JP5218792B2 - Food sterilizer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a food sterilization apparatus, and more particularly to a food sterilization apparatus that can be suitably employed in producing packed foods such as cooked rice sterilized so as to be stored at room temperature.

  The method for producing aseptic packed cooked rice described in Patent Document 1 includes a step of sterilizing rice that is quantitatively filled in a container by intermittently flushing high-pressure and high-temperature saturated steam in a sealed chamber. This sterilization process is performed, for example, by repeating the high-pressure high-temperature saturated steam flush for 5 to 10 seconds as one cycle 6 to 8 times. This sterilization process can kill both general and heat-resistant bacteria that may be attached to the rice, and at the same time, the rice is pre-gelatinized to a certain level. Then, the cooking time when cooking can be shortened. After cooked rice, the cooked cooked rice can be produced in a clean room or clean booth by covering the container with a lid and sealing hermetically.

  The food sterilization apparatus described in Patent Document 2 is in close contact with a placement plate for placing and supporting a container filled with a fixed amount of food such as rice, an upper and lower chamber, and a separation position where the upper and lower chambers are separated from each other. Means for relatively moving between a close position forming a sealed space between them, means for supplying the mounting plate between the upper and lower chambers when the upper and lower chambers are in a separated position, and the upper and lower chambers being in close positions And means for introducing pressurized steam into a sealed space formed between them. The pressurized steam introduced into the sealed space between the upper and lower chambers enters the inside of each container supported by the mounting plate, and sterilizes the food as the contents.

JP 09-172992 A JP 10-090661 A

  In the method for producing aseptic packed cooked rice described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to perform sterilization using the apparatus described in Patent Document 2, thereby making it possible to produce completely sterilized packed cooked rice. became. Sterile packed rice produced in this way can be stored for a long period of time even at room temperature, and consumers can easily cook rice with the same taste and texture as freshly cooked by heating it for several minutes after purchase. On the other hand, for convenience stores and other stores, it is possible to eliminate the loss of disposal due to excessive purchases and the loss of sales opportunities due to excessive purchases. Moreover, such a manufacturing method can be applied not only to cooked rice but also to various foods such as noodles such as pasta and side dishes, and has given great prospects to the market expansion of aseptic packed foods.

  However, the sterilization apparatus described in Patent Document 2 still had a point to be improved. That is, this sterilization apparatus introduces high-temperature and high-pressure steam from above into a food filling container that has not yet been covered with a lid, and thus the upper surface of the container is open. The food in the container (for example, rice grains) may be scattered outside the container by the flash, or the scattered food may adhere to the flange. If food is scattered outside the container, a predetermined content cannot be secured. Further, when the scattered food adheres to the flange, the subsequent sealing of the lid material is not performed well, the sealing performance is lowered, and thus the storage stability is lowered.

  Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to solve the above disadvantages of the conventional sterilization apparatus as described in Patent Document 2, and to sterilize packed food such as cooked rice more efficiently. It is to provide a novel food sterilization apparatus that can be used, and more specifically, to prevent food from being scattered by steam flash.

  In order to solve this problem, the invention according to claim 1 is a food sterilization apparatus for sterilizing food contained in a container having an upper opening with high-temperature and high-pressure steam, and further includes a steam inlet and a steam outlet. The food container is placed at a predetermined height in a closed space formed when the upper chamber and the lower chamber are placed in close contact with the upper chamber, the lower chamber that is disposed opposite to the upper chamber, and is movable relative to the upper chamber. Container support means supported at a level, a pressure plate that can be moved up and down with respect to the upper chamber, and a nozzle in the pressure plate to insert high-temperature and high-pressure steam introduced from the vapor inlet of the upper chamber into the container A steam nozzle extending through the hole, and a container lifter for lifting the food container supported by the container support means in the sealed space away from the container support means When the upper and lower chambers are separated from each other, the holding plate is located at a standby position above the food container supported by the container supporting means. When the container is moved and brought into close contact with the upper chamber to form a sealed space, the food container is lifted from the container support means in the sealed space, the flange of the container is brought into close contact with the lower surface of the pressing plate, and further pressed together with the container. The upper surface opening of the container is closed by raising the plate.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the food sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the container lifting means is a container bottom receiving member placed on the bottom surface of the lower chamber below the food container. .

  The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the food sterilization apparatus according to claim 2, container bottom receiving members having different thicknesses are used interchangeably according to the depth of the food container.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the food sterilization apparatus according to the first aspect, the container lifting means is a push-up plate provided so as to be movable relative to the lower chamber in the sealed space.

  The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the food sterilization apparatus according to claim 4, press plates having different thicknesses are used interchangeably according to the depth of the food container.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the food sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outer diameter of the steam nozzle is smaller than the diameter of the nozzle insertion hole of the pressing plate, and the steam nozzle is inserted through the nozzle insertion hole Is formed with a steam passage for discharging the steam injected from the steam nozzle into the container.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, during the sterilization process, steam is injected while the opening of the container is closed by the pressing plate and the weight of the pressing plate is applied, so that the food in the container is outside the container. It is possible to prevent the scattered food from adhering to the flange. Therefore, a predetermined internal volume can be ensured, and the sealing of the lid can be performed without hindrance, so that the sealing performance and the storage stability are not deteriorated.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 2, one Embodiment as a container lifting means is provided. According to this embodiment, since the container lifting means is formed simply by placing the container bottom receiving member on the bottom surface of the lower chamber, the apparatus configuration is relatively simple and can be manufactured at a relatively low cost. And according to the invention which concerns on Claim 3, there exists an effect which can make the container of a different kind (depth) into the object of sterilization by one apparatus structure. This device configuration is particularly suitable when the steam is jetted from above toward the food in the container.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 4, other embodiment as a container lifting means is provided. According to this embodiment, since the sealed space formed between the upper and lower chambers is depressurized, the push-up plate can be raised to close the container opening, so that an improvement in the sterilization effect by depressurization can be expected. . And according to the invention which concerns on Claim 5, there exists an effect which can make the container of a different kind (depth) into the object of sterilization by one apparatus structure. This device configuration is particularly suitable when the tip of the steam nozzle is inserted deep into the container and steam is injected inside the food filled in the container.

