Olive food manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a method for producing olive food products that look good and have a long shelf life by producing the olive food products under temperature conditions that do not cause water separation so that consumers can purchase the olive food products with more peace of mind. [Solution] The method for producing olive food products includes a first sterilization step (steps S11 to S16) in which unsterilized olives are divided into portions of 250g or more, individually packaged, and sterilized by pressure and heat under temperature conditions equivalent to a central temperature of 75°C for one minute or more; a storage step (step S21) in which the olives sterilized in the first sterilization step are stored; and a second sterilization step (steps S31 to S35) in which the olives stored in the storage step are divided into portions of less than 250g, individually packaged, and sterilized by pressure and heat under temperature conditions less than equivalent to a central temperature of 75°C for one minute.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing an olive food product. [Background technology]

[0002] Olives (olive fruits) contain oleic acid, which has a preventive effect against heart disease and diabetes, as well as polyphenols and vitamin E, which have antioxidant properties. Olives also contain minerals such as calcium and iron, as well as dietary fiber. For this reason, olives have traditionally been attracting attention as a food ingredient that is good for health.

[0003] However, olives have a strong astringent taste, making them difficult to eat raw; they are generally fermented with lactic acid to remove the astringency, and then processed into salted, pickled, or glacé dishes. For example, patent document 1 describes a technology related to processed olive foods. Patent document 1 describes an olive food product that includes a packaging container, olives held in the packaging container, and salt water in which the olives are soaked. The olives are provided with a stalk of a predetermined length, and consumers of the olive food product can pick up the stalk when eating the olives in the packaging container, allowing them to easily eat the olives. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Registered Utility Model No. 3219343 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] There is a demand for technology that makes olives more delicious and easier to eat for consumers, as in the case of the olive food described in Patent Document 1, and technology that allows consumers to purchase olive foods with more peace of mind. For example, olive foods are sterilized (pressurized and heated sterilization) during the manufacturing process, and as the olives are pressurized and heated in a pressure vessel, water may seep out of the olives (separation). Furthermore, the water that seeps out of the olives may darken over time, causing a problem that the olives look unattractive. Therefore, even if there is no problem with the quality, the olives will not appeal to general consumers. This problem is particularly noticeable when the olive food is sealed in a transparent bag and has a long expiration date of more than one month.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing olive foods that look good and have a long shelf life by producing them under temperature conditions that do not cause water separation, so that consumers and others can purchase olive foods with greater peace of mind. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The method for producing olive food products according to the present invention includes a first sterilization step in which unsterilized olives are divided into portions of 250 g or more, individually packaged, and sterilized by pressure and heat under temperature conditions corresponding to a central temperature of 75°C for one minute or more; a storage step in which the olives sterilized in the first sterilization step are stored; and a second sterilization step in which the olives stored in the storage step are divided into portions of less than 250 g, individually packaged, and sterilized by pressure and heat under temperature conditions not corresponding to a central temperature of 75°C for one minute or less.

[0008] As a result, unpasteurized olives are divided into portions of 250g or more and individually packaged, then in the first sterilization process, they are sterilized by pressure and heat under temperature conditions equivalent to a core temperature of 75°C for one minute or more (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "first temperature conditions"). They are then stored in the storage process, taken out at any time, and then in the second sterilization process, they are sterilized by pressure and heat under temperature conditions not equivalent to a core temperature of 75°C for one minute or less (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "second temperature conditions").

[0009] Here, the first sterilization step is preferably to sterilize the olives in the saltwater by pressurizing and heating together with the saltwater. The storage step is preferably to cool the olives in the saltwater and store them in a refrigerator. The olives divided in the second sterilization step are preferably dry-packed in transparent packaging containers.

