JP2022097702A - Deodorization method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a deodorization method by which flavors remaining in a content filling system can be removed with good efficiency.

SOLUTION: A deodorization method comprising: a first CIP process in which CIP for a first circulatory system 25a, which includes a product heat sterilizer 3, is performed; a first SIP process in which SIP for the first circulatory system 25a is performed; a second CIP process in which CIP for a second circulatory system 25b, which includes a filling device 6, is performed; a second SIP process in which SIP for the second circulatory system 25b is performed; and a deodorization treatment process in which deodorization treatment of the first circulatory system 25a and the second circulatory system 25b is performed. The deodorization treatment process has: a step at which water is supplied to the first circulatory system 25a; a step at which water supplied to the first circulatory system 25a is heated by the heat sterilizer 3; and a step at which heated water is supplied to the second circulatory system 25b.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a deodorizing method for deodorizing a content filling system.

Conventionally, as a system for filling a container such as a bottle with a beverage, a content filling system for sterilizing the beverage itself and sterilizing a surge tank, a pipe, a filling nozzle, or the like to make it sterile has been known. In such a content filling system, for example, when switching the type of beverage, a CIP (Cleaning in Place) process is performed, and further, a SIP (Sterilizing in Place) process is performed (for example, Patent Document 1).

The CIP is for removing the residue of the previous beverage adhering to the flow path of the beverage or the tank, and after flowing a cleaning liquid containing an alkaline agent such as caustic soda in water, for example, in the flow path of the beverage. , It is carried out by flowing a cleaning solution in which an acidic chemical is added to water.

SIP is for sterilizing the flow path or tank of a beverage to make it sterile, for example, by flowing heated steam or hot water into the flow path washed with CIP.

However, in recent years, such content filling systems have used, for example, mineral waters, carbonated beverages, tea-based beverages, fruit beverages, coffee beverages, dairy beverages, functional beverages, alcoholic beverages, so-called energy drinks containing caffeine and arginine. It is designed to be filled with various beverages such as. In addition, there are beverages containing many flavors in such various beverages. Further, next to the flavor-rich beverage, a flavor-free beverage such as mineral water may be filled. Therefore, if the flavor remains in the flow path of the beverage after CIP and SIP, there is a problem that the remaining flavor enters the next beverage and the aroma of the previous beverage adheres to the next beverage. If the aroma of the previous beverage is attached to the next beverage, it is necessary to perform CIP and SIP again, and the productivity is significantly deteriorated.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-22600

The present invention has been made in consideration of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a deodorizing method capable of efficiently removing flavors remaining in a content filling system.

In the present invention, in a deodorizing method for deodorizing a content filling system, a first CIP step for performing a CIP of a first circulation system including a product heating sterilizer for heating a beverage and a first SIP step for performing a SIP of the first circulation system. The second CIP step of performing the CIP of the second circulation system including the filling device for filling the contents in the container, the second SIP step of performing the SIP of the second circulation system, the first circulation system and the second circulation. It is a deodorizing method including a deodorizing treatment step for performing a deodorizing treatment of the system, and supplying heated water to the second circulation system after at least the second SIP is performed in the deodorizing treatment step.

The deodorizing treatment step includes a step of supplying water to the first circulation system after the first SIP is performed, and a step of heating the water supplied to the first circulation system by the product heat sterilizer. The deodorizing method comprises a step of supplying the water heated by the product heat sterilizer to the second circulatory system after the second SIP is performed.

The present invention is a deodorizing method in which the water is heated to a temperature of 70 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower in a step of heating the water supplied to the first circulation system by the product heat sterilizer.

The present invention is a deodorizing method in which in the step of supplying water to the first circulatory system in which the first SIP is performed, the time for supplying the water to the first circulatory system is 5 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less. be.

In the present invention, in the step of supplying the water heated by the product heat sterilizer to the second circulatory system in which the second SIP is performed, the time for supplying the water to the second circulatory system is 5. It is a deodorizing method that takes more than 120 minutes and less than 120 minutes.

The present invention includes the second circulation system including a tank for storing sterilized beverage and a heat sterilizer for producing sterile water connected to the downstream side of the tank to produce sterile water, and the deodorizing treatment step. Is a step of supplying water to the heat sterilizer for producing sterile water and heating the second circulation system after the second SIP is performed, and the heat sterilizer for producing sterile water is used to heat the second circulation system. It is a deodorizing method having a step of supplying water.

The present invention is a deodorizing method in which water is heated to a temperature of 70 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower in a step of supplying water to the heat sterilizer for producing sterile water and heating the water.

The present invention supplies the water to the second circulatory system in a step of supplying the water heated by the heat sterilizer for producing sterile water to the second circulatory system after the second SIP is performed. The time to sterilize is 5 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less, which is a deodorizing method.

According to the present invention, flavors remaining in the content filling system can be efficiently removed.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a content filling system to which the deodorization method according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a deodorizing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a deodorizing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a deodorizing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a deodorizing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a deodorizing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a deodorizing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a modified example of the content filling system to which the deodorizing method according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a modified example of the deodorizing method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 7 are views showing an embodiment of the present invention.

First, with reference to FIG. 1, the outline of the content filling system to which the deodorizing method according to the present embodiment is applied will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the content filling system 100 includes a compounding device 1, a balance tank 2, a heat sterilizer (product heat sterilizer) (Ultra High-temperature, hereinafter referred to as UHT) 3, and a surge tank (hereinafter referred to as UHT). A tank) 4, a head tank 5, and a filling device (filler) 6 are provided. The blending device 1, the balance tank 2, the UHT 3, the surge tank 4, the head tank 5, and the filling device 6 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the transport direction of the beverage. Further, the blending device 1, the balance tank 2, the UHT 3, the surge tank 4, the head tank 5, and the filling device 6 are each connected by a product supply system pipe 20 through which a beverage passes, as will be described later. It is sufficient that at least one of the surge tank 4 and the head tank 5 is provided.

