JP2003144045A - Method and apparatus for producing milks - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method by which the flavor of milks obtained through a heat sterilization step is effectively improved, and further to provide an apparatus therefor. SOLUTION: The raw material milk is subjected to a heat sterilization treatment by a sterilization apparatus 1, and the heat-sterilized milks are stored in an aseptic tank 2 substituted with an inert gas. The milks stored in the aseptic tank 2 are charged into a packaging container by a charging device 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing tasty milk.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Milk and milk drinks are manufactured through a heat sterilization process from the viewpoint of storability and hygiene, but these are particularly susceptible to changes in oxygen and heat among various foods. It is unavoidable that the flavor deteriorates before it is consumed after the distribution process.

As a method for preventing the deterioration of the flavor of milk, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3083798 and Japanese Patent No. 3091752 disclose that when the milk is produced, the raw material milk is treated with nitrogen gas or the like prior to the heat sterilization treatment. By replacing the amount of dissolved oxygen in the liquid by substituting with the inert gas of
A method for suppressing the formation of sulfides (sulfur compounds) during heat sterilization is described. Further, in JP-A-5-49395, nitrogen gas is aerated and agitated while the raw material milk is stored in a silo to reduce the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the raw material milk and to prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms. A method of suppressing is described.

[0004]

However, in the method for preventing the formation of sulfides (sulfur compounds) as in the method described above, it is not possible to sufficiently improve the flavor when drinking milk. In addition, the method described above was also the same as the method described above from the viewpoint of improving the flavor since the dissolved oxygen in the raw material milk before heat sterilization was only decreased in the method described above. Therefore, there has been a demand for a method of effectively improving the flavor of milk when drinking.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus capable of effectively improving the flavor of milk obtained through a heat sterilization step.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems The present inventors have found that the deterioration of flavor during drinking is more affected by dissolved oxygen after the heat sterilization step than before before the heat sterilization step. As a result of intensive research focusing on the point of reducing the above, the present invention has been achieved. That is, the method for producing milk of the present invention comprises a step of heat sterilizing raw material milk, a step of storing heat-sterilized milk in a sterile tank replaced with an inert gas, and in the sterile tank. The method further comprises the step of filling the milk stored in the packaging container into a packaging container. In the present invention, the milk refers to milk, partially skimmed milk, skim milk, processed milk, milk drink, etc. obtained by subjecting milk and a liquid containing a milk-derived component as raw material milk to a heat sterilization treatment step.

In the present invention, the heat sterilization treatment of the raw material milk is preferably carried out by the direct heat sterilization method. Further, in the present invention, the step of filling the packaging container with the milk stored in the aseptic tank is preferably performed in a state in which the milk is shielded from the atmosphere. Further, in the present invention, it is preferable to use a container having an oxygen barrier property as the packaging container.

The milk production apparatus of the present invention comprises a sterilization apparatus for heat-sterilizing raw material milk, a sterile tank for storing heat-sterilized milk, and a gas inside the sterile tank for being replaced with an inert gas. And a filling device for filling the packaging container with the milk stored in the aseptic tank. The sterilizer is preferably a sterilizer using a direct heat sterilization method. The filling device is preferably a device that fills the packaging container with the milk stored in the aseptic tank in a state of being shielded from the atmosphere. It is preferable that the packaging container is a container having an oxygen barrier property.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention is described in detail below.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the milk manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. The apparatus of the present embodiment includes a sterilization apparatus 1,
The aseptic tank 2 and the filling device 3 are roughly configured.

The sterilizer 1 may be any one capable of performing a heat sterilization treatment satisfying the regulations concerning the sterilization of milk according to the Food Sanitation Law. In particular, the sterilizer by the ultra high temperature short time sterilization method (UHT method). Is preferable since milk having excellent storage stability can be produced. The sterilizer 1 may be a sterilizer by a direct heat sterilization method or an indirect heat sterilization method, but it is preferable to use a sterilizer by a direct heat sterilization method in order to obtain milk having a better flavor.
Specifically, as a sterilizer by the direct heat sterilization method, a steam injection type UHT sterilizer for injecting high temperature steam into the flow of raw material milk, a steam infusion type UHT for injecting raw material milk into high temperature steam. A sterilizer or the like is preferably used. On the other hand, as a sterilizer by the indirect heat sterilization method, a plate heat exchange type UHT is used.
A sterilizer, a tubular heat exchange type UHT sterilizer, a scraping type heat exchange type UHT sterilizer, etc. are preferably used. Although not shown in the figure, the sterilization apparatus 1 cools the raw material milk as needed, a means for preheating the raw material milk, a means for performing a homogenization treatment before or after the heat sterilization treatment, and the milk after the heat sterilization treatment. Means are provided.

