EP0253648A2 - Procédé d'emballage de plantes - Google Patents

Procédé d'emballage de plantes Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0253648A2
EP0253648A2 EP87306261A EP87306261A EP0253648A2 EP 0253648 A2 EP0253648 A2 EP 0253648A2 EP 87306261 A EP87306261 A EP 87306261A EP 87306261 A EP87306261 A EP 87306261A EP 0253648 A2 EP0253648 A2 EP 0253648A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
plant matter
containers
gaseous mixture
temperature
sealing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP87306261A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0253648B1 (fr
EP0253648A3 (en
Inventor
David William Muncey
David Musgrave
Elizabeth Strickland
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
WILBURTON LIMITED
Original Assignee
Wilburton Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Wilburton Ltd filed Critical Wilburton Ltd
Priority to AT87306261T priority Critical patent/ATE104229T1/de
Publication of EP0253648A2 publication Critical patent/EP0253648A2/fr
Publication of EP0253648A3 publication Critical patent/EP0253648A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0253648B1 publication Critical patent/EP0253648B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B31/00—Packaging articles or materials under special atmospheric or gaseous conditions; Adding propellants to aerosol containers
    • B65B31/04—Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied
    • B65B31/043—Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied the nozzles acting horizontally between an upper and a lower part of the container or wrapper, e.g. between container and lid
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B25/00—Packaging other articles presenting special problems
    • B65B25/02—Packaging agricultural or horticultural products
    • B65B25/04—Packaging fruit or vegetables
    • B65B25/041—Packaging fruit or vegetables combined with their conservation