Of these, the blending device 1 blends the beverage as a product in a desired blending ratio. Examples of the product include mineral water, carbonated beverages, tea-based beverages, fruit beverages, coffee beverages, dairy beverages, functional beverages, alcoholic beverages, so-called energy drinks containing caffeine and arginine, and the like.

The balance tank 2 smoothes the flow of the beverage by storing the beverage prepared by the blending device 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a heater H1 is provided on the downstream side of the balance tank 2, and the chemical is heated by the heater H1 at the time of CIP described later.

The UHT 3 heats and sterilizes the beverage supplied from the balance tank 2. The UHT 3 has a first-stage heating unit 31, a second-stage heating unit 32, a holding tube 33, a first-stage cooling unit 34, and a second-stage cooling unit 35. The beverage supplied to the UHT 3 is gradually heated by the first stage heating unit 31 and the second stage heating unit 32, and is heated to the target temperature in the holding tube 33. In this case, for example, the beverage is heated to 60 ° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower by the first-stage heating unit 31, and 60 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower by the second-stage heating unit 32. Further, the temperature is maintained in the holding tube 33 for a certain period of time. Further, the beverage that has passed through the holding tube 33 is gradually cooled by the first stage cooling unit 34 and the second stage cooling unit 35. The number of stages of the heating unit and the cooling unit may be increased or decreased as necessary.

The surge tank 4 stores the beverage sterilized by the UHT 3.

The head tank 5 stores the sterilized beverage supplied to the filling device 6.

The filling device 6 fills the container 9 from the mouth of the container 9 with the contents sterilized in advance. In this filling device 6, the contents are filled in the empty container 9. In this filling device 6, the contents are filled into the inside of the container 9 while the plurality of containers 9 are rotated (revolved) together with the filling nozzle 6a. This content may be filled in the container 9 at room temperature. The contents are sterilized in advance by heating or the like, cooled to room temperature of 3 ° C. or higher and 40 ° C. or lower, and then filled in the container 9.

In addition, the content filling system 100 has a sterile chamber 10. The filling device 6 described above is housed inside the aseptic chamber 10. In this case, the inside of the sterile chamber 10 is kept sterile.

The above-mentioned compounding device 1, balance tank 2, UHT 3, surge tank 4, head tank 5, and filling device 6 are each connected by a product supply system pipe 20 through which a beverage passes. The product supply system pipe 20 includes an upstream side supply pipe 20a located on the upstream side of the manifold valve 21 arranged between the UHT 3 and the surge tank 4, and a downstream side supply pipe 20b located on the downstream side of the manifold valve 21. And include. Here, the manifold valve 21 is for switching the flow path. As shown by the thick line in FIG. 1, the manifold valve 21 communicates the upstream side supply pipe 20a and the downstream side supply pipe 20b when filling the container 9 with a beverage. On the other hand, when the manifold valve 21 performs CIP and SIP (hereinafter, also referred to as CIP or the like), the upstream side supply pipe 20a and the upstream side return pipe 22a described later are communicated with each other (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The downstream side supply pipe 20b and the downstream side return pipe 22b, which will be described later, are communicated with each other (see FIGS. 4 to 6).

An upstream side return pipe 22a is connected to the manifold valve 21, and a bypass pipe 23a connecting the upstream side return pipe 22a and the balance tank 2 is connected to the downstream side of the upstream side return pipe 22a. .. Further, of the upstream side return pipe 22a, an upstream side supply mechanism 24a for supplying a drug or the like when performing CIP or the like is provided on the downstream side of the bypass pipe 23a. An upstream side introduction pipe 26a connecting the upstream side supply mechanism 24a and the bypass pipe 23a is connected to the upstream side supply mechanism 24a, and a drug or the like is supplied to the bypass pipe 23a via the upstream side introduction pipe 26a. It is configured to do. With such a configuration, the upstream side supply pipe 20a, the upstream side return pipe 22a, and the bypass pipe 23a form an upstream side circulation system (first circulation system) 25a for performing CIP or the like. In the upstream circulatory system 25a, for example, a sealing member made of packing is provided at a connection point of each pipe or each member so that a beverage or the like does not leak out. In this case, in the upstream circulation system 25a, for example, fluororesin (PTFE), EPDM, NBR, H-NBR, silicone, fluororubber packing, or various rubbers coated with PTFE can be used as the sealing member. ..

At the time of CIP, an alkaline cleaning liquid can be used as the chemical supplied to the bypass pipe 23a by the upstream side supply mechanism 24a described above. The alkaline cleaning solution contains a desired alkaline component such as chlorinated alkali such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite. The alkaline cleaning solution is an organic acid such as citric acid, succinic acid or gluconic acid, or a hydroxy carboxylic acid such as phosphoric acid and an alkali metal salt thereof, an alkaline earth metal salt, an ammonium salt or an alkanolamine salt such as ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. Metal ion sequestering agents such as acid compounds, anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, nonionic surfactants such as polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ethers, solubilizers such as sodium cumene sulfonate, polyacrylic acid Such acid-based polymers or metal salts thereof, corrosion inhibitors, preservatives, antioxidants, dispersants, defoaming agents and the like may be contained. Pure water, ion-exchanged water, distilled water, tap water, etc. are used as the water for dissolving these. Further, the alkaline cleaning solution may contain various bleaching agents such as hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, sodium percarbonate and thiourea dioxide.