The aseptic tank 2 has an airtight structure, and is provided with an inert gas supply device 11 for supplying the sterilized inert gas into the aseptic tank 2. As the inert gas, nitrogen gas is particularly preferably used because it is easily available at low cost, has high safety, and does not affect the quality of milk. A stirrer 12 is provided in the aseptic tank 2, and a motor 13 for driving the stirrer 12 is provided. Although not shown, a mechanical seal is used in the seal portion of the stirrer 12. A jacket 14 having an inside serving as a flow path for cooling water is provided on the outer periphery of the body of the aseptic tank 2, and a water supply pipe 14a for supplying the cooling water into the jacket 14 and the inside of the jacket 14 are provided. A drain pipe 14b for draining the cooling water is provided. A flow rate control valve 14c is provided on the cooling water supply pipe 14a.

A first pipe 18 having a valve 17 is provided at the bottom of the aseptic tank 2, and the first pipe 18 is connected to the second pipe 4 connected to the sterilizer 1 and the filling. It communicates with a third pipe 5 connected to the device 3.
A valve 3a is provided in the pipe extending from the third pipe 5 to the filling device 3. In addition, the inside of the aseptic tank 2 and the first to third pipes 18, 4, 5 and the like communicating with it are
Aseptic barrier such as a steam barrier is provided at a position necessary for maintaining the aseptic state in the system, which is replaceable with steam. In the present embodiment, aseptic barriers 15 and 16 are provided in the middle of the second pipe 4 and at the ends of the third pipe 5, respectively, through which steam is filled into the system and exhausted from the system. The configuration is illustrated aseptically while maintaining the inside of the system in a sterile state. The inside of the aseptic tank 2 is preferably kept in a state of being pressurized by a sterile inert gas (positive pressure state) while the milk is stored.

The filling device 3 may be any device configured to be able to fill milk into the packaging container, but in particular, it is provided with means for sterilizing the packaging container, and the packaging container is aseptically filled. It is preferable to use an apparatus capable of carrying out the above because milk having excellent storability can be produced.

Further, it is preferable that the filling device 3 is a device for filling the milk in the packaging container with the milk being shielded from the atmosphere. The “atmosphere” in the present invention means an atmosphere of normal air, and the “state shielded from the atmosphere” means a state in which such normal air is not contacted. Such "state shielded from the atmosphere" includes, of course, a mode in which milk is filled in a packaging container and sealed without contacting the atmosphere at all, but it is not an ordinary atmosphere but an atmosphere. A mode in which the filling is performed in a special atmosphere in which the oxygen concentration is lower than that is also included. A typical example of filling milk without contacting the atmosphere with air is a brick pack type filling device that fills milk while molding a container using a sheet-shaped packaging material. This brick pack type filling device uses a long sheet-shaped packaging material as the material of the container, and first, the widthwise ends of the sheet-shaped packaging material are continuously joined to form a single cylinder. Fill the milk into the cylinder while continuously moving it vertically from top to bottom, and intermittently horizontally seal the milk horizontally at the place where the milk is filled to form the milk. It is configured to enclose the product and then cut the laterally sealed parts to obtain each product as a product filled in a packaging container. As a specific example, an aseptic filling device (Tetrabrick Aseptic TB / 9 manufactured by Tetra Pak Co., Ltd.) in Examples described later can be exemplified. In addition, as a mode of filling in a special air atmosphere in which the oxygen concentration is lower than that of normal air, a preformed container (a folded paper container is shaped, a cup container, or a sheet-shaped material is compression molded to form a container). The filling device that fills and seals the milk while sequentially transporting the milk-like material) is surrounded by a section from the filling of the milk to the sealing, and It is possible to exemplify a mode of enclosing with active gas to reduce the oxygen concentration in the compartment. In this way, by filling milk in a state of being shielded from the atmosphere, the dissolved oxygen concentration of milk at the time immediately after filling can be suppressed to a low level.

