JPS63307025A - Method for aseptic filling of food and drink - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prepare a product receiving no restriction relating to the shape of a container or a cap by safely and surely performing the aseptic filling of food and drink, by making the interior of an aseptic chamber as simple as possible and holding the same to a high level aseptic atmosphere. CONSTITUTION:A bacteria filter 2 is mounted to the upper part of an aseptic chamber 1 having an almost parallelepiped shape and the aseptic chamber is held to a raised pressure state of about 0.3-0.5 mm Aq and an aseptic state of an NASA grade of about 1000 or less. A hermetically sealed plastic container integrally molded so as to make the interior thereof aseptic is charged in the aseptic chamber 1 from a chute 7 to be received in a bucket 3 and a sterilizing agent is applied to the outside of the hermetically sealed container 8 at first in a sterilizing part 9 and subsequently removed in a washing part 10 while the neck part of the hermetically sealed container 8 after sterilizing treatment is fixed by a neck chuck 5 and the head part of said container is removed by cutting to open the mouth part 11 of the container and the container 8a is aseptically filled with food and drink A after sterilization from the mouth part 11 and hermetically sealed with a seal material 12 separately subjected to sterilization treatment. Lastly, the sealed container is discharged out of the aseptic chamber and a cap 14 is filled on the mouth part 11.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] <Industrial application field> The present invention relates to a method for aseptically filling food and drink products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A large number of products are in circulation, including bottles, cans, paper, and even plastic containers filled with beverages, seasonings, luxury items, etc. (hereinafter simply referred to as food and beverages).

Generally, when food and beverages are filled into containers such as those mentioned above and manufactured into products, the filled and sealed containers are post-sterilized before being manufactured. In order to improve this, aseptic filling methods are attracting attention, in which food and beverages are aseptically filled into aseptic containers, sealed, and then turned into products as they are.

The present invention relates to an improvement in a method for aseptically filling food and drink products into plastic containers.

<Conventional technology and its problems> Conventionally, as an aseptic filling method for food and beverages, a sheet mainly made of paper or plastic is loaded into a sterile chamber, the sheet is then sterilized in the sterile chamber, and then the sheet is sterilized. There is a method in which food and drinks are aseptically filled after sterilization while being molded into a container shape, and then sealed.

However, according to this type of conventional method, the container is also molded during the process of aseptically filling food and beverages, so the shape of the container has to be simple, and due to the shape of the container, the container has Since the cap is not attached, there is a problem in that once the sealed product is opened, it must be used at once.

Conventionally, as an aseptic filling method for food and beverages, a bottle, can, or open plastic container and a cap or lid are prepared in advance, and after partially sterilizing the container (particularly the outside of the container), the container is sterilized. The cap is loaded into a sterile chamber, further partially sterilized (especially the inside of the container) in the sterile chamber, and the sterilized food and drink is aseptically filled into the container, and the opening of the container is separately sterilized. There is a method of attaching a lid. However,
Although this type of conventional method does not have the above-mentioned problems related to the shape of the container and the cap, since the means for transporting the container is continuous between the outside and the inside of the sterile room, it is difficult to transport the container into the sterile room by means of the means for transporting the container. There is a high risk of introducing germs, and since caps and lids with complicated mechanisms are installed in a sterile room, the process inside the sterile room becomes extremely complicated, which makes sterility management inside the sterile room that much more complicated. There is.

The above-mentioned problems are serious deficiencies in aseptic filling methods in which it is essential to simplify the sterile chamber as much as possible and maintain the sterile atmosphere in the sterile chamber as high as possible.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention and Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention provides an improved aseptic filling method for food and drink products that solves the conventional problems as described above.