As such an alkaline cleaning solution, for example, sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide may be contained in an amount of 0.1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less. Further, the alkaline cleaning solution may contain sodium hypochlorite having a chlorine concentration of 100 to 3,000 ppm. When a cleaning solution containing sodium hypochlorite having a chlorine concentration of 100 to 3,000 ppm is used as the alkaline cleaning solution, the bactericidal property can be enhanced as compared with the case where a cleaning solution containing sodium hydroxide is used.

Further, the manifold valve 21 is connected to a downstream return pipe 22b provided with a heater H2 for heating a chemical or the like at the time of CIP or the like described later. A downstream supply mechanism 24b for supplying a drug or the like when performing CIP or the like is provided upstream of the downstream side return pipe 22b. A downstream side introduction pipe 26b connecting the downstream side supply mechanism 24b and the downstream side return pipe 22b is connected to the downstream side supply mechanism 24b, and is connected to the downstream side return pipe 22b via the downstream side introduction pipe 26b. It is configured to supply drugs and the like. Further, a drain pipe 27b for receiving a drug or the like that has passed through the filling nozzle 6a of the filling device 6 described above at the time of CIP or the like is connected to the downstream side return pipe 22b. A cup 11 configured to be removable for each filling nozzle 6a is attached to the drain pipe 27b. The cup 11 is covered with the filling nozzle 6a by an actuator (not shown) when performing CIP or the like. As a result, the drain pipe 27b is connected to the filling nozzle 6a. With such a configuration, the downstream side supply pipe 20b, the downstream side return pipe 22b, and the drain pipe 27b form a downstream side circulation system (second circulation system) 25b for performing CIP or the like. Also in the downstream circulatory system 25b, for example, a seal member made of packing is provided at the connection point of each pipe and each member so that beverages and the like do not leak out. In this case, also in the downstream circulation system 25b, for example, fluororesin (PTFE), EPDM, NBR, H-NBR, silicone, fluororubber packing, or various rubbers coated with PTFE can be used as the sealing member. ..

In the case of CIP or the like, as the chemical supplied to the downstream return pipe 22b by the downstream supply mechanism 24b described above, the same alkaline cleaning liquid as the chemical supplied to the bypass pipe 23a by the upstream supply mechanism 24a is used. be able to.

Further, the temperature sensor 12 is connected to the upstream side supply pipe 20a, the upstream side return pipe 22a, the downstream side supply pipe 20b, the downstream side return pipe 22b, and the drain pipe 27b described above. The temperature sensor 12 may be arranged, for example, in a place where the temperature does not easily rise when hot water or the like is supplied therein. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the temperature sensor 12 is arranged between the holding tube 33 of the UHT 3 and the first stage cooling unit 34 and the like. The temperature sensor 12 may be provided in a place other than the upstream side supply pipe 20a, the upstream side return pipe 22a, the downstream side supply pipe 20b, the downstream side return pipe 22b, and the drain pipe 27b. For example, the temperature sensor 12 may be provided in the flow path of the filling device 6 through which the contents pass. The temperature information measured by these temperature sensors 12 is transmitted to a control device (not shown).

The above-mentioned product supply system piping 20 and the like are provided with the above-mentioned manifold valve 21, an actuator (not shown), various switching valves, a pump, and the like, and these are also controlled by signals from a control device (not shown). ..

The content filling system 100 described above may be a high temperature filling system that fills the contents at a high temperature of 85 ° C. or higher and lower than 100 ° C. Further, a medium temperature filling system for filling the contents at a medium temperature of 55 ° C. or higher and lower than 85 ° C. may be used.

Next, the operation according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, a deodorizing method for deodorizing the content filling system 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7. In FIGS. 2 to 7, the pipes through which water, chemicals and steam pass are shown by thick lines.

First, after the filling of the beverage in the content filling system 100 is completed, the operation buttons of the control device (not shown) are operated. As a result, as will be described later, in the upstream circulatory system 25a and the downstream circulatory system 25b, CIP and SIP are executed in predetermined procedures, respectively (see FIGS. 2 to 5). At this time, the manifold valve 21 is switched, the upstream side supply pipe 20a and the upstream side feedback pipe 22a communicate with each other (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and the downstream side supply pipe 20b and the downstream side feedback pipe 22b communicate with each other (see FIGS. 2 and 3). See FIGS. 4 and 5). The CIP and SIP of the upstream circulatory system 25a and the CIP and SIP of the downstream circulatory system 25b may be performed in order or in parallel with each other. Here, first, the CIP step (first CIP step) and the SIP step (first SIP step) of the upstream circulatory system 25a will be described.

( CIP process )
(1st rinse process)
First, as shown in FIG. 2, water is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a. At this time, first, water is supplied from the upstream side supply mechanism 24a into the balance tank 2 via the upstream side introduction pipe 26a. At this time, water is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a at a temperature of, for example, 10 ° C. or higher and 40 ° C. or lower, for example, 15 ° C. At this time, water may be supplied into the balance tank 2 from a pipe or the like (not shown) without using the upstream side supply mechanism 24a.

Next, the water supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a passes through the upstream supply pipe 20a and the manifold valve 21. Subsequently, the water is supplied to the upstream side return pipe 22a, passes through the upstream side return pipe 22a, and is discharged to the outside as a waste liquid from the upstream side supply mechanism 24a. At this time, in the upstream supply mechanism 24a, heat exchange may be performed between the water to be supplied and the water discharged to the outside.

When water is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a as described above, the time for supplying water to the upstream circulatory system 25a may be 5 minutes or more and 30 minutes or less, for example, 5 minutes.

(Drug circulation process)
Next, as shown in FIG. 3, a drug is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a and circulated. At this time, first, the chemical is supplied from the upstream side supply mechanism 24a into the balance tank 2 via the upstream side introduction pipe 26a. In this case, as the chemical, an alkaline cleaning solution containing 0.1 to 10% by mass of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, or an alkaline cleaning solution containing sodium hypochlorite having a chlorine concentration of 100 to 3000 ppm can be used. .. At this time, the drug may be supplied into the balance tank 2 and the heater H1 from a pipe or the like (not shown) without using the upstream side supply mechanism 24a.