  According to the sixth aspect of the invention, steam can be injected into the container closed by the holding plate placed on the container flange, and the injected steam can be smoothly discharged out of the container. .

It is front sectional drawing of the food sterilizer by one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA. It is an AA section fragmentary figure which shows a state when the lower chamber is separating below in this food sterilizer. It is a figure which shows the piping system | strain for vapor | steam introduction / discharge and pressure reduction employ | adopted as this foodstuff sterilizer. It is an AA cross-section partial view in the case of targeting a large capacity (deep) container in this food sterilizer. It is a partially broken front view of the aseptic packed cooked rice finally obtained as a product using this food sterilizer. It is a flowchart which shows a series of aseptic packing cooked rice manufacturing processes performed using this food sterilizer. It is front view sectional drawing of the food sterilizer by other embodiment of this invention. FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 8. FIG. 8B is a sectional view taken along line B-B. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the same part as FIG. 9 showing a state immediately after the upper and lower chambers are brought into close contact with each other in the food sterilization apparatus. It is a figure which shows the piping system | strain for vapor | steam introduction / discharge and pressure reduction employ | adopted as this foodstuff sterilizer. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the same part as FIG. 9 in the case of targeting a large-capacity container in the food sterilizer.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  The structure of the food sterilizer 10 by one Embodiment of this invention is shown by FIG. 1 thru | or 5. FIG. Since this sterilizer 10 is used in the pressurized steam sterilization step (S3) in the series of manufacturing steps shown in FIG. 7 in order to finally produce the aseptic packed cooked rice shown in FIG. Prior to this, a series of manufacturing steps will be described.

  The container 1 (FIG. 6) is filled with a fixed amount of rice (FIG. 7: S1). More specifically, rice polished by a rice mill (milled rice) is stored in a storage, and this is adjusted to a water content of about 10 to 30% by washing and dipping it in a conventional manner using deaerated rice. Above, the container 1 is filled with a fixed amount (for example, 150 to 200 g) of a single meal.

  The container 1 is heat-resistant, water-resistant, sealed without being heat-softened or deformed even when exposed to a high temperature of 100 ° C. or higher, for example, about 130 to 150 ° C. Capacity necessary and sufficient to accommodate a single serving of rice to be supplied to the consumer from a plastic material having oxygen impermeability for substantially preventing secondary contamination after the sealing step (FIG. 7: S5) And a flange 1b that extends substantially horizontally outward from the upper end thereof, and is integrally formed in a substantially dish shape. Polypropylene is mainly used as the plastic material of the container 1, but if necessary, a laminate of polyvinylidene chloride or ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer resin on polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), rolled between the front and back polypropylene layers What laminated | stacked metal foils, such as aluminum foil, as a core layer can be used.

  A container filled with a fixed amount of rice is sterilized with high-temperature and high-pressure steam (S2). This sterilization process is performed in the sterilizer 10 described later, whereby the container 1 and the rice in the container 1 are sterilized at the same time. In addition, as will be described later, the high-temperature pressurized steam spreads evenly to every corner of the food container 1a and is uniformly sterilized uniformly, and not only general living bacteria but also heat-resistant living bacteria are substantially completely killed. Let At the same time, since the rice in the storage chamber 1a is heated, alpha conversion is promoted, so that the subsequent rice cooking (S4) can be performed efficiently in a short time.

  After several times (for example, 8 times) of sterilization (S2), a fixed amount of cooking water (water or hot water) is poured into the food container 1a of the container 1 (S3). In order to improve texture and yield, it is preferable to use deaerated water as cooking water. The cooked water can be sterilized in advance, or can be adjusted in advance to a predetermined pH value. In addition, when manufacturing packed products, such as mixed rice and red rice, a required seasoning liquid, coloring liquid, ingredients, etc. are added in this process or another process added before and after that.

  Next, it is put into a steam rice cooker and steam cooked by a conventional method (S4). In order to save space, it is preferable to use a multi-row multi-stage gondola that is circulated in the steam rice cooker. That is, shelves each capable of accommodating a plurality (for example, 4 to 10) of rice filling containers 1, 1,... A plurality of multi-stage gondola (for example, 8 to 70) are used, and a transport device is installed in which these multi-stage gondola are connected at equal intervals to a chain conveyor that is driven to circulate on a vertical plane. The shelf plate that accommodates the plurality of rice filling containers 1 has openings for fitting the food containing portions 1a of the rice filling containers 1 as many as the number of containers accommodated, and flanges are formed on the edge surfaces around the openings. The thing which has the structure which accommodates the rice filling container 1 in the suspended state by latching 1b can be used.

  When such a multi-row multi-stage gondola is used, the rice-filled container 1 filled with sterilized rice, boiled water (and possibly a seasoning liquid, etc.) is returned by an arbitrary transfer device. It is sent to each stage of the coming multistage gondola. And the gondola which accommodated the rice filling container 1 in all the stages is sent into a steam rice cooker, and is steam-cooked for a predetermined time (for example, 15 to 40 minutes) while moving in the room.

  The interior of the steam rice cooker may be divided into a plurality of zones, and the temperature may be controlled independently for each zone. Thereby, optimal steam temperature can be set according to a rice cooking process.

  The gondola that has completed steam cooking (S4) is pulled up by the chain conveyor, and the containers 1 are sent out one by one onto the conveyor. The emptied gondola returns to the entrance of the steam rice cooker and prepares for the next container accommodation.

  After completion of the steaming process, the rice filling containers 1 for storing the cooked rice are sequentially put into a sealing device, and a lid member 2 (FIG. 5) preliminarily UV-sterilized is attached and hermetically sealed (S5). The sealing device may be a known heat sealing device, but if necessary, trimming means for cutting unnecessary portions of the sealed lid member 2 is attached. In order to prevent secondary contamination after hermetic sealing, it is preferable to use a film formed of a plastic material having oxygen impermeability as the material of the container 1 as the lid member 2, and polyethylene or polypropylene is used. What has the easy peel property made into a main body is used suitably. In addition, flushing an inert gas such as nitrogen gas into the rice filling container 1 to expel the air in the container 1 and replacing it with an inert gas can also be hermetically sealed to prevent quality deterioration due to secondary contamination. This is one of the preferable measures. If necessary, a deoxidized material is enclosed and hermetically sealed.