The packaging container is preferably a container having an oxygen barrier property, and for example, a container made of a material having a laminated structure having an aluminum foil layer which is an oxygen barrier layer is preferably used. FIG. 2 shows an example of a composite paper 20 suitable for forming a container having an oxygen barrier property.
The composite paper 20 of the example of this figure has a polyethylene layer 21, an aluminum foil 22, a polyethylene layer 23, a paper layer 24, and a polyethylene layer 25 in order from the container inner surface (wetted surface) side.
Has a laminated and integrated structure. By adopting a container having an oxygen barrier property in this way, it is possible to suppress an increase in the dissolved oxygen concentration of milk during storage,
As a result, flavor deterioration can be suppressed.

Next, as an embodiment of the production method of the present invention, an example of producing milk using the apparatus having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 will be described. First, the raw material milk is heat-sterilized by the sterilizer 1. The sterilization condition may be a condition that satisfies the regulations on sterilization of milk according to the Food Sanitation Law,
In particular, heat sterilization by the ultra-high temperature short time sterilization method (UHT method) is preferable because milk having excellent preservability can be obtained. The heat sterilization method may be either a direct heat sterilization method or an indirect heat sterilization method, but it is preferable to use the direct heat sterilization method in order to obtain milk having a better flavor. In the case of the direct heat sterilization method, specifically, it is 120 to 16 by the steam injection method or the steam infusion method.
A method of performing heat sterilization at 0 ° C. for about 1 to 6 seconds is preferable,
Especially 148 ~ 15 by steam injection method
It is more preferable to perform heat sterilization at 2 ° C. for 2 to 3 seconds. On the other hand, in the case of the indirect heat sterilization method, a method of performing heat sterilization at 120 to 140 ° C. for about 1 to 5 seconds by a plate heat exchange method, a tubular heat exchange method, or a scraping heat exchange method is preferable.

Next, the milk obtained by heat sterilization is stored in the aseptic tank 2. The sterile tank 2 is sterilized in the system prior to use. Specifically, first, the inside of the system including the aseptic tank 2 and the first pipe 18, the second pipe 4, and the third pipe 5 communicating with the sterile tank 2 is replaced with steam,
The system is sterilized by pressurizing the system to raise the temperature and, when reaching the sterilization temperature, holding the system for a predetermined time. Sterilization condition is 130
It is preferable that the temperature is not lower than 15 ° C for about 15 minutes. After the sterilization is completed, the inside of the system is replaced with a sterilized inert gas, preferably nitrogen gas, and pressurized, and cooling water is supplied into the jacket 14 to cool the aseptic tank 2. After that, the heat-sterilized milk is introduced into the aseptic tank 2 from the sterilizer 1. Milk is stored in the aseptic tank 2 with the head space replaced with an inert gas, preferably nitrogen gas. At this time, the sterile tank 2 is maintained in a pressurized state by using a sterilized inert gas, preferably a sterilized nitrogen gas,
Further, the stirrer 12 is driven to stir the milk in the aseptic tank 2. The temperature of milk stored in the aseptic tank 2 is preferably maintained at about 5 to 10 ° C. If the time for storing the milk in the aseptic tank 2 is too short, the effect of improving the flavor due to the storage in the aseptic tank 2 cannot be sufficiently obtained, and therefore it is preferably set to 1 hour or more.

After that, by introducing an sterilized inert gas into the aseptic tank 2, the milk in the aseptic tank 2 is extruded and sent to the filling device 3. And
By filling the packaging container with milk by the filling device 3, the milk product filled in the packaging container is obtained. The packaging container is
For example, it is preferable to use a container having an oxygen barrier property, such as a container made of a laminated structure material having an aluminum foil layer. Further, the filling of the packaging container of milk, it is preferable to perform the milk in a state of being shielded from the atmosphere, in particular,
It is preferably performed aseptically.

According to this embodiment, the milk obtained by heat sterilizing the raw material milk is stored in the aseptic tank 2 replaced with the inert gas before being filled in the packaging container.
Dissolved oxygen in milk is reduced. This is a sterile tank 2
In the inner headspace, the partial pressure of inert gas is high and the partial pressure of oxygen is low, and the amount of dissolved oxygen dissolved in milk is reduced by Henry's law. Conceivable. The inside of the aseptic tank 2 is maintained at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure by a sterile inert gas in order to ensure a sterile state. Therefore, the milk that has undergone the process of being stored in the aseptic tank 2 is in a state in which the amount of dissolved oxygen is reduced, so that the adverse effect of oxygen on the flavor is suppressed, and the flavor deterioration during storage can be suppressed.

