Food processing apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus of the present embodiment comprises: a chamber for accommodating a fluid and fruits; a compression pump which injects air into the chamber so as to increase internal pressure; a discharge pump which discharges the air in the chamber so as to lower the internal pressure of the chamber; an additive storage tank for storing fluid, in which water and additives are mixed, to be supplied into the chamber; a rising restriction net, which is provided inside the chamber in order to restrict food from rising so that the food sinks in the fluid, thereby preventing the food from rising to the surface of the fluid because of the fluid and being insufficiently permeated with additives; and a control unit for controlling operations of the compression pump, the discharge pump and a valve connected to each pump.

Description

food processing equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a food processing device, and more particularly, to a device capable of significantly extending the shelf life of a food such as a fruit by adding an additive while reducing damage to the peel of the food, and by maintaining the firmness of the fruit peel.

[0002] Natural foods such as agricultural and forest products are usually consumed as they are produced in nature without going through any separate processing.

[0003] Among agricultural products, fruits are especially rich in vitamin C, sweet, and have a pleasant aroma, so they are consumed in large quantities by people of all ages.

[0004] Fruits contain the most water, at 85-90%, and the remainder is made up of proteins, fats, sugars, carbohydrates, and minerals.

[0005] Fruit flavors are a mix of sweetness and tartness, and the balance between sweetness and tartness is at its best when fully ripe. Generally, fruit quality is determined by its shape, flesh, sugar content, and active ingredients.

[0006] The sourness of fruits comes from organic acids like malic, citric, and tartaric acids. Citrus fruits are primarily composed of citric acid, grapes of tartaric acid, and apples of malic acid. Additionally, fruits contain natural pigments such as anthocyanins, carotenoids, flavonoids, and chlorophyll. Dozens of different fruit flavor compounds exist, and their harmonious combination creates the unique aromas of each fruit.

[0007] Although these fruits have slight differences depending on cultivation method, species, climate, and cultivation site, their composition is almost similar.

[0008] Recently, health foods that contain a large amount of various ingredients beneficial to the human body have become popular, but there are not many methods proposed to artificially increase the content of other ingredients in fruits other than the basic ingredients.

[0009] In particular, efforts are being made to improve the sugar content of fruits or include other effective ingredients, but existing methods have many limitations.

[0010] Therefore, there is a need for a method to improve sweetness or enable the consumption of other functional ingredients by infiltrating effective ingredients into natural foods such as fruits.

[0011] (Patent Document 1) KR10-1492889 B

[0012] Many documents, including the above-mentioned patent document 1, disclose increasing the pressure within a chamber to infiltrate stevia solution into the fruit. However, simply increasing the pressure within the chamber does not effectively allow a large amount of stevia solution to infiltrate into the fruit, and the fruit peel is likely to be damaged, making it easy for it to spoil or deteriorate.

[0013] The present invention proposes a method for effectively injecting a stevia solution into a fruit to sweeten the fruit without damaging the fruit peel, thereby solving the problem of existing stevia fruits having a short shelf life and spoiling easily, and also proposing a method for producing fruits with a higher sugar content than existing products.

[0014] The device of the present embodiment comprises a chamber in which a fluid and fruit are received, a compression pump that serves to increase the internal pressure by introducing air into the chamber, a discharge pump that serves to decrease the internal pressure of the chamber by discharging the air inside the chamber, an additive storage tank in which a fluid mixed with water and an additive is stored for supplying into the chamber, a rise suppression net provided inside the chamber to suppress the rise so that the food is submerged in the fluid in order to prevent the food from rising to the surface of the fluid due to the fluid and the additive from insufficiently penetrating, and a control unit that controls the operation of the compression pump, the discharge pump, and a valve connected to each of the pumps, wherein the control unit controls the compression pump and the discharge pump so that a first process and a second process are sequentially performed after the fluid and the food are received in the chamber, and the first process includes a process of pressurizing the inside of the chamber to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and the second process includes a process of depressurizing the inside of the chamber to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure.

[0015] The device of the embodiment has the advantage of reducing damage to the peel when infiltrating an additive into a food such as a fruit, while maintaining the peel in excellent condition, thereby extending the shelf life.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the configuration of a device for infiltrating a solution into food according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 is a drawing showing the operation of the rising inhibition network in the device for infiltrating a solution into food of the present embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 is a drawing for explaining the process of the first process of introducing an additive into the fruit using the device of the present embodiment.