  Container transportation from the outlet of the steam rice cooker to the hermetic seal device is performed by a conveyor, etc., but if it is exposed to the outside air during this time, there is a possibility that various bacteria may enter and cause secondary contamination, so to prevent this, The area in between is accommodated in a clean booth or clean room having a cleanness of class 100 to 1000, for example. Thereby, since the sterilized state by pressurized steam sterilization (S3) and steam rice cooking (S6) is maintained and hermetically sealed, it can be provided as an aseptic pack product. The structure of the clean booth is, for example, a tunnel booth between the outlet of the steam rice cooker and the inlet of the seal device, and a clean air generator is attached to the upper center of the booth to continuously feed clean air. Keeping the inside of the clean booth at a positive pressure (for example, about 0.5 to 2 mmAq higher than the outside air pressure), clean air flows from the top to the bottom of the booth, from the center to the outer periphery, It is preferable to configure so as to prevent the entry of contaminated outside air by flowing in the opposite direction (from the sealing and sealing device to the steam rice cooker).

  After the rice-filled container 1 is hermetically sealed with a hermetic seal device, steaming is performed for a predetermined time by a conventional method (S6), and the moisture content in the upper layer portion and the lower layer portion after rice cooking is made uniform and at the same time the promotion of alpha conversion Plan. Prior to the steaming process, the hermetically sealed container 1 is turned upside down, which is effective in promoting equalization of the upper and lower moisture amounts.

  Thereafter, in order to remove the odor associated with the steaming process (S6), the sealed rice-filled container 1 is passed through a cold water tank such as chiller water and cooled to near room temperature, for example, about 40 ° C. (S7). When the rice filling container 1 is turned upside down and steamed, the cooling process is performed after the upside down state is restored. In the steaming process and the cooling process, it is preferable to employ a multistage multi-row gondola similar to the steam rice cooker described above to improve the processing efficiency.

  After cooling, the water is removed and dried to a predetermined moisture content (S8), and further necessary for commercialization such as printing of production date and expiration date, pinhole inspection, weight check, etc. A desired aseptic packed cooked rice (FIG. 5) is manufactured through the process (S9).

  The sterilized packed cooked rice produced in this way has improved preservability by high-pressure and high-temperature steam sterilization (S2) and steam cooking (S4), and the processing area that may come into contact with outside air during a series of processing steps is Since the contents (rice cooked rice 3) are blocked from the outside air by the oxygen-impermeable container 1 and the lid material 2 and are prevented from secondary contamination by the clean booth. Aseptic condition is maintained, and it can be stored for a long time (6 months to 1 year or more) even at room temperature. Therefore, if a consumer warms about 1 to 3 minutes with a microwave oven after purchase, he can easily eat cooked rice with the same taste and texture as boiled rice. In addition, a store such as a convenience store eliminates the loss of disposal due to excessive purchases and the loss of sales opportunities due to excessive purchases, thereby obtaining extremely large cost merit.

  With reference to FIG. 1 thru | or FIG. 3, the food sterilizer 10 by one Embodiment of this invention used in order to perform a sterilization treatment process (FIG. 7: S2) is explained in full detail below. This sterilizer 10 sterilizes the container 1 itself with high-temperature and high-pressure steam, with the container 1 filled with a fixed amount of rice (the cover 2 is not yet attached and the top surface is open) as the processing target. At the same time, the rice in the container 1 is sterilized so that not only general living bacteria but also heat-resistant living bacteria are substantially completely killed. The sterilizer 10 is configured symmetrically about the width direction center line X (FIGS. 1 and 2), and half of the sterilizer 10 is shown in FIGS.

  The sterilizer 10 is a retainer that is conveyed by a conveyor (not shown) that is intermittently driven in a predetermined direction (a vertical direction in FIG. 1, a vertical direction in FIG. 2) by a driving means (not shown) such as a motor. 11. A plurality of (four in the illustrated example) elliptical openings are arranged in the retainer 11 in parallel in the width direction at predetermined intervals, and the food storage portions 1a of the containers 1 are fitted and received in the openings, respectively, and the flanges 1b are respectively provided. The container 1 is supported in a state of being locked to the opening edge (FIG. 3). The retainer 11 is an example of the “container support means” in the present invention.

  The sterilizer 10 includes an upper chamber 12 and a lower chamber 13 that are disposed to face each other in the vertical direction. The upper and lower chambers 12, 13 are relative to each other between a standby position (FIG. 3) where they are spaced apart from each other and a closed position (FIG. 1) where they are in close proximity to each other to provide a substantially sealed space between them. It is movable. In this embodiment, the upper chamber 12 is fixed, and a driving means such as a hydraulic cylinder is provided between a standby position (FIG. 3) in which the lower chamber 13 is spaced downward and a closed position (FIG. 1) in close contact with the upper chamber 12. 14 is configured to be movable up and down. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the upper and lower chambers 12, 13 are in close contact with each other and provide a sealed space 15 therebetween, and sterilization is performed in this state. The sealed space 15 has a plane dimension sufficient to accommodate the retainers 11 that support the four containers 1 and, as will be described later, a container bottom receiving member 16 (in this embodiment) for lifting the containers 1 from the retainers 11. A space for providing “container lifting means” between the bottom surface 13 a of the lower chamber 13 and the container 1 is provided. Reference numeral 17 denotes a packing for forming and holding the sealed space 15.

  The upper chamber 12 has a steam inlet 18 and a steam outlet 19. High-temperature and high-pressure steam generated by a steam generator (not shown) enters the sealed space 15 from the steam inlet 18, sterilizes the food (rice) in the container 1 in the sealed space 15, and then discharges from the steam outlet 19. Thus, one steam sterilization process is completed. As shown schematically in FIG. 4, a steam introduction pipe 20 from a steam generator is connected to the steam introduction port 18, and a steam discharge pipe 21 is connected to the steam discharge port 19. The timing of steam introduction and discharge is controlled by opening and closing the electromagnetic valves 22 and 23 respectively provided in the discharge pipe 21. Since such a control method itself is well-known, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The aforementioned container bottom receiving member 16 is placed on the bottom surface 13 a of the lower chamber 13 immediately below the container 1 supported by the retainer 11. As the container bottom receiving member 16, it is preferable to use a perforated plate made of stainless steel or the like, so that the high-temperature and high-pressure steam introduced into the sealed space 15 between the upper and lower chambers 12 and 13 wraps around the lower part of the container 1. It is possible to sterilize by heating from the bottom of the container. When the upper and lower chambers 12 and 13 are in a standby position (FIG. 3) separated from each other, the container bottom receiving member 16 is retracted below the container 1 supported by the retainer 11 and does not interfere with it. While the chamber 13 is moving up, it hits the bottom surface of the container 1 supported by the retainer 11, and the lower chamber 13 is further lifted to remove the container 1 from the retainer 11 and lift it to a predetermined height (FIG. 1). This operation will be described in detail later.

