 65-75°C in the annular riser and an inner pipe temperature gradient of 90-98°C in the central downcomer through nitrogen circulation applied by the gas distributor. S3. Density difference driven fractional heat treatment: High-density hard component raw material is fed into the first feed pipe and flows slowly from top to bottom to the bottom confluence zone in the central feed pipe; Low-density thermosensitive component raw material is injected into the second feed pipe and, after initial homogenization with the high-density hard component raw material in the bottom confluence zone, flows together from bottom to top in the annular riser pipe. S4. Airlift Flexible Homogenizer: By adjusting the nitrogen flow rate, the upward flow velocity of the fluid in the annular riser is controlled to be 0.1-0.3 m / s. The shear force and buoyancy of the rising bubbles are used to achieve uniform mixing of the two sets of raw materials and oxygen isolation and color protection without mechanical stirring paddles. S5. Synchronous oxygen isolation and discharge: Under the protection of nitrogen gas curtain, the mixed raw materials overflow and are discharged, and after cooling and draining, they directly enter the aseptic filling unit.

10. A ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice product, prepared by the ready-to-eat, additive-free, cooked fruit pulp and juice product preparation process described in claim 9, characterized in that, It includes 7-10 parts by weight of mango, 4-9 parts by weight of passion fruit, 9-15 parts by weight of yacon, 2-5 parts by weight of guava, 6-9 parts by weight of avocado, 6-13 parts by weight of water chestnut, and 15-20 parts by weight of strawberry.

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