Therefore, in the present invention, a previously prepared sealed plastic container whose interior is aseptically molded is loaded into a sterile chamber divided into a sterile chamber including its transport means, and the sealed containers are aligned at the time of loading. Keep it
Next, after sterilizing the outside of the sealed container, the head of the sealed container is cut and removed, with the neck fixed at least until the mouth is sealed with a sealant in each subsequent step. After opening the container and filling the container with sterilized food and drink from the mouth, sealing the mouth with a separately sterilized sealing material, the container is divided, including its transportation means. The present invention relates to a method for aseptically filling food and beverages, which is characterized by loading the food and drink outside of a sterile room, and finally attaching a cap to the mouth.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be explained in more detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing one implementation state of the present invention. A generally rectangular sterile room l with a tunnel la on the right side is equipped with a sterilization filter (HEPA filter) 2 at the top, and sterile air, sterile nitrogen gas, etc. are introduced into the room through the sterilization filter 2. By constantly supplying
, 5 +++ mAq, and maintained in a sterile state of NASA grade 1000 or less. At the bottom of the sterile chamber l, an endless mesh conveyor 4, which is equipped with packets 3 at predetermined intervals, rotates vertically, and approximately in the center of the right half of the sterile chamber l, screw chucks 5 are installed at predetermined intervals. The equipped endless belt-shaped conveyor 6 is horizontally rotating, and the belt-shaped conveyor 6 partially follows the mesh conveyor 4, and the neck chuck 5 and the packet 3 correspond to each other in the trailing part. There is.

A plastic sealed container 8 whose interior is integrally molded aseptically extends from a chute 7 opened at the upper left side of the sterile room 1.
are charged into the sterile chamber 1, and the sealed containers 8 are stored in the packet 3. Therefore, the sealed containers 8 are placed in the sterile chamber 1 and lined up at the same time.

While transporting the sealed containers 8 stored in the packets 3 sequentially to the right inside the sterile room 1, a sterilizing agent is first applied to the outside of the sealed containers 8 in the sterilization section 9, and then the sterilization is carried out in the cleaning section IO. The agent is removed and the outside of the sealed container 8 is sterilized. Through this sterilization process, the mesh conveyor 4 inside the sterile room 1 can also be sterilized at the same time. Then, the neck of the sealed container 8 whose exterior has been sterilized is fixed with the neck chuck 5, and the sealed container 8 is kept in this fixed state at least until the mouth part 11 is sealed with a sealant in each subsequent process. Cut off the head and remove the mouth.
is opened, and the sterilized food/beverage A is transferred from the opening 11 to the container 8a.
is aseptically filled, and the opening 11 is further sealed with a separately sterilized sealing material 12.

Finally, the container 8a whose mouth part 11 has been sealed with the sealing material 12 is removed from the neck chuck 5, and is loaded onto the conveyor 13 outside the sterile room 1 by falling through the tunnel la, and the cap 14 is attached to the mouth part 11. Attach.

In the present invention, the plastic sealed container whose interior is integrally molded aseptically is, for example, blow-molded with sterile air or sterile nitrogen gas while supplying raw material resin into the mold, and when the injection needle for blowing is removed. Obtained by melt-sealing the head.

The sealed containers are lined up when they are loaded into the sterile chamber. Sealed containers that have been lined up in advance outside the room may be sequentially loaded into the sterile chamber using a neck chuck, or they may be lined up at the same time as they are loaded. This is because the sealed containers need to be aligned in order to fix their necks with a neck chuck. Although it is possible to arrange them anew after charging them into the sterile chamber, this complicates the process inside the sterile chamber and makes sterile control inside the sterile chamber that much more difficult. ! Only the outside of a row of sealed containers needs to be sterilized, and this can be done using heated steam, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, or even iodine-based or chlorine-based sterilizers. When applying these to the outside of a sealed container, dipping or spraying can be used, but if hydrogen peroxide or alcohol is used, it must be sterilized and dried with hot air afterwards, and iodine-based or chlorine-based If disinfectant is used, wash with sterile water afterwards. In a sealed container whose exterior has been sterilized in this way, the neck is fixed through at least these steps: opening the mouth by cutting and removing the head → filling with food or drink after sterilization → sealing the mouth with a sealant. In order to improve the opening accuracy, filling accuracy, and sealing accuracy of the 0-port part and reliably manufacture aseptically filled products,
This is because the neck directly below the mouth must be clearly fixed to prevent the mouth from shifting.
Using a fixed blade, rotating blade, or movable blade, the cut and removed head is discharged outside the sterile room by falling under its own weight, suction, or sequentially pushing up.The head is then sterilized before being sterilized into a container with a zero opening. The filling of the food or drink may be carried out one by one, or several containers may be filled at once.The opening of the container after filling with food and drink may be sealed using, for example, a strip-shaped aluminum laminate sheet. This was separately sterilized in the same manner as the external sterilization of the sealed container described above, and then cut into predetermined lengths.
Using a hot plate, high frequency, etc., the opening is melted and crimped under conditions of about 180 to b cra2 x several seconds to seal it. Finally, after sealing the mouth with a sealant, the container is taken out of the sterile room and the cap is attached. Since the mouth is already sealed, it can be loaded outside the sterile room as is.

