KR20090126242A - Liquid nutritional food and method of producing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

[PROBLEMS] To provide a more effective and simplified method of producing a liquid nutritional food such as a fluid diet or a medical diet. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] The above problem has been solved by providing a method of producing a liquid nutritional food which comprises a mixing step (12) wherein starting materials are mixed together, a sterilizing step (13) wherein sterilization is conducted by heating and a homogenizing step (15) wherein homogenization is conducted, characterized in that a multifunctional mixing tank, whereby heating, cooling and agitating can be at least conducted under reduced pressure, is used as a mixing tank in the mixing step (12) and the average diameter of fat spheres is regulated to 1 μm or less.

Description

LIQUID NUTRITIONAL FOOD AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to liquid nutritional products such as liquid food and medical food, and a method for producing the same.

Conventionally, liquid nutrition products such as liquid foods and medical foods have been used as nutritional supplement foods for patients after surgery, for example.

Recently, in Japan, a long-lived country where the proportion of the elderly has risen, the demand for liquid nutritional products such as liquid foods and medical foods has increased to cope with poor nutritional intake due to chewing disorders and swallowing disorders of the elderly.

In addition to containing sugars, lipids, and proteins, this liquid-flowing formula (intestinal nutrients, landscape nutrients, etc.) requires not only comprehensive nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but also fat injury and diuresis. In addition to the taste, there is a demand for long-term quality maintenance that suppresses changes in physical properties such as sedimentation, browning, and the like.

In order to comply with the above requirements, a method of producing a nutritional composition, which has a high solids content, is stable even after heat treatment, has less precipitation and fat injury, has excellent long-term storage properties, and has excellent flowability through a tube, has been proposed. There is (refer patent document 1).

Further, thickened polysaccharides are added to prevent generation of aggregated precipitates, and a method for producing a rich flow type having a good tube fluidity is also suppressed, which reduces the fluidity caused by gelation caused by the thickened polysaccharides (see Patent Document 2).

[Patent Document 1]: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-332528

[Patent Document 2]: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-289830

(Initiation of invention)

(Tasks to be solved by the invention)

According to the manufacturing methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 according to the requirements required for liquid nutrient products, all of them require high pressure homogenization pressure in the homogeneous process, and also many operations and apparatuses in the process of combining raw materials It becomes unavoidable that manufacturing cost and equipment cost become large, such as being necessary.

2 is a block diagram showing an example of a manufacturing process of a conventional liquid nutrient product including the manufacturing method according to the patent documents 1 and 2.

As shown in Fig. 2, raw materials of synthetic nutrients such as sugars, proteins, and vitamins are inspected and measured (S101), and the mixture is put into a combination tank containing about 55 ° C of warm water in a predetermined amount (S102). In order to stably and uniformly mix the fats and oils, fats and oils are proportionally injected to the piping etc. which are in the post process of a combination tank (in-line mixing) (S103).

Then, a proportionate injected oil stream is mixed using a pre-emulsifier (in-line homo mixer) (S104).

Thereafter, after a preheating step of about 85 ° C. (S105), a first homogeneous step (homogeneous before sterilization step) (S106) and a sterilization step (145 ° C., 5 seconds) are applied with a homogenizing pressure for reducing the particle diameter of the liquid food. (S107), and after the cooling step (85 占 폚) (S108), a second homogeneous step (homogeneous after sterilization step) (S109) is performed.

And again through the cooling step (10 ℃ or less) (S110), it leads to the filling step and shipping (S111).

As described above, in the production of liquid nutritional products such as liquid foods and medical foods, many operations and equipment were required at each step including a combination process and a homogeneous process of raw materials.

The present invention aims at increasing the efficiency and simplicity of a method for producing liquid nutritional products, such as liquid foods and medical foods, and providing high-quality liquid nutritional foods.

(Means to solve the task)

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems by reviewing the linkage between the liquid nutrient-based combinatorial process and the homogeneous process, selecting the optimal combination tank, studying the method of use thereof, and further researching the homogenizer.

That is, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention proposes a method for producing a liquid nutritional product comprising a combination step of performing a combination treatment of raw materials, a sterilization step of performing a heat treatment, and a homogeneous step of performing a homogeneous treatment, A method for producing a liquid nutritional product characterized by using a multifunctional tank that can be heated, cooled, and stirred under reduced pressure (negative pressure) for the combination treatment of the above combination process, and the average fat diameter after the combination process is 1 μm or less. to be.

At this time, in the tank, the pressure in the reduced pressure state is low, and the higher the degree of vacuum, the powder material or the like is efficiently sucked into the tank and dissolved. This shortens the combination time and enhances the effects of deodorization and defoaming. However, in products with high foamability (which tends to bubble), the amount of liquid in the tank is high (high liquid level), and the small head space causes bubbles to overflow from the tank, resulting in increased product loss. For example, in small tanks and the like, it is difficult to increase the head space compared to a large tank, and therefore, in a small tank and the like, it is difficult to set a higher vacuum degree than a large tank. In this way, care must be taken in setting the degree of vacuum in the tank.

Therefore, when performing a combination process at about 55 degreeC, for example, suppressing boiling of a preparation liquid, it is a pressure-reduced state preferably -60 kPa or less (absolute pressure: 38 kPa (= 295 mmHg) or less, water boils at about 76 degreeC), More preferably -70 kPa or less (absolute pressure: 28 kPa (= 218 mmHg) or less, water boils at about 69 ° C), more preferably -80 kPa or less (absolute pressure: 18 kPa (= 140 mmHg) or less, water, about 59 ° C )

On the other hand, when the combination solution is evaporated and concentrated in hot water at about 55 ° C., the combination may be -83 kPa or less (absolute pressure: 15 kPa (= 118 mmHg) or less, or boiling at about 55 ° C. if water). The pressures in these depressurized states are reference, and when performing a combination process at about 60 degreeC, about 50 degreeC, etc., the pressure of a reduced pressure state can be adjusted and set suitably, considering the pressure boiling at those temperatures.

In the above-mentioned method for producing a liquid nutritional product, a homogenizer having a homogeneous disk or a multistage valve composed of a small gap can be used for the homogeneous treatment of the homogeneous process, so that the average fat diameter after the homogeneous process can be 0.5 μm or less.