  The nozzle unit 30 includes a nozzle base 31, and a steam guide 33 provided on the nozzle base 31 to form a substantially sealed vapor chamber 32 between the lower surface 12a of the upper chamber 12 and the nozzle base 31, A nozzle holder 34 fixed to the lower surface of the nozzle base 31, a plurality of steam nozzles 35, and a pressing plate 36 are provided. The nozzle base 31 is fixed to the lower surface of the internal stepped portion 12b at the upper corner of the upper chamber 12 with a fixing tool (not shown) such as a screw. Therefore, the entire nozzle unit 30 is integrated with the upper chamber 12. Yes. The nozzle base 31 is a metal plate such as stainless steel and has substantially the same planar dimensions as the sealed space 15 between the upper and lower chambers 12 and 13.

  The steam guide 33 has substantially the same height as the step portion 12b of the upper chamber 12 (FIG. 1), and is provided on both sides of the center line X in this embodiment, and surrounds the openings of the two containers 1, respectively. When the nozzle base 31 is attached to the upper chamber 12, the upper surface of the nozzle base 31 is in close contact with the lower surface 12a of the upper chamber 12, so that a substantially closed space is formed between them. A steam chamber 32 is formed. The steam inlet 18 opens in a steam chamber 32 formed by the steam guide 33, and the high-temperature and high-pressure steam introduced into the steam inlet 18 enters the steam chamber 32, and after the sterilization process described later, the steam chamber 32. Is discharged outside the apparatus through an opening 39 formed in the nozzle base 31 and the steam discharge port 19.

  The steam guide 33 defines the steam chamber 32 as a substantially closed space as described above, but a wall thickness through hole (not shown) that penetrates the wall thickness of the steam guide 33 on the nozzle base 31. Are formed at several locations, and the inside and outside of the steam chamber 32 are partially communicated with each other on the nozzle base 31 in the wall thickness through hole. In this sense, the vapor chamber 25 is expressed as a “substantially closed space”. As will be described later, the wall thickness through hole serves to discharge hot water contained in the steam to the outside of the steam chamber 32.

  The holding plate 36 is a plate-like body made of stainless steel or the like having a plane dimension sufficient to cover the flange 1b for each container 1 and is attached below the nozzle holder 34 while allowing a slight vertical movement. As an example of attachment, in the illustrated embodiment, a guide column 68 having a stopper 68a at the lower end is screwed onto each of the screw shafts 67 fixed to the steam guide 33 and the nozzle holder 34 at a plurality of locations, and the stopper 68a is pressed against the holding plate. By fitting and accommodating in a recess 36a formed on the back side near the outer peripheral edge of 36, the presser plate 36 is allowed to move slightly up and down within the gap height range between the presser plate 36 and the nozzle holder 34. A configuration for mounting in a suspended state is adopted. According to this configuration, the holding plate 36 can be easily attached and detached by removing all the guide columns 68 from the screw shaft 67, which is advantageous for maintenance and replacement.

  The holding plate 36 is formed with the same number of nozzle insertion holes 37 through which the steam nozzles 35 are inserted corresponding to the positions of the steam nozzles 35. The nozzle insertion hole 37 is formed to have a diameter that is somewhat larger than the outer diameter of the steam nozzle 35. Therefore, even when the steam nozzle 35 is inserted, the nozzle passage hole 37 passes (discharges) steam around it. A steam passage 38 is left.

  The plurality of vapor nozzles 35 are resin-molded integrally with the nozzle holder 34 and penetrate the nozzle holder 34 in the thickness direction. The upper end of the steam nozzle 35 is opened at a position protruding to a predetermined height in the steam chamber 32, and the lower end is opened at a position protruding slightly below the nozzle insertion hole 37 of the presser plate 36. .

  The operation of the sterilizer 10 configured as described above will be described. When the upper and lower chambers 12 and 13 are in the standby positions separated from each other (FIG. 3), the rice filling container 1 supported by the retainer 11 is driven between the upper and lower chambers 12 and 13 by driving a conveyor (not shown). First sterilization position). At this time, the holding plate 36 is held in a suspended state in which the stopper 68a is locked to the ceiling surface of the recess 36, and the container 1 is also supported in a state of being suspended from the retainer 11. The holding plate 36 is separated from the container flange 1b. Further, the bottom surface of the container 1 supported by the retainer 11 is separated from the container bottom receiving member 16 placed in the lower chamber 13 at a position immediately below the container 1. And after stopping a conveyor in this position, the lower chamber 13 is raised by the drive means 14, and it is made to closely_contact | adhere to the upper chamber 12, and the sealed space 15 is formed among them.

  In the ascending process until the lower chamber 13 comes into close contact with the upper chamber 12 to form the sealed space 15, the container bottom receiving member 16 first comes into contact with the bottom surface of the container 1 supported by the retainer 11, and the lower chamber 13 By ascending, the container 1 is lifted away from the locked state by the retainer 11. Then, even after the container flange 1b comes into contact with the lower surface of the presser plate 36, the presser plate 36 is lifted so as to be lifted by the container flange 1b, and the state shown in FIG. 1 is obtained. At this time, in the container 1, the food container 1a enters the opening of the retainer 11, the bottom surface is supported on the container bottom receiving member 16, and the weight of the pressing plate 36 acts on the flange 1b to be in close contact with the container 1 It has become. Further, a steam nozzle 35 that passes through the nozzle insertion hole 37 of the pressing plate 36 that is in close contact with the container flange 1 b opens toward the inside of the container 1.