[0010] Furthermore, it is desirable for the method for producing olive food to produce olive food that has a hydrogen ion exponent (pH) of greater than 4.6 and a shelf life of one month or more. Effect of the Invention

[0011] With the above-described configuration, the method for producing olive food products according to the present invention comprises a first sterilization step in which the olives are subjected to a sufficient pressure-heat sterilization treatment under a first temperature condition (e.g., to inactivate botulinum toxin), and then in a storage step, the olives that have been pressure-heat sterilized are stored so that they can be removed at any time, and in a second sterilization step, the olives are further pressure-heat sterilized under a second temperature condition, thereby producing olive food products that are free of syneresis and are highly safe. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic flow diagram of a method for producing olive food according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an olive food produced by a method for producing an olive food according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below, but the description of the constituent elements described below is one example (representative example) of the embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following content as long as the gist of the present invention is not changed. In addition, the "temperature condition" in this description is synonymous with "sterilization condition" or "heat sterilization condition".

[0014] [Olive food manufacturing method] The method for producing olive foods according to the present invention is a method for producing olive foods including olives alone and olives that have been seasoned, such as marinated olives. The olive foods can also be processed to have various tastes and textures according to consumer preferences, such as by roasting, crushing, or removing the pits.

[0015] Fig. 1 shows a schematic flow of a method for producing olive food according to an embodiment of the present invention. Of course, in addition to the steps shown in Fig. 1, the method for producing olive food according to the present invention also includes various steps such as receiving and storing raw materials (olives, salt, cheese, herbs, etc.), X-ray inspection, labeling, inspection, and packaging.

[0016] The method for producing olive food according to an embodiment of the present invention mainly includes the following steps. (A) First sterilization step (steps S11 to S16) (B) Storage process (step S21) (C) Second sterilization step (steps S31 to S35)

[0017] [First sterilization process] First, the manufacturer purchases and delivers raw materials (primary raw materials), auxiliary raw materials, additives, etc. (Step S11). The primary raw materials purchased and delivered vary depending on the olive food product being manufactured. In this embodiment, a method for producing olives (see FIG. 2(A)) that have been deastringented without fermentation will be described as an example of an olive food product. In this embodiment, the primary raw material that is purchased and delivered is green olives or ripe olives, but in this description it will simply be called olives.

[0018] The olives procured and delivered in step S11 are, for example, unsterilized olives in salt water, so the olives procured and delivered are then desalted in a dedicated desalting tank (step S12).

[0019] The desalted olives are then weighed and packed into containers (step S13). Here, the olives are divided into portions of 250 g or more and then individually packaged. For example, the olives are divided into portions of 1.0 kg to 1.5 kg and then individually packaged in each container.

[0020] Then, each container is filled with salt water and sealed (step S14).

[0021] The olives are then individually packaged in containers, filled with saltwater and sealed, and sterilized by pressure and heat under a first temperature condition (step S15). Here, the first temperature condition is a temperature condition that corresponds to a core temperature of 75°C for at least one minute. For example, "core temperature of olives at 80°C for at least 20 minutes" corresponds to this first temperature condition. The core temperature is the temperature measured by inserting a probe (the tip of a thermometer) into the center of the food (olive).

[0022] This allows the olives to be fully sterilized by pressure and heat under the first temperature conditions, so that even if the highly heat-resistant Clostridium botulinum bacteria produces botulinum toxin, it can be inactivated by heating the olives at a core temperature of 80°C for 20 minutes.

[0023] In fact, food poisoning caused by Clostridium botulinum has occurred several times in Japan in the past, particularly in August 1998, when several people fell ill with food poisoning in Tokyo due to bottled salted green olives from Italy. This incident and others have made it known that packaged foods, such as vegetables and fruits containing olives, that are not sufficiently heated may be contaminated by toxins if the bacteria survive and multiply.

[0024] Therefore, the desired objective of the first sterilization step is to subject unsterilized olives to a sufficient pressure and heat sterilization treatment to inactivate the botulinum toxin.