In addition, the homogenization pressure in this homogeneous process can be 50 Mpa or less.

Thus, the manufacturing method of the liquid nutritional product of this invention makes an average fat diameter 0.5 micrometer or less in the homogeneous process at 50 MPa or less which is a homogenization pressure lower than the conventional in the actual production scale, for example, 6000 L / h. It is one of the characteristics.

According to the method for producing a liquid nutritional product of the present invention, a homogeneous disk composed of a small gap in a homogeneous process is used in a homogeneous process, using a multifunctional tank that can be heated, cooled, and stirred in a combination process, for example, at least under a reduced pressure. Or by using the homogenizer which has a multistage valve, it became possible to become efficient and simplified in each process in the manufacturing method of liquid nutritional products, such as a fluid type | mold and a medical formula.

In other words, by using the above-mentioned multifunctional tank as a combination tank, the operation of heating, cooling, and stirring can be carried out collectively under reduced pressure, and self-absorption, dispersion, dissolution, miscibility of powder raw materials, and defoaming of combination liquid (raw emulsion) Deoxidation, deodorization and homogenization can be performed efficiently in a short time.

The combined solution is defoamed (foamed) by collectively performing heating, cooling, and stirring under reduced pressure, and a liquid (combination solution) containing almost no gas (bubble) in the homogenization, sterilization, and filling process after the combination can be processed. Can be. Therefore, the apparatus (equipment) of each process can be operated stably. Specifically, the loss of the combination solution (loss), the frequency of breakdown and replacement of parts in each device, the improvement of the dissolution and emulsification effect in the homogenizer, the suppression of adhesion in the sterilizer, and the frequency of cleaning The extension of the continuous operation time can be performed.

In addition, by carrying out the heating, cooling, and stirring operations collectively under reduced pressure, the combined solution is deoxygenated, and the destruction, reduction, and loss of nutrients (vitamin, etc.) accompanying heating and the action of enzymes can be suppressed. And also has a deodorizing function for removing odors, for example, casein, which is considered to be an undesirable flavor.

In the multifunctional tank, which is a combined tank, the particle diameter of the raw material can be reduced by strong stirring, and the use of a preemulsifier can be omitted, and in the multifunctional tank, the oil and fat can be mixed and dispersed uniformly. Can be added, and proportional injection (in-line mixing) of the oil and fat is unnecessary.

At this time, as described above, the average fat diameter after the combining step is preferably adjusted to 1 µm or less, more preferably 0.9 µm or less, and still more preferably 0.8 µm or less.

By lowering the average fat diameter in the combining process to less than the average fat diameter of the commercially available milk (about 1 to 2 μm), the fats and oils in the sterilization process or the homogeneous process, which is a post process of the combining process, are stably in the water phase ( Uniformly), and each manufacturing apparatus can be stably operated. In the sterilization process, it is possible to suppress adhesion in the sterilizer, to reduce the frequency of cleaning, to extend the continuous operation time, and the like. In the homogeneous process, the dissolution effect and the emulsification effect in the homogenizer can be improved.

In the multifunctional tank, the powder material is automatically sucked into the dissolved water by putting it under reduced pressure, so that the combination (dissolution) time can be shortened to about one third of the conventional one, and the combination work can be saved. In addition, by reducing bubbles (occurrences) of the preparation liquid, poor dissolution of the powder raw material is reduced, and the amount of centrifugal sedimentation (precipitation) of the preparation liquid is also reduced. Therefore, it is preferable to perform a combination process in a reduced pressure state.

In addition, in the multifunctional tank, it is possible to stir the high-viscosity fluid vigorously, so that it is possible to uniformly mix trace components, to remove deposits and sediments on the wall or bottom of the tank, and to heat-transfer the wall or the bottom. Can be kept in good condition.

In the above-mentioned manufacturing method of the liquid nutritional product of the present invention, the size of the fat diameter is set in the state where the homogenization pressure is set lower than before by having the homogenizer in the homogeneous step having a homogeneous disk or a multistage valve composed of a small gap. The emulsifying effect reflected on the back can be made equal to the conventional one.

For example, by adopting a homogeneous disk or a multistage valve to a homogenizer (second homogeneous process) used after sterilization, the value of the homogenization pressure can be reduced to about three quarters as compared with the conventional one, and the emulsification effect can be made equal to the conventional one. have.

However, the homogenization pressure cannot be sufficiently reduced by the homogeneous disk or the multistage valve alone, and the homogenization pressure can be sufficiently reduced by using together with the above-described multifunctional tank (combination tank).

At this time, the average fat diameter after a homogenization process becomes like this. Preferably it is 0.5 micrometer or less, More preferably, it is 0.45 micrometer or less, More preferably, it is 0.4 micrometer or less.

That is, in the homogeneous process in the manufacturing method of the liquid nutritional product of the present invention mentioned above, in the actual production scale, for example, 6000 L / h, the homogenization pressure lower than the conventional example is 50 MPa or less, Preferably it is 40 MPa or less More preferably, it is 35 MPa or less, More preferably, it is 30 MPa or less, Especially preferably, it is 25 MPa or less, It is one of the characteristics that the average fat diameter after a homogenization process is 0.5 micrometer or less, for example about 0.45 micrometer or about 0.4 micrometer.

If the average fat diameter is smaller than the commercially available average fat diameter (approximately 0.5 μm), oils and fats are stably (uniformly) dispersed in the water phase even if the product is stored for a long time. This is less, and the quality is the same as or higher than the conventional one.

Here, as a homogenizer having a homogeneous disk or a multi-stage valve composed of the above-mentioned small gaps, for example, an emulsifier (homogenizer) having a nanovalve (Niro Soavi), a microgap (APV), or the like can be used. have.

The emulsifier (homogenizer) having these nanovalve, microgap or the like has a homogeneous disk or a multistage valve composed of a small gap of 20 to 80 µm, preferably 30 to 70 µm, more preferably 40 to 60 µm. And the flow rate can be used in the actual tank scale of about 6000L / h.

In conventional valves (such as Izumi Food Machinery Co., Ltd. and Sanwakikai Co., Ltd.) used in actual tank scales, the gap between homogeneous discs and multi-stage valves is about 90 to 100 μm, whereas about 50 to 70 μm (about) 60μm), in the microgap, it is about 30-50μm (about 40μm).