The medicine supplied to the balance tank 2 passes through the balance tank 2 and is heated by the heater H1 provided on the downstream side of the balance tank 2. Further, the drug heated by the heater H1 is sent to the UHT 3 through the upstream supply pipe 20a, and is further heated by the UHT 3. At this time, the drug is heated to, for example, a temperature of 70 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower, for example, 80 ° C.

Next, the heated drug passes through the upstream supply pipe 20a and passes through the UHT 3 and the manifold valve 21. Subsequently, the heated drug is supplied to the upstream side return pipe 22a and is supplied to the bypass pipe 23a connected to the upstream side return pipe 22a. Then, the medicine is supplied into the balance tank 2 via the bypass pipe 23a. In this way, the drug circulates in the upstream circulatory system 25a. The drug may be supplied to the heater H1 via a bypass pipe 23a and circulated in the upstream circulation system 25a by a pipe or the like (not shown). Then, the drug is circulated in the upstream circulatory system 25a for a predetermined time, and then discharged to the outside as a waste liquid from the upstream supply mechanism 24a (see FIG. 2). In this case, the time for supplying the drug into the upstream circulatory system 25a and circulating it may be 5 minutes or more and 60 minutes or less, for example, 15 minutes.

If necessary, cleaning with an acidic cleaning solution may be performed before and after purification with an alkaline cleaning solution. Further, for example, after purification with an acidic cleaning solution, purification with an alkaline cleaning solution may be performed, and then purification with an acidic cleaning solution may be performed. Further, after purification with an alkaline cleaning solution, purification with an acidic cleaning solution may be performed, and then purification with an alkaline cleaning solution may be performed.

(Second rinse process)
Next, as shown in FIG. 2, water is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a. At this time, water is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a in the same manner as in the first rinsing step described above. In this case, water is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a at a temperature of, for example, 10 ° C. or higher and 40 ° C. or lower, for example, 15 ° C. Further, the time for supplying water to the upstream circulatory system 25a may be 5 minutes or more and 60 minutes or less, for example, 10 minutes. Even in this case, water may be supplied into the balance tank 2 from a pipe or the like (not shown) without using the upstream side supply mechanism 24a.

(Third rinse process)
Further, if necessary, water may be supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a after the second rinsing step described above. At this time, water is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a in the same manner as in the first rinse step and the second rinse step described above. In this case, water is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a in the upstream circulatory system 25a at a temperature of, for example, 10 ° C. or higher and 40 ° C. or lower, for example, 15 ° C. Further, the time for supplying water to the upstream circulatory system 25a may be 5 minutes or more and 60 minutes or less, for example, 10 minutes. Even in this case, water may be supplied into the balance tank 2 from a pipe or the like (not shown) without using the upstream side supply mechanism 24a.

In this way, the CIP of the upstream circulatory system 25a is performed.

Then, after the CIP of the upstream circulatory system 25a is performed, the SIP of the upstream circulatory system 25a is performed.

( SIP process )
First, as shown in FIG. 3, water is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a to circulate it. At this time, first, water is supplied from the upstream side supply mechanism 24a into the balance tank 2 via the upstream side introduction pipe 26a. The water supplied to the balance tank 2 is sent to the UHT 3 through the upstream supply pipe 20a, and is heated by the UHT 3 to be sterilized. At this time, the water is heated to, for example, a temperature of 90 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower, for example, 95 ° C. At this time, water may be supplied into the balance tank 2 and the heater H1 from a pipe or the like (not shown) without using the upstream side supply mechanism 24a.

Next, the water heated by the UHT 3 passes through the upstream supply pipe 20a and the manifold valve 21. Subsequently, the heated water is supplied to the upstream side return pipe 22a and is supplied to the bypass pipe 23a connected to the upstream side return pipe 22a. Then, the water is supplied into the balance tank 2 via the bypass pipe 23a. In this way, water circulates in the upstream circulatory system 25a. Water may be supplied to the heater H1 via a bypass pipe 23a and circulated in the upstream circulation system 25a by a pipe or the like (not shown). After that, the water circulates in the upstream circulatory system 25a for a predetermined time, and then is discharged to the outside as a waste liquid from the upstream supply mechanism 24a (see FIG. 2).

As described above, when water is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a and circulated, the water is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a and the circulation time is 5 minutes or more and 60 minutes or less, even if it is 5 minutes as an example. good.

The upstream circulation system 25a may be supplied with a sterilizing working fluid such as steam or the above-mentioned chemicals instead of water.

In this way, SIP of the upstream circulatory system 25a is performed.

Then, while maintaining the aseptic state, the UHT3 or the like heated for SIP is cooled to a desired set temperature.

Next, the CIP step (second CIP step) and the SIP step (second SIP step) of the downstream circulation system 25b will be described.

( CIP process )
First, as shown in FIG. 4, the cup 11 is covered with the filling nozzle 6a. As a result, the drain pipe 27b is connected to the filling nozzle 6a.

(1st rinse process)
Next, water is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b. At this time, first, water is supplied from the downstream side supply mechanism 24b to the downstream side return pipe 22b via the downstream side introduction pipe 26b. At this time, water is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b at a temperature of, for example, 5 ° C. or higher and 40 ° C. or lower, for example, 15 ° C.

Next, the supplied water passes through the downstream return pipe 22b and the manifold valve 21. At this time, water is supplied to the downstream side supply pipe 20b, passes through the downstream side supply pipe 20b, the surge tank 4, the head tank 5, the filling device 6 and the drain pipe 27b, and is discharged to the outside as waste liquid from the downstream side supply mechanism 24b. Will be done.

