GB2159037A - Process for packaging, cooling and storing food items - Google Patents

Process for packaging, cooling and storing food items Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2159037A
GB2159037A GB08424432A GB8424432A GB2159037A GB 2159037 A GB2159037 A GB 2159037A GB 08424432 A GB08424432 A GB 08424432A GB 8424432 A GB8424432 A GB 8424432A GB 2159037 A GB2159037 A GB 2159037A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
receptacle
less
cooling
minutes
food product
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB08424432A
Other versions
GB8424432D0 (en
Inventor
John Ehinger
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.)
Lee Industries Inc
Original Assignee
Lee Industries Inc
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 Lee Industries Inc filed Critical Lee Industries Inc
Publication of GB8424432D0 publication Critical patent/GB8424432D0/en
Publication of GB2159037A publication Critical patent/GB2159037A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
    • A23L3/36—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
    • A23L3/363—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling the materials not being transported through or in the apparatus with or without shaping, e.g. in form of powder, granules, or flakes
    • A23L3/364—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling the materials not being transported through or in the apparatus with or without shaping, e.g. in form of powder, granules, or flakes with packages or with shaping in form of blocks or portions

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Nutrition Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
  • Freezing, Cooling And Drying Of Foods (AREA)
  • Storage Of Fruits Or Vegetables (AREA)

Abstract

A method of preparing pumpable food products for chilled, unfrozen storage comprising disposing a quantity of a food product at a minimum temperature of about 64.5 DEG C (180 DEG F) in a flexible receptacle having low gas and moisture permeability, closing the receptacle and tumbling it in a cooling medium so that it is free to move within the medium and the receptacle flexes and changes its shape so that the food product moves and intermixes within the receptacle to promote cooling thereof is characterised in that the tumbling promotes a temperature reduction to less than 10 DEG C (50 DEG F) in not more than 60 minutes and then to less than 4.4 DEG C (40 DEG F) in less than another 20 minutes for a total cooling time of less than 80 minutes.

Description

SPECIFICATION Process for packaging, cooling and storing food items This invention relates to a process for packaging and storing food items without freezing or canning the food. In particular, the invention relates to an improved process for packaging and quickly cooling the food to restrict the growth of microorganisms for chilled unfrozen storage.
U.S. Patent No. 4,218,436 discloses a method of preparing food products for comprising the steps of: providing a food product with a minimum temperature of 64.5"C (180"F), the food product having a tendency to solidify upon cooling from 64.5"C (1 80 F) to below 4.4"C (40"F), but above its freezing temperature; providing a flexible receptacle having low gas and moisture permeability; filling the receptacle with a quantity of food product at the minimum temperature so that the food product is mobile within the receptacle and the walls of the filled receptacle remain flexible and the receptacle can freely change shape; closing the receptacle; placing the receptacle in a cooling medium maintained at less than 4.4"C (40"F), the receptacle not being connected to any other receptacle in the cooling medium and the receptacle being free to move within the medium independently of other receptacles; and tumbling the receptacles within the cooling medium to cause the receptacle to flex and change its shape and the food product to move within the receptacle to such an extent sufficient to reduce the temperature of the food from 64.5"C (1 80 F) to less than 4.4"C (40"F) but above its freezing temperature in less than 30 minutes, consequently restricting microbial growth within the food product and preventing the accumulation of any solidified fats, derived from the food products, on the interior walls of the receptacle.
With this proposal a receptacle could be filled so that the food product is mobile and so the walls of the receptacle could freely change shape by filling to only slightly less than a tightly packed receptacle.
However, the result would be a food thickness and volume so great that the food product is insufficiently mobile and flowable within the receptacle unless it is extremely fluid and remains so during the cooling process, which is not always the case. More importantly, such a food thickness is far too great to cool the food product fast enough to adequately inhibit microorganism growth, which is essential in practising the process. The disclosed process fails to take into consideration the difficult problem of moving heat from the centre of the food product load to its surface. Many foods, typically marcaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and the like, combine very low fluidity with very low conductivity, so that the thickness of the food product load is of great importance to the rapid cooling of the centre of the pack.In the disclosed process, only a very thin load of low fluidity food product can be cooled over the short temperature and time span disclosed, yet thick packages can result from its method, in which case the centre will be cooled so slowly that unacceptable microorganism growth can occur. If a thick package of food product is used, the process only can be used if the food product is very fluid.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of preparing pumpable food products for chilled, unfrozen storage comprising disposing a quantity of a food product at a minimum temperature of about 64.5"C (180"F) in a flexible receptacle having low gas and moisture permeability, closing the receptacle and tumbling it in a cooling medium so that it is free to move within the medium and the receptacle flexes and changes its shape so that the food product moves and intermixes within the receptacle to promote cooling thereof characterised in that the tumbling promotes a temperature reduction to less than 10 C (50"F) in not more than 60 minutes and then to less than 4.4"C (40"F) in less than another 20 minutes for a total cooling time of less than 80 minutes.
EXAMPLE As in the above U.S. Patent 4,218,486, the product is pumped out of the cooking kettle art a temperature of about 64.5"C (180"F) and placed into a receptacle of the type disclosed therein.
The receptacles, bags or casings, are filled to make a package so that the food product is mobile within the receptacle and the walls of the receptacle remain highly flexible and the receptacle can freely change shape. The receptacles are filled and closed so that they can be pressed down on a flat surface to an average food depth within a range of 381 mm (1.5 inches) to 635 mm (2.5 inches). By filling the receptacles following this criterion, the largest practical load for a receptacle can be selected to permit the receptacle to be properly cooled within the established practical time period, regardless of the fluidity of the food product, and thereby inhibit microorganism growth in the food product.
After the receptacles are filled and cooled, they are tumbled in water chilled to less than 4.4"C (40"F).
The cooling medium is water chilled by a refrigeration source such as direct expansion refrigeration or an ice bank. A heat exchanger is interposed between the refrigeration source and the tumbling tank containing the cooling water. The heat exchanger eliminates the problem of contamination which can result from a broken or leaky receptacle, by requiring only an easy clean-up of the tube side of the heat exchanger through which the contaminated water circulates. The expensive and difficult process of cleaning-up the refrigeration machine or ice bank is thus eliminated.
The cooling cycle, as indicated above, preferably is such that the temperature of the food product is reduced to less than 10 C (50"F) in not more than 60 minutes, and the temperature further reduced to less than 4.4"C (40"F) in not more than another 20 minutes, for a total cooling time of less than 80 minutes. An economical and practical cooling cycle is thus established, and yet the growth of microorganisms in the food product is restricted sufficiently so as to maintain a high food quality with a long refrigerated storage time, typically 40-45 days.