The clearance gap between the homogeneous disk and the multistage valve which the homogenizer used in the homogenization process in the manufacturing method of this invention has is 20-80 micrometers, Preferably it is 30-70 micrometers, More preferably, it is 40-60 micrometers. The numerical value of this gap is derived from the calculation formula described later and is supported experimentally and theoretically. In addition, the clearance of these homogeneous disks or a multistage valve is the numerical value estimated from some assumptions and an experiment result.

In the above-mentioned manufacturing method of the liquid nutritional product of the present invention, as the above-mentioned multifunctional tank, for example, a turbo mixer (Scanima: Turbo Mixer) or an equivalent multifunctional tank (Romaco Fryma Koruma: Dinex, APV: Flex Mix, etc.) ) Can be used.

Multifunctional tanks such as these turbo mixers have a stator composed of a rotor and a slit width of 1 to 7 mm in the tank.

The rotor has a diameter of about 580 to 2500 mm and a height of about 400 to 2300 mm in the tank. For example, the diameter is 200 to 400 mm (the radius corresponds to 100 to 200 mm) and the rotation speed is 1000 to 3000 rpm.

As a stator, slit width is 1-7 mm, Preferably, it is 2-6 mm, More preferably, it is 3-5 mm.

The slit width means a short side or short diameter in the case of a rectangular or oval, and a diameter in the circle.

As the stator is movable, it is effective for stirring and atomization. Specifically, there is a dynamic stator (Scanima Co., Ltd.), and the stator moves up and down to switch between the circulation mode and the high shear mode.

Moreover, what this invention further proposes is a liquid nutrient product characterized by being manufactured by the manufacturing method of the liquid nutrient product of the present invention mentioned above.

Herein, the viscosity of the liquid nutrient product prepared by the method for preparing the liquid nutrient product of the present invention is preferably 15 to 100 cP.

The method for preparing a liquid nutritional product proposed by the present invention is suitable for producing a high concentration and high viscosity liquid formulation, and particularly, the effect of the present invention is exhibited at 15 cP or more. On the other hand, since the tube fluidity is required as the flow type, when the viscosity is 100 cP or more, it becomes difficult to flow in the tube (tubules) during landscape nutrition. In addition, in this specification, a viscosity is a numerical value as a product below normal temperature.

Moreover, as a composition of a fluid type | mold, it is preferable that a protein is 30-100 mg / ml, a lipid (fats and oils) is 20-100 mg / ml, and a sugar is 50-350 mg / ml, for example.

In addition, according to the manufacturing method of the liquid nutritional product of the present invention described above, since the raw materials can be combined in a short time by the use of a multifunctional tank, useful components such as heating or the action of an enzyme (for example, vitamin C, B1, D, folic acid, etc.) can provide a liquid nutritional product suppressed destruction or reduction. In addition, since the holding time at high temperature can be shortened by the combination treatment for a short time, it is possible to suppress the growth of high temperature bacteria to produce a liquid nutritional product.

(Effects of the Invention)

According to the present invention, an efficient liquid nutritional product can be produced in a combination process and a homogeneous process. That is, since the multifunctional tank was used in the combination process, it is possible to omit proportional injection of oils and fats (in-line mixing), use of a preemulsifier (in-line homo mixer), and use of a homogenizer before sterilization (first homogeneous process).

Moreover, since the particle diameter (fat diameter) can be made smaller than the conventional manufacturing process by the combination process by a multifunctional tank, the homogenization after sterilization (the 2nd homogeneous process) can make numerical value of the homogenization pressure lower than before.

In addition, according to the present invention, the combination treatment can be performed in a short time, so that heating, the action of enzymes, and the like can be suppressed, and liquid nutritional products can be produced with minimal disruption or reduction of useful components. Similarly, since the holding time at high temperature can be shortened, it is possible to suppress the growth of high temperature bacteria to prepare a liquid nutritional product.

1 is a block process diagram of a method for preparing a liquid nutritional product according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a block process diagram of a conventional method for producing a liquid nutritional product.

3 is a graph showing the relationship between the combination time (stirring holding time) and the fat diameter (particle diameter) in the combination step.

4 is a graph showing the relationship between homogenization pressure and fat diameter (particle diameter).

Fig. 5A is a conceptual explanatory diagram of a rigid model and a simplified model of shear stress in a homogeneous process. (b) is a graph showing the relationship between shear stress and fat diameter (particle diameter).

Fig. 6 (a) is a list of high temperature bacterial counts in the combination step. (b) is a table | surface of the high temperature microbial count in a combination process similarly.

Fig. 7A is a graph showing the relationship between the combined time (stirring holding time) and the fat diameter (particle diameter) in the combining step. (b) is a list of experimental conditions.

<Code description>

S11... Combination process (adding, mixing and stirring raw materials to the turbo mixer)

S15... Homogeneous process

(The best mode for carrying out the invention)

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, with reference to an accompanying drawing, an Example as an optimal form of this invention is described.

(Example)

1 is a block diagram showing an example of a method for producing a liquid nutritional product according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the manufacturing process of liquid nutritional products, such as a liquid food | medical food | medical formula, inspection and a measurement of a raw material are performed (S11). There are different raw materials depending on the use of liquid foods and medical foods. In general, synthetic nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber are included in addition to sugars, lipids and proteins.

The raw materials that have been inspected and weighed are mixed and mixed in multifunctional tanks, which are combination tanks in the combination process. This multifunctional tank contains about 55 ° C of warm water in a predetermined amount.

In this example, a multifunctional tank was used as a turbo mixer (Turbo Mixer, manufactured by Scanima). This turbo mixer is equipped with a stator with a diameter of about 580 to 2500 mm, a tank of about 400 to 2300 mm, a rotor with a diameter of about 200 to 400 mm, a rotation speed of about 1000 to 2600 rpm, and a slit diameter of 4 mm. Doing. The stirring of the turbo mixer is powerful, and therefore, raw materials can be mixed and dispersed in a predetermined uniform state in the tank.

Therefore, fats and oils can be thrown at the same time as the raw material, and the proportional injection of fats and oils performed in the conventional manufacturing process (inline mixing, step S103 of FIG. 2 showing the block process of the conventional liquid nutritional product manufacturing method) is unnecessary. This makes it possible to omit the equipment of the preemulsifier (S104 shown in Fig. 2).