  In this state, high-temperature high-pressure steam is introduced from the steam inlet 18. For example, high temperature and high pressure steam at 145 ° C. is flash injected for 5.5 seconds. The steam introduced from the steam inlet 18 fills the steam chamber 32 surrounded by the steam guide 33 between the upper chamber lower surface 12 a and the nozzle base 31, and then opens at the upper end of the steam chamber 32. It enters the nozzle 35 and is sprayed toward the food in the container 1 from its lower end. Thereby, while the inside of the container 1 and the food with which the container 1 was filled are sterilized, the effect which loosens the solidified food is also acquired. At this time, the opening of the container 1 is substantially closed by the action of the weight of the pressing plate 36 that is in close contact with the flange 1b. It does not adhere to 1b. Further, the steam enters the sealed space 15 through the opening 39 formed in the nozzle base 31 outside the steam guide 33, and gives a heat sterilization effect also from the outside of the container 1.

  Further, since the steam sterilization is performed in a state where the container 1 is sandwiched between the holding plate 36 and the container bottom receiving member 16, the height dimension thereof is maintained, and the container 1 is fitted into the opening of the retainer 11. Lateral bulge changes are also prevented. Therefore, the container 1 is prevented from expanding and deforming due to an increase in internal pressure when high-temperature high-pressure steam is injected into the container 1 during the sterilization treatment. According to this configuration, since the swelling of the container 1 is physically restricted, it is possible to smoothly discharge the steam performed through the steam passage 38 as described below, and to prevent an excessive increase in internal pressure.

  Since the upper end of the steam nozzle 35 protrudes to a predetermined height on the nozzle base 31, the hot water contained in the introduced high-temperature and high-pressure steam does not enter the steam nozzle 35, but inside the steam chamber 32. After flowing over, it is guided out of the steam guide 33 through the above-mentioned wall thickness through hole, and further dropped and discharged from a notch 81 formed around the nozzle base 31.

  After the sterilization process by the steam flash for a predetermined time is finished, the electromagnetic valve 23 provided in the steam discharge pipe 21 from the steam discharge port 19 is opened. The steam that has entered the container 1 is discharged out of the container 1 through a steam passage 38 that is given by the dimensional difference between the diameter of the nozzle insertion hole 37 of the holding plate 36 and the outer diameter of the steam nozzle 35, and further, the upper and lower chambers. The gas is discharged from the sealed space 15 between 12 and 13 to the outside of the apparatus 10 through the opening 39 of the nozzle base 31 and the steam discharge port 19. Then, the lower chamber 13 is lowered by the driving means 14 to return to the standby state shown in FIG. The container 1 is held by the retainer 11 and is conveyed to the next (second) sterilization position by the conveyor.

  In this way, while the container 1 is stopped at the sterilization position by the conveyor stop, sterilization is performed with one cycle of mold sealing → steam flash → mold opening, and this is performed at several sterilization positions. The sterilization treatment apparatus 10 having the above-described configuration is used at each sterilization treatment position.

  In this sterilization processing apparatus 10, sterilization is performed in the process of producing packed cooked rice that encloses a serving of cooked rice, but there are various needs even if it is a serving, such as 100 g packed cooked rice, 200 g packed cooked rice, Several types of packed rice such as 300 g packed rice may be produced. In such a case, it is common to change the depth without changing the planar dimension of the pack (container 1) greatly, and it is advantageous because the retainer 11 can be shared.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of the case where the container 1 ′ having a larger capacity (and therefore deeper) than the container 1 that has been the target in the sterilization apparatus 10 having the above-described configuration is the target for the sterilization process. In this case, instead of the container bottom receiving member 16 used when the container 1 is a target, a container bottom receiving member 16 ′ whose thickness is reduced by an increase in the depth dimension of the container is used. Accordingly, in the same manner as described above, in the process of ascending movement for bringing the lower chamber 13 into close contact with the upper chamber 12, the container 1 'is lifted from the retainer 11 by the container bottom receiving member 16', and the flange 1b is The presser plate 36 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the presser plate 36, and the presser plate 36 is further lifted, and the opening of the container 1 is closed by its own weight.

  In this embodiment, the container bottom receiving members 16 and 16 ′ having different thicknesses are used as “container lifting means” in order to treat the containers 1 and 1 ′ having different depths as a processing target in one sterilization apparatus 10. However, when only a single depth container is targeted, it is not necessary to use container bottom receiving members having different thicknesses. In this case, a container bottom receiving member having a single thickness may be used.

  A food sterilizer 40 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. This sterilizer 40 is also used to perform the sterilization treatment step (FIG. 7: S2) in the same manner as the sterilizer 10 described above. The container used in the examples is circular, see FIG. 9), and the container 1 itself is sterilized by high-temperature and high-pressure steam, and at the same time the rice in the container 1 is sterilized to heat not only general living bacteria but also heat-resistant food. The fungus is also killed substantially completely.

  The sterilizer 40 is conveyed by a conveyor (not shown) that is intermittently driven in a predetermined direction (vertical direction in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 and vertical direction in FIG. 10) by a driving means (not shown) such as a motor. The retainer 41 is provided. In the retainer 41, a plurality (five in the illustrated example) of circular openings are formed, and the food storage portions 1a of the containers 1 are fitted and received in the openings, and the flanges 1b are locked to the opening edges. The container 1 is supported. The retainer 41 is an example of a container support means.

  The sterilizer 40 includes an upper chamber 42 and a lower chamber 43 that are disposed to face each other in the vertical direction. The upper and lower chambers 42 and 43 are relatively movable between a standby position where they are separated from each other and a closed position where they are in close contact with each other to provide a substantially sealed space therebetween. In this embodiment, the upper chamber 42 is fixed, and can be moved up and down via a driving means 44 such as a hydraulic cylinder between a standby position in which the lower chamber 43 is spaced downward and a closed position in close contact with the upper chamber 42. Has been. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the upper and lower chambers 42 and 43 are in close contact with each other and provide a sealed space 45 between them, and sterilization is performed in this state. The sealed space 45 has a plane dimension sufficient to accommodate the retainers 41 that support the five containers 1 and a height dimension sufficient to raise and lower the push-up plate 51 that lifts the containers 1 from the retainers 41 as will be described later. have. Reference numeral 46 denotes a packing for forming and holding the sealed space 45.