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a packaging process, in particular to a process for packaging material of plant origin, and especially such material in an uncooked state, and to packaged material produced thereby.
  • Fresh food products are frequently packaged for shop display in at least partially transparent containers, such as plastic bags or plastics trays or boxes having a plastics membrane lid or overwrap.
  • plastic bags or plastics trays or boxes having a plastics membrane lid or overwrap are frequently packaged for shop display in at least partially transparent containers, such as plastic bags or plastics trays or boxes having a plastics membrane lid or overwrap.
  • plastics membrane lid or overwrap is known to package such products for supermarket display in an inert gas atmosphere within a heat-sealed transparent plastics container.
  • the fresh product has generally been packaged in perforated containers or in trays provided with an overwrap of a permeable plastics film, such as that generally referred to as cling-film.
  • cling-film a permeable plastics film
  • shelf life for packaged plant matter may be prolonged by sealing the plant matter, when in a chilled state, within an oxygen-containing atmosphere within a container.
  • a process for packaging plant matter comprising cooling plant matter to a temperature above the temperature at which ice crystals begin to form therein, filling the plant matter into containers therefor, evacuating the gaseous atmosphere from the cooled plant matter-­containing containers, introducing into the evacuated containers a gaseous mixture comprising an inert gas and at least 4% oxygen, and sealing the containers containing said gaseous mixture and cooled plant matter.
  • the cooling of the plant matter may be performed before, during or after introduction of the plant matter into the containers; it is only necessary that the tempera­ture of the plant matter be sub-ambient before the introduction of the gaseous mixture and the sealing of the containers. It will also be appreciated that where outdoor temperatures are low, no specific cooling step may be required in order to bring the plant matter to the required temperatures. Generally, however, the plant matter should be cooled to not less than about 0°C, to ensure that no undesirable formation of ice crystals occurs within the plant tissue, and to not more than l2°C, preferably not more than 8°C and especially preferably to a temperature within the range 2-7°C. As a general rule the lower the temperature to which the plant matter is cooled the better, especially where the plant matter is to be trimmed, cut or chopped before packaging as these operations are preferably done while the plant matter is in its cooled state.
  • the raw onion is preferably cooled to about 2-8°C, especially preferably 3-4°C, before topping and tailing, peeling and dicing in order that during these processing steps the temperature of the onion should not rise above about 5-9°C.
  • the plant matter may desirably be subject to one or more additional cooling steps or even to continuous cooling, for example by the use of chilled conveyor systems, and some or all of the processing steps may if desired be effected within a controlled temperature environment in which the general air temperature may be maintained at a desired coolness, e.g. in the range l0-l4°C.
  • the initial cooling of the plant matter may be effected in a variety of ways and for differing types of plant matter the optimum cooling method may differ.
  • vacumn cooling is adequate while for denser products, such as cabbages and onions for example, forced air current cooling, e.g. using an ice bank cooler, has been found to be more effective.
  • the gaseous mixture in which the plant matter is sealed must contain oxygen as well as the inert gas.
  • the oxygen concentration in the gaseous mixture used in the process of the present invention is preferably lower than the oxygen concentration in normal air and especially suitably is in the range 4 - l5%, preferably 5 - l0% and particularly preferably 5 - 6%. Gaseous mixtures containing about 40% oxygen and about 60% inert gas have however also been considered.
  • Percentage concentration of the components of the gaseous mixture is in terms of the percentage of the total pressure of the gaseous mixture constituted by the partial pressure of the particular component.
  • the inert gas which for reasons for economy will generally be nitrogen, conveniently is present as about 75 to 95%, preferably 80 to 90%, of the gaseous mixture.
  • the optimum composition of the gaseous mixture has been found to be dependent on the nature of the plant matter being packed and also on the manner of the pre-packaging preparation of the plant matter.
  • carbon dioxide is preferably present in the gaseous mixture at or towards the lower end of the preferred concen­ tration ranges specified above.
  • the preferred carbon dioxide concentration is generally towards the upper end of the ranges specified above.
  • the gaseous mixture is generally oxygen- ­and nitrogen-containing
  • the evacuation of air from the cooled plant matter-containing containers need not be particularly rigorous and indeed in order to avoid harming the appearance, taste or smell of the plant matter, a prolonged exposure to very low pressures is considered undesirable.
  • rapid evacuation to about 55 - 65 cm Hg below ambient pressure is entirely adequate.
  • the subsequent introduction of the gaseous mixture will conveniently be such as to bring the pressure within the container imme­diately after sealing to ambient or slightly sub­ambient. For aesthetic reasons, internal pressures above ambient will generally be avoided.
  • the containers used in the process of the present invention may be of any desired shape, configuration and size but should desirably be capable of being sealed in a substantially gas­tight manner.
  • Convenient forms for the containers include trays, bowls, blister packs and bags.
  • the container may if desired be provided with a separate support means such as an outer box.
  • a separate support means such as an outer box.
  • plastics trays which may be closed by heat sealing a plastics lid or membrane thereon.
  • cup-like trays of a size and shape suited to receive a single unit of the plant matter, i.e. a single vegetable, fruit or the like.
  • the trays may be formed in a continuous web and after the sealing of the trays the web can be cut into sections each containing the desired number of trays.
  • the container is to be formed of plastics material
  • this should preferably be of a thickness at least sufficient to make the resultant package capable of withstanding normal handling during storage, transportation and retail display.
  • PVC laminates of about 490-700 microns thickness to be suitable for the trays or container bases.
  • the lid or sealing membrane where one is required, it may sufficient to use thinner plastics material and we have found PVC films of up to about l00 microns thickness to be satisfactory.
  • the sealed container while it should be substantially gas-tight need not be entirely gas-­impermeable and low to medium permeability sealing membranes may be adequate. Indeed, in certain circumstances, selectively permeable membranes which permit oxygen to enter the container or which permit carbon dioxide to vent from the container, for example membranes which are more permeable to carbon dioxide than to oxygen, may be desirable.
