FR2890947A1 - Packaging system for fromage frais comprises outer tub in which mold fits which contains coagulation container in form of upwardly-tapering tube - Google Patents

Abstract

The packaging system for fromage frais comprises an outer tub (15) in which a mold (3) fits. This contains a coagulation container (1) in the form of an upwardly-tapering tube. An independent claim is included for a method for making fromage frais using the packaging system.

Description

The invention relates to a packaging for fresh cheese, still known

  under the name curd or cottage cheese, comprising an outer packaging pot to be closed by a lid and a faisselle arranged in the outer pot in which is placed the cheese

fresh.

  The invention also relates to a process for the manufacture and packaging of a fresh cheese in which the curd cheese is drained into a faisselle of a packaging to be consumed.

  The essential problem that currently arises in the manufacture of fresh cheese is that the coagulated mixture of curd and serum is contained in a large volume coagulation vat and must be poured into individual molds (faisselles) in the most delicate possible so that the curd is not broken, or not too broken.

  It is known to perform this filling in a traditional way, known as the ladle molding. However, this manual process, if it avoids breaking the curd is long and expensive because it requires a qualified and numerous staff and does not result in a rigorously identical filling of all molds. It is therefore not suitable for industrial mass production.

  Methods are also known in which the contents of a coagulation tank (coagulated mass) are poured ladle after ladle in splitters which feed two layers of faisselles and in which the scrapers are scraped to equalize the curd in faisselles.

  The major drawbacks of this industrial process lie in the breakage of the curd resulting from the discharge of the contents of the coagulation tank into the distribution hopper, and in a non-homogeneous distribution of the coagulated mixture (curd ratio / serum) in the distributors which must be compensated manually. The establishment of such a process also requires significant equipment to achieve this distribution in individual faisselles.

  The object of the invention is precisely to overcome these drawbacks and to propose packaging means and manufacturing method that make it possible to obtain homogeneous fresh cheeses, without breakage of curd without having this phase of molding the fresh cheese and this with a simplified equipment.

  To this end, the subject of the invention is a packaging for fresh cheese comprising an outer packaging pot intended to be closed by a lid and a faisselle arranged in the outer pot in which the fresh cheese is placed, characterized in that a Coagulation vessel is arranged in the faisselle.

  The packaging according to the invention may furthermore have the following particulars: the coagulation container has a frustoconical shape; - The coagulation vessel is nested in the bottom of the faisselle; - the faisselle has a bottom which closes the coagulation container; - The coagulation vessel with a bottom provided with an orifice which is closed by a lid, for example in the form of a plastic film or aluminum.

  The invention also extends to a process for making and packaging fresh cheese in faisselle in which renneted milk is poured into a coagulation vessel to obtain a coagulated mixture of curd and serum and in which the curd is drained in a faisselle a packaging comprising an outer pot closed by a cover to be consumed, characterized in that a coagulation container is used to be arranged in the faisselle of the packaging which avoids any ladle molding operation.

  In particular, in the process according to the invention, the coagulation containers are moved in series under a filling nozzle to fill them with renneted milk, the renneted milk is coagulated in each coagulation container and an external pot is placed in an conditioning the curd contained in each coagulation container. In the process according to the invention, the renneted milk may be coagulated in a coagulation container which is already placed in a box of the packaging, in particular when the bottom of the box closes the coagulation container which is frustoconical in shape.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows and on examining the figures which accompany it. This description is given as an indicative and non-limiting example of the invention.

  Figure 1 is a sectional sectional view of the filling of a first container according to the invention.

  Figure 2A is a sectional sectional view of the demolding in a faisselle of a coagulated mixture in a first container according to the invention.

  Figure 2B is a sectional sectional view of a first product obtained with the method according to the invention.

  Figure 3 is a sectional sectional view of a second packaging according to the invention.

  Figure 4A is a sectional sectional view of the filling of a second container according to the invention.

  Figure 4B is a sectional sectional view of a third packaging according to the invention.

  Typically, in the processes for making fresh cheese in faisselle, a large coagulation tank is used to obtain a curd mass and this mass is distributed in individual conditioning dishes to separate the serum from the curd. This last operation is called molding.

  The general principle of the invention lies in the fact that the coagulated mixture of curd and serum is obtained in a coagulation container that can be placed in the faisselle of an individual packaging for fresh cheese, which avoids this molding operation. .