When water is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b as described above, the time for supplying water to the downstream circulatory system 25b may be 5 minutes or more and 30 minutes or less, for example, 5 minutes.

(Drug circulation process)
Next, as shown in FIG. 5, a drug is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b and circulated. At this time, first, the drug is supplied from the downstream side supply mechanism 24b to the downstream side return pipe 22b via the downstream side introduction pipe 26b. As the drug, an alkaline cleaning solution similar to the drug used when CIPing the upstream circulatory system 25a can be used. The chemical supplied to the downstream return pipe 22b is heated by the heater H2. At this time, the drug is heated to, for example, a temperature of 70 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower, for example, 80 ° C.

The heated drug then passes through the manifold valve 21 and then through the downstream supply pipe 20b, the surge tank 4, the head tank 5 and the filling device 6. Then, it is supplied to the downstream return pipe 22b via the drain pipe 27b. In this way, the drug circulates in the downstream circulatory system 25b. Then, the drug is circulated in the downstream circulatory system 25b for a predetermined time, and then discharged to the outside as a waste liquid from the downstream supply mechanism 24b (see FIG. 4). In this case, the time for supplying the drug into the downstream circulatory system 25b and circulating it may be 5 minutes or more and 60 minutes or less, for example, 15 minutes.

If necessary, cleaning with an acidic cleaning solution may be performed before and after purification with an alkaline cleaning solution, as in the case of the upstream circulatory system 25a. Further, for example, after purification with an acidic cleaning solution, purification with an alkaline cleaning solution may be performed, and then purification with an acidic cleaning solution may be performed. Further, after purification with an alkaline cleaning solution, purification with an acidic cleaning solution may be performed, and then purification with an alkaline cleaning solution may be performed.

(Second rinse process)
Next, as shown in FIG. 4, water is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b. At this time, water is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b as in the first rinsing step in the downstream circulatory system 25b described above. In this case, water is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b in the downstream circulatory system 25b at a temperature of, for example, 10 ° C. or higher and 40 ° C. or lower, for example, 15 ° C. Further, the time for supplying water to the downstream circulatory system 25b may be 5 minutes or more and 60 minutes or less, for example, 10 minutes.

(Third rinse process)
Further, if necessary, water may be supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b after the second rinsing step in the downstream circulatory system 25b described above. At this time, water is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b in the same manner as in the first rinsing step and the second rinsing step in the downstream circulatory system 25b described above. In this case, water is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b in the downstream circulatory system 25b at a temperature of, for example, 10 ° C. or higher and 40 ° C. or lower, for example, 15 ° C. Further, the time for supplying water to the downstream circulatory system 25b may be 5 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less, for example, 10 minutes.

In this way, the CIP of the downstream circulatory system 25b is performed.

Then, after the CIP of the downstream circulatory system 25b is performed, the SIP of the downstream circulatory system 25b is performed.

( SIP process )
First, as shown in FIG. 6, steam is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b. At this time, first, steam is supplied from the manifold valve 21. At this time, the steam is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b at a temperature of, for example, 90 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower, for example, 135 ° C. The steam may be supplied from the upper part of each of the tanks 4 and 5.

Next, the steam supplied to the manifold valve 21 is discharged to the outside through the downstream supply pipe 20b, the surge tank 4, the head tank 5, the filling device 6 and the drain pipe 27b.

When the steam is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b as described above, the time for supplying the steam to the downstream circulatory system 25b may be 5 minutes or more and 60 minutes or less, for example, 5 minutes.

Instead of steam, a working fluid for sterilization such as water or the above-mentioned chemical used for CIP cleaning may be supplied to the downstream circulation system 25b.

In this way, SIP of the downstream circulatory system 25b is performed.

Then, the downstream circulatory system 25b is cooled by sterile air. At this time, aseptic air is sent into the downstream side supply pipe 20b, and the downstream side supply pipe 20b, the surge tank 4, the filling device 6, and the like are cooled. At this time, for example, cooling with sterile air is performed until the temperature of the flow path through which the contents of the filling device 6 passes becomes 60 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower. After that, the downstream circulatory system 25b may be cooled by supplying sterile water to the downstream circulatory system 25b.

( Deodorizing process )
Next, the deodorizing treatment step of performing the deodorizing treatment of the upstream circulatory system 25a and the downstream circulatory system 25b will be described.

First, after the SIP of the upstream circulatory system 25a and the downstream circulatory system 25b is completed, the operation buttons of the control device (not shown) are operated. As a result, the manifold valve 21 is switched, and the upstream side supply pipe 20a and the downstream side supply pipe 20b communicate with each other (see FIG. 7).

Next, water is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a where SIP is performed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, water is supplied from the upstream side supply mechanism 24a into the balance tank 2 via the upstream side introduction pipe 26a. The water supplied to the balance tank 2 is sent to the UHT 3 through the upstream supply pipe 20a. Even in this case, water may be supplied into the balance tank 2 from a pipe or the like (not shown) without using the upstream side supply mechanism 24a.

Next, the water supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a is heated by UHT3 to sterilize it. By heating the supplied water with UHT3 and sterilizing it, the deodorizing treatment of the content filling system 100 can be performed while maintaining the aseptic state. At this time, the water is sterilized under the condition that a heat load equal to or higher than the sterilization value of the product to be manufactured next is applied, and then the temperature at the outlet of UHT3 is, for example, 70 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower, for example, 90 ° C. It is heated so as to become. By heating the water to a temperature of 90 ° C. or higher, the flavors remaining in the upstream circulatory system 25a, especially the water-soluble flavors, can be efficiently removed. Therefore, the deodorizing effect can be improved. Further, by setting the temperature of water to 90 ° C. or lower, each tank 4, 5 and the like can be handled as a type 2 pressure vessel instead of a type 1 pressure vessel, so that the deodorizing treatment step can be carried out at low cost. be able to. In order to improve the deodorizing effect, although it is expensive, each tank 4, 5 and the like may be changed to a first-class pressure vessel and deodorized with water at 100 ° C. or higher. In this case, when draining water to the outside of each of the circulation systems 25a and 25b, the temperature may be lowered to less than 100 ° C. before draining.