  • the process of the present invention is appli­cable to plant matter in general but is especially applicable to uncooked and unfrozen plant matter and to chopped or diced plant matter.
  • plant matter packageable according to the process of the invention include vegetables (e.g. onions, cabbages and runner beans), fruit (e.g. strawberries) and edible fungi (e.g. mushrooms).
  • the process may be used to advantage to package mixtures of plant matter, for example prepared salads.
  • the filled and sealed containers are stored under cooled conditions, conveniently at 0-l2°C, preferably 2-9°C, and especially preferably about 3°C, the shelf life of the packaged plant matter is prolonged significantly.
  • packages produced according to the present invention may remain on the cooled shelf for several days.
  • temperatures of about 9°C diced onion packaged according to the invention may last for up to about l0 - ll days without any noticeable deterioration.
  • a total shelf life of no more than 5 days would be recommended for the packaged plant matter.
  • the present invention thus provides a plant matter package comprising a sealed container enclosing plant matter in an oxygen- and inert gas-containing gaseous mixture, said plant matter having at the time of sealing of said container been cooled to a temperature above the temperature at which ice crystals begin to form in said plant matter and said gaseous mixture having at said time of sealing had an oxygen content of at least 4%.
  • the present invention also provides an apparatus for packaging plant matter, said apparatus comprising:
  • the apparatus of the invention may comprise means for trimming, peeling, and, if desired, chopping the plant matter before it is filled into the containers.
  • the apparatus may also comprise means for forming the containers into which the plant matter is to be filled.
  • onions from the field are placed in a cooler l, for example an ice bank cooler, in order to bring their temperature down to about 3°C.
  • the onions are then taken from the cooler l to a cool store and subsequently are fed into a hopper 2 from which they are lifted individually by a conveyor.
  • On the conveyor they are aligned by an operator before being topped, tailed and slit along the side by the three cutting blades of cutter 3.
  • the conveyor then drops the onions through peeler 4 in which a jet of compressed air, conveniently at about ll7 kPa (l7 psi), removes the outer skin.
  • the peeled onions are then carried by a further conveyor to sorting zone 5.
  • the sorting zone may, for example be in the form of a further conveyor or may be in the form of a rotating horizontal anular tray.
  • those onions which are oversized or undersized, mildly blemished or unattractively cut may be removed and placed into dicer 6.
  • the diced onion or the whole onions are then filled by filler 7 into plastics trays which have been formed in a continuous plastics web by tray former 8.
  • the filled trays are then carried to sealing zone 9 where they are provided with a plastics membrane lid, evacuated (for example to 60 cmHg below atmospheric pressure), flushed with a gaseous mixture (e.g. of 90% nitrogen, 5% oxygen and 5% carbon dioxide) and heat-sealed.
  • a gaseous mixture e.g. of 90% nitrogen, 5% oxygen and 5% carbon dioxide
  • the trays are then led to trimmer l0 where the web of sealed trays is cut into individual package units which may be single trays or groups of trays as desired.
  • the package units are then transferred into a controlled temperature cold storage zone ll which is maintained at a constant temperature, preferably about 3°C.
  • the sorting zone 5, dicer 6, filler 7, tray former 8, sealing zone 9 and trimmer l0 are preferably housed within a controlled cold temperature zone in which the air temperature is maintained at a constant operator-­acceptable temperature, preferably about l2 to l4°C.
  • Packages from the storage zone ll will be delivered to the retailer in refrigerated lorries. In these lorries, the temperature again should preferably be maintained at about 3°C.
  • the retailer should also preferably display the packages on cooled shelves and should maintain the package temperature at about 3 to l0°C, preferably 3 to 8°C.
  • the hopper, first conveyor, cutter and peeler assemblies used in this apparatus are similar in opertion to assemblies used conventionally for peeling wet small onions for pickling.
  • Such machines are manufactured for example by M. & P. (Engineering) Limited of Heywood, Lancashire.
  • the second conveyor l7 carries the peeled whole onions into a controlled temperature cold room l8 which is maintained at 55°F (l2.8°C) and then deposits the onions onto a rotating anular tray l9.
  • Onions for dicing are removed by operators from the rotating tray and are placed in dicer 6 which deposits the diced onion in a stainless steel bin 20.
  • Diced onion from bin 20 is fed into the hopper 2l of a metered filling unit 22.
  • the filling unit deposits a pre-selected quantity of diced onion into each packaging tray 23.
  • whole peeled onions from rotating tray l9 may be placed manually into the packaging trays.
  • the packaging trays 23 are produced in a continuous plastics web by the thermo-forming of a PVC laminate web 24 in tray former 8.
  • the laminate web conveniently a 3-ply laminate of 500 micron thickness, is heated to ll0-l50°C and vacuum formed using moulds of the desired shape.
  • the moulds are cooled with chilled water to ensure that the trays are cooled before they are filled.
  • the filled trays 25 then have a sealing membrane in the form of a plastics web 26 (for example a l00 micron thickness anti-mist treated PVC web) laid over them as they are fed to sealing zone 9.
  • a sealing membrane in the form of a plastics web 26 for example a l00 micron thickness anti-mist treated PVC web
  • the at least partly covered trays are evacuated using vacuum line 27 and are then flushed with the gaseous mixture using gas line 28.
  • Gas line 28 is preferably provided with a pressure valve to ensure that the final pressure within the sealed trays is within the desired range.
  • Heater unit 29 is then clamped down over the flushed tray to heat-seal the sealing mebrane to the rim of the tray.
  • the sealed tray is passed to the trimmer l0 where a knife blade or guillotine is to separate the adjoining trays or to cut the continuous web of trays into units each containing the desired number of trays.
  • a knife blade or guillotine is to separate the adjoining trays or to cut the continuous web of trays into units each containing the desired number of trays.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Agronomy & Crop Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Vacuum Packaging (AREA)
  • Storage Of Fruits Or Vegetables (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
  • Transition And Organic Metals Composition Catalysts For Addition Polymerization (AREA)
  • Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
  • Compounds Of Unknown Constitution (AREA)
  • Food Preservation Except Freezing, Refrigeration, And Drying (AREA)
  • Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)
EP87306261A 1986-07-16 1987-07-15 Procédé d'emballage de plantes Expired - Lifetime EP0253648B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT87306261T ATE104229T1 (de) 1986-07-16 1987-07-15 Verpackungsverfahren fuer pflanzen.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8617314 1986-07-16
GB868617314A GB8617314D0 (en) 1986-07-16 1986-07-16 Packaging process