At this time, the pressure reduction state in a tank is used as -60 kPa (absolute pressure: 38 kPa) -80 kPa (absolute pressure: 18 kPa), and powder raw materials etc. are efficiently aspirated and melt | dissolved in a tank. In the tank, the pressure in the reduced pressure state is low, and the higher the degree of vacuum, the powder material or the like is efficiently sucked into the tank and dissolved. This shortens the combination time and enhances the effects of deodorization and defoaming. However, in products with high foamability (which tends to be bubbles), the amount of liquid in the tank is large (high liquid level), and when the headspace is small, the foam overflows from the tank, resulting in increased product loss. For example, in small tanks, it is difficult to increase the headspace compared to a large capacity tank, so it is difficult to set a higher vacuum degree than a large capacity tank in a small capacity tank. In this way, care must be taken in setting the degree of vacuum in the tank.

The graph of FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the combination time (stirring holding time) and the particle diameter of the particle | grains and homogenization pressure in the combining process by the turbo mixer SRB50. In addition, the combination time here does not include time for putting powder raw materials etc. into a combination tank.

As shown in Fig. 3, the particle diameter (average fat diameter) is about 0.7 m when the mixture is stirred for 15 minutes with a turbo mixer. The particle diameter (average fat diameter) here is a measured value (volume average value) by SALD-2000J (Shimazu Seisakusho).

Here, in comparison with the conventional manufacturing process shown in Fig. 2, in addition to using a preemulsifier immediately after the proportional injection of fats and oils (FIG. 2, S103) (FIG. 2, S104), it is carried out twice before and after sterilization. High pressure treatment using a homogenizer (homogenizer). At this time, the particle diameter of the raw material treated with the preemulsifier was about 1.5 µm, and the particle diameter after the treatment in the first homogeneous process (homogenization before sterilization) was about 0.6 µm.

Accordingly, it has been found that the pre-emulsifier is unnecessary by combining the turbo mixer in this embodiment for 15 minutes. In addition, the particle diameter after processing for 15 minutes with the turbo mixer in this Example is 0.7 micrometer, about the particle diameter after processing in the 1st homogeneous process (homogeneous process before sterilization) in a conventional manufacturing process. In view of accuracy, the first homogeneous step (homogeneous step before sterilization) in the conventional manufacturing process may be omitted. The turbo mixer is just one example, and other equivalent multi-function tanks (Romaco Fryma Koruma: Dinex, APV: Flex Mix, etc.) may be used.

Next, as described above, the liquid nutritional raw material that has undergone the combination process by mixing in a turbo mixer is omitted in the sterilization step (145 DEG C.) as a proportional injection of fats and oils in the conventional manufacturing process is omitted. (For 5 seconds) (S14). This sterilization process is the same as the conventional manufacturing process.

After the sterilization process, a homogeneous treatment at a high pressure using a homogenizer (homogenizer) is performed (S15).

As a homogenizer (homogenizer), the homogeneous disc (Niro Soavi company: Nano Valve) of a large size and a small space | gap, and the multistage valve (APV company: Micro Gap) of many and small space | gap can be illustrated.

That is, by using an emulsifier having a nanovalve or a microgap, the homogenization pressure can be significantly reduced than in the conventional manufacturing process.

In addition, the said nanovalve and microgap are only an example, In addition, it is the same disk and valve | bulb, and can use it by setting a clearance to a predetermined value.

Specifically, referring to the graph showing the relationship between the homogenization pressure and the particle diameter of FIG. 4, the fat diameter of the liquid nutritional product (particle diameter: 0.4 μm) when the second homogenization pressure is treated at 40 MPa in a conventional homogeneous process. Degree), the homogenization pressure in the homogenization step of this example was determined. As a result, it was found that the homogenizing pressure in this example should be about 23 MPa.

Therefore, the liquid nutrients having a particle diameter of about 0.4 μm by the homogenization treatment (S15) is subjected to a cooling process (S16), and further to the filling process and shipping (S17).

As described above, in the manufacturing process of the present embodiment in the method for producing a liquid nutritional product according to the present invention, the number of processes and the number of use of the manufacturing apparatus can be reduced compared to the manufacturing process of the conventional liquid nutritional product.

That is, it is essential to prevent emulsion breakdown in the production of liquid nutritional compositions such as liquid foods, and it is very important to atomize the fat spheres and stabilize the emulsion by pre-emulsification or homogenization. Therefore, in the conventional manufacturing process, the following three operations (processes) were essential in order to make atomization of fat globules and stabilization of an emulsion favorable.

(1) Inline proportional injection of fats and oils, and mixing / dispersion (pre-emulsification treatment) by a pre-emulsifier (in-line mixer): It is necessary not to excessively add fats and oils to a protein.

(2) Homogenization (atomization treatment) by the homogenizer (homogenizer) of the first (before sterilization): It is necessary as a pretreatment in order to improve the state of emulsification after sterilization (heat treatment).

(3) Homogenization (emulsification) by the second (after sterilization) homogenizer (homogenizer). High pressure treatment is required to prevent the floating or sedimentation of the cream during storage.

Using this conventional manufacturing process, when producing a relatively high concentration and high viscosity liquid nutrient product (e.g., May Balance 1.5HPZ, viscosity: 20 to 35 cP), the average fat size is pre-emulsified (in-line). After the mixer, the process of (1) described above, about 15μm, after the atomization treatment (first homogenizer, the process of (2) described above) about 0.6μm (homogenization pressure: 15 ~ 30MPa), emulsification treatment (second homogenizer) After the above-mentioned step (3), the temperature becomes about 0.4 μm (homogenization pressure: 40 to 50 MPa).

On the other hand, when combining Maybalance 1.5ZCS (viscosity: 10-20 cP) using the multifunctional tank (SCANIMA: SRB50, a turbo mixer), the relationship between the elapsed time from the end of the combination (completion) and the particle diameter is shown. Shown in three. In this turbo mixer, the diameter of the tank is about 580 mm, the height of the tank is about 400 mm, the rotor diameter is 200 mm, the rotor rotation speed is 2000 rpm, the slit diameter is 4 mm, the introduction amount is 40L, and the scale of the pilot plant (model: SRB50). The pressure reduction state in a tank is -60 kPa (absolute pressure: 38 kPa).

