JP2015147612A - Method of producing packed acid beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of producing sterilized packed beverages, the method requiring no sterilization of containers with disinfectant and the like, without using an aseptic chamber for maintaining an aseptic condition during the sterilization and a packaging/sealing, and without deteriorating the flavor of the acid beverages filled/sealed in the containers.SOLUTION: Containers in which a pre-sterilized acid beverage is filled/sealed are provided. The containers are to be introduced to a high pressure treatment device to be pressurized.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for producing an acidic beverage stuffing container filled with various acidic beverages such as fruit juice beverages, fruit carbonated beverages, tea beverages, coffee beverages, dairy beverages, and drinking water.

  Containers such as bottles and cups made of flexible resin are not only easy to mold and mass-produced, but also are lightweight, so they are widely used as beverage stuffing containers filled with various beverages. Yes.

  In such containers, particularly polyester bottles, a method for aseptic filling of the acidic beverage described above has been widely employed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This aseptic filling method is to sterilize the bottle with a sterilizing agent or hot water, then fill the bottle with a beverage, and then seal the bottle with a similarly sterilized cap. All these steps are aseptic. Performed in a sterile chamber maintained in a state.

  The above aseptic filling method can efficiently perform the filling of the beverage into the bottle, the sterilization of the bottle and the sealing with the cap in a series of flows, so that the beverage filling container filled with the beverage can be industrially mass-produced. Is suitable.

  However, the conventionally known aseptic filling method requires a great deal of labor and cost to sterilize bottles and caps with a sterilizing agent, etc., and to form an aseptic chamber that maintains the sterilized state at the time of sterilization and filling / sealing. It is desired.

  On the other hand, recently, a sterilization method using high-pressure treatment is also known. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses one kind selected from cysteine, alanine, phenylalanine, serine, leucine and glycine in foods to be sterilized. Alternatively, after adding two or more amino acids, a high pressure treatment step of treating at a pressure of 50 to 600 MPa for 1 to 120 minutes, and a pasteurization treatment step of heating at a temperature of 60 to 100 ° C. for 5 minutes or more after the high pressure treatment step. A food sterilization method comprising The sterilization method using such a high-pressure treatment has an advantage that the sterilization treatment can be performed without using a chamber maintained in a sterile state.

  However, the sterilization method using the high-pressure treatment grows spore of the genus Clostridium which is an indicator bacterium for food sterilization, reduces its heat resistance and pressure resistance and kills it by treatment at high pressure and low temperature. Since the method is employed, it is necessary to add an amino acid in order to grow the spore, and there is a problem that the flavor of foods is impaired.

JP-A-10-287310 JP 2012-75338 A

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to eliminate the need for sterilization with a sterilizing agent such as a bottle and a cap, and to fill the container without using the sterilization and aseptic chamber for maintaining sterility at the time of filling and sealing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a container-packed beverage that has been sterilized without impairing the flavor of the sealed beverage.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a container-packed acidic beverage, comprising preparing a container filled and sealed with a pre-sterilized acidic beverage, introducing the container into a high-pressure processing apparatus, and subjecting the container to pressure treatment. Provided.

In the production method of the present invention,
(1) performing the pressure treatment at 350 MPa or more for 5 minutes or more;
(2) performing the pressure treatment at a pressure of 600 to 700 MPa,
(3) the container has flexibility;
(4) The container is a non-heat resistant polyester container,
(5) the container is bottle-shaped;
Is preferred.

In the present invention, an acidic beverage is selected as a beverage to be filled in a container, and a container filled with a sterilized beverage and sealed is subjected to high pressure treatment, so that an amino acid or the like for growing bacteria is added. Sterilization is effectively performed without adding an agent, and a container-packed beverage can be produced without impairing the flavor of the beverage that is the content.
Furthermore, since the container filled and sealed in advance by sterilizing an acidic beverage is sterilized using high-pressure processing, sterilization with a sterilizing agent etc. of the container becomes unnecessary, and the sterilization and filling / sealing There is no need to use a sterile chamber that maintains sterility.