[0025] It is desirable for the first temperature condition in the first sterilization step to be one that inactivates botulinum toxin, but the manufacturer may determine the core temperature and pressurization / heating time as long as a temperature condition of 75°C for one minute or more, which is sufficient to kill non-spore-forming food poisoning bacteria, is achieved.

[0026] Here, in the first sterilization step, it is desirable to fill the olives with salt water (step S14) and then sterilize the olives in salt water by pressurizing and heating together with the salt water (step S15). This is because salt water has better thermal conductivity than gas and can be sterilized by pressurizing and heating in a short time. In addition, when dry-packed and sterilized by pressurizing and heating, water seeps out of the olives. However, if salt water is filled before sterilization by pressurizing and heating as in the first sterilization step described above, the syneresis phenomenon does not become a problem. Note that, since dry packing is a method of heating through air, it is necessary to pressurize for a longer period of time than with salt water. Therefore, in the case of dry packing, the amount of water released due to the syneresis phenomenon is greater than when salt water is filled.

[0027] As mentioned above, the first sterilization step is a sterilization step aimed at killing non-spore-forming food poisoning bacteria, but if botulinum clostridium remains and produces toxins, the toxins cannot be inactivated under temperature conditions of 75°C for 1 minute or more. Therefore, it is desirable to immerse the food in salt water (step S14) and perform sterilization efficiently in a short time under higher temperature conditions (for example, a core temperature of 80°C as shown in the example).

[0028] Finally, the olives that have been sterilized under the first temperature condition by pressure and heat are quickly cooled (step S16). Many spore-forming bacteria, such as Clostridium botulinum, tend to grow actively in the temperature range of about 50°C. Therefore, if the olives that have been sterilized by pressure and heat are cooled slowly, the risk of the spore-forming bacteria germinating and growing increases. Therefore, the pressure and heat sterilization process (step S15) and the cooling process (step S16) are carried out together.

[0029] [Storage process] The cooled olives are then stored in a refrigerator (step S22). The storage temperature is preferably 10° C. or lower, because Clostridium botulinum does not germinate or grow at temperatures below 10° C.

[0030] The temperature conditions required to kill botulinum spores are stipulated in the Food Sanitation Act as "4 minutes at a core temperature of 120°C." The first temperature condition given above is lower than this, so it can kill vegetative cells of Clostridium botulinum, but heat-resistant botulinum spores may survive. However, even if botulinum spores are present in the olives preserved in salt water, the danger can be prevented by storing them at a temperature that prevents germination.

[0031] In this way, in the storage process, the salt-marinated olives can be divided into small portions of 1.0 kg to 1.5 kg and individually packaged and stored in a refrigerator for a long period of time.

[0032] [Second sterilization process] The stored olives can be taken out at any time. Therefore, the manufacturer first takes out the amount of olives to be sold and discards the salt water in the container (step S31).

[0033] Next, the olives taken out are weighed and packed into packaging containers for sale (step S32). Here, the olives are divided into portions of less than 250 g and then individually packaged. For example, the olives are divided into portions of about 100 g and then individually packaged in each container. The containers for sale are transparent packaging containers that allow the contents (olives) to be visually confirmed from the outside, such as partially or entirely transparent plastic trays or bags (three-sided bags).

[0034] Then, the olives packed in the transparent packaging container are dry-packed (gas-exchanged packaging) (step S33). Specifically, a dedicated packaging machine is used to fill the packaging container with inert gas and seal the container.

[0035] The inert gas is, for example, "70% nitrogen gas, 30% carbon dioxide gas," but is not limited to these examples, and carbon dioxide gas, nitrogen gas, argon gas, etc. can be used. The concentration of the inert gas filled in the packaging container is appropriately set (adjusted) depending on the type, size, and freshness of the olives, the type of processing, the type and size of the packaging container, and other various factors.