Further, the time for supplying water to the upstream circulatory system 25a may be 5 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less, for example, 30 minutes. By setting the time for supplying water to the upstream circulatory system 25a to 5 minutes or more, the flavor remaining in the upstream circulatory system 25a can be effectively removed. Further, by setting the time for supplying water to the upstream circulatory system 25a to 120 minutes or less, downtime can be shortened and energy saving can be achieved.

Next, water heated by UHT3 is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b where SIP has been performed. At this time, the water heated by the UHT 3 passes through the upstream supply pipe 20a and the manifold valve 21. Subsequently, it is supplied to the downstream side supply pipe 20b.

Next, the water supplied to the downstream side supply pipe 20b passes through the surge tank 4, the head tank 5, the filling device 6 and the drain pipe 27b, and is discharged to the outside as a waste liquid from the downstream side supply mechanism 24b. At this time, the drain pipe 27b may be removed from the filling nozzle 6a and water may be discharged into the sterile chamber 10. In this case, the water is discharged to the outside as waste liquid from a discharge pipe (not shown) connected to the sterile chamber 10.

As described above, when water heated by UHT3 is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b, the time for supplying the water to the downstream circulatory system 25b is 5 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less, even if it is 30 minutes as an example. good. By setting the time for supplying water to the downstream circulatory system 25b to 5 minutes or more, the flavor remaining in the downstream circulatory system 25b can be effectively removed. Further, by setting the time for supplying water to the downstream circulatory system 25b to 120 minutes or less, downtime can be shortened and energy saving can be achieved.

( Deodorization confirmation process )
Further, a deodorization confirmation step may be provided to confirm that the deodorization effect is sufficient. In this deodorization confirmation step, first, water is sent to the content filling system 100. At this time, the water is sent in a state where the temperature at the outlet of the UHT 3 is lowered from the temperature at the time of the deodorizing treatment step (for example, 90 ° C.) to about 30 ° C. or higher and 40 ° C. or lower. Then, water is sampled from the drain pipe 27b at the outlet of the filling device 6 and it is confirmed whether or not the odor is removed. At this time, a sensor capable of separating odors may be provided. Further, the container may be filled with water by the filling device 6 and the odor may be confirmed. Then, if the result is NG in this deodorization confirmation step, the deodorization treatment step is performed again.

By the way, as described above, in the blending device 1, for example, a fruit beverage or the like is blended as a beverage. There are also beverages containing many flavors in such beverages. Examples of the flavor include ethyl butyrate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, isoamyl acetate, limonene, ethyl caproate, isoamyl butyrate, hexyl acetate, allyl caproate, octylaldehyde, decylaldehyde and the like. In particular, typical flavors include ethyl butyrate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate and limonene. Further, next time the beverage containing a large amount of such a flavor may be filled with a beverage containing no flavor such as mineral water or green tea. At this time, if flavors remain in the upstream circulatory system 25a and the downstream circulatory system 25b, the remaining flavors enter the next beverage, and the scent of the previous beverage adheres to the next beverage. There is.

In particular, as described above, in the upstream circulatory system 25a, for example, a packing made of fluororesin is provided as a sealing member at the connection points of each pipe and each member. Further, as described above, in the downstream circulatory system 25b, for example, a packing made of ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) is provided as a sealing member at the connection points of each pipe and each member. Further, as described above, when the beverage is filled in the container 9 (see FIG. 1), the beverage is heated to a temperature of about 60 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower by UHT3. At this time, for example, the packing provided at the connection point of each pipe may thermally expand, and a gap may be formed between each pipe and the packing. In this way, if a gap is created between each pipe and the packing, flavor may enter the gap. In this case, when the packing is cooled and contracted, the flavor that has entered the gap may intervene between each pipe and the packing in a state of being attached to the packing. Further, regarding the flavors interposed between each pipe and the packing, it is difficult to remove the flavors even if water is supplied to the upstream circulation system 25a and the downstream circulation system 25b or the chemicals are circulated. There are cases. Then, the flavor that has entered such a gap may enter the next beverage through the gap between each pipe and the packing, which is caused by the thermal expansion of the packing at the time of filling the next beverage.

On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, in the deodorizing treatment step, by heating the water to a temperature of 60 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower, the flavor remaining in the upstream circulatory system 25a and the downstream circulatory system 25b is efficiently produced. Can be removed well. That is, by heating the water to a temperature of 60 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower, the thermal expansion amount generated in the packing can be brought close to the thermal expansion amount of the packing generated when the beverage is filled. As a result, it is possible to effectively remove the flavor that has entered the gap generated when the packing is thermally expanded. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the problem that the scent of the previous beverage adheres to the next beverage. In particular, in the downstream circulation system 25b, a packing made of ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) can be used. Flavors tend to adhere to the ethylene propylene diene rubber, and flavors tend to remain in the downstream circulatory system 25b. On the other hand, by heating the water to a temperature of 60 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower, the flavor adhering to the packing can be effectively removed. In this case, in order to obtain a higher deodorizing effect, it is effective to rinse with water having a temperature equal to or higher than the sterilization temperature of the previous product. In addition, the above-mentioned flavors include water-soluble flavors such as ethyl butyrate and ethyl 2-methylbutyrate. In this case, by heating the water to a temperature of 60 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower, the water-soluble flavor remaining in the upstream circulatory system 25a and the downstream circulatory system 25b can be efficiently removed. Therefore, the deodorizing effect can be improved.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the deodorizing treatment step, the step of supplying water to the upstream circulation system 25a in which the SIP is performed and the water supplied to the upstream circulation system 25a are heated by the UHT3. It has a step and a step of supplying water heated by UHT3 to the downstream circulatory system 25b where SIP is performed. In this way, water is supplied to the upstream circulatory system 25a to which the SIP treatment has been performed to heat it, and the heated water is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b, so that the upstream side is maintained in a sterile state. Flavors remaining in the circulatory system 25a and the downstream circulatory system 25b can be removed.