In particular, when the direct heat sterilization method is used to perform the heat sterilization treatment, the amount of aroma components generated during heating and the amount of dissolved oxygen after heating are higher than in the case of using the indirect heat sterilization method. Less. This is because, in the direct heat sterilization method, milk is contacted with steam and heated, and then depressurized to remove steam and rapidly cooled, so this depressurization removes aroma components and dissolved oxygen together with steam. To be In particular, it is considered that the effect of removing the aroma component is large, and in the direct heat sterilization method, the milk after sterilization is compared to that of the indirect heat sterilization method in that it is evaluated as “delicious” by humans. There are many, and there is little change in "deliciousness" with time when stored. Therefore, the flavor of milk can be further improved by using the direct heat sterilization method.

Furthermore, when a container having an oxygen barrier property is used as the packaging container, it is possible to prevent milk stored in the aseptic tank 2 and having a reduced amount of dissolved oxygen from coming into contact with oxygen in the packaging container. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the amount of dissolved oxygen from increasing during storage.
Therefore, the adverse effect of oxygen on the flavor is suppressed, and the flavor deterioration during storage is suppressed. Further, in the present invention, when the milk is filled in the packaging container, if the milk is filled in a state of being shielded from the atmosphere, the dissolved oxygen concentration of the milk at the time immediately after the filling can be lowered, and particularly, By aseptically filling the packaging container, milk having more excellent storage stability can be obtained. Especially in heat sterilization, the UHT method is used,
In addition, if the packaging container is aseptically filled, so-called long-life milk (long-term storage milk, hereinafter abbreviated as LL milk) that can be stored at room temperature for 60 days can be obtained. That is, in the present invention, it is more preferable that the packaging container is for aseptic filling.

[0022]

EXAMPLES The effects of the present invention will be clarified below with reference to specific examples. (Example 1) Milk was produced using the apparatus having the configuration shown in FIG. First, raw milk having a milk fat content of 3.7% and a non-fat milk solid content of 8.7% was prepared, and this was heat-sterilized by the sterilizer 1. As the sterilizer 1, a plate heat exchange type sterilizer (indirect heat sterilization method) was used. Specifically, the raw material milk was preheated, then heat-sterilized at 140 ° C. for 2 seconds, and then homogenized. The homogenization treatment was performed using a homogenizer manufactured by Sanmaru Machinery Co., Ltd., under the conditions of a total pressure of 25 MPa and a second stage pressure of 5 MPa. Next, the milk obtained by the heat sterilization treatment was introduced into the sterile tank 2 and stored. Aseptic tank 2 was used after being sterilized in the system in advance and then replaced with sterilized nitrogen gas. Then, the milk in the aseptic tank 2 is stirred by the stirrer 12
It was kept for 72 hours while being stirred. During this period, the temperature of milk in the aseptic tank 2 was kept at 5 ° C. During the holding of milk, the inside of the aseptic tank 2 was pressurized with nitrogen gas that had been sterilized to maintain a positive pressure state.

After that, the sterile gas was further extruded into the aseptic tank 2 to extrude the milk from the aseptic tank 2 and send it to the filling device 3. Filling device 3
As an aseptic filling device equipped with a means for sterilizing a packaging container (Tetrabrick Aseptic T
B / 9) was used. As the packaging container, the one having the oxygen barrier property, which is composed of the composite paper 20 having the laminated structure shown in FIG. 2, was used. In this way, a milk product filled in the packaging container was obtained. The milk product obtained in this example is bacteriologically 2
It was confirmed that it can be stored at room temperature for months. The change in the amount of dissolved oxygen in milk when the milk product obtained in this example was stored at 10 ° C. was examined. The amount of dissolved oxygen was measured using a trace oxygen analyzer (manufactured by Iijima Denshi Kogyo Co., Ltd.) immediately after filling the packaging container with milk, after one week, after two weeks, after one month, and after two months. The measurement results are shown in Table 1 below.