[0019] Fig. 4 is a drawing for explaining the process of the second process of injecting an additive into the fruit using the device of the present embodiment.

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0021] It should be understood that the technical ideas disclosed in this specification are not limited by the attached drawings, and include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a device for infiltrating a solution into food according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a rising suppression network in the device for infiltrating a solution into food according to the present embodiment.

[0023] The device of the present invention is capable of improving the sugar content or containing other functional ingredients by penetrating an additive that provides a beneficial effect to natural foods such as fruits.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention includes a chamber (110), a cover (111), a pressure sensor (114, 115), a pressure safety pin (116), a water level sensor (117), an additive storage tank (120), a supply path (130), a compression pump (150) that serves to increase the internal pressure by introducing air into the chamber, a discharge pump (160) that serves to decrease the internal pressure of the chamber by discharging the air inside the chamber, and valves (151, 161) that are connected to each pump and enable the degree of compression and discharge of the air inside the chamber to be controlled.

[0025] In addition, in order to prevent the food from rising to the surface of the fluid containing the additive ingredient and, in the case of some fruits, from being insufficiently penetrated by the additive ingredient, a rising suppression net (170) is configured inside the chamber (110) to suppress the rising of the food so that it is submerged inside the fluid.

[0026] The above-mentioned rising restraint net (170) serves to submerge fruits near the water surface when the chamber is filled with water and fruits are contained therein. That is, in the case of fruits near the water surface, the addition of additives may not be smoothly carried out because the fruits are not completely submerged in the fluid. However, the above-mentioned rising restraint net (170) presses down the fruits and allows them to be contained in the fluid, thereby ensuring smooth addition of additives.

[0027] The chamber (110) has an internal storage space, and the chamber (110) accommodates food and liquid additives for infiltrating the additives. Here, the food may be agricultural or forestry products, and the type of food is not limited as long as the additives can be infiltrated into the food to produce beneficial effects. Agricultural products may include fruits, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, pumpkins, etc., and forestry products may include chestnuts, walnuts, pine nuts, etc.

[0028] The cover (111) is intended to close the interior of the chamber (110). After filling the chamber (110) with food and additives and before applying pressure, the chamber (110) is closed with the cover (111). The cover (111) can be firmly fastened to the chamber (110) using a fastening means. The cover (111) can be connected to the chamber (110) in a manner that allows it to be opened and closed automatically or manually.

[0029] The pressure sensor (114, 115) measures the pressure inside the chamber (110) to appropriately maintain the pressure inside the chamber (110). The pressure sensor (114, 115) may be installed as a positive pressure gauge and a negative pressure gauge, respectively.

[0030] The pressure safety pin (116) prevents the pressure inside the chamber (110) from rising above a predetermined value during the process of pressurizing the inside of the chamber (110).

[0031] The water level sensor (117) measures the water level inside the chamber (110) while the chamber (110) is filled with food and additives. Depending on the amount of fluid measured by the water level sensor (117), the control unit (not shown) can adjust the pressure to be applied inside the chamber.

[0032] The additive storage tank (120) stores liquid additives to be supplied into the chamber (110). The additives are manufactured by dissolving them in water and permeating them into food to exhibit more beneficial effects than natural foods, and may be medicinal ingredients, edible ingredients, aromatic ingredients, etc. The edible ingredients may be sugars or salts, and examples thereof include stevioside, rebaudioside A, sucralose, neotame, aspartame, and salt. The liquid additives contained in the additive storage tank include a fluid in which the additives and water are mixed.

[0033] The supply path (130) connects the additive storage tank (120) and the chamber (110). A valve (131) is installed in the supply path (130), so that the additive can be supplied into the chamber (110) or the additive in the chamber (110) can be recovered to the additive storage tank (120).

[0034] The above compression pump (150) and discharge pump (160) serve to increase or decrease the air pressure in the upper space inside the chamber (110), and the pressure control inside the chamber described in this embodiment refers to the internal pressure control by the compression pump and discharge pump.

[0035] In the embodiment, a process of increasing the pressure inside the chamber and a process of reducing the pressure inside the chamber to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure are provided, and the degree and number of pressurization and depressurization, and the time, are controlled by the compression pump, the discharge pump, and the control unit for controlling them.

