DE10338482A1 - Industrial packaging of sausage meat, and the like, winds film on both sides of the filling tubes, with tightly bonded edges, to give a filling action where air is excluded to preserve the contents and allow surface treatments - Google Patents

Abstract

The industrial packaging for foodstuffs and especially sausage meat, for preservation and/or surface treatments, is a plastics film with elastic characteristics to be wrapped around the foodstuffs or semi-finished products and sealed. A number of filling tubes, of the same or different cross section, are linked to a feed system, and the film is fed and delivered continuously or intermittently on both sides of the plane of filling tubes. The film material is folded around between the filling tubes , with their edges tightly bonded together. A lateral sealing seam is formed before filling starts. During filling, the foodstuff is pressed into the film cylinder and the relative speed between the film and the emerging foodstuff is controlled to give a counter pressure and exclude air within the package. When the required volume has been delivered into the film, the foodstuff feed stops and a new lateral sealing seam is formed in the film.

Description

The The invention relates to a method for industrial packaging and for preservation and surface treatment of food, especially sausage meat, using a film-like, elastic Properties of plastic material, the food, also as a semi-finished product, encased and sealed by the plastic material is, according to the generic term of claim 1.

From the DE 39 08 585 C2 an elastic coating for shaping meat is previously known. According to the task there, it is necessary to convert the meat into a circular shape in the packaged state, the wrapping being a permanently elastic tube or bag which lies firmly on the meat by contracting in cross section. The tube or bag can consist of two superimposed foil tapes, which are welded together at their longitudinal edges. According to DE 39 08 585 C2 the possibility that the tube or bag is extracted from the air after filling the meat. A conical part is provided to support shaping, the tube or bag being located at least partially on this additional part, which is connected to the meat feed device.

According to the method for packaging objects and / or objects in a packaging device EP 0 836 998 B1 an elastic packaging material is again assumed, which is introduced into a container in which an atmospheric negative pressure is generated, in such a way that the packaging material in the container is expanded by the existing external air pressure acting on the packaging material, so that a cavity arises, in which the object or objects to be packed are arranged in the stretched packaging material. After the negative pressure is released, the elastic packaging material resets, with the result that it at least partially abuts the packaged object. Furthermore, the packaging material is fed continuously as a film web or as a film tube and a device is formed which is capable of sealing the packaging material.

adversely is with this teaching that basically more atmospheric Negative pressure must be generated to the one you want To create a cavity for receiving the items to be packaged.

From the DE 198 07 794 C2 is a process for the production and shaping of food, such as meat and sausages, known, whereby a semi-finished product is placed in a bag or between foils, the semi-finished product is vacuum-treated and sealed, the filled package is adjusted between two plates and applied a slight pressure on the pack evenly distributes the contents of the pack.

According to the one there solution becomes the filled pack between two deep-drawing plates of a hoisting and / or deep-drawing machine spent, with correspondingly existing excavations in the Thermoforming plates undergo permanent deformation. This permanent one Deformation of the filling material is caused by a negative pressure between the thermoforming plates and the pack is generated and the pack walls adapt to the shape of the depressions. The film is stretched and on the existing depressions pressed. At the same time, the sausage meat is by further reducing the plate spacing completely in the hollows pushed So that the non-shaped foils lie flat on top of each other. The flat one on top of the other Film areas can then be sealed, whereby also defined by form-supporting gates Pack sizes can be specified are.

The The procedure described above is indeed suitable for the processing steps to simplify the packaging and preservation of food, however, the semi-finished product, in particular, is problematic a sausage meat in terms of color, a defined taste or Purpose of stalling to treat with a layer of another food.

Out the aforementioned is therefore an object of the invention, a further developed Processes for industrial packaging and preservation as well surface treatment of food, in particular sausage meat, to be specified using the method the use of a film-like, elastic plastic material returns and the food, also as a semi-finished product, from the plastic material wrapped and is sealed. The procedure to be specified is about a continuous, but also discontinuous, quasi repetitive filling and shaping e.g. sausages to ensure, being the filling process in principle even without negative pressure measures to an air inclusion-free Product leads. additional it is in the spirit of the invention to design the method in such a way that alternatively, but also a surface treatment within the filling, i.e. within a single technological chain, realizable is.

