FR2812396A1 - Method of detecting interruption of deep freezing, freezing or refrigeration, employs an indicator with a substrate that resists temperature changes and moisture - Google Patents

Abstract

Method of detecting interruption of deep freezing, freezing or refrigeration, employs an indicator with a substrate that comprises water-resistant paper, PVC, PET or extruded PP. The substrate of the indicator resists temperature changes and moisture. An Independent claim is included for the equipment for carrying out the method of the claim, that includes the indicator that comprises a patch (PA) that changes color at a temperature of deep freezing, freezing or refrigeration, and a further patch (PB) that is inert at this temperature.

Description

The present invention relates to the production of a control device for:

  - Break in the cold chain after signing a good freezing / freezing.

  - Break in the fresh chain after signing good refrigeration.

  Today there is no light device, simple to implement and inexpensive in this food sector; only inventions requiring bulky materials and which

  most of the time only indicate the finding of an approximate thaw.

  The device according to the invention overcomes all these drawbacks by combining media, inks, printing techniques which all already exist separately; the way of

  proceeding and the choice of parameters complete the originality of the invention.

  The chosen support must be resistant to wet conditions and to rapid variations in temperature; that is to say that it can pass without damage from - 45 degrees C to + 45 degrees C and

  that condensation and the resulting humid conditions do not affect it in any way.

  All synthetic materials such as PolyVinyl Chloride, Polyethylene can

suitable for this use.

  However, the most suitable support is chlorine-free extruded PolyPropylene which is odorless and non-toxic; it is also very resistant to chemicals and fatty substances and, moreover, recyclable. All of these qualities make it ideal for permanent food contact. If the container of the food to be treated is made of polypropylene or P.V.C. or P.E.T. and that its

  conformation lends itself to it, we will treat the surface directly.

  On the other hand, if this is not the case, use will be made of the extruded polypropylene available in 60 μm, 80 μm, 95 μm, 110 μm or even more, from numerous suppliers of printable supports. In this case the P.P.E. will be supplied in its "permanent self-adhesive" version, that is to say very difficult to tear off without damage (or to reposition elsewhere) once installed. 11 will be provided on the back, before the self-adhesive operation at the manufacturer , a halftone pattern and fine line of color

  cyan very difficult to reproduce without specific tools.

  These two devices (permanent adhesive and marking on the back) are intended to limit as much as possible the possible frauds which would aim to put back in the circuit of the consumption of

  food that has been damaged by breaking the cold or fresh chain.

  Printing: it is done on a rectangle surface no more than approximately 2 cm x 3cm, possibly offset in letterpress, rotogravure, screen printing or flexography in one or two colors with inks of the AIMCO Patent type (n from Publication 2742355

  national registration number 9514857) or others.

  If all these printing means are adaptable to the support, the fact remains that the most suitable is screen printing; The thickness of the possible ink deposit varies from 15 pm to 18 pm which is much greater than other printing techniques (3 pm to 5 pm only for offset). This large thickness makes the effects of the reagents more reliable contained in the ink and

  denser (ie more readable) the shades obtained.

  The witness thus produced is intended to be irreversibly bonded to the paper, cardboard or any plastic material of the manufactured food product, during its preparation.

at room temperature.

  It measures at most 2 cm x 3 cm and 2 colored dots are printed on it. The first PA pastille is at this stage green and the second PB is blue. The thermoreactive ink (of which we spoke above) which composes PA becomes blue after a lapse of time of the order of a few hours spent at the regulatory temperature of

  deep-freezing / freezing (depending on the case from - 18 C to - 35 C or even colder).

  This is a color change with delay effect. This change is irreversible. This first PA indicator therefore indicates that the product has undergone a freezing treatment in accordance with the

  regulations or the required sanitary quality.

  The ink that makes up the second PB tablet is initially inert and cannot undergo any color change before being activated by switching to a temperature <or = at the freezing / deep freezing temperature; from this moment the integrated thermoreactive molecule

  at PB, always blue is active and ready to react.

  At this stage of the production, that is to say when the product is perfectly frozen / deep-frozen, the witness presents two pellets PA and PB of blue color: this is the state in which the consumer goes

  find this witness stuck on the frozen / frozen product he buys.

  The second PB tablet will turn red if for a few minutes the product has undergone a stay in an environment of temperature> that of the break in the cold chain, that is to say from -18 C to -2 C approximately (depending technical, health and regulatory requirements). There will have been a break in the cold chain; action must be taken immediately to eliminate any health risk. Furthermore, it is necessary to print, at the same time as the pastilles, an expiration date for the indicator to control the duration of use under truly reliable conditions (of

  around 15 to 24 months) and optimal.

  IMPORTANT: The witness is simplified if it is possible, taking into account the required parameters: (color of the pellets, cold, duration, etc.) to collect in a single tablet

  printed, the two functions of the indicator.

  You must then print a single PC tablet. This green tablet in its first state (at the time of manufacturing and packaging the food at room temperature) would turn blue.

  after freezing / freezing corresponding to technical and sanitary requirements.