[0036] Thereafter, the olives dry-packed in the packaging container are sterilized by pressure and heat under a second temperature condition (step S34). Here, the second temperature condition is a temperature condition that is less than the temperature equivalent to a core temperature of 75° C. for one minute. for example Examples of this second temperature condition include "olives at a central temperature of 70°C for 3 minutes" or "olives at a central temperature of 65°C for 10 minutes."

[0037] Here, the olives packed in the packaging containers have been sterilized by pressure and heat in the first sterilization process (step S15), but there is a possibility that they may become contaminated with bacteria when they are refilled and packaged (steps S31 to S33).

[0038] The main purpose of the second sterilization process is to sterilize the olives sufficiently so that they can have a long shelf life even if they are repackaged. For example, if the olives are contaminated with bacteria after repackaging without the second sterilization process, mold may begin to grow in about 30 days even if they are packed in a gas replacement package to reduce the amount of oxygen and stored in a refrigerator. Once mold begins to grow inside the packaging, it cannot be stopped.

[0039] However, since the pressure and heat sterilization in the second sterilization step is intended to sterilize olives that may have been contaminated by repackaging, etc., the second temperature conditions are lower in temperature and / or shorter in time than the first temperature conditions (so-called low-temperature sterilization). In short, the second temperature conditions are sufficient as long as they can destroy bacteria that may be around the olives. Therefore, in the second sterilization step, there is no problem of water seeping out of the olives or the water seeping out of the olives turning black over time and making the olives look unattractive.

[0040] The problem of water syneresis is particularly noticeable when the packaging container for dry-packed olive food is transparent or when the expiration date is longer than one month. However, the method for producing olive food according to the present invention makes it possible to produce olive food that does not have such problems, and transparent trays and bags can be used. Therefore, consumers and retailers can visually check the olives in the packaging container when purchasing, and can sell and purchase olive food with peace of mind.

[0041] Also, if water syneresis occurs, if the packaging container is a flat tray, the water spreads thinly on the bottom of the tray and is not very noticeable, but if the packaging container is a vertical bag, the water collects at the bottom of the bag and becomes more noticeable when the bag is tilted. However, according to the manufacturing method of olive food products of the present invention, the occurrence of problems related to water syneresis can be prevented, so there is no limitation on the type of packaging container, and vertically long packaging containers can also be used.

[0042] Finally, for the same reason as in the cooling step of step S16, the olives that have been sterilized by pressure and heat under the second temperature conditions are quickly cooled (step S35).

[0043] [Other processes] After the second sterilization step, the olives are labeled and stored in a refrigerator (step S41), and then appropriately packaged and shipped (step S42).

[0044] Through these steps, an olive food product is produced by the method for producing an olive food product according to the present invention. The olive food product produced by the method for producing an olive food product according to the present invention has a pH value of more than 4.6 and a shelf life of one month or more.

[0045] In short, the olive food produced by the method of producing olive food according to the present invention contains non-fermented olives with a pH of over 4.6, and is distributed to the market refrigerated. Non-fermented olives have olive oil and olive juice preserved in a fresh state, and have a good texture and a fresh green color. Therefore, non-fermented olives can maximize the original flavor of the ingredients, and meet the tastes of consumers who prefer the original flavor of the ingredients.

[0046] Even if the pH exceeds 4.6, it can be distributed at room temperature if it is sterilized in retort (at 120°C for 4 minutes). However, retort sterilization inevitably softens the olive flesh and causes it to lose its flavor, so the method for producing olive food products according to the present invention makes it possible to produce olive food products with good olive flavor and taste without adding temperature conditions required for retort sterilization.

[0047] Most olive foods on the market are fermented or distributed at room temperature by adding organic acids to maintain the pH at 4.6 or less. However, there are some olives, such as some black olives, whose pH cannot be lowered to 4.6 or less. However, according to the method for producing olive foods of the present invention, it is not necessary to maintain the pH at 4.6 or less, so various olives can be used as the first raw material.