The solution the object of the invention is carried out with a method in its Definition according to the teaching according to claim 1, wherein the subclaims at least useful embodiments and represent further training.

According to the invention an arrangement of several, spaced, preferably in one plane parallel filling pipes same or different cross-section, which fülleingangsseitig with a food supply device communicates.

The Foil material becomes continuous on both sides of the filling tube level or fed discontinuously. Subsequently is the fed Foil material, which consists of two foil webs, one folded Foil or as a stretched bag can be formed between the filling pipes, this outside circumference closely and tightly enclosing, connected.

In front the first filling process if not already present as a bag in the embodiment of the film, executed a cross seal seam.

With filling process the food, especially sausage meat, is placed in the space between the foils pressed, being about the elastic film material and the control of the relative speed between the film and the filling pipe outlet a back pressure for air-free Packaging sets.

To the Completion of the respective filling step then, depending on the packaging size and / or the filling quantity, a cross seal seam is created and a new filling step begins in the next Section of the fed or transported plastic film.

To the Receive the desired one flexibility The film can be heated before and / or during the filling process.

Shaping support or can stabilize the shape the developing film tubes while the filling process from a rigid, bowl-shaped, in particular half-shell-shaped Be surrounded by the coat.

This Coat can be filled Foils for execution stabilize the exact transverse seal or a structuring the film and thus the contents cause.

The Füllrohraustritte the arrangement, consisting of several filling tubes, each have a nozzle, designing this nozzle at the respective filling tube outlet as an injector nozzle, around while the filling process an even application of the food or filling with colors, flavors or decorations.

Here there is in particular the possibility that the filling tubes double-walled are or consist of two concentric tubes, which have a space to feed which have colors, flavors or decorations.

According to the invention the possibility between the longitudinal and / or cross seal seams Perforation for later To be separated into individual or group packaging.

at An embodiment of the invention is the inside of the film filling with the contents with a, preferably heated, Mixture of a treatment substance and carrier material is applied, wherein subsequently by cooling that Mixture is solidifiable. When preserving the contents later through heat treatment the mixture of treatment substance and carrier material temporarily goes into the liquid Condition about and thereby a desired one occurs even distribution on the surface of the semi-finished product. Such a surface treatment methodology can also then take place when, for certain technological reasons Arrangement of a concentric pipe arrangement is not possible or the surface treatment quasi two-stage.

To the application of the heated Mixture of treatment substance and carrier material on the foils the temperature is reduced by blowing with cooling air to achieve a desired solidification of the Mixtures on the film surface to effect.

The mentioned above Mixture preferably takes up a pasty to at room temperature and below pasty state and changes to a liquid state when heated.

The The treatment substance can be a powder or gas that is contained in the filling material Moisture, which then acts as a carrier material, reacts and a surface layer in the way you want formed.

The additional basic idea of the invention is therefore to apply a preferably heated mixture of a treatment substance and carrier material to the inside of the bag or film before filling with the semi-finished product, in particular special sausage meat. This mixture of treatment substance and carrier material consists, for example, of flavoring agents, odorous substances and / or decorative substances as well as gelatin, fats, fat mix or the like.

The Treatment substance can also be a cheese or cheese-like substance, e.g. to get a semi-finished product with a layer of cheese as a surface cover is provided.

at a supplementary The treatment substance is a powder which, like mentioned above, with the one in the sausage meat existing moisture reacts. A separate carrier material can be used here omitted. The treatment substance can be a powder or smoke powder, which on the sausage meat is applied and reacts with the moisture of the sausage meat, i.e. first in a pasty paste Condition passes and then optionally liquid becomes.

Here then there is the possibility on one of the foils, e.g. the moving bottom sheet, immediately before the film towards the filling tube is spent applying a powder, especially sprinkling. The then filled in Sausage meat is coming in contact with the powder and a bound, optionally coloring, mushy layer made from the sausage meat on the contact or contact surface deliberately changed.

A possible Heat treatment e.g. along with the step of preserving, enables another change the viscosity of the surface layer with the result that a more even one Wetting or even distribution on the surface of the roast results.

With the solution according to the invention succeeds a significant improvement in industrial packaging for To achieve the purpose of preserving food that is not assumes one with sausage meat filled Divide the pillows into individual meat strands and subsequently to treat further, but rather it becomes a principle continuous filling process using known filling pipes applied. According to this, the sausage meat is separated in parallel guided filling pipes in film tubes pressed, which arise from the fact that the Plastic sheeting formed and connected by sealing seams are and at least partial sections in the longitudinal direction of the filling tubes wrap.