  The upper chamber 42 has a steam inlet 47 and a steam outlet 48. High-temperature and high-pressure steam generated by a steam generator (not shown) enters the sealed space 45 from the steam inlet 47 and sterilizes the food (rice) in the container 1 supported by the retainer 41 in the sealed space 45. Then, the steam is discharged from the steam outlet 48, and one steam sterilization process is completed. As in the first embodiment, a steam introduction pipe 73 from a steam generator is connected to the steam introduction port 47, and a steam discharge pipe 74 is connected to the steam discharge port 48, and these steam introduction pipe 73 and steam discharge pipe 74 are connected. The timing of steam introduction and discharge is controlled by opening and closing the electromagnetic valves 75 and 76 respectively provided in (FIG. 12).

  The upper chamber 42 is further provided with a decompression means 72. The decompression means 72 may be any means as long as it can decompress the internal sealed space 45 formed when the upper and lower chambers 42 and 43 are brought into close contact with each other to a predetermined degree of vacuum for a predetermined time. FIG. 12 shows an example thereof. ing. That is, the steam discharge pipe 74 from the steam discharge port 48 is branched, the branch pipe 77 is connected to the vacuum pump 79 via the buffer tank 78, the electromagnetic valve 80 is provided in the branch pipe 77, and the steam discharge valve 76. By controlling the opening / closing timing of the pressure reducing valve 80, steam discharge and pressure reduction are performed in a common piping system.

  A container lifting means 50 is provided in the lower chamber 43. The container lifting means 50 is inserted through a push-up plate 51 provided horizontally above the bottom plate 43a of the lower chamber 43, a support plate 52 positioned below the lower chamber bottom plate 43a, and the lower chamber bottom plate 43a so as to be movable up and down. A leg 53 for connecting the push-up plate 51 to the support plate 52 and a drive means 54 for raising and lowering the support plate 52 are provided. In the internal sealed space 45 formed when the upper and lower chambers 42 and 43 are brought into close contact with each other, the push-up plate 51 is retracted below the container 1 supported by the retainer 41 when in the standby position indicated by the phantom line. However, when it is lifted by the driving means 54, it hits the bottom surface of the container 1 supported by the retainer 41, and the container 1 is removed from the retainer 41 and lifted to a predetermined height (state of FIG. 8). This operation will be described in detail later. The push-up plate 51 is made of stainless steel or the like so that the high-temperature and high-pressure steam introduced into the sealed space 45 between the upper and lower chambers 42 and 43 can be circulated below the container 1 and sterilized by heating from the bottom of the container. It is formed of a perforated plate (punching plate).

  The nozzle unit 60 is a steam provided on the nozzle base 61 to form a nozzle chamber 61 and a substantially sealed vapor chamber 62 between the lower surface 42 a (FIG. 8) of the upper chamber 42 and the nozzle base 61. It has a guide 63, a nozzle holder 64 fixed to the lower surface of the nozzle base 61, a plurality of steam nozzles 65, and a pressing plate 66. The nozzle base 61 is fixed to the lower surface of the internal stepped portion 42b at the upper corner of the upper chamber 42 with a fixing tool (not shown) such as a screw. Therefore, the entire nozzle unit 60 is integrated with the upper chamber 12. Yes. The nozzle base 61 is a metal plate such as stainless steel and has substantially the same planar dimensions as the sealed space 45 between the upper and lower chambers 42 and 43.

  The steam guide 63 has substantially the same height as the step portion 42b of the upper chamber 42 (FIGS. 8 and 9), and has a shape (FIG. 10) surrounding the openings of the five containers 1, and has a nozzle base. When 61 is attached to the upper chamber 42, its upper surface is in close contact with the lower surface 42 a of the upper chamber 42, thereby forming a vapor chamber 62 as a substantially closed space therebetween. Since the steam inlet 47 opens in the steam chamber 62 formed by the steam guide 63, the high-temperature and high-pressure steam introduced into the steam inlet 47 enters the steam chamber 62, and after the sterilization process described later, It is discharged outside the apparatus through an opening 49 and a steam discharge port 48 formed in the nozzle base 61 on the outside.

  The holding plate 66 is a plate-like body made of stainless steel or the like having a plane dimension sufficient to cover the flange 1 b for each container 1, and is attached below the nozzle holder 64 while allowing a slight vertical movement. Since the mounting structure employed in this embodiment is the same as the mounting structure employed in the first embodiment described above, description thereof is omitted.

  The holding plate 66 is formed with the same number of nozzle insertion holes 69 through which the steam nozzle 65 is inserted corresponding to the position of the steam nozzle 65. The nozzle insertion hole 69 is formed to have a diameter that is somewhat larger than the outer diameter of the steam nozzle 65. Therefore, even when the steam nozzle 65 is inserted, the nozzle passage hole 69 allows steam to pass (discharge) around it. A steam passage 70 is left.

  The plurality of vapor nozzles 65 are integrally molded with the nozzle holder 64 and penetrate the nozzle holder 64 in the thickness direction. The upper end of each steam nozzle 65 penetrates the nozzle base 61 and protrudes to a predetermined height in the steam chamber 62, and below that, it passes through the nozzle insertion hole 69 of the holding plate 66 and protrudes further downward.

  The steam nozzle 65 used in the nozzle unit 60 in the sterilizer 40 has a pointed closed lower end (front end) as shown in FIG. 9, and is open on the side surface near the lower end. Accordingly, the high-temperature and high-pressure steam introduced from the steam inlet 47 enters the inside of the steam nozzle 45 from the steam chamber 62 and is then ejected from the side opening toward the side. Further, minute irregularities such as a ring shape and a screw shape are formed on the side surface of the lower region including the lower end.

  As described above, in the present invention, several places (for example, 4 to 8 places) in the process of carrying the conveyor while the container 1 is locked to the retainer 41 are set as the sterilization treatment positions, and these sterilization treatment positions are respectively shown in FIG. ~ It is assumed that the sterilization apparatus 40 as shown in Fig. 11 is installed and the mold sealing → steam flash (about 5 to 10 seconds) → mold sterilization treatment with one cycle is repeated several times. The sterilization apparatus 40 installed at the first sterilization processing position uses a steam nozzle 65 having a shape as shown in FIG. 9, and the sterilization apparatus 40 installed at the second and subsequent sterilization processing positions is used in the first embodiment instead. It is preferable to use a steam nozzle having such a general shape (having upper and lower ends opened).