It is the schematic which shows an example of the high-pressure sterilization processing apparatus used for implementation of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the other example of the high pressure sterilization processing apparatus used for implementation of this invention.

In the method of the present invention, a means is employed in which a container filled and sealed with a pre-sterilized acidic beverage is subjected to pressure treatment at high pressure.
Hereinafter, the container to be used, the acidic beverage, the sterilization treatment of the acidic beverage, and the high pressure treatment will be sequentially described.

<Container>
As the container, a container that can be filled and sealed with a pre-sterilized acidic beverage is used. However, since the pressure treatment is performed after filling and sealing of the acidic beverage, the sterilization by this pressure treatment can be performed. It needs to be effective. Specifically, the container is contracted by the pressure in the pressurizing process described later, but when the pressure is returned to the normal pressure, the container returns to a normal state and has a flexibility that keeps the sealing performance. Is used. As long as it has such flexibility, the material, shape, and size of the container are not limited. For example, as a flexible container, a bottle made of polyester resin or the like, a resin cap or a metal cap, Alternatively, it is possible to use a resin cup or a container in which various lid materials are attached by heat sealing, laser welding or the like to a paper cup in which a metal foil such as a resin film or aluminum foil is laminated on a paper material. However, in general, since the content filled in the container is a beverage, the aforementioned bottle-shaped flexible container is preferably applied as the container filled with the beverage.

<Acid drink>
As the beverage filled and sealed in the container, an acidic beverage that has been sterilized in advance, that is, one having a pH of less than 7.0 is used. That is, in the present invention, an acidic beverage that has been sterilized in advance is selected as the beverage to be filled and sealed in the container, so that fungi and general bacteria (heat-resistant Clostridium genus and Bacillus that can exist in the acidic beverage in the container) are selected. Various microorganisms such as general bacteria that form spores of the genus and the like are dead, and the sterilization of the container filled and sealed with the acidic beverage by the high pressure treatment described later is effectively performed. .

  Such acidic beverages are roughly classified into three types, and are classified into pH values of less than 4.0, pH values of 4.0 to less than 4.6, and pH values of 4.6 to less than 7.0.

For example, acidic beverages having a pH of less than 4.0 include fruit juices such as orange juice, lemon juice and grapefruit juice, fruit juice drinks containing fruit juices added to the fruit juices, and fruit juices obtained by adding carbonate to the fruit juice drinks Typical drinks include carbonated drinks, health drinks typified by sports drinks containing various inorganic salts, dairy drinks such as milk ingredients with fruit juices and sweeteners, and processed with lactic acid bacteria. .
Moreover, vegetable drinks, such as tomato juice, lemon tea, etc. can be mentioned as acidic drinks whose pH is 4.0 or more and less than 4.6.
Further, as acidic beverages having a pH of 4.6 or more and less than 7.0, black coffee, milk-containing coffee, tea beverages, milk tea, drinking water containing flavored water added with mineral water, fragrances, etc., urine, cocoa, soy milk Etc.

<Disinfection of acidic beverages>
Sterilization of an acidic beverage is performed by heating and holding the acidic beverage under conditions known per se.
Such sterilization is performed in advance before filling an acidic beverage into a container in the conventional manner, and is filled and sealed using, for example, a bottle and a cap washed with water.

The heating conditions for sterilization of acidic beverages vary depending on the type of acidic beverage (particularly pH).
For example, in the above-described acidic beverage having a pH of less than 4.0, the beverage or the beverage is filled and sealed under the condition of 65 ° C. for 10 minutes or more (that is, the temperature may be shorter as the temperature is higher). The heated container is heated.
Moreover, in the acidic drink of pH 4.0 or more and less than 4.6, it is 30 minutes at 85 degreeC, or this is equivalent or more.
Furthermore, in the case of an acidic beverage having a pH of 4.6 or more and less than 7.0, the temperature is 85 ° C. for 30 minutes, 120 ° C. for 4 minutes, or equivalent or higher.
The acidic beverage sterilized by heating as described above is stored in a storage tank that has been sterilized and washed after cooling to 5 ° C to 35 ° C, and is appropriately filled and sealed in a container.