  FIG. 1 very schematically illustrates an example of implementation of the method according to the invention with an individual packaging in which a coagulation vessel 1 is placed.

  In the example of Figure 1, the coagulation vessel 1 is a truncated cone 2 whose large base is open and is nested in the bottom of a faisselle 3 also substantially frustoconical shape.

  As can be seen in FIG. 1, the frustoconical wall 4 of the faisselle is provided with holes 5 for dewatering the curd. The bottom wall or bottom 6 of the faisselle is full, that is to say without holes, and closes the opening in the large base of the truncated cone 2 of the container 1.

  The faisselle 3 can be for example molded plastic like the container 1. There is shown in Figure 1 an inner flange 7 which extends on the inner periphery of the faisselle near the bottom 6. The flange 7 defines with the bottom 6 a groove in which is inserted an outer collar which extends the large base of the truncated cone 2 of the container 1. It can be provided inside the faisselle 3 stacking stops (above the flange 7) to space one of the two faisselles stacked one in the other in a storage faisselles which facilitates the gripping faisselles in a process of automatic handling.

  As can be seen in FIG. 1, the container 1 thus has a large base (bottom of the truncated cone) provided with an opening 8 and a small base (top of the truncated cone) provided with an opening 9 whose diameter is larger. small as that of the opening 8. An outer flange 10 extends radially outwardly of the truncated cone over the entire periphery of the opening 8. The flange 10 engages under the flange 7 of the faisselle.

  In addition, an inner collar 11 extends radially inwardly of the truncated cone over the entire periphery of the opening 9.

  As indicated below, the truncated cone shape of the coagulation vessel 1 allows rapid demolding of the fresh cheese but also rational stacking of the cone frustums 2 for storage. It is also possible to provide, close to the small truncated cone base 2, an inner ring or lugs 12 which serve as abutments for keeping spaced from one another two truncated cones nested one into the other. another which makes it easier to grip the truncated cones in an automatic handling process.

  When the truncated cone 2 is nested in the faisselle 3, one obtains a coagulation vessel with a sealed bottom.

  Now we will describe a first mode of implementation of the method according to the invention in connection with Figures 1,2A and 2B.

  On a conveyor, coagulation containers 1, each nested in a faisselle 3 (assembly 13 as shown in FIG. 1), are moved in series under a filling nozzle for liquid food 14. The filling nozzle 14 is connected to a tank in which was prepared a solution of milk mixed with rennet. A predetermined amount of renneted milk is injected through the nozzle 14 into each coagulation vessel 1 through the opening 9.

  The nozzle 14 can be controlled to fill the container 1 up to 1 mm from the upper opening 9 and the upper flange 11 serves to prevent overflow of the liquid food from the container 1 during the movement of the containers on the conveyor. The coagulation containers filled with renneted milk are brought into a storage zone and are left alone for a certain time, of the order of 12 hours, so as to obtain in each container 1 a coagulated mixture of curd and serum.

  The containers containing the coagulated mixture are used in an automatic handling process to finish the packaging of the fresh cheese. For this finishing of the packaging, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the faisselles 3 are each disposed in an outer individual packaging pot 15 and each container 2 is detached from the faisselle for example by exerting a slight radial pressure on the lower base. the truncated cone while lifting it upwardly so that the coagulated mixture 16 spills without breaking in the faisselle 2. Preferably, the truncated cone 2 and faisselle 3 have substantially identical volumes but different conicities.

  As shown in the figures, the coagulated mixture 16 almost completely fills the faisselle 3 and the serum separates part of the curd 16 by a dewatering effect through the holes 5 of the faisselle.

  The jars 15 can then be sealed each by a flexible plastic film 17 placed by heat-sealing and then by a rigid cover 18 which completes the individual packaging for the fresh cheese in faisselle shown in Figure 2B. The fresh cheese 16 is thus ready to be consumed.

  It is therefore understood that with this simple method to implement, there is no more molding operation ladle or the like curd for filling the faisselles. Furthermore, the process according to the invention makes it easy to obtain a good homogeneity of fresh cheeses (by weight and by volume) in the faisselles.