  The consumer would then discover at this time the only pastille of the witness colored blue.

  In the event of a break in the cold chain, this same PC tablet will turn red.

  N.B .: The same product adapted to the temperature and duration parameters, is also used to indicate a break in the fresh chain (in order, for example, to reduce

  risks due to Salmonella, Listeriosis, etc ...).

  It is simply a question of modifying the reaction parameters of PA and PB in the case of a two-indicator indicator or those of PC in the case of a single indicator and of adjusting the duration of the

  delay effects for identical effectiveness.

  If, for example, we have a single PC tablet, after preparation at room temperature, refrigeration well done would cause the blue color of the indicator (green at the start).

  in which the consumer would discover the product provided with his witness.

  After a few minutes spent at a temperature> at + 4 C (+ or - A t depending on the regulations and sanitary needs), the witness would turn red indicating the break in the

fresh chain.

  In the same way as above, the control can include one or two colored tablets.

  N.B. The colors of the witness (s), times and temperatures are only given for information and must be carefully chosen according to national regulations, C.E.E and

  international and technical and sanitary parameters of the food.

  Use: Depending on the quantities to be manufactured, the production of these indicators will be carried out in two ways For small series it will suffice to work in conventional printing (screen printing for example), on sheet-fed machines to obtain "plates" of several witnesses

pre-cut ready to use.

  On the other hand, for large quantities it will be necessary to work continuously on rotary presses. The reels thus obtained, after slitting will give narrower rolls (width from 12 to 50 mm for example) usable for industrial labeling At the manufacturer of fresh or frozen products, the roll on its mandrel, placed immediately after packaging, will not change not the

production rates.

  In addition, the production of this witness in reels will allow very low production costs.

  The following is the description of a mode of application of the invention; it is made purely

illustrative and not limiting.

  In this embodiment we will describe the case where, on the witness, appear two pellets.

  1 Supply extruded polypropylene on a reel (thickness 80 pm) having received on the back the impression of an original pattern of very fine lines and dots; after this marking carried out by the supplier, the latter self-adhesive in permanent version (not repositionable) 2 Print in continuous screen printing these coils in two colors (one for PA and one for PB) using heat-sensitive inks of the AIMCO type for example which will change colors under the conditions (temperature change within a period of predetermined time)

indicated above.

  3 Deliver in roll on mandrel by a pose (in general) for use at high speed

  at the manufacturer of fresh or frozen products.

Claims (12)

  1 Method which makes it possible to detect that deep-freezing / freezing / refrigeration has been carried out in accordance with the rules of the art, and to indicate that the product on which the witness is affixed has undergone in time and in temperature the conditions which generate a break in the cold or cool chain (depending on the reaction parameters), characterized in that it uses a support resistant to temperature and humidity variations: WER paper (Resistant to the Wet State), P.V.C. or P.E.T. or again P.P.E.   2 Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it uses conventional printing means such as conventional letterpress or U.V., flexo, helio, conventional offset or dry or screen printing.   3 Method according to claim 2, characterized in that it preferably uses the combination of   screen printing and extruded polypropylene.   4 Method according to claim 3, characterized in that it uses inks containing   thermosensitive reagents triggering with delay effect.   5 Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it constitutes   double security: on the one hand, the cookie validates the good freezing / deep-freezing / refrigeration conditions and, on the other hand, it allows the detection of poor storage conditions by the fact of changing color again after a certain amount of time spent at   a temperature higher than that of the break in the cold or cool chain.   6 Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a marking   on the back is made at the manufacturer of the support, before coating with permanent adhesive.   7 Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that in addition to a   manufacturing on sheet press, it is possible to print reels which will be divided and packaged in the form of rolls ready for use in the food industry, labeling   being done at the end of packaging just before freezing / freezing or refrigeration.   8 Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the reagent which   sign the correct freezing / freezing / refrigeration must spend a certain time at a temperature lower than that of freezing / freezing / refrigeration and that the reagent which indicates the rupture   of the cold or cool chain is only activated by switching to these low temperatures.   9 Device for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,   characterized by the fact that the cold chain (or fresh) break indicator comprises a PA pellet changing color at a temperature equal to or lower than that of the freezing / deep-freezing (or refrigeration) operation and a pellet PB inert at the start and activated at this same threshold.   10 Device for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,   characterized by the fact that the cold chain or fresh chain breakage indicator comprises: - either two pellets, one signifying the correct freezing / deep-freezing or refrigeration and the other breaking the chain   - or else a single badge signifying the two phenomena.   11 Device for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,   characterized by the fact that the thickness of the ink deposit varies from 15pm to 18pm and that the reagents are irreversible.   12 Device for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,   characterized by the fact that the two indicators PA and PB can be separated, with a PA indicator whose function is only to sign the correct freezing / deep-freezing or refrigeration and a   another PB indicator independent of the first which signals the break in the cold or fresh chain.