  The container 1 that is transported to the first sterilization processing position through the fixed filling step (FIG. 7: S2) is often filled with rice in a hardened state. For this reason, in the sterilization apparatus 40 installed in the first sterilization processing position, by using the steam nozzle 65 having a shape as shown in FIG. Further, if the tip of the steam nozzle used at this time is open, when the steam nozzle is inserted, rice may enter the opening at the tip and cause clogging. Therefore, the opening of the steam nozzle 65 is formed not on the tip but on the side surface to solve this clogging problem. Steam injection from the side opening also has the effect of loosening the hardened rice.

  On the other hand, in the sterilization apparatus 40 installed at the second and subsequent sterilization positions, the nozzle insertion path is already formed by the insertion of the steam nozzle 65 at the first sterilization position, so the nozzle insertion is relatively It is easy and does not cause clogging. Therefore, the steam is distributed to every corner in the container by using the steam nozzle 35 having a general shape as used in the first embodiment and ejecting the steam from the opening at the tip toward the bottom of the container.

  The operation of the sterilizer 40 configured as described above will be described. When the upper and lower chambers 42 and 43 are in the standby positions spaced apart from each other, a conveyor (not shown) is driven, and the rice filling container 1 supported by the retainer 41 is placed at a predetermined position (first time between the upper and lower chambers 42 and 43). After the conveyor is stopped, the lower chamber 43 is raised by the driving means 44 and brought into close contact with the upper chamber 42, and a sealed space 45 is formed between them.

  At this time, the push-up plate 51 is stopped at the standby position (the phantom line in FIG. 8), and is at a position away from the bottom surface of each container 1 supported by the retainer 41. This state is shown in FIG. As described above, the container 1 is supported in a state in which the food container 1a is fitted and received in the opening of the retainer 41 and the flange 1b is locked to each opening edge. At this time, the holding plate 66 is held in a suspended state in which the stopper 68a is locked to the ceiling surface of the recess 66a and is moved slightly downward from the position of FIG. Since it is in the held position, it is separated from the flange 1 b of the container 1. Further, the vapor nozzle 65 of the nozzle unit 60 fixed to the upper chamber 42 does not penetrate deep into the container 1.

  Next, the inside of the sealed space 45 is decompressed by the decompression means 72. Although this decompression process is not necessarily essential, it is demonstrated that the sterilization effect is improved by reducing the pressure at this point as will be described later (details will be described later). The configuration example of the decompression means 72 is as described above with reference to FIG. 12. For example, assuming that the cycle time of one sterilization treatment is 10 seconds, the electromagnetic valve 80 is opened for 0.3 seconds, and the chamber is opened. A vacuum is drawn from the internal sealed space 45 to the buffer tank 78. Since the buffer tank 78 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 79 for the remaining 9.7 seconds, the inside of the sealed space 45 is evacuated in a short time in a state where the degree of vacuum in the buffer tank 78 is sufficiently increased. Even if it exists, sufficient effect is acquired.

  Next, the push-up plate 51 waiting at the position shown in FIG. As a result, the container 1 held by the retainer 41 is pushed up by the push-up plate 51, and the push-up plate 51 is further lifted after the flange 1 b comes into contact with the press-down plate 66, whereby the press plate 66 is pushed up together with the container 1. FIG. 9 shows the state. At this time, in the container 1, the food container 1a enters the opening of the retainer 41, the bottom surface is supported on the push-up plate 51, and the weight of the pressing plate 66 acts on the flange 1b to be in close contact. Yes. Further, as the container 1 moves close to the upper chamber 42, the vapor nozzle 65 of the nozzle unit 60 fixed to the upper chamber 42 enters deep into the food container 1a of the container 1 and is inserted into the filled food. The tip 65a of the lever reaches near the bottom of the container 1. As described above, since the steam nozzle 65 used at this time has a sharp closed end, even if the food is hardened, it is smoothly inserted and does not cause clogging.

  High-temperature high-pressure steam is introduced into the steam inlet 47 almost simultaneously with the step of raising the push-up plate 51 or after the state shown in FIG. For example, high temperature and high pressure steam at 145 ° C. is flash injected for 5.5 seconds. The steam introduced from the steam inlet 47 fills the steam chamber 62 between the upper chamber lower surface 42a and the nozzle base 61, and then enters the steam nozzle 65 opened at the upper end in the steam chamber 62, and near the lower end thereof. It sprays toward the foodstuff in the container 1 from the side opening 65b. Thereby, while the inside of the container 1 and the food with which the container 1 was filled are sterilized, the effect which loosens the solidified food is also acquired. At this time, the opening of the container 1 is substantially closed by the action of the weight of the holding plate 66 in close contact with the flange 1b, so that food can be scattered outside the container even when the nozzle is sprayed with steam. It does not adhere to 1b. Further, the steam enters the sealed space 45 through the opening 49 formed in the nozzle base 61 outside the steam guide 63, and gives a heat sterilization effect also from the outside of the container 1.

  After the sterilization process by the steam flush for a predetermined time is finished, the electromagnetic valve 76 provided in the steam discharge pipe 74 from the steam discharge port 48 is opened. Thereby, the steam that has entered the container 1 is discharged out of the container 1 through the steam passage 70 given by the dimensional difference between the diameter of the nozzle insertion hole 69 of the holding plate 66 and the outer diameter of the steam nozzle 65, and The gas is discharged from the sealed space 45 between the upper and lower chambers 42 and 43 to the outside of the apparatus 40 through the opening 49 of the nozzle base 61 and the vapor discharge port 48 of the upper chamber 42. Then, the lower chamber 43 is lowered by the driving means 44 and the push-up plate 51 is lowered by the driving means 54 to return to the standby state shown in FIG. The container 1 is held by the retainer 41 and is conveyed to the next (second) sterilization position by the conveyor.

  In this way, while the container 1 is stopped at the sterilization position by the conveyor stop, sterilization is performed with one cycle of mold sealing → steam flash → mold opening, and this is performed at several sterilization positions. The sterilization apparatus 40 as shown in FIG. 8 to FIG. 10 is used at each sterilization processing position. As described above, the sterilization is installed at the second and subsequent sterilization processing positions. In the processing apparatus 40, a steam nozzle having a general shape can be used instead of the steam nozzle 65.