It can be seen from FIG. 3 that the average particle diameter becomes about 0.77 μm after 15 minutes from the end of the addition of the powder raw material. That is, it was clarified that the average fat diameter could be atomized to about 0.7 μm only by the combination operation if the combination solution was kept in the tank for 15 minutes while circulating the rotor and stator installed in the lower part of the multifunctional tank (turbo mixer).

For this combination solution (average fat diameter: around 0.7 μm), 40 to 50 MPa using a homogenizer (nirosobia: NS-3024H, Sharp Edge, treatment flow rate: 250 L / h) in order to atomize the fat balls. Emulsified. As a result, an average particle diameter became about 0.4 micrometer and became equivalent to the case of the conventional manufacturing method (FIG. 2) mentioned above.

In the conventional manufacturing method (FIG. 2), in addition to the operation of mixing (stirring and mixing powder raw materials, etc.) in a tank, (1) proportional injection in in-line holding and in-line mixer (preliminary emulsification treatment), and (2) first (sterilization) A total of three levels of atomization operation (homogenization) by the homogenizer (homogenizer) of the former) and (3) homogenization (emulsification process) by the homogenizer (homogenizer) of the second (after sterilization) 3 emulsifiers).

On the other hand, when manufacturing the product of comparatively high density | concentration high viscosity (for example, May balance 1.5HPZ, viscosity: 20-35 cP) of Meiji New Kyo Co., Ltd. using the manufacturing method of this invention using a multifunctional tank, a multifunctional tank In addition to the combination operation in Esau, one step (one emulsifying apparatus) of the atomization process corresponding to the second homogenizer (homogenizer) of the second (after sterilization) is sufficient, and the quality is equivalent to the conventional one.

That is, it became clear that the in-line mixer (preliminary emulsification process) and the atomization operation (two emulsifying apparatuses) of 2 steps of the total (first homogenizer) of the 1st (pre-sterilization) can be abbreviate | omitted.

Next, the relationship between the homogenization pressure and particle diameter of FIG. 4 is explained in full detail.

In homogeneous valves (homogeneous discs or multistage valves with narrow gaps) with a narrow flow passage diameter (gap) used in the actual tank scale, the gap is 30 to 60 μm (homogenization pressure: 40 to 60 MPa, processing flow rate: 6000 L / h), A homogenizer provided with a homogeneous valve having a narrow channel diameter is applied to the flow type.

Moreover, in the conventional (normal) homogenous valve used by the actual tank scale, the clearance gap is 90-100 micrometers (homogenization pressure: 40-60 MPa, process flow rate: 6000 L / h). That is, the homogeneous valve having a narrow passage diameter has a passage diameter (gap) of about 1/2 (one half) as compared with a conventional homogeneous valve.

When a fluid (liquid) is passed through such a narrow gap, it is expected that the pressure will be higher than usual (imaginary). However, in nano valves (homogeneous valves with narrow channel diameters), the path length of the valve body (in the housing of the valve) is widened (larger diameter of the valve), and the channel diameter of the working (liquid) part is made as narrow as possible. By shortening the pressure, the pressure is lowered than usual, and a force (shear stress) is applied to the fluid efficiently.

On the other hand, in the microgap (homogeneous valve with narrow channel diameter), the flow paths of the valve body (in the housing of the valve) are branched in plural (for example, five) in parallel. By dividing the fluid into these branched flow paths and reducing the flow rate at each branch, the flow path diameter of the working (liquid) portion is made as narrow as possible, and the pressure is lowered than usual to effectively apply a force (shear stress) to the fluid.

That is, in both of the nanovalve and the microgap, it is important to study how to lower the pressure and allow the fluid to pass through the narrow gap. For this study, the flow rate (linear velocity) of the action (liquid) portion is lowered in the nanovalve and the microgap than in the conventional (normal) homogenizers (Izumi Food Machinery Co., Ltd., Sanwakikai Co., Ltd.).

Using a conventional homogenizer (homogenizer) with a conventional valve and a homogenizer with a homogeneous valve with a narrow flow path diameter, the fluid type `` Maybalance 1.5ZCS (viscosity: 10 to 20 cP) (manufactured by Meiji New) '' Homogenization was carried out with the actual processing capacity (6000 L / h).

As the pretreatment, the homogenizer was homogenized (homogenization pressure: 25 MPa, treatment flow rate: 6000 L / h) using a first homogenizer (Sanwakikai Co., Ltd .: H100), and thereafter, the fluid was fed using a direct heating device (Iwai Kikai Co., Ltd .: SN50). The solution was sterilized (145 ° C, 5 seconds) and then cooled (about 85 ° C).

The flow formula treated as described above using two types of ordinary valves (Izumi Food Machinery Co., Ltd .: HV-5EH, flat type homogeneous valve) and a narrow flow path diameter (Niroso visa company: Nano Valve) It was homogenized and the effect of atomization was compared.

In Fig. 4, when the homogenizing pressure is homogenized to 40 MPa using a normal valve (flat type), the particle diameter becomes 0.43 µm. On the other hand, if the particle diameter is 0.43 µm using a homogeneous valve having a narrow flow path diameter (nanovalve), the homogenization pressure may be homogenized to about 23 MPa. That is, in the narrow gap valve, the homogenization pressure can be reduced by about 35% compared with the normal valve.

Here, the relationship between the homogenization pressure and the shear stress applied to the homogenizer valve (homogeneous valve) is expressed by the simplified model shown in Fig. 5A. Since it is difficult to calculate the shear stress strictly, the shear stress was estimated using the simplified model shown in FIG. FIG. 5 (a) is a conceptual explanatory diagram of the rigid model and the simplified model of the shear stress in the homogeneous process, and FIG. 5 (b) is a graph showing the relationship between the shear stress and the particle diameter.

If the shear stress is equal, the particle diameters are assumed to be equal, and the basis of this assumption is obtained from the experimental results (actual values) shown in Fig. 5 (b) described above. Here, the experiment was performed for an 8-fold scale-up of 50 L / h of flow rate to 400 L / h. It was estimated that homogenizers with different flow rates correlate with shear stress and particle diameter. In addition, the estimation of the shear stress is a value calculated based on the above theory.