Claims (4)

1. A method of preparing pumpable food products for chilled, unfrozen storage comprising disposing a quantity of a food product at a minimum temperature of about 64.5"C (180"F) in a flexible receptacle having low gas and moisture permeability, closing the receptacle and tumbling it in a cooling medium so that it is free to move within the medium and the receptacle flexes and changes its shape so that the food product moves and intermixes within the receptacle to promote cooling thereof characterised in that the tumbling promotes a temperature reduction to less than 10'C (50IF) in not more than 60 minutes and then to less than 4.4"C (40"F) in less than another 20 minutes for a total cooling time of less than 80 minutes.
2. A method according to claim 1 characterised in that the receptacle is filled to a content volume such that it can be pressed down on a flat surface to an average food depth within a range of 381 mm (1.5 inches) to 635 mm (2.5 inches).
3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the cooling medium is chilled water from a heat exchanger.
4. A method of preparing pumpable food products for chilled, unfrozen storage substantially as herein described.
GB08424432A 1984-05-21 1984-09-27 Process for packaging, cooling and storing food items Withdrawn GB2159037A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US61233284A 1984-05-21 1984-05-21

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB8424432D0 GB8424432D0 (en) 1984-10-31
GB2159037A true GB2159037A (en) 1985-11-27

Family

ID=24452715

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB08424432A Withdrawn GB2159037A (en) 1984-05-21 1984-09-27 Process for packaging, cooling and storing food items

Country Status (6)

Country Link
JP (1) JPS60251868A (en)
DE (1) DE3512174A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2564293A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2159037A (en)
IT (1) IT1181828B (en)
NL (1) NL8403696A (en)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
LU85954A1 (en) * 1985-06-17 1986-06-25 Paul Henri Lefebvre ASEPTIC STORAGE SYSTEM FOR FERMENTED LIQUIDS IN FLEXIBLE TANKS

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4218486A (en) * 1975-01-28 1980-08-19 W. R. Grace & Co. Process for packaging, cooling and storing food items

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4218486A (en) * 1975-01-28 1980-08-19 W. R. Grace & Co. Process for packaging, cooling and storing food items

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL8403696A (en) 1985-12-16
IT8547509A1 (en) 1986-07-03
IT8547509A0 (en) 1985-01-03
IT1181828B (en) 1987-09-30
JPS60251868A (en) 1985-12-12
DE3512174A1 (en) 1985-11-21
FR2564293A1 (en) 1985-11-22
GB8424432D0 (en) 1984-10-31

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)