The filling tubes are on the fill inlet side with a food supply device connected. The filling pipes can have different cross sections, so that in a single system different sausage sizes or Packaging units of different content can be created.

The Respectively the foils above and below the pipe level are done in a known manner Wise. The longitudinal seams are by pressing together e.g. through heated sealing rolls, sealing tracks or with the help of ultrasound devices generated.

How already indicated, can folded foils are used instead of two foil webs, to the effort for to reduce the edge sealing. The nature of the Foil whose elasticity is fundamentally temperature-dependent is. For films that are not sufficient when cold sufficient elastic heating is required on the process side to wear.

at the filling of the film strands must enclose the filling tubes through the foils so that the ingress of air into the packaging to be created can be prevented.

The exerted by the film Back pressure during the filling process due to the subsequent heat and cold treatment the packs still supported become.

at the description of the invention is initially based on the fact that the Sheets of film that have been added to the film tubes during the filling process from the filling outlet side move away until the desired packaging shape or Packing size reached is.

alternative However, a quasi-repetitive filling process can also take place, whereby here the filling pipes against the direction of movement of the film web by a predetermined Move section back then after completing the filling the cross seal seam executed a further transport of the film webs with forward movement the filling pipes in the starting position takes place and in the next step the filling process in the next Track section repeated.

Claims (15)

Process for industrial packaging, for the preservation and / or surface treatment of foods, in particular sausage meat, using a film-like, plastic material having elastic properties, the food, also as a semi-finished product, being enveloped and sealed by the plastic material, characterized in that an arrangement consists of one, preferably several, spaced, preferably parallel in one plane filling pipes of the same or different cross-section is connected on the filling inlet side to a food supply device, the film material being fed continuously or discontinuously on both sides of the filling pipe level, then the supplied film material between the filling pipes Ren and in the edge areas, this is closely and tightly encircling on the outer circumferential side, connected in the longitudinal direction, a transverse sealing seam is carried out before the first filling process, with the filling process commencing, the food is pressed into the space between the films, the elastic film material and the control of the relative speed between A counter pressure for the air-free packaging is set in the film and the filling tube outlet, and at the end of the respective filling step, depending on the packaging size and / or filling quantity, a further transverse sealing seam is generated and a new filling step begins. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that for Receive the desired one film elasticity this before and / or during the filling process heated becomes. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that that for Shaping or shape stabilization of the forming film tubes during the filling are surrounded by a rigid, shell-like coat. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the Sheath made of two complementary half shells consists. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized characterized in that the filling under pressure supported is made. A method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the Coat the stuffed Foils for execution the exact cross seal stabilized. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized characterized in that the respective filling pipe outlet a nozzle comprises, at least the covered pipe sections for improvement the sliding properties in relation to the film material in vibrations, in particular ultrasonic vibrations are offset and / or the filling tubes a coating or microstructuring for improvement the sliding properties with respect to the Have foil. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized characterized in that on respective filling pipe outlet an injector nozzle is present to during the filling process an even application of the food or filling to effect with color, taste and / or decorative substances. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the filling tubes are double-walled or consist of two concentric tubes, which have a gap to lead which have color, taste and / or decorative substances. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized characterized in that between the along- and / or cross seal seams a perforation for separation in individual or group packaging is trained. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized characterized that the Inside of the film before filling with the contents with a preferably heated one A mixture of a treatment substance or carrier material is applied, being subsequently by cooling the mixture is solidified. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized characterized in that at Preservation of the contents by heat treatment that Mixture of treatment substance and carrier material temporarily in the liquid Condition passes and thereby a desired one even distribution the surface of the product entry. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized characterized that after the application of the heated Mixture of treatment substance and carrier material on the foils whose temperature is reduced by blowing with cooling air desired To achieve solidification of the mixture on the film surface. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized characterized that the Mix at room temperature and below a pasty to teigigpastösen Assumes state and when heated in the liquid Physical state passes. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized characterized in that the The treatment substance is a powder or a gas that is contained in the product Moisture, which is then used as a carrier material works, reacts and a surface layer formed.