According to the calculation result of this theory, in order to make the fat diameter (particle diameter) of the second homogenizer about 0.4 μm in the conventional homogeneous process, it is necessary to set the “shear stress” of the homogeneous valve to about 20 × 10 ⁴ N / m ² . . In addition, in order to make the particle diameter after homogenization by the homogenizer in a homogeneous process in this Example about 0.4 micrometer, the homogenization pressure may be about 26 MPa.

Although there are some errors in 23 MPa of measured value and 26 MPa of calculated value, it is theoretically proved that homogeneous pressure of homogenizer can be reduced by applying turbo mixer to combination tank and then applying nanovalve or microgap to homogenizer. Could.

As described above, according to the manufacturing method of the liquid nutritional product in the present embodiment, since a turbo mixer is used as the multifunctional tank in the combination process of the raw materials, the stirring is more powerful than in the conventional combination tank, and oils and fats can be mixed simultaneously with the raw materials. It became possible. Both the proportional injection (in-line mixing) of the conventional fats and oils and the use of the pre-emulsifier accompanying this became unnecessary.

As a result, it is also possible to efficiently manufacture high-density and high-viscosity liquid nutrition products (floating food, etc.) in a short time. Compared to the combination (raw material dissolution) operation by the conventional circulating powder dissolving device or the one-pass (one-through) powder dissolving device, the combination by the multifunctional tank (for example, a turbo mixer) according to the present embodiment In the operation, the combination time can be shortened and the number of batches related to the combination operation can be reduced. This point is explained in more detail below.

In the conventional circulating powder dissolving apparatus (Comparative Example 1), since the amount of powder introduced into the dissolving liquid is small at the start of dissolution operation, and the concentration of the dissolving liquid is low, the viscosity of the dissolving liquid is low and the dissolution rate of the powder is large. .

However, with the progress of the dissolution operation, the amount of powder introduced into the solution increases, and when the concentration of the solution increases, the viscosity of the solution increases and the dissolution rate of the powder decreases.

At this time, when the viscosity of the solution increases, the circulation flow rate decreases as a whole, and the dissolution rate of the powder becomes extremely small.

In addition, since there are many circulation pipes (lines) in the circulation type, when manufacturing several kinds (batch) of products per day, the risk (risk) of bacterial growth increases in this line.

When using this circulating powder dissolving device to manufacture 10kL of relatively high concentration and high viscosity product (for example, Meiji News Corporation's Maybalance 1.5HPZ, viscosity: 20 ~ 35cP), the combination operation is completed for about 100 minutes. in need. In addition, in the case of manufacturing these relatively high concentration and high viscosity products, 4 people / 8 hours are required as the batch number.

On the other hand, in the conventional one-pass (one-through) powder dissolving apparatus (Comparative Example 2), the problem of the conventional circulating powder dissolving apparatus is solved by using a dissolver (Humken company: flow jet mill) having a particularly excellent dispersibility of powder. Some are working out. That is, in the one-pass type, the decrease in the dissolution rate of the powder can be eliminated, and the powder can be dissolved at a higher concentration in a shorter time.

In this one-pass combination operation, however, all powder raw materials except minerals should be added at the time of transferring the predetermined amount of dissolved water.

In addition, in this one-pass combined operation, it is necessary to clean the pipes (lines) with water after rinsing all the powder raw materials, limiting the amount of fresh water for dissolving the powder raw materials, and purifying the water for cleaning. You need to leave it. For this reason, in a powder dissolving machine, it is necessary to dissolve proteins at a considerably higher concentration than an actual product, and the risk (risk) of dissolution failure becomes high.

In addition to fats and oils, the conditions in the combination operation are also strict, and all fats and oils must be added (injected) while the proteins are dissolved to stably emulsify.

At this time, it is necessary to inject fats and oils at a considerably high concentration in proportion to the concentration of proteins. It is difficult to obtain a stable emulsified state by introducing a high viscosity fat or oil at a high mixing ratio into a high concentration of protein solution.

In addition, since the powder dissolving machine in one pass cannot be fixed-cleaned (CIP), it must be manually cleaned (washed), which requires labor and time for cleaning.

In view of the quantitative introduction of high viscosity fats and oils to the high concentration of the dissolving solution, a monopump should be used as the pump for the feeding. In the mono pump, a cleaning pipe (line) is required as a bypass from the production pipe (line), and considering the management of the rotor and the stator, the pump is not very convenient for use.

When using this one-pass powder dissolving device to produce 10kL of relatively high concentration and high viscosity products (for example, Meiji New Co., Ltd. Maybalance 1.5HPZ, viscosity: 20 ~ 35cP), the combined operation is completed. It requires minutes. In addition, in the case of manufacturing these relatively high concentration and high viscosity products, 4 people / 8 hours are required as the batch number.

In the present embodiment, the liquid nutritional product combination operation uses a multifunctional tank (for example, a turbo mixer). The multifunctional tank is provided with a rotor and a stator at the lower part of the tank, and this part (rotor and stator) is used. As the dissolving liquid (processing liquid) passes, stirring, mixing, emulsification, and dispersion are promoted. The specific example of this combination operation is given below.

Fresh water (dissolved water) is put into a tank, and powder raw material (classification) is put in the stage which became predetermined liquid level (level). When dextrins or fats and oils are in a liquid state, dextrins or fats and oils can be added at the same time as fresh water is added to the tank.

In addition, minerals can be added at the same time as dissolving proteins. At this time, the input of the powder raw material is finished and most of the combination operations are completed. In order to stabilize the composition and physical properties of the dissolving liquid (treatment liquid) or to degas the dissolving liquid (treatment liquid) sufficiently, it may be maintained at an arbitrary time.

In the combined operation in the multifunctional tank, all of the inside of the tank is depressurized and the powder can be sucked into the tank and the dissolving liquid by the depressurizing effect.

Therefore, in the combined operation of the circulation type, the increase of the viscosity of the dissolving liquid (treatment) is accompanied by the increase in the viscosity of the dissolving liquid (treatment). In the combined operation in this multifunctional tank, the dissolution rate of the powder does not decrease with the increase in the viscosity of the solution.