[0048] For example, olives as the first ingredient can be any olive produced in a foreign country or Japan, regardless of the country of origin. There is no particular limit to the type of olive, but green Castelvetrano, green Cerignola, Leccino, Gaeta, Kalamata, black Ojiblanca, etc. are preferred.

[0049] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the olive food produced by the method for producing olive food according to the present invention can have a very long shelf life of more than one month due to the first and second sterilization steps.

[0050] Specifically, by setting the second temperature condition to 65°C for 10 minutes at the core of the olive, an olive food product with a shelf life of 4 months can be produced, and in fact, the applicant sells olive food products produced by the olive food production method of the present invention with a shelf life of 4 months. This temperature condition of "65°C for 10 minutes at the core" was stipulated in the "Pickles Hygiene Standards" that were abolished with the revision of the Food Sanitation Act in 2021, and although it does not meet the core temperature conditions stipulated in the Food Sanitation Act, it already meets the first temperature condition of "75°C for 1 minute or more at the core," so it can be adopted as the second temperature condition for foods that comply with the revised Food Sanitation Act.

[0051] Most olive foods distributed in Japan are canned or bottled in salt water, which is heavy and inconvenient to buy, but the olive foods produced by the olive food production method of the present invention are packaged in trays or bags in the second sterilization process, so they are light and convenient not only for shopping but also for transportation and distribution. Furthermore, bottled olive foods, not to mention canned ones, are packaged three-dimensionally, making it difficult to visually check the fruit inside the contents, but the olive food production method of the present invention can encapsulate olives in a single layer structure (one layer) in a transparent tray or bag, so the front and back of the olive fruit can be visually checked, and small defects such as insect bites can be visually checked during production and purchase.

[0052] In addition, canned or bottled olive foods are limited in the types of volumes available because they require special seamers and cappers, but the manufacturing method for olive foods according to the present invention allows the size of the bag to be selected as desired for bagged olives (see Figure 2(B)), making it possible to meet a variety of customer needs.

[0053] The manufacturing method of olive food products described above is merely one example of the present invention, and the manufacturing method of olive food products according to the present invention can be appropriately modified in design as long as the gist of the method is not changed.

[0054] For example, in order to kill botulinum bacteria, the first temperature condition can be "4 minutes with the temperature at the center of the olive at 120°C" or "6 hours with the temperature at the center of the olive at 100°C." In addition, if the olive food product is flavored and processed with secondary ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, and seafood in addition to olives, the first and second temperature conditions can be determined according to the type of secondary ingredient, etc.

[0055] The temperature at which the olives are refrigerated (steps S21, S41) can also be determined appropriately by the manufacturer, such as 4°C to 7°C or 3°C or lower. [Industrial Applicability]

[0056] The present invention is a method for producing olive foods under temperature conditions that do not cause syneresis, and which have a good appearance and a long shelf life.The present invention is industrially useful in the retail market for ordinary households (general consumers) as well as in the food and beverage industry, such as restaurants, because consumers can purchase olive foods produced by the present invention with peace of mind. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10,20 Olive Foods

Claims

1. A first sterilization step in which unsterilized olives are divided into portions of 250 g or more and individually packaged, and the olives soaked in salt water are pressurized and heated and sterilized together with the salt water at a temperature condition equivalent to a core temperature of 75° C. for 1 minute or more; A storage step of storing the olives sterilized by the first sterilization step; The olives stored in the storage process are divided into portions of less than 250 g, dry-packed in transparent packaging containers, and individually packaged. A second sterilization process is performed by pressurizing and heating the olives under conditions that do not meet the temperature conditions equivalent to a core temperature of 75° C. for 1 minute or more.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

2. The storage step comprises cooling the salt-marinated olives and storing them in a refrigerator. A method for producing the olive food product according to claim 1.

3. Produce olive food products having a pH of more than 4.6 and a shelf life of one month or more. A method for producing an olive food product according to claim 1 or 2.

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