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0253648A2 true EP0253648A2 (fr) 1988-01-20
EP0253648A3 EP0253648A3 (en) 1989-01-25
EP0253648B1 EP0253648B1 (fr) 1994-04-13

Family

ID=10601130

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP87306261A Expired - Lifetime EP0253648B1 (fr) 1986-07-16 1987-07-15 Procédé d'emballage de plantes

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0253648B1 (fr)
AT (1) ATE104229T1 (fr)
DE (1) DE3789578D1 (fr)
GB (1) GB8617314D0 (fr)

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2221377A (en) * 1988-06-08 1990-02-07 Zelsa Patentverwertung Preserving vegetables, meat or other organic substances
WO1992004256A2 (fr) * 1990-09-05 1992-03-19 Weyerhaeuser Company Conditionnement pour denree alimentaire perissable et produits horticoles
GB2258993A (en) * 1991-08-12 1993-03-03 William Dowling Preservation of fruit and vegetables
FR2687127A1 (fr) * 1992-02-06 1993-08-13 Gard Sca Conserve Procede et installation de conditionnement de produits alimentaires humides.
US5505950A (en) * 1990-09-05 1996-04-09 Weyerhaeuser Company Method of packaging perishable food or horticultural products
NL1000949C2 (nl) * 1995-08-08 1997-02-11 Florex B V Werkwijze voor het verlengen van de bewaarbaarheid van bloembollen en vaste planten.
FR2745685A1 (fr) * 1996-03-07 1997-09-12 Bernabe Henri Guy Marie Procede de conservation de plants de vigne sous vide
US5747082A (en) * 1990-09-05 1998-05-05 Weyerhaeuser Co Package for perishable food and horticultural products
US5908649A (en) * 1990-09-05 1999-06-01 Weyerhaeuser Company Package for perishable food and horticultural products
NL1025247C2 (nl) * 2004-01-15 2005-07-18 Bloedbessen V O F Verpakking voor rode bessen.
CN114450226A (zh) * 2019-10-29 2022-05-06 Ckd株式会社 泡罩包装机及泡罩包装的制造方法
US11787586B2 (en) * 2018-04-10 2023-10-17 Gea Food Solutions Germany Gmbh Housed line for processing and packaging food