  In the present invention, various fungi such as the aforementioned fungi and general bacteria (including heat-resistant Clostridium genus and Bacillus genus spore-forming general bacteria, etc.) present in acidic beverages by the above-mentioned heat sterilization Of microorganisms can be killed.

Further, in the present invention, the filling and sealing of the acidic beverage can be carried out through the process of cooling to 5 to 35 ° C. after the heat sterilization, for example, so that the flavor and the like of the acidic beverage can be satisfactorily maintained, and the acidic beverage is acidic. When the container for filling beverages is a polyester container, there is no particular need for a high-cost heat-resistant polyester container to which heat resistance is imparted by heat setting, and it is generally used frequently and is easy to manufacture and low-cost non-heat-resistant. A conductive polyester container can be used.
And, when the non-heat-resistant polyester container is made into a bottle shape in particular, the whole body in the height direction, or part of the height direction, the cross-sectional shape is a polygonal panel portion such as a quadrangle and the like By forming a column part between panels, it can be set as a container excellent in flexibility at the time of pressurization processing mentioned below.

<Pressure treatment>
In the present invention, microorganisms such as general bacteria that do not form fungi or spores on the inner surface of the container or the inner surface of the lid by performing pressure treatment on the container filled and sealed with the acidic beverage that has been heat-sterilized in advance as described above. If they are attached, they kill those microorganisms. That is, due to rapid water absorption at the time of pressurization and leaching of intracellular components at the time of depressurization, cell membrane destruction of the remaining microorganisms occurs and sterilization is performed. In this case, the highly heat-resistant spore bacteria in an acidic beverage have already been killed by exposure to an acidic environment or a heating environment (heat sterilization treatment). It is not necessary to add chemicals such as amino acids for the purpose.

  Such a pressure treatment is performed by pressurizing a container filled and sealed with an acidic beverage sterilized by heating to 350 MPa or more and 5 minutes or more, particularly 600 to 700 MPa. When this pressure is lower than the above range, killing of fungi remaining on the inner surface of the container and the inner surface of the lid and germs of general bacteria that do not form spores becomes insufficient, and higher pressure than the above range, The load applied to the processing apparatus becomes excessive, resulting in damage to the apparatus. The pressurization time varies depending on the applied pressure, but is usually about 5 to 10 minutes. The higher the applied pressure, the shorter the time.

  A processing apparatus that performs such pressure treatment typically has a structure shown in FIG. 1 or FIG.

The pressurizing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has a horizontal structure, and includes a horizontal cylindrical pressure cooker 1 that is open at both left and right ends. Pressure lids 3 and 5 are attached to and detached from the left and right openings. Can be installed freely.
As can be understood from FIG. 1, one pressure lid 3 is provided with a piston 7 and further with a water introduction pipe 9. The other pressure lid 5 is provided with a drain pipe 10.
A large number of containers to be pressurized are stored in a mesh-like storage case 15 and placed in the pressure cooker 1. In this state, the pressure lids 3, 5 are closed, water as a pressure medium is introduced from the water introduction pipe 9, and then the pressure lid 3 is pushed by operating the piston 7, thereby being stored in the storage case 15. The pressurizing process will be performed on the container.
After a predetermined time has elapsed, pressurization is stopped, water is discharged from the drain pipe 10, the pressure lids 3 and 5 are opened, and the storage case 15 is taken out to obtain a sterilized container-packed acidic beverage. it can.