Comparative Example 1 A milk product was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that sterilized air was used instead of nitrogen gas as the gas for replacing the inside of the aseptic tank 2. It was confirmed that the milk product obtained in this example could be bacteriologically stored at room temperature for 2 months. The change in the amount of dissolved oxygen in milk when the obtained milk product was stored at 10 ° C. was measured in the same manner as in Example 1 above. The measurement results are shown in Table 1 below.

(Embodiment 2) In the same manner as in Embodiment 1,
Immediately after producing the milk product filled in the packaging container made of the composite paper 20 having the oxygen barrier property, the milk in the packaging container is transferred to the packaging container made of the composite paper 30 having no oxygen barrier layer and hermetically sealed. Then, a milk product was obtained. A filling device using a packaging container made of the composite paper 30 having no oxygen barrier layer generally has a structure for filling milk in an open system. Therefore, by changing the container as in this example, It is possible to reproduce a product state similar to that filled with such a filling device. As shown in FIG. 3, the packaging container used in this example comprises a composite paper 30 in which a polyethylene layer 31, a paper layer 32, and a polyethylene layer 33 are laminated and integrated in order from the container inner surface (wetted surface) side. . Bacteriologically, the milk product obtained in this example has a production date of at least 8 days when stored at 10 ° C. or lower.
It was confirmed that it was possible to save up to the first day. The change in the amount of dissolved oxygen in milk when the obtained milk product was stored at 10 ° C. or lower was measured in the same manner as in Example 1 above. The measurement results are shown in Table 1 below.

(Example 3) A milk product was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a steam injection type sterilizer (direct heat sterilization method) was used as the sterilizer 1. The milk product obtained in this example is bacteriologically 2
It was confirmed that it can be stored at room temperature for months. The change in the amount of dissolved oxygen in milk when the obtained milk product was stored at 10 ° C. was measured in the same manner as in Example 1 above. The measurement results are shown in Table 1 below.

Comparative Example 2 A milk product was produced in the same manner as in Example 3 except that sterilized air was used instead of nitrogen gas as the gas for replacing the inside of the aseptic tank 2. It was confirmed that the milk product obtained in this example could be bacteriologically stored at room temperature for 2 months. The change in the amount of dissolved oxygen in milk when the obtained milk product was stored at 10 ° C. was measured by the same method as in Example 1 above until the second week after the production. The measurement results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0028]

[Table 1]

From the results of Table 1, comparing the amounts of dissolved oxygen immediately after filling, in Examples 1, 2, and 3 in which the milk after heat sterilization was stored in the aseptic tank 2 replaced with nitrogen gas, air was used. Comparative Example 1 stored in the replaced sterile tank 2
It was confirmed that the amount of dissolved oxygen in milk was significantly reduced as compared with 2. In particular, Example 3 using the direct heat sterilization method tended to have a smaller amount of dissolved oxygen in milk than Example 1 using the indirect heat sterilization method. Further, Examples 1 and 3 in which the packaging container is filled with the aseptic filling device after being stored in the aseptic tank 2 are more dissolved in milk than Example 2 in which the packaging container is filled with an open system. There was less oxygen. Furthermore, in Example 2 in which milk was filled in a packaging container having no oxygen barrier property, dissolved oxygen gradually increased during storage, but in Examples 1 and 3 in which a packaging container having oxygen barrier property was filled. The amount of dissolved oxygen did not increase even after storage for 2 months.

(Sensory Test Example 1) Next, a sensory test example for milk when a container having an oxygen barrier property is used will be shown. A sensory evaluation was conducted by a panel of 51 men and women who had a habit of drinking milk and whose taste was recognized to be excellent by the taste test. As an evaluation method, a sample of milk was sampled and absolutely evaluated in three stages of delicious, uncertain and not delicious. As the samples, those selected in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 and stored for 1 month were used. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2 below.