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1202685A (en) 1968-01-19 1970-08-19 Lloyd Milford Shapoff Improvements relating to preserving cooked potatoes

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2045343A5 (fr) * 1970-04-14 1971-02-26 Guillet Andre
DE2323409C2 (de) * 1973-05-09 1975-01-30 Multivac Sepp Haggenmueller Kg, 8941 Wolfertschwenden Verfahren zum Verpacken von beim Sieden zum Spritzen neigendem Füllgut in Kunststorrverpackungsfolien und Vorrichtung zur Durchführung des Verfahrens
FR2351008A1 (fr) * 1976-05-13 1977-12-09 Air Liquide Procede de conservation de denrees alimentaires perissables
ATE22263T1 (de) * 1983-02-16 1986-10-15 Fritesspecialist Bv De Verfahren zum verpacken von feuchten, frischen, gekuehlten nahrungsmitteln in behaeltern, insbesondere von frischen gekuehlten vorgebackenen pommes frites.

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1202685A (en) 1968-01-19 1970-08-19 Lloyd Milford Shapoff Improvements relating to preserving cooked potatoes

Cited By (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2221377B (en) * 1988-06-08 1992-04-22 Zelsa Patentverwertung Method and equipment for preserving vegetables,meat or other organic substances
AU615070B2 (en) * 1988-06-08 1991-09-19 Zelsa Patentverwertungs Gmbh Method and equipment for preserving vegetables, meat or other organic substances
GB2221377A (en) * 1988-06-08 1990-02-07 Zelsa Patentverwertung Preserving vegetables, meat or other organic substances
US5747082A (en) * 1990-09-05 1998-05-05 Weyerhaeuser Co Package for perishable food and horticultural products
WO1992004256A2 (fr) * 1990-09-05 1992-03-19 Weyerhaeuser Company Conditionnement pour denree alimentaire perissable et produits horticoles
US5908649A (en) * 1990-09-05 1999-06-01 Weyerhaeuser Company Package for perishable food and horticultural products
WO1992004256A3 (fr) * 1990-09-05 1992-09-03 Weyerhaeuser Co Conditionnement pour denree alimentaire perissable et produits horticoles
US5505950A (en) * 1990-09-05 1996-04-09 Weyerhaeuser Company Method of packaging perishable food or horticultural products
GB2258993A (en) * 1991-08-12 1993-03-03 William Dowling Preservation of fruit and vegetables
GB2258993B (en) * 1991-08-12 1994-08-03 William Dowling A process for preserving perishable foodstuffs
WO1993015958A1 (fr) * 1992-02-06 1993-08-19 S.C.A. Conserve-Gard Procede et installation de conditionnement de produits alimentaires humides
FR2687127A1 (fr) * 1992-02-06 1993-08-13 Gard Sca Conserve Procede et installation de conditionnement de produits alimentaires humides.
NL1000949C2 (nl) * 1995-08-08 1997-02-11 Florex B V Werkwijze voor het verlengen van de bewaarbaarheid van bloembollen en vaste planten.
FR2745685A1 (fr) * 1996-03-07 1997-09-12 Bernabe Henri Guy Marie Procede de conservation de plants de vigne sous vide
NL1025247C2 (nl) * 2004-01-15 2005-07-18 Bloedbessen V O F Verpakking voor rode bessen.
US11787586B2 (en) * 2018-04-10 2023-10-17 Gea Food Solutions Germany Gmbh Housed line for processing and packaging food
CN114450226A (zh) * 2019-10-29 2022-05-06 Ckd株式会社 泡罩包装机及泡罩包装的制造方法
CN114450226B (zh) * 2019-10-29 2024-01-26 Ckd株式会社 泡罩包装机及泡罩包装的制造方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE104229T1 (de) 1994-04-15
GB8617314D0 (en) 1986-08-20
EP0253648B1 (fr) 1994-04-13
DE3789578D1 (de) 1994-05-19
EP0253648A3 (en) 1989-01-25

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