  According to an alternative embodiment of the process according to the invention and illustrated in FIG. 3, the coagulated mixture contained in the container 1 is not driped before the closure of the pot 15, that is to say at during the process of making fresh cheese. After coagulation of the renneted milk in the containers 1 arranged in faisselles 3, the containers 1 are closed by covering the opening 9 with a lid 19 in the form of, for example, a plastic film placed by heat-sealing and the whole 13 is disposed in an outer packaging pot 15 which is closed by a rigid cover 18. It will be noted that the heat-sealing of the lid 19 can be easily performed on the upper flange 11 of the container 1.

  For the consumption of fresh cheese, the consumer must first remove the rigid lid 18, then the lid 19 by pulling for example on a tab 20 of the lid 19, and then drain the coagulated mixture of curd and serum in the faisselle 3 by separating and lifting the truncated cone 2 of the faisselle 3.

  According to yet another variant of implementation of the method according to the invention, the lid 19 is placed on the opening 9 of the coagulation container just after the filling of renneted milk and the assembly 13 is turned upside down ( large cone barter up) for coagulation. This reversal serves to stick the milk against the lid which allows a better release of the cheese by effect of air intake down. After coagulation, the assembly 13 is returned again to dispose of it in an outer packaging pot 15 of the fresh cheese 16.

  According to another variant of implementation of the process according to the invention illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the opening 9 'is first closed in the small base of the cone frustum 2' of the coagulation vessel 1 'with a cover 22 (for example aluminum) provided with a tongue. In this case the opening 9 'may be smaller than the opening 9 and have a single orifice 21.

  The coagulation containers 1 'are brought under the filling nozzle 14' of milk renneted with the large base of the truncated cone which serves as an orifice for the filling of renneted milk. At this stage, the coagulation containers 1 'filled with renneted milk are not yet disposed in the faisselles and are stored for coagulation of the renneted milk.

  After curdling, the containers 1 'containing the coagulated mixture 16' are each closed with a lid 23 in the form of, for example, a heat-sealed plastic film, and each container 1 'thus closed is placed in a faisselle 3' which is put into place in an outdoor 15 'conditioning pot. Then the outer conditioning pot 15 'is closed by a rigid cover 18'.

  The consumption of the fresh cheese 16 'is achieved by first removing the container 1' of the pot 15 'to remove the lid 23. The container 1' is then placed slightly above the faisselle 3 'and the lid 21 is removed to transfer the fresh cheese 16 'into the faisselle. Of course, the fresh cheese could be consumed directly in the coagulation container.

  It is also possible to place the faisselle in the outer conditioning pot before filling the clotting vessel and to close this pot with a lid before the end of coagulation.

  The process according to the invention is generally applicable to fresh cheeses which can be made from cow's, goat's or sheep's milk and from animal rennet such as veal rennet or lactic ferments.

  The outer pot, the lid, the faisselle and the coagulation container may be manufactured generally from a food plastic material based on polypropylene and polyethylene. For the first mode of implementation of the method according to the invention described above, it is advantageously used for the manufacture of cheese a stainless steel coagulation vessel 1.

Claims (8)

  1) Packaging for fresh cheese comprising an outer pot (15,15 ') for packaging to be closed by a lid (18,18') and a faisselle (3,3 ') disposed in the outer pot in which is placed fresh cheese (16, 16 '), characterized in that a container (1, 1') for coagulation is placed in the faisselle.   2) Packaging according to claim 1, wherein the coagulation vessel has a frustoconical shape.   3) Packaging according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the coagulation vessel is fitted into the bottom of the faisselle.   4) Packaging according to claim 3, wherein the faisselle has a bottom (6) which closes the coagulation vessel.   5) Packaging according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the coagulation vessel has a bottom (9 ') provided with an orifice (21) which is closed by a lid (22).   6) Method for making and packaging fresh cheese in faisselle in which renneted milk is poured into a coagulation vessel (1,1 ') to obtain a coagulated mixture of curd and serum and in which the curd is drained in a faisselle (3,3 ') of a packaging comprising an outer pot closed by a lid to be consumed, characterized in that a coagulation container is used which can be placed in the faisselle of the packaging.   7) Process according to claim 6, wherein the coagulation vessels (1.1 ') are moved in series under a filling nozzle (14, 14') to fill them with renneted milk, in which the renneted milk is coagulated. in each coagulation container and in which the curd (16,16 ') contained in each coagulation container is placed in an outer pot (15,15') of the packaging.   8) Process according to claim 7, wherein the renneted milk is coagulated in a coagulation vessel (15) which is already arranged in a faisselle of the packaging (4).