In addition, the combination operation (this embodiment) in the multifunctional tank is different from the conventional circulation system (Comparative Example 1) described above, and there is no circulation pipe or the like (line) in the whole manufacturing process such as the combination process or the liquid feeding process. Even for long periods of continuous manufacture, the risk of bacterial growth is lowered.

In the combination operation (this example) in the multifunctional tank, it is different from the conventional one-pass type apparatus (Comparative Example 2) described above, and the amount of fresh water for cleaning water of pipes and the like (line) is reduced, so that the powder raw material is dissolved. Can increase the amount of fresh water.

In other words, it is not necessary to dissolve proteins at high concentrations, and the risk (risk) of poor solubility is lowered. In addition, the addition of fats and oils removes the time limitation and facilitates obtaining a stable emulsified state.

The multifunctional tank has a structure that is easy to clean and can be fixed clean (CIP). For this reason, in addition to lowering the risk of bacterial growth, water washing, such as the conventional one-pass powder dissolving machine, is not necessary at all, and the burden of daily cleaning work is reduced.

In the case of producing 10 kL of relatively high concentration and high viscosity products (e.g., Maybalance 1.5HPZ, viscosity: 20 to 35 cP) using the multifunctional tank used in this embodiment, powder dissolution (combination) operation is It will take about 30-40 minutes to complete.

In this multifunctional tank, a container for dextrins (sugars) and a powder mixer (powder silo) for proteins can be used in combination, so when manufacturing these relatively high concentration and high viscosity products, two persons are used as the batch number. / 8 hours required.

In other words, by using the multifunctional tank for the combination operation, various auxiliary facilities can be made efficient as well, so that the combined time is about one third (one third) compared to the conventional circulation apparatus described above, and the conventional one pass described above. It can be reduced to about 1/2 (one-half) compared to the type device, and about 1/2 (one-half) compared to the conventional circulating device and one-pass type device described above. Can be reduced.

In addition, the multifunctional tank can remove deposits or sediments on the inner surface of the tank by vigorous stirring, so that the heat transfer property of the wall surface or the bottom surface can be maintained in a good state.

Moreover, since the combination liquid which hardly contains a bubble can be provided by the use of the turbo mixer with strong agitation force which performs the operation of heating, cooling, and stirring collectively in a reduced pressure state, the effect of melt | dissolution and emulsification improves.

Moreover, since the solubility in a combination process can be performed with high efficiency, a combination operation can be vitalized. In addition, since the deoxygenation effect can be caused in the combination solution, the destruction or reduction of nutrients (for example, vitamin C, vitamin B1, folic acid, vitamin D, etc.) accompanying heating or enzyme action can be suppressed. The quality of the liquid nutritional product manufactured by the manufacturing method in the example can also be aimed at.

In the present embodiment, the combination operation in a short time using a multifunctional tank (for example, a turbo mixer) can suppress the destruction or reduction of nutrients and useful components associated with heating, enzyme action, and the like. WHEREIN: It was confirmed also by the experiment which measured content of vitamin C of a combination liquid with time, when hold | maintained at predetermined temperature and predetermined time.

In this experiment, the mixture of the formula "Maybalance 1.5HPZ (viscosity: 20-35 cP)" (manufactured by Meiji New Co., Ltd.) was maintained at 50 ° C while stirring with a three-one motor (rotation speed: 200 rpm), and the content of vitamin C over time It is confirmed as an enemy.

Vitamin C (V.C.) was added to this combination solution to be 48 mg / 100 ml, and a sample (combination solution) was taken over time after 0 to 4 hours, and the concentration of vitamin C was measured. In addition, the vitamin C is 24mg / 100ml at the standard value of Maybalance 1.5HPZ, and the 48mg / 100ml test condition is increased by 200%.

According to the results of the experiment, the initial (0 hour elapsed time) content of vitamin C (VC), which was 36.4 mg / 100 ml, was 31.0 mg / 100 ml after 1 hour, 24.8 mg / 100 ml after 2 hours, and 18.2 after 3 hours. mg / 100ml and after 4 hours, it is confirmed that it becomes 14.8mg / 100ml. This experiment proved that vitamin C deteriorated when a combination liquid (flow type) was kept at predetermined temperature and predetermined time.

In other words, it can be seen that shortening the combination time is an effective means in suppressing destruction or deterioration of useful components.

In addition, the viscosity of the liquid nutritional product is preferably 15 ~ 100 cP. The method for preparing the liquid nutritional product proposed by the present invention is suitable for preparing a high concentration and high viscosity liquid, and particularly, the effect of the present invention is exhibited at 15 cP or more. On the other hand, since the tube fluidity is required as the flow type, if the viscosity is 100 cP or more, it becomes difficult to flow in the tube (tubules) at the time of cervical nutrition.

The powerful agitation by the turbo mixer can make the particle diameter of the raw material smaller than that of the conventional combination tank, and is a homogeneous disk (Niro Soavi company: nano valve) or multistage with a homogenizer in subsequent homogeneous processes. By using a valve (APV company: microgap), that is, an emulsifier having a nanovalve or a microgap, it becomes possible to significantly reduce the homogenization pressure than in the conventional manufacturing process.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the turbo mixer as the multifunctional tank is used in the combination process, the combination process can be carried out without using a powder dissolving machine or a pump. Therefore, the turbo mixer tank as the multifunctional tank is used. Simply cleaning and managing can reduce the risk (risk) of the growth of high temperature bacteria.

In a conventional combination facility, a combination liquid (combination emulsion, mix) remains not only in the tank but also in the mechanical seal portion of the powder dissolving machine or the pump. Residue of this combination liquid causes, and it accompanies repeating manufacture (as the frequency | count of batches increases), and the possibility of bacterial contamination becomes high. By the way, in the combination installation of this invention, all combination operations can be completed only by a tank, without using a powder dissolving machine or a pump. Therefore, if only the tank can be cleaned sufficiently, there is an advantage that the risk of propagation of high temperature bacteria is reduced.

Indeed, using a turbo mixer (SCANIMA: SRB50, dosage: 40L) as a multifunctional tank, continuously combines the concentration of Maybalance C (1.5 times), and washes (rinses) the tendency (situation) of bacterial growth (accumulation). ) And confirmed over time. 6 (a) and 6 (b) show a list of high temperature bacteria in the combination process. According to this result, the tendency of enrichment was confirmed after 9 hours of combination.