[0036] The process of introducing an additive into a fruit using the device of the above-described embodiment is described in detail.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the process of the first process of injecting an additive into the fruit by the device of the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining the process of the second process of injecting an additive into the fruit by the device of the present embodiment.

[0038] According to the embodiment, the second process must be performed after the first process, but the first process can be additionally performed after the second process, and this can be adjusted according to the size of the type of fruit, the thickness of the peel, and the amount of fruit input.

[0039] In the case of existing patents for injecting additives into fruits, they disclose increasing the pressure inside the chamber to 10 atm or close to 100 atm, which is significantly different from 1 atm, which represents atmospheric pressure. However, in reality, when adding a stearic additive to fruits, the fruit peel is often damaged under such high pressure, and in severe cases, the fruit often bursts.

[0040] In an embodiment of the present invention, the most desirable chamber internal pressure control and time are proposed when actually adding stevia additives to fruits, more specifically, when adding stevia additives to tomatoes. The following description will describe the control of the compression pump, the discharge pump, and the valves connected thereto by the control unit (not shown) of the device of the embodiment, and the operation of these components is performed by the control unit.

[0041] As illustrated in FIG. 3, using the device of the present embodiment, a fluid mixed with water and additives is filled into the chamber, and after fruit is placed into the fluid, a pressurization process according to the first process is performed. That is, a process is performed in which the pressure inside the chamber is increased by controlling the compression pump (150) and the compression valve (151) to allow the additives in the fluid to penetrate into the fruit.

[0042] The pressurization process (first process) according to the present embodiment consists of three stages, including a pressurization section in which the pressure inside the chamber is increased from 1 bar (atmospheric pressure) to 1.2 atm, a maintenance section in which the increased pressure of 1.2 atm is maintained, and a recovery section (return section) in which the pressure inside the chamber is lowered back to 1 atm (atmospheric pressure).

[0043] When the inside of the chamber is communicated with the outside, the atmospheric pressure will be maintained, and even in the recovery section, when the valve (161) of the discharge pump is opened to communicate with the outside to lower the internal pressure, the pressure will drop to atmospheric pressure.

[0044] In this embodiment, the pressurization period is performed for 90 seconds, during which the compression pump and valve are controlled to increase the pressure from 1 atm to 1.2 atm. In other words, the 90-second pressurization period is intended to create an environment in which additives can enter the fruit without damaging the peel. If the pressurization period exceeds 90 seconds, the peel of many fruits (e.g., tomatoes) is likely to be damaged. In actual manufacturing, cases in which the peel was damaged were observed when the pressurization period exceeded 90 seconds.

[0045] After the pressure inside the chamber becomes 1.2 atm due to the pressurization section, a holding section is performed for 30 to 40 seconds to maintain the internal pressure at 1.2 atm, which can be referred to as a pressure holding section. During the section where the internal pressure of 1.2 atm is maintained, the additives in the fluid actively penetrate into the fruit, and if it is higher than 1.2 atm, the shelf life may be shortened due to slight damage to the fruit peel, so the upper limit of 1.2 atm is not allowed to exceed. It is preferable that the holding section be performed for 30 to 40 seconds, because if it is less than 30 seconds, the amount of additives penetrated into the fruit may be insufficient, and if it exceeds 40 seconds, the amount of additives penetrated tends not to continue to increase.

[0046] Next, a recovery section is performed, lowering the chamber's internal pressure back to atmospheric pressure. This section controls the valve so that the chamber's internal pressure drops back to atmospheric pressure within approximately 90 seconds. In other words, the rate of pressure decrease during the recovery section is the same as the rate of pressure increase during the boosting section, preventing damage to the fruit peel and maintaining its elasticity.

[0047] Next, according to the present embodiment, a second process is performed after the first process, and in the case of the second process, the internal pressure of the chamber is lower than the atmospheric pressure, thereby making the peel of the fruit containing the additive more solid and significantly extending the shelf life of the fruit, which corresponds to a post-processing process of the fruit.

[0048] Previously, if additives were injected into the fruit while minimizing damage to the fruit peel through pressurization, maintenance, and pressure recovery (re-pressurization), the process of providing elasticity to the fruit peel while the additive is injected is the post-processing process.

[0049] The post-processing process in the embodiment consists of a section for reducing pressure from atmospheric pressure to a preset pressure, a section for maintaining the reduced pressure, and a recovery section for increasing pressure back to atmospheric pressure.

