JPH06245709A - Conveyor for producing frozen sweets having function to prevent microorganism from proliferating - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a conveyor for producing frozen sweets, excellent in food safety and provided with a function to prevent microbial contamination responsive to improvement in productivity and labor saving. CONSTITUTION:This conveyor capable of intermittently conveying carrying units 30 provided with a holding mechanism for holding sticks 2 of stick type frozen sweets 1 in the form of a loop. The conveyor is equipped with a demolding, a coating, a immersing and an unloading means for the stick type frozen sweets on the feed side respectively to carry out the surface treatment of the frozen sweets. In the return side, bacteriostatic or sterilizing liquid spraying means 13 and a pan 14 for recovering the sprayed liquid are installed under the spraying means and the carrying units.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a conveyor for producing frozen dessert, which has a function of preventing microbial growth suitable for surface treatment of stick-type frozen dessert after die-cutting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A stick-type frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus called a biter line has a large number of molds arranged on a conveyor, and this conveyor line is passed through a brine tank at -30 to -40 ° C to mix the frozen desserts in each mold. The frozen dessert mix is filled in with the frozen dessert, and then the stick is lowered from the upper part of each mold to insert it into the semi-frozen frozen dessert mix, and the mold is taken out from the brine tank when the whole frozen dessert mix is frozen. The frozen dessert frozen in the mold in this way melts the portion of the frozen dessert in contact with the inner surface of the mold by spraying hot water from the outside of the mold, and grips the portion of the stick protruding from the mold by the carrier, By ascending, it is taken out of the mold, and is taken out of the line from the shooter connected to the conveyor line while performing the dipping treatment for coating on the way. After that, it is packaged and commercialized.

Since the above-mentioned carrier is repeatedly used for the frozen desserts which are successively manufactured, it is required to be always clean against microorganisms. Regarding food hygiene standards for frozen dessert products, for general viable bacteria, ice cream is 1000
Less than 00 / g, 50 for ice milk and lacto ice
000 pieces / g or less, and for frozen desserts 10,000 pieces / g or less,
For E. coli, both must be negative.
If these criteria are not met, frozen dessert products cannot be sold commercially. Most E. coli contamination is mediated by human fingers. Therefore, when touching a frozen dessert product or its manufacturing line, it is obligatory as a work standard to always work after soaking in a sodium hypochlorite solution (200 ppm residual chlorine) or a 70% ethanol solution. On the other hand, the carrier is highly likely to adhere to the frozen dessert mix during the coating and dipping process, and when E. coli adheres to the frozen dessert mix, it propagates and contaminates the frozen dessert product. Therefore, as a method of keeping the carrier clean, conventionally, a work of wiping off the frozen dessert mix attached to the carrier with a cloth or the like soaked with a sterilizing solution is performed manually.

[0004]

However, in such a manual work, there is a possibility that an sterilizing solution may be mixed into the product during the work, and the manual wiping work is 15 to 20 pieces / minute. Since it needs to be performed on the carrier of, the speedy wiping work is required,
There is a great risk of missing it. Furthermore, it is feared that a thread such as a cloth for wiping off or the inclusion of cotton waste causes complaints from consumers. As described above, food factories are making every possible effort to prevent E. coli from being contaminated, but it was not always easy to keep it clean especially in summer when the temperature is high.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transporting device having a microbial contamination preventing function which is excellent in food safety and capable of improving productivity and saving labor. And

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]
Therefore, the present invention is manufactured by a stick-type frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus.
Grasp sticks of frozen stick-type frozen desserts
While pulling out from the mold, apply the frozen dessert to the surface such as coating.
Stick gripper that conveys to the next process while performing surface treatment
After completion of the surface treatment of the frozen dessert in a transport device equipped with a structure
Spray the sterilizing liquid on the stick grip in the grip release zone
And a spraying means provided below the spraying means.
And a saucer for collecting the sprayed liquid for collecting the sterilizing liquid.
Transportation for frozen dessert production with a characteristic microbial growth prevention function
With the device as the first gist, the bacteriostatic or sterilizing liquid is used as a food guard.
It is an aqueous solution with a concentration of 0.1 to 20% that is an organic acid approved by the biotechnology.
A transporting device having a microbial growth preventing function according to claim 1.
This is the second summary.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the sterilizing liquid is sprayed to the stick gripping portion in the grip open state each time the surface treatment of the stick type frozen dessert is completed. Therefore, even if there is a bacterium that adheres to and grows when gripping a frozen dessert, the frozen dessert is sterilized by the next grip, so that the frozen dessert can always be manufactured in a certain hygienic state. Moreover, since the sprayed sterilizing liquid is collected in the collecting tray, the sterilizing liquid is not attached to the frozen dessert.

Next, the present invention will be described in detail based on examples.

[0009]

FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram showing an example in which the frozen dessert manufacturing transport apparatus according to the present invention is applied to the production of stick-type frozen desserts. In the figure, A is a normal biter line, and as described above, the mold 10 (12 in a row)
With the movement of the conveyors 9 attached at predetermined intervals, the frozen dessert 1 is frozen in the mold 10 with the stick 2 inserted, and the frozen dessert 1 can be taken out from the mold 10 by spraying hot water 11 at its downstream end. You can do it.