Further, according to the present embodiment, in the deodorizing treatment step, the water is heated to a temperature of 70 ° C. or higher. This makes it possible to efficiently remove the flavors remaining in the upstream circulatory system 25a and the downstream circulatory system 25b, especially the water-soluble flavor. The temperature of water is 100 ° C. or lower. As a result, energy saving and cost reduction can be achieved.

Further, according to the present embodiment, in the deodorizing treatment step, the time for supplying water to the upstream circulatory system 25a is 5 minutes or more. As a result, the flavor remaining in the upstream circulatory system 25a can be effectively removed. The time for supplying water to the upstream circulatory system 25a is 120 minutes or less. As a result, downtime can be shortened and energy saving can be achieved.

Further, according to the present embodiment, in the deodorizing treatment step, the time for supplying the water heated by the UHT 3 to the downstream circulatory system 25b is 5 minutes or more. As a result, the flavor remaining in the downstream circulatory system 25b can be effectively removed. The time for supplying water to the downstream circulatory system 25b is 120 minutes or less. As a result, downtime can be shortened and energy saving can be achieved.

In the above-described embodiment, after the SIP of the downstream circulation system 25b is performed, aseptic air is used until the temperature of the flow path through which the contents of the filling device 6 passes becomes 60 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower. The example in which cooling is performed by means of is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the filling device 6 of the downstream circulation system 25b, the temperature of the flow path through which the contents pass is cooled to a temperature of 80 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower by sterile air, and then the water heated by the UHT 3 is applied to the upstream side. It is preferable to supply from the circulation system 25a to the downstream circulation system 25b. In the downstream circulatory system 25b, water heated by the UHT 3 in a state where the packing of the downstream circulatory system 25b is thermally expanded because the temperature of the filling device 6 after cooling with sterile air is 80 ° C. or higher. (70 or more and 100 ° C. or less) can be supplied from the upstream circulatory system 25a to the downstream circulatory system 25b. Therefore, it is possible to effectively remove the flavor that has entered the gap generated when the packing is thermally expanded, and it is possible to suppress the problem that the scent of the previous beverage is attached to the next beverage.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the manifold valve 21 is provided in the content filling system 100 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, CIP and SIP from UHT 3 to the filling device 6 may be performed at the same time without providing the manifold valve 21.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which SIP is performed after CIP in the upstream circulatory system 25a and the downstream circulatory system 25b has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in the drug circulation step of CIP, the drug is heated to a temperature of 70 ° C. or higher, and the time for supplying and circulating the drug in the upstream circulation system 25a and the downstream circulation system 25b is set to 5 minutes or longer. , Each pipe and each member of the upstream circulation system 25a and the downstream circulation system 25b may be sterilized. This makes it possible to omit the SIP that is normally performed after the CIP. Therefore, downtime can be shortened.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the content filling system 100 may further include a carbonic acid line 40 provided with a carbonic acid addition device 41 for adding carbonic acid to the beverage. In this case, the carbonic acid line 40 is connected to the downstream supply pipe 20b via a manifold valve 21b provided between the surge tank 4 and the head tank 5. As a result, as shown by the thick line in FIG. 8, the beverage is supplied to the carbonic acid line 40 through the downstream side supply pipe 20b, and carbonic acid is added by the carbonic acid addition device 41. Then, the carbonated beverage is supplied from the carbonic acid line 40 through the manifold valve 21b to the downstream supply pipe 20b and the head tank 5, and is filled in the container 9 by the filling device 6.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which water is heated by UHT3 in the deodorizing treatment step has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a downstream circulation system 25b is connected to the downstream side of the surge tank 4 to produce sterile water (heat sterilizer for producing sterile water) (hereinafter referred to as UHT). In the deodorization treatment step, water may be supplied and heated to the UHT 3b, and the water heated by the UHT 3b may be supplied to the downstream circulation system 25b after the SIP is performed.

In this case, the water heated by the UHT 3b passes through the sterile water supply pipe 28b and the manifold valve 21b. Subsequently, after circulating through the carbonic acid line 40, it passes through the manifold valve 21b and is supplied to the downstream side supply pipe 20b. The water heated by the UHT 3b may be directly sent to the filling device 6 without passing through the carbonic acid line.

Next, the water supplied to the downstream side supply pipe 20b passes through the head tank 5, the filling device 6 and the drain pipe 27b, and is discharged to the outside as waste liquid from the downstream side supply mechanism 24b. At this time, the drain pipe 27b may be removed from the filling nozzle 6a and water may be discharged into the sterile chamber 10. In this case, the water is discharged to the outside as waste liquid from a discharge pipe (not shown) connected to the sterile chamber 10.

At this time, the water may be heated so that the temperature at the outlet of UHT3b is 70 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower, for example, 90 ° C. By heating the water to a temperature of 90 ° C. or higher, the flavor remaining in the downstream circulatory system 25b, particularly the water-soluble flavor, can be efficiently removed. Therefore, the deodorizing effect can be improved. Further, by setting the temperature of water to 90 ° C. or lower, the head tank 5 and the like can be handled as a type 2 pressure vessel instead of a type 1 pressure vessel, so that the deodorizing treatment step can be carried out at low cost. can.