At this time, the tank was manually rinsed with warm water using a hose, and the tendency of enrichment was confirmed thereafter (Review 1). On the other hand, it was proved that it is possible to suppress enrichment by automatically rinsing the tank with hot water automatically for about 5 minutes using a shower ball (review 2).

In examination 1, it combined continuously for a long time using a turbo mixer. The proliferation of mesophilic bacteria, mesophilic bacteria, hot bacteria and hot bacteria was confirmed at this time. The result of this examination 1 is shown in the list drawing of FIG. As shown in this list, even when rinsed with hot water using a hose, the growth of bacteria could not be suppressed.

In review 2, the cleaning method was improved based on the result of review 1. The proliferation of mesophilic bacteria, mesophilic bacteria, hot bacteria and hot bacteria was confirmed at this time. The result of this examination 2 is shown to the list figure of FIG. 6 (b). As shown in this list, when the tank was rinsed with warm water for 5 minutes using a shower ball, the growth of bacteria could be suppressed. This can be easily recognized from comparing the high temperature bacterial count after 9-hour holding and the high temperature bacterial count after 12-hour holding after washing | cleaning using a shower ball.

Then, as another embodiment, Meiji New Teacher, which is a liquid product of higher concentration and viscosity than the liquid Maybalance 1.5ZCS (viscosity: 10-20 cP) and Maybalance 1.5 HPZ (viscosity: 20-35 cP), which are the liquid nutrition products described in the above embodiments. The manufacturing process is described about May Balance 2.0 (viscosity: 30-70 cP) of the above.

Maybalance 2.0 was combined with 1.3 times the concentrate using a multifunctional tank (Skanima Corp .: SRB50 and SPM3000, turbo mixer). Fig. 7 (a) shows the relationship between the combined time (stirring holding time) and the fat diameter (particle diameter).

May Balance 2.0 (2.0 kcal / ml) is a higher concentration and higher viscosity product than May Balance 1.5 ZCS (1.5 cal / ml) as described above. At this time, in order to confirm the agitation effect (action) of the multifunctional tank for a highly concentrated and high viscosity product, reduce the amount of fresh water (dissolved water) in the combination operation and combine May Balance 2.0 with 1.3 times the concentrated liquid. did. That is, in order to evaluate the mixing performance of the multifunctional tank, 1.3 times the concentrated liquid (about 55 degreeC) of Maybalance 2.0 was used as a simulation liquid. The mock solution was prepared by adding only sugars, proteins, fats and oils without adding minerals or vitamins. In addition, in liquid nutrient compositions such as liquid foods, May Balance 1.0 (1.0 kcal / ml) is a standard concentration and is a highly versatile product.

Experimental conditions are the same as in Fig. 7 (b), and the input amounts of 40L (model: SRB50) and 3000L (model: SPM3000), the number of revolutions 2000rpm (model: SRB50) and 1200rpm (model: SPM3000), the rotor diameter 200mm (model : SRB50) and 300 mm (model: SPM3000) and slit diameter were 4 mm (model: SRB50 and SPM3000), and it was set as the scale of a pilot plant (model: SRB50) and a practical machine (model: SPM3000).

At this time, the reduced pressure in the tank was used as -60 kPa (absolute pressure: 38 kPa) in SRB50 and -80 kPa (absolute pressure: 18 kPa) in SPM3000. In the SRB50, the headspace is smaller than in the SPM3000, so it is difficult to set the vacuum degree higher in the SRB50 than in the SPM3000.

When the combined solution was kept for 10 minutes in a pilot plant-sized tank (model: SRB50), it became clear that the average fat diameter could be atomized to about 0.8 μm only by the combined operation. In addition, when the combination solution was kept for 5 minutes in a practical scale tank (model: SPM3000), it became clear that the average fat size could be atomized to about 0.9 μm only by the combination operation.

In other words, in either the pilot plant or the actual machine, if the combination solution is kept in the tank for 5 to 10 minutes while circulating the rotor and the stator after the completion of the combination (raw material dissolution), the average fat diameter is atomized to about 0.9 μm only by the combination operation. It became clear that it could be done.

About this combination liquid (average fat diameter: about 0.9 micrometer), it emulsified at 40-50 MPa using the homogenizer (nirosobia: NS-3024H) in order to atomize fat fat. As a result, the average particle diameter became about 0.4 micrometer and became equivalent to the case of the conventional manufacturing method.

When manufacturing high concentration and high viscosity products (e.g., May Balance 2.0 from Meiji New) using the manufacturing method by the multifunctional tank, the second (after sterilization) homogenizer (homo) in addition to the combination operation in the multifunctional tank In one step (one emulsifying apparatus) of the atomization process corresponding to (generator), the quality was the same as in the prior art, which was sufficient. That is, it became clear that the in-line mixer (preliminary emulsification process) and the atomization operation (two emulsifying apparatuses) of 2 steps of the total (first homogenizer) of the 1st (pre-sterilization) can be abbreviate | omitted.

Claims (6)

A method for producing a liquid nutritional product comprising a combination step of performing a combination treatment of raw materials, a sterilization step of performing a heat treatment, and a homogeneous step of performing a homogeneous treatment, A method for producing a liquid nutritional product, characterized in that a multifunctional tank capable of operating at a heating, cooling, and stirring at least in a reduced pressure state is used for the combination treatment of the combination step, and the average fat diameter after the combination step is 1 μm or less. 2. The preparation of a liquid nutritional product according to claim 1, wherein a homogenizer having a homogeneous disk or a multistage valve composed of a small gap is used for the homogeneous treatment of the homogeneous process, and the average fat diameter after the homogeneous process is 0.5 mu m or less. Way. The method for producing a liquid nutritional product according to claim 2, wherein the homogenizer is an emulsifier having a homogeneous disk or a multistage valve composed of a small gap of 20 to 80 µm. The method for producing a liquid nutritional product according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the multifunctional tank is a combination tank having a stator composed of a rotor and a slit width of 1 to 7 mm in the tank. A liquid nutrient product prepared by the method for producing a liquid nutrient product according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The liquid nutritional product according to claim 5, wherein the liquid nutritional product has a viscosity of 15 to 100 cP.

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