If you try to seal the mouth with a cap without sealing the mouth with a sealant, you will have to install a complicated process for attaching the cap in the sterile room, which will make sterility control in the sterile room that much more difficult. 0 In the present invention, in both cases of loading a sealed container into a sterile chamber and taking out a container whose mouth is sealed with a sealing material to the outside of a sterile chamber, a means for transporting the container in a sterile chamber (a packet in FIG. 1) is used. 3 and a belt conveyor 6 equipped with a neck chuck 5), and means for transporting containers outside the sterile room (in Fig. 1, the conveyor 1
3 etc.) are clearly separated. This is because if the means for transporting containers is continuous between the inside and outside of the sterile room, there is a high risk that germs will be brought into the sterile room by the means for transporting containers. As long as the means for transporting containers is clearly divided into the interior and exterior of the sterile room, containers may be loaded and unloaded from either the left or right upper portion and/or the left or right side of the sterile room.

Next, examples will be given to make the structure of the present invention more concrete.

<Example> According to the implementation state shown in FIG. 1, aseptic filling was carried out under the following conditions.

・Container: Polyethylene laminate sealed container with contents 5001, blow molded with sterile air Bone sterile chamber: Sterile air atmosphere, 0,8+mAq lift pressure, N
ASA grade 100 - Sterilization treatment of the outside of the sealed container; Spray application of 35% hydrogen peroxide solution → Sterilize with hot air at 115℃ for 20 seconds Cutter used to cut and remove the dried bone head; Rotary blade - Nidomad for food and beverages after sterilization Ketchup (Br1x at 30℃
30%, post wick viscosity 80+sm7 minutes, PH3,
7. Acid content 1.3% (W/W, citric acid equivalent), salt content 3.
6% (W/W), a/b = 1.7 (color tone measured by Hunter color difference meter)) 0 pyrotechnic filling; Filling at 30℃, number of filled 5000 pieces Sealing material; Aluminum laminate sheet,
Spray 35% hydrogen peroxide solution → Sterilize and dry with hot air at 15℃ for 20 seconds.Security information: Melt and crimp at 200℃×3Kg/c pus for 2 seconds.One cap;Plastic screw capFor the product after the cap is attached. There was no change in quality and no viable bacteria were detected.

Separately, the other conditions, which will not be explained, are the same as above, spraying 35% hydrogen peroxide on the outside of the sealed container and the sealing material → sterilizing and drying with hot air at 120 ° C for 20 seconds, Carrot juice (at 30℃,
Br1x7, 5%, PH4.6, acid content 0.25% (W
/W, citric acid equivalent) and &/b-0,7 (color tone measured by Hunter color difference meter)) were filled aseptically, but similar results were obtained.

<Effects of the Invention> As explained above, the present invention includes simplifying the sterile room as much as possible and providing the sterile room with a high level of sterile environment.
! By maintaining the IS, it is possible to safely and reliably aseptically fill food and drink products, and to manufacture products without restrictions regarding container shape or cap.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing one implementation state of the present invention. 1. Sterile room, 2. Sterilization filter 3. Packet, 4. Mesh conveyor 5. Fist neck chuck, 6. Fist belt conveyor 7. Fist chute, 811. Sealed container ll middle part, 12- -Seal material 1411 cap

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Load the previously prepared sealed plastic container, whose interior is aseptically molded into a sterile chamber, into a sterile chamber divided into sterile chambers, and line up the sealed containers at the time of loading. After sterilizing the outside of the sealed container, the neck is fixed at least until the mouth is sealed with a sealant in each subsequent process, and the head of the sealed container is cut and removed to remove the mouth. After opening the container and filling the container with sterilized food and drink from the mouth, sealing the mouth with a separately sterilized sealing material, the container is divided into sections including its transportation means. A method for aseptically filling food and beverages, which is characterized by loading outside of a sterile room and finally attaching a cap to the mouth.