[0050] For example, if the fruit is a cherry tomato, the chamber is configured with a decompression section where the inside is brought into contact with the outside to bring it into atmospheric pressure, a maintenance section where the pressure is reduced to 0.25 atm, and a recovery section where the pressure is brought back to atmospheric pressure.

[0051] In another embodiment, for ripe tomatoes, the process may be comprised of a pressure reduction step of 0.45 atm to 0.5 atm, depending on the tomato flesh quality, followed by a maintenance step in the reduced pressure state and a recovery step after the maintenance step. That is, the pressure reduction value may vary depending on the type or flesh quality of the fruit, but by performing a post-processing step including the pressure reduction step, the fruit peel is made elastic and the shelf life is significantly extended.

[0052] In the post-processing process, the pressure is reduced by removing air from the chamber. The pressure is reduced starting at 1 atm and reaching the target pressure after 90 seconds. If fruit is subjected to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure within 90 seconds, it often swells significantly, resulting in poor marketability.

[0053] In this embodiment, the time of the maintenance section for maintaining the depressurized state at the preset depressurization value is performed for a time in the range of 30 to 40 seconds, which is the time when the hardness of the fruit peel is formed.

[0054] Next, in the recovery section where the pressure is raised back to atmospheric pressure, it is performed for 120 seconds, which is a longer time than the maintenance section. Since it is a section where the pressure is re-increased from a depressurized state, the pressure is gradually restored to atmospheric pressure so as not to damage the fruit peel. In some embodiments, the time for which the recovery section is performed is advantageously the sum of the time for the depressurization section and the time for the maintenance section, so that the fruit peel has sufficient time to adapt.

[0055] The decompression process described above may vary in degree and time within a certain range depending on the type and flesh quality of the tomato.

[0056] As described above, after the processing step of the second process is completed, the first process may be additionally performed, and the examples may be changed or added depending on the type of fruit, the amount of fruit, and the condition of the fruit peel.

[0057] The present invention can process foods such as fruits and has industrial applicability.

Claims

1. A chamber that holds fluids and fruits, A compression pump that serves to increase the internal pressure by injecting air into the chamber, A discharge pump that discharges the air inside the chamber to lower the pressure inside the chamber, An additive storage tank in which a fluid mixed with water and additives for supplying into the chamber is stored, In order to prevent the food from rising to the surface of the fluid and insufficient penetration of the additives, a rising suppression net is provided inside the chamber to suppress the rising of the food so that it is submerged inside the fluid. It includes a control unit that controls the operation of the compression pump, the discharge pump, and the valves connected to each pump, The above control unit controls the compression pump and the discharge pump so that the first process and the second process are sequentially performed after the fluid and food are received in the chamber. A food processing apparatus characterized in that the first process includes a process of pressurizing the inside of the chamber to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and the second process includes a process of depressurizing the inside of the chamber to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure.

2. In paragraph 1, A food processing device characterized in that the first process includes a pressure raising section for raising the pressure inside the chamber from 1 bar, which is atmospheric pressure, to 1.2 atm, a maintenance section for maintaining the raised pressure of 1.2 atm, and a recovery section for lowering the pressure inside the chamber back to 1 atm, which is atmospheric pressure.

3. In paragraph 2, A food processing apparatus characterized in that the pressure-raising section of the first process is performed for 90 seconds, the maintenance section for maintaining the pressure inside the chamber at 1.2 atm is performed for 30 to 40 seconds, and the recovery section for lowering the pressure inside the chamber back to atmospheric pressure is performed for 90 seconds.

4. In paragraph 1, A food processing device characterized in that the second process comprises a decompression section in which the inside of the chamber is brought into contact with the outside to bring it into an atmospheric pressure state, and then a decompression section in which the decompression value is reduced to a target pressure value, a maintenance section in which the decompression value is maintained, and a recovery section in which the pressure value is returned to the atmospheric pressure state.

5. In paragraph 4, The decompression section, which reduces the internal pressure by removing the air inside the chamber, starts with decompression at 1 atm and performs a decompression section to reach the target decompression value after 90 seconds. The holding period to maintain the pressure value is performed for 30 to 40 seconds, A food processing device characterized in that the recovery section for raising the pressure back to atmospheric pressure is performed for the combined time of the depressurization section and the maintenance section.

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