[0010] B takes the frozen dessert 1 from the biter line A on the sending side and conveys it, forms a sherbet layer in a thick film on the surface of the frozen dessert 1 during the conveyance, and sterilizes or sterilizes the carrier on the returning side. This is the main transport conveyor. On the downstream side of the main transport conveyor B, a sub-transport conveyor C that performs an intermittent feed motion that is synchronized with the intermittent transport motion of the main transport conveyor B is provided.

The main conveyor B is provided with a pair of left and right cylinders (4a, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) from the upstream side to the downstream side across the conveyor line, and the most upstream side. The transport body 30 for transporting frozen desserts is sequentially mounted on the rail 4 of the conveyor line on the front side of the cylinder 5a.
(Not shown in FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 4, the carrier 30 has both ends (one end is omitted in the figure) mounted on the rail 4, and a protrusion 33, which is an engaging piece thereof, is provided on the upper surface. Two pins 34 projecting from a guide plate 35 attached to a transport chain 36 are sandwiched and transferred. Incidentally, 37 is a rail of the transport chain 36. The carrier 30 is provided with twelve claws 31 in a horizontal row so that 12 frozen desserts 1 in a row can be simultaneously gripped. As shown in FIG. 3, the claw 31 has a torsion coil spring 32.
The stick 2 of the frozen dessert 1 is pinched between the claw 31 and the side surface of the side plate 30a of the carrier by being constantly urged by the side surface of the side plate 30a of the carrier by lowering the carrier 30. You can do it.

The rail 4 of the conveyor B is
It is interrupted at the positions where the above-mentioned four pairs of cylinders 5a to 5d are arranged, and as shown in FIG. 4, the interrupted portions are compensated by rail pieces 4a to 4d which are separate members. The rail pieces 4a to 4d are used for the cylinders 5a to 5d.
Is integrally attached to the tip of the piston rod and moves up and down as the piston rod moves up and down.

The cylinder 5a at the uppermost stream is to be lowered and raised during the stop time of the main conveyor B when the conveyor 30 reaches the conveyor stop position X along the rail 4. By the carrier 30, the frozen dessert 1 is removed from the mold 10 of the biter line A.
Is taken out and transferred to the conveyor line of the main conveyor B.

The cylinder 5b performs the same operation as that of the cylinder 5a, and the carrier 30 having arrived at the stop position Y of the main conveyor B is lowered together with the rail piece 4b at that position and then raised again. The reciprocating motion is performed, and the frozen dessert 1 is provided with a sherbet tank 6 provided therebelow.
It serves to perform a surface treatment by immersing it in 0 to attach a sherbet layer (semi-frozen state) to the outer peripheral surface. Incidentally, 61 is a stirring blade for stirring the sherbet liquid 62.

On the other hand, the cylinder 5c is the main conveyor B
The carrier 30 having arrived at the stop position P is lowered together with the rail piece 4c at that position, and the sub-transport conveyor C moves the carrier 30 from Q to R and then performs a reciprocating motion of raising it again. It serves to move the carrier 30 to the stop point Q of the carrier C.

When the sub-transport conveyor C receives the transport body 30 engaged with the rail piece 4c at the stop position Q in the step of freezing and solidifying the surface-treated sherbet layer, the transport chain (not shown). When the cylinders 5c and 5d are in the lowered position, the carrier 30 is engaged with the rail 8 along the sub-conveyor C and fed, and moved by 3 pitches by 2/3 of the feed pitch amount of the main conveyer B. Let A liquid nitrogen tank 70 is provided below the sub-conveyor C, and the frozen dessert 1 is dipped in the liquid nitrogen 71 in the liquid nitrogen tank 70 by feeding the carrier 30 by three pitches. While moving, frozen dessert 1 in the meantime
The sherbet tank on the surface is freeze-solidified.

The cylinder 5d advances the rail piece 4d at the stop position T, which is advanced by 2 pitches from the stop position P of the main transfer conveyor B, to the stop position S of the auxiliary transfer conveyor C (3 pitches from the stop position Q). Position),
It is a reciprocating motion that raises it again. The operation of the cylinder 5d serves to receive the carrier 30 reaching the stop position S of the sub-carrier conveyor C at the rail piece 4d at the tip of the piston rod and return the carrier 30 to the main carrier B again. To do.

At the downstream end of the main conveyor B,
A mechanism (not shown) for opening the claws 31 of the carrier 30 is provided, and the frozen dessert 1 is detached from the carrier 30 and taken out of the conveyor line via the shooter 12.