[0031]

[Table 2]

(Sensory Test Example 2) Next, a sensory test example of milk when a packaging container made of the composite paper 30 having no oxygen barrier property is used will be described. A total of 5 men and women with milk drinking habits who were recognized to have excellent taste by a taste test
Sensory evaluation was performed by 0 panelists. The evaluation method is
A sample of milk was sampled, and it was evaluated by the method of absolute evaluation on three levels: delicious, uncertain, and not delicious. As a sample, Example 2 was selected, and for comparison, the milk product of Comparative Example 1 was transferred to a packaging container made of composite paper 30 having no oxygen barrier property immediately after production, and the milk product was hermetically sealed. Was used as a control sample, which was stored for 2 days. The reason why the used storage time of the sample is shorter than that of the sensory test example 1 is that the sample of Example 2 and the control sample have a short shelf life. In addition, the dissolved oxygen content of both samples was measured immediately before the sensory test, and as a result, the sample of Example 2 was 8.02, and the control sample was 8.86. The evaluation results are shown in Table 3 below. The results in Table 3 are the evaluations at the stage when the storage period of the sample is short and the freshness of milk is high.
No direct comparison with the results in Table 2 is possible.

[0033]

[Table 3]

(Sensory Test Example 3) Next, an example will be shown in which a sensory test was performed and compared between the case where the inside of the sterile tank was replaced with nitrogen gas and the case where the inside was replaced with air. A sensory evaluation was conducted by a panel of 28 men and women who were recognized to have excellent taste in taste inspection and who had a habit of drinking milk. As an evaluation method, a sample of milk was sampled and absolutely evaluated in three stages of delicious, uncertain and not delicious. As the samples, those used in Example 3 and Comparative Example 2 and stored for 2 months after filling were used. As a result, with respect to the sample of Comparative Example 2, 16 out of 28 panelists evaluated that it was “not delicious”, while the sample of Example 3
Only nine panelists rated it as “not delicious”.

From the results of the sensory test examples 1 to 3, it was recognized that the deterioration of flavor due to storage was reduced by replacing the aseptic tank with nitrogen gas.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, the milk obtained through the step of sterilizing the raw material milk by heating is stored in a sterile tank replaced with an inert gas to dissolve dissolved oxygen. It can be filled in a packaging container in a reduced amount, which suppresses deterioration of flavor over time,
The flavor at the time of drinking can be improved. Further, by performing the heat sterilization treatment of the raw material milk directly using the heat sterilization method, while suppressing the production of aroma components in the heat sterilization step, it is possible to further reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen,
The flavor at the time of drinking can be further improved. Further, when the milk is filled in the packaging container, the milk is filled in a state of being shielded from the atmosphere, so that the dissolved oxygen concentration of the milk immediately after the filling can be suppressed to be low. Furthermore, by using a container having an oxygen barrier property as the packaging container, it is possible to prevent an increase in the amount of dissolved oxygen during storage and suppress the adverse effect of oxygen during storage. Therefore, milk with little deterioration in flavor during storage can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an apparatus for producing milk according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a material of a packaging container having an oxygen barrier property.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a material of a packaging container having no oxygen barrier property.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Sterilizer, 2 ... Aseptic tank, 3 ... Filling device, 11 ...
Inert gas supply device.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Takamichi Konno             Morinaga 5-83 Higashihara 5-chome, Zama City, Kanagawa Prefecture             Dairy Co., Ltd. Food Research Institute (72) Inventor Hiroaki Matsui             Morinaga 5-83 Higashihara 5-chome, Zama City, Kanagawa Prefecture             Dairy Co., Ltd. Food Research Institute F-term (reference) 4B001 BC99 CC01 EC01

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A step of heat sterilizing raw material milk, a step of storing heat-sterilized milk in a sterile tank replaced with an inert gas, and a step of storing milk stored in the sterile tank. A method for producing milk, comprising the step of filling a packaging container. 2. The method for producing milk according to claim 1, wherein the heat sterilization treatment of the raw material milk is performed by a direct heat sterilization method. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of filling the packaging container with the milk stored in the aseptic tank is performed in a state where the milk is shielded from the atmosphere. Method for producing milk. 4. The method for producing milk according to claim 1, wherein a container having an oxygen barrier property is used as the packaging container. 5. A sterilizer for heat-sterilizing raw milk,
A sterile tank for storing heat-sterilized milk, means for replacing the gas inside the sterile tank with an inert gas, and a filling device for filling the packaging container with the milk stored in the sterile tank Milk production equipment characterized by the following. 6. The milk production apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sterilization apparatus is a sterilization apparatus by a direct heat sterilization method. 7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the filling device is a device for filling the packaging container with milk stored in the aseptic tank in a state of being shielded from the atmosphere. Milk production equipment. 8. The milk production apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the packaging container is a container having an oxygen barrier property.