The pressurizing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 has a vertical structure, and includes a bottomed cylindrical vertical pressure cooker 20 having an open upper end, and a pressure lid 21 is attached to the upper opening. Is done. A piston 23 is attached to the pressure lid 21, and the pressure lid 20 is pressurized by the operation of the piston 23.
Although omitted in FIG. 2, a drain pipe is connected to the lower portion of the pressure cooker 20.
In such an apparatus, a plurality of containers to be pressurized are accommodated in a net-like storage case 25, the storage case 25 storing the containers is placed in the pressure cooker 20, and water as a pressure medium is further added to the pressure cooker. 20, the pressure lid 21 is closed, and the piston 23 is operated to perform the pressurizing process.
After the pressurization process, the pressure lid 21 is opened, water is appropriately discharged, and then the storage case 25 is pulled up and taken out to obtain a sterilized container-packed acidic beverage.

  Such pressure treatment has an advantage of high energy efficiency because it does not use heat, unlike heated steam sterilization such as retort sterilization.

  The beverage filled in the container is a dairy beverage, an acidic beverage containing milk components, or an acidic beverage having a pH of 4.6 or more and less than 7.0 sterilized at 85 ° C. for 30 minutes or more. In some cases, after the pressure sterilization treatment, refrigerated storage at a temperature of 10 ° C. or less is performed.

According to the manufacturing method of the present invention described above, sterilization with a sterilizing agent such as bottles and caps, sterilization, and an aseptic chamber for maintaining sterility at the time of filling and sealing are unnecessary, and maintenance of sterility of the sterilization chamber is maintained. Therefore, a container-packed acidic beverage that is sterilized at low cost is obtained without requiring labor-intensive equipment.
Furthermore, it is not necessary to add chemicals such as amino acids to reduce the heat resistance of the bacteria, and the reduction of the flavor of the acidic beverage as the contents can be effectively avoided.

  The invention is illustrated by the following experimental example.

1. Sterilization / filling / sealing of acidic beverages, pressure treatment (1) Experimental example 1
Fresh juice 100% orange juice (pH 3.8) is sterilized at 93 ° C. for 10 seconds in advance, rapidly cooled to 5 ° C. and stored in a sterilized storage tank, and the inner and outer surfaces are washed with water. It was filled and sealed using a non-heat resistant round PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle and a polypropylene resin cap.
Next, 10 bottles filled and sealed with the orange juice were subjected to pressure treatment at 350 MPa for 5 minutes using the pressure treatment apparatus shown in FIG.
(2) Experimental example 2
Catechin-containing green tea (pH 6.8) equivalent to 50 mg% was sterilized at 137 ° C. for 1 minute, cooled to 30 ° C., stored in a sterilized storage tank, and then pressurized at 600 MPa for 5 minutes Were filled / sealed and pressurized as in Experimental Example 1.
(3) Experimental example 3
Filling / sealing and pressure treatment were performed in the same manner as in Experimental Example 2 except that the pressure treatment was performed at 700 MPa for 5 minutes.
2. Evaluation The PET bottle subjected to the pressure treatment in Experimental Examples 1 to 3 was taken out from the pressure treatment apparatus, and a storage test at room temperature (25 ° C.) for 1 month was performed. As a result of the storage test, in all cases, the sealing property was maintained, there was no deteriorated PET bottle, and the flavor was also good.

1: Horizontal pressure cooker 3, 5: Pressure lid 7: Piston 9: Water introduction pipe 10: Drain pipe 15: Storage case 20: Vertical pressure cooker 21: Pressure lid 23: Piston 25: Storage case

Claims (6)

  A method for producing a container-packed acidic beverage, comprising preparing a container filled and sealed with an acid beverage that has been sterilized in advance, and introducing the container into a high-pressure processing apparatus to perform a pressure treatment.   The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure treatment is performed at 350 MPa or more and 5 minutes or more.   The manufacturing method according to claim 2, wherein the pressure treatment is performed at a pressure of 600 to 700 MPa.   The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the container has flexibility.   The manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein the container is a non-heat resistant polyester container.   The manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein the container has a bottle shape.

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