  In this sterilization processing apparatus 40, sterilization is performed in the process of producing packed cooked rice that encloses a serving of cooked rice. However, even if it is a serving, there are various needs, such as 100g packed cooked rice, 200g packed cooked rice, Several types of packed rice such as 300 g packed rice may be produced. In such a case, it is common to change the capacity by changing the depth without largely changing the plane dimension of the pack (container 1).

  FIG. 13 shows an example of the case where the container 1 ′ having a larger capacity (and therefore deeper) than the container 1 that has been the target in the sterilization apparatus 40 having the above-described configuration is the target for the sterilization process. In this case as well, the container 1 ′ is lifted from the retainer 41 by raising the push-up plate 51 to a predetermined height (the same height as that when the container 1 is the target (FIG. 9)), and the steam nozzle 65 (or 71 ) Is inserted to a predetermined position near the bottom of the container 1 ′ for steam sterilization. However, since the depth of the container 1 ′ is large, if the holding plate 66 used in the case of the container 1 is used, the push-up plate 51 is The presser plate 66 may interfere with the nozzle holder 64 when it is raised to the height. In order to avoid this, in the example shown in FIG. 13, interference with the nozzle holder 64 is avoided by using a thinner pressing plate 66 ′. Since the holding plates 66 and 66 ′ are attached in a state suspended from the stopper 68 a of the guide column 68, it is easy to remove the guide column 68 from the screw shaft 67 or the screw shaft 67 from the nozzle holder 64. Removable / replaceable.

  The holding plate 66 closes the openings of the containers 1 and 1 'by its own weight and prevents the food from being scattered by the spraying of the steam nozzle, but the thin holding plate 66' as shown in FIG. It may float up and the scattering prevention effect may be impaired. In such a case, if necessary, a load can be increased by placing a ring-shaped weight plate (not shown) on the pressing plate 66 '. Further, if a thin holding plate 66 ′ can be expected to have a sufficient scattering prevention effect, if the same holding plate 66 ′ is used even when the shallow container 1 is to be sterilized, several types having different depths can be used. The same pressing plate 66 ′ can be used for these containers, and the labor of attaching and detaching can be saved.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modes are within the scope of the invention defined in the claims. It goes without saying that it can be taken.

1, 1 'container 1a food container 1b flange 1c rice filling level 2 lid 3 rice (food)
10 Food sterilizer 11 Retainer (container support means)
12 Upper chamber 12a Lower surface 13 Lower chamber 13a Bottom surface 14 Driving means 15 Sealed space 16, 16 'between upper and lower chambers Container bottom receiving member (container lifting means)
17 Packing 18 Steam inlet 19 Steam outlet 20 Steam inlet pipe 21 Steam outlet pipe 22 Steam introducing electromagnetic valve 23 Steam discharging electromagnetic valve 30 Nozzle unit 31 Nozzle base 32 Steam chamber 33 Steam guide 34 Nozzle holder 35 Steam nozzle 36 holding plate 36a recess 37 nozzle insertion hole 38 steam passage 39 opening 40 food sterilizer 41 retainer (container support means)
42 Upper chamber 42a Lower surface 43 Lower chamber 43a Bottom surface 44 Driving means 45 Internal sealed space 46 Packing 47 Steam inlet 48 Steam outlet 49 Opening 50 Container lifting means 51 Pushing plate 52 Support plate 53 Leg 54 Driving means 60 Nozzle unit 61 Nozzle base 62 Steam chamber 63 Steam guide 64 Nozzle holder 65 Steam nozzle (for the first sterilization treatment device)
65a Closed lower end 65b Side opening 65c Micro uneven surface (side surface)
66, 66 'Holding plate 66a Recess 67 Screw shaft 68 Guide post 68a Lower end stopper 69 Nozzle insertion hole 70 Steam passage 71 Steam nozzle (for the second and subsequent sterilization treatment devices)
71a Lower end 71b Opening 71c Micro uneven surface (side surface)
72 Pressure reducing means 73 Steam introducing pipe 74 Steam discharging pipe 75 Steam introducing electromagnetic valve 76 Steam discharging electromagnetic valve 77 Pressure reducing branch pipe 78 Buffer tank 79 Vacuum pump 80 Pressure reducing electromagnetic valve 81 Cutting of nozzle base peripheral portion Lack

Claims (6)

A food sterilization apparatus for sterilizing food contained in a container having an upper opening with high-temperature and high-pressure steam, an upper chamber provided with a steam inlet and a steam outlet, and opposed to the upper chamber so as to be in close contact with the upper chamber A lower chamber that is relatively movable, container support means for supporting the food container at a predetermined height level in a sealed space formed when the upper and lower chambers are in close contact, and upper and lower relative to the upper chamber A movable pressure plate, a steam nozzle extending through the nozzle insertion hole of the pressure plate for injecting high-temperature high-pressure steam introduced from the vapor inlet of the upper chamber into the container, and in the sealed space And a container lifting means for lifting the food container supported by the container supporting means away from the container supporting means. When the container is placed on the container, it is located at a standby position far above the food container supported by the container supporting means, and the container lifting means moves the lower chamber to be in close contact with the upper chamber to form a sealed space. Sometimes the food container is lifted from the container support means in the enclosed space, the flange of the container is brought into close contact with the lower surface of the pressing plate, and the upper plate opening is closed together with the container by closing the upper plate opening. Food sterilizer characterized by. 2. The food sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the container lifting means is a container bottom receiving member placed on the bottom surface of the lower chamber below the food container. The food sterilizer according to claim 2, wherein a container bottom receiving member having a different thickness is used in accordance with the depth of the food container. 2. The food sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the container lifting means is a push-up plate provided so as to be movable relative to the lower chamber in the sealed space. 5. The food sterilizing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pressing plates having different thicknesses are used interchangeably according to the depth of the food container. Steam for discharging the steam injected from the steam nozzle into the container around the steam nozzle formed so that the outer diameter of the steam nozzle is smaller than the diameter of the nozzle insertion hole of the holding plate. The food sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a passage is formed.

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