KR20050027992A - Method of serving heated beverages - Google Patents

Abstract

The objective of the invention is to minimize the deformation of the plastic container filled with beverage that is to be heated to be served. A non-carbonated beverage is filled in a plastic container at a normal temperature. The head space of the plastic container filled with the non-carbonated beverage is injected with carbon dioxide gas to replace a portion of the air in the head space. The container in which a portion of the air in the head space has been replaced with carbon dioxide is sealed with a cap at its mouth. The beverage sealed inside the plastic container is heated to be served to consumers.

Description

How to provide warmed drinks {METHOD OF SERVING HEATED BEVERAGES}

Show related application

This application is a priority application of Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-171443, filed June 12,2002.

The present invention relates to a method for providing a warm beverage, in which a beverage filled in a plastic container is heated to, for example, 45-90 ° C., to a consumer.

In general, it is widely practiced to fill beverages in plastic containers, to warm them by vending machines and warmers, and to provide them to consumers.

Conventionally, the beverage is filled in a plastic container at a relatively high temperature, it is heated, and it is provided to a consumer. Filling a beverage in a plastic container at a high temperature, at room temperature, the pressure inside the plastic container is reduced. Therefore, even when the beverage is warmed, the pressure inside the container does not rise so much that there is no problem of deformation of the container.

For reasons such as not impairing the flavor of the beverage, filling the plastic container with the beverage under aseptic normal temperature conditions has also been performed.

However, when the beverage is filled at room temperature, a new problem arises that the plastic container deforms because the gas in the head space expands and the pressure inside the container rises when it is heated and provided to the consumer.

Summary of the Invention

In order to solve the above problems according to the present invention:

Fill a non-carbonated beverage at room temperature in a plastic container,

Injecting carbon dioxide gas into the head space of the plastic container filled with non-carbonated beverages, by replacing the portion of the air in the head space with carbon dioxide gas,

A part of the air in the head space is sealed by capping the inlet of the plastic container replaced by carbon dioxide,

Provided is a method of providing a warmed beverage, characterized in that the beverage sealed in the plastic container is warmed and provided to the consumer.

1 is a view showing the change over time of the bottom of the plastic container.

FIG. 2 is a view showing changes over time of girth of plastic containers. FIG.

3 is a view showing changes over time of the total height of the plastic container.

Plastic containers used in the present invention are produced by molding thermoplastic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate, for example, by blow-molding, injection blow-molding, stretch blow-molding or the like. The plastic container and cap thus prepared are sterilized by hydrothermal sterilization and chlorine disinfectant and then supplied to the aseptic filling apparatus.

Filled beverages include non-carbonated beverages such as green tea, oolong tea, black tea, milk tea, black coffee, milk coffee, and fruit juice.

The non-acidic beverage is filled into a plastic container by a known aseptic filling apparatus at room temperature of, for example, 5-40 ° C., preferably 15-35 ° C., in a sterile air atmosphere.

Into the headspace filled with a non-acidic beverage, for example, carbon dioxide gas or a gas mixture containing carbon dioxide gas and nitrogen gas is injected and the container is sealed with a cap. In this way, air in the head space is replaced with carbon dioxide gas. Preferably, it is preferable to replace 30-60% of the air in the head space with carbon dioxide gas. Air in the space, particularly oxygen, is preferably replaced with as much carbon dioxide as possible to prevent oxidation of the contents inside the vessel. The oxygen content is preferably less than 1 mg / 100 ml.

Once the carbon dioxide substitution is complete, the plastic container is sealed with a cap, transported outside the aseptic filling device, and then supplied to the retailer via a normal sales route.

At the retail store, it is heated to 45-90 ° C, preferably 50-60 ° C by a heating vending machine, a warmer machine or the like, and provided to the consumer.

Using a sterile filling line manufactured by Dainippon Printing Co. Ltd., the green tea, milk tea, and milk coffee were poured into a polyester bottle manufactured by Ishizuka Glass Co. mol filled. Immediately before cap sealing, carbon dioxide was injected from the inlet of the bottle to replace air in the headspace of the product. As a control, nitrogen gas was used to replace the air in the headspace of the product under the same conditions.

Charging condition:

Liquid temperature: 25-30 ℃

Filling Speed: 600 Bottles / min

product Replacement gas Gas flow rate (NI / Min) Filling amount (ml) % Filled average Milk coffee CO ₂ 185 283 30.633.3 32.0 N ₂ 230 283 54.354.1 54.2 Milk tea CO ₂ 180 283 35.141.3 38.2 N ₂ 230 283 57.356.6 57.0 green tea CO ₂ 185 283 46.245.0 45.6 N ₂ 225 283 57.351.0 54.2

Stability of Contents:

product Flavor (about control product) Immediately after manufacture After 1 week at 55 ℃ Milk coffee No problem No problem Milk tea No problem No problem green tea No problem No problem

Heat resistance test:

According to the embodiment, the green tea-filled bottle was immersed in a hot bath at 85 ° C., and the change over time of the bottle size, the girth, and the total height was measured. The results are shown below.

Deposition time Bottom change amount (mm) Tokyo change (mm) Total height change (mm) (minute) CO ₂ substitution N ₂ substitution CO ₂ substitution N ₂ substitution CO ₂ substitution N ₂ substitution 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 One 0.10 -0.01 0.11 0.54 0.06 0.13 3 0.10 -0.11 0.23 1.04 0.17 0.38 5 0.08 -0.23 0.30 1.42 0.25 0.62 7 0.06 -0.39 0.40 1.86 0.35 0.98 10 -0.03 -0.75 0.82 2.50 0.53 1.66

The change over time of the bottom of the plastic container is shown in FIG. 1; The change over time in Tokyo is shown in FIG. 2, and the change in total height is shown in FIG. 3. A negative change in bottom means that the bottom has gone downward.

The head space in the plastic container provided according to the present invention contains carbon dioxide gas, and part of the carbon dioxide is dissolved in the beverage. The pressure inside the plastic container is reduced below atmospheric pressure. As a result, it is warmed by a vending machine, a warmer device, or the like, and the deformation of the plastic container can be minimized by expanding the gas in the head space.

Claims (1)

The non-carbonated beverage is filled at room temperature in the plastic container, carbon dioxide gas is injected into the head space of the plastic container filled with the non-carbonated beverage, and a part of the air in the head space is replaced by the carbon dioxide gas. A method of providing a warm beverage, characterized in that the cap is sealed by capping the inlet of the plastic container partially replaced by carbon dioxide, thereby warming the beverage sealed in the plastic container and providing it to the consumer.