Further, the time for supplying water to the downstream circulatory system 25b may be 5 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less, for example, 30 minutes. By setting the time for supplying water to the downstream circulatory system 25b to 5 minutes or more, the flavor remaining in the downstream circulatory system 25b can be effectively removed. Further, by setting the time for supplying water to the downstream circulatory system 25b to 120 minutes or less, downtime can be shortened and energy saving can be achieved.

As described above, according to this modification, the downstream circulation system 25b includes the UHT3b connected to the downstream side of the surge tank 4, and in the deodorizing treatment step, water is supplied to the UHT3b to heat it, and SIP is performed. Water heated by UHT3b is supplied to the downstream circulatory system 25b after being broken. As a result, as shown by the thick line in FIG. 9, during the deodorizing treatment step of the downstream circulatory system 25b, the next product is prepared in the upstream circulatory system 25a where the SIP is completed, and the surge tank 4 It can also be stored in. As a result, downtime can be significantly reduced.

In the content filling system 100, when one of the tanks 4 and 5 is not provided and the head tank is one, it is preferable that the manifold valve 21b described above is provided on the downstream side of the head tank. be.

In the deodorizing treatment step, the heating device for heating water may be, for example, a sterile water sterilizer used in a sterile filling machine for bottle rinsing, cap rinsing, or the like, or another product heat sterilizer.

Further, the UHT3 and 3b may be an injection type or an infusion type, and the heat exchanger used for heat exchange in the content filling system 100 such as the heat exchanger of the UHT3 and 3b may be a plate type or a shell & tube type. good.

It is also possible to appropriately combine a plurality of components disclosed in the above-described embodiments and modifications as necessary. Alternatively, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the above embodiments and modifications.

3 UHT
6 Filling device 9 Container 25a Upstream circulation system 25b Downstream circulation system 100 Contents filling system

Claims (5)

In the deodorizing method of deodorizing the content filling system,
The first CIP step of performing the CIP of the first circulation system including the product heating sterilizer for heating the beverage, and
The first SIP step of performing the SIP of the first circulatory system and
The second CIP step of performing the CIP of the second circulation system including the filling device for filling the container with the contents, and
The second SIP step of performing the SIP of the second circulatory system and
After the second SIP step, a step of cooling the second circulatory system and
It is provided with at least a deodorizing treatment step of performing the deodorizing treatment of the second circulatory system.
The steps of cooling the second circulatory system include a step of cooling the second circulatory system with sterile air.
It has a step of cooling the second circulatory system cooled by sterile air with sterile water.
In the deodorizing treatment step, heated water is supplied to the second circulatory system after at least the step of cooling the second circulatory system is performed.
In the second SIP step, steam having a temperature of 90 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower is supplied to the second circulatory system.
In the step of cooling the second circulatory system with the sterile air, the second circulatory system is cooled to 60 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower.
A deodorizing method for supplying water heated to a temperature of 70 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower to the second circulatory system after at least the second CIP step is performed in the deodorizing treatment step. The deodorizing treatment step includes a step of supplying water to the first circulation system after the first SIP step is performed, and a step of heating the water supplied to the first circulation system by the product heat sterilizer. The deodorizing method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of supplying the water heated by the product heat sterilizer to the second circulation system after the second SIP step is performed. The second circulatory system includes a tank for storing sterilized beverages and a heat sterilizer for producing sterile water connected to the downstream side of the tank to produce sterile water.
The deodorizing treatment step is a step of supplying water to the heat sterilizer for producing sterile water and heating the step, and a heat sterilizer for producing sterile water in the second circulation system after the second SIP step is performed. The deodorizing method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a step of supplying the water heated by. In the deodorizing method of deodorizing the content filling system,
The content filling system is
A first circulatory system, including a product heat sterilizer that heats beverages,
A tank in which the beverage heated by the product heat sterilizer is stored, a manifold valve provided on the downstream side of the tank, and a filling device provided on the downstream side of the manifold valve to fill the container with contents. The second circulatory system, including
A carbonic acid addition device for adding carbonic acid to the beverage is provided, and a carbonic acid line connected to the second circulation system via the manifold valve is provided.
The manifold valve is configured to switch the flow path between the second circulatory system and the carbonic acid line.
The deodorizing method is
The first CIP step of performing the CIP of the first circulatory system and
The first SIP step of performing the SIP of the first circulatory system and
The second CIP step of performing the CIP of the second circulatory system and
The second SIP step of performing the SIP of the second circulatory system and
It is provided with at least a deodorizing treatment step of performing the deodorizing treatment of the second circulatory system.
In the deodorizing treatment step, heated water is supplied to the second circulatory system after at least the second SIP step has been performed.
In the second circulation system, a tank for storing the beverage heated by the product heat sterilizer is not provided on the downstream side of the manifold valve.
In the second CIP step, water is supplied to the second circulatory system after a step of supplying and circulating the drug to the second circulatory system and a step of supplying and circulating the drug to the second circulatory system. This has a rinsing step while cooling the second circulatory system.
In the step of supplying and circulating the drug to the second circulatory system, the drug is heated to a temperature of 70 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower.
In the rinsing step while cooling the second circulatory system, water having a temperature of 10 ° C. or higher and 40 ° C. or lower is supplied to the second circulatory system.
In the second SIP step, steam is supplied to the second circulatory system at a temperature of 90 ° C. or higher and 150 ° C. or lower.
A deodorizing method for supplying water heated to a temperature of 70 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower in the deodorizing treatment step to the second circulatory system after the second CIP step is performed. The deodorizing method according to claim 4, wherein the first circulation system is not provided with a tank for storing the beverage heated by the product heat sterilizer.

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