On the other hand, in the return side of the main conveyer B, that is, in the grip release zone after the surface treatment of the frozen dessert is completed, the nozzle is directed downward as shown in FIGS. Four spray positions 13 are provided, and a bacteriostatic or bactericidal liquid supply pipe 17 and a compressed air supply pipe 15 for spraying the bacteriostatic bacteria or the like in a mist state are connected to each spray position. Further, below the spraying position 13 and the carrier 30, the side walls are provided on the four surfaces so that the spraying liquid does not scatter in all directions, and the spraying liquid collecting tray 14 is provided under the spraying liquid, and the spraying liquid collected from the discharge port 16 is discharged. To do. The bacteriostatic or bactericidal liquid is sprayed from this spraying device 13, but citric acid aqueous solutions of various concentrations are prepared as the bacteriostatic or bactericidal liquid, and 0.1 ml / cm ^{2 of} this solution is attached to the carrier 30 by the spraying device Sprayed onto a bitter line A, main conveyor B, sub-carrier C
I drove. Wiping tests were performed before spraying and 30 minutes after the start of spraying. For the wiping test, a small piece of absorbent cotton is placed in a glass container with a lid containing physiological saline, sterilized by an autoclave, the absorbent cotton is lightly squeezed with sterile tweezers, and the target carrier 30 is carefully wiped. Was squeezed well in a sterile petri dish, and the squeezed liquid was cultured in a dezoxycholate medium.

<Comparative Example> As a bacteriostatic or bactericidal solution, a concentration of 0.
A 05% aqueous citric acid solution was prepared. The spray before wiping test that was bacteria number 2 × 10 ² cells / cm ^2, the wipe test spray after 30 minutes after was bacterium tens / cm ^2.

Example 1 An aqueous citric acid solution having a concentration of 0.1% was prepared as a bacteriostatic or bactericidal solution. The number of bacteria was 4 × 10 ² cells / cm ² in the wiping test before spraying, but it was negative in the wiping test 30 minutes after the start of spraying.

<Example 2> A concentration of 1 as a bacteriostatic or bactericidal solution
% Aqueous citric acid solution was prepared. The number of bacteria was 2 × 10 ² cells / cm ² in the wiping test before spraying, but it was negative in the wiping test 30 minutes after the start of spraying.

<Example 3> A concentration of 2 as a bacteriostatic or bactericidal solution
% Aqueous citric acid solution was prepared. Although the number of bacteria was 3 × 10 ² cells / cm ² in the wiping test before spraying, it was negative in the wiping test 30 minutes after the start of spraying.

From the results of the above Comparative Examples and Examples 1 to 3, it is understood that E. coli becomes negative when the citric acid concentration is 0.1% or more.

In this example, an aqueous citric acid solution was used as a bacteriostatic or bactericidal solution, but it was allowed by the Food Sanitation Law, and citric acid was used in view of food safety, worker safety, odorlessness, and economy. Malic acid, tartaric acid, sodium hypochlorite,
An organic acid aqueous solution such as ethanol or acetic acid is preferable. on the other hand,
Regarding the concentration of these organic acid aqueous solutions, it is usually preferable to set the concentration of the organic acid aqueous solution to 0.1 to 20%, although it depends on the degree of contamination of the carrier. With respect to the spray amount, if the carrier is attached at 0.001 ml / cm ² or more, a sufficient effect can be recognized. If the bacteriostatic or bactericidal liquid is blown away along with the dirt attached to the carrier by blowing compressed air onto the carrier 30 after spraying the bacteriostatic or bactericidal liquid, the bacteriostatic or bactericidal liquid may adhere to the frozen dessert 1. Can also be reduced.

[0026]

According to the carrying apparatus of the present invention, the stick-type frozen dessert is subjected to the die-cutting, coating, dipping, and unloading steps in the carrying process, and the carried dirty delivery in the frozen dessert grip release zone after the completion of this process. The body can be automatically sprayed with a bacteriostatic or bactericidal solution to reduce the growth of microorganisms adhering to the carrier and growing. In particular, it was possible to maintain a stable negative for E. coli. Furthermore, since the growth of microorganisms can be prevented without manual labor, productivity is not impaired.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD ′ of FIG. 2 showing a spraying device of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a carrier device having a microbial growth preventing function according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a grip portion of a frozen dessert used in the above embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an external view showing an engaged state of a conveyor and a carrier.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Frozen dessert 2 Stick 13 Spraying device 14 Spray liquid collecting saucer 15 Compressed air supply pipe 17 Bactericidal or sterilizing liquid supply pipe 30 Carrier 36 Transport chain

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A stick gripping mechanism for successively pulling stick-type frozen desserts manufactured by a stick-type frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus from the mold while gripping the sticks and carrying the frozen desserts to the next step while performing surface treatment such as coating. In the carrying device provided, a spraying means for spraying a sterilizing liquid on the stick gripping portion in the gripping open zone after the surface treatment of the frozen dessert, and a sprayer provided below the spraying means for collecting the sprayed sterilizing liquid. A transport device for frozen dessert production having a function of preventing microbial growth, comprising a liquid recovery tray. 2. The transportation device for producing frozen dessert having a microbial growth preventing function according to claim 1, wherein the sterilizing solution is an aqueous solution of an organic acid approved by the Food Sanitation Law and having a concentration of 0.1 to 20%.