LU87232A1 - CONTINUOUS COOKING AND HEAT STABILIZATION PROCESS OF SUSPENDED FOOD PARTICLES IN A LIQUID FOLLOWED BY ASEPTIC STORAGE OF STABILIZED SUSPENSIONS AND APPARATUS SUITABLE PARTICULARLY FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROCESS - Google Patents

Description

EL-3234 ~ GRANB-DUCHÉ DE LUXEMBOURG '- ~

Patent N ° ........ X .......'................... ^

Minister of ... 3 ....... j U in ...... 1988___________________ · of the Economy and the Middle Classes *, 3¾¾ Intellectual Property Service ^ ire e vre. fcgjâ LUXEMBOURG - * Ή (& ef.sj1 «. Application for Patent of invention -------------------------------- -: —..........................: ........-------- (i) · I. Request lüPEBWE.-Eaul ..... Henri, ...... 8.r: ... avenue_Bel .... Mr .., ..... B-197O ... Wezaiibeek; „„ ŒLIMEr .___ (2)

Edouard, ...... 27 ,. avenue .... Chaiip5l.,. ^ LEEEBVRE Henri Jean

Louis. 103. rue de la Limite, B-1970 Wezembeek, represented by Monsieur. Jean Waxweiler, 55 rue des Bruyères, Howaïd, acting as ^ ni ^ ataire ", 7 Γ1_ __L __ 'Π__Z ~ file) this ..three ...„. J..uin ..... mil .. .... new ....- C.en..t. „.. qua.tr.e = .ïr.in.gt = h.ui ± .___________________________ (4) at 1..5. / ... Q..Q. Hours, at the Ministry of the Economy and the Middle Classes, in Luxembourg: 1. this request for obtaining a patent for an invention concerning:

Continuous process of cooking and heat stabilization of pari-, ^ aliinoitaires en su ^ ens followed by a 'stûcfege' "'^ tï ^ ë" "dice" surespeh'sïôhs ..... stabilïsëës ""' and .. ... âp | ^ ëïllage ^ ------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------- 2. the description in language _______ ËEËiîSËÏ®® ________________________________________________ of the invention in triplicate; 3. ................................................ ... drawing plates, in triplicate; · 4. receipt of the fees paid to the Registration Office in Luxembourg on 03.06.1958__; 5. the delegation of power, dated .... Wezembeek_________________________ on 05.28.1988_; 6. the successor document (authorization); declarefat) assuming responsibility for this declaration, that the inventor (s) is (are): (6) LEE.EB ^ BE .. „E.aul._Henr.if.„. 8..f .. _.ai?:.enue.-...B.al·—a.ir-<1.-B.rdL9.?.Q...-Wezeiitbeek___.

CQLINET Edouard, 27, avenue ...... Champel, B-1640 Rhode-Saint-Gënese LEFEBVRE Henri Jean Louis, 103, rue de la Limite, B-1970 Wezembeek claims (nt) for the above patent application priority one (s) request (s) from (7) -------- L __________ filed (s) in (8) / _; _ on (9) —L · --------: -: - under N ° (10) _L _____________________________: ____ on behalf of (11) ____________: ___: ___ elect (elect) domicile for him / her and, if designated, for his / her representative, in Luxembourg_x_1 55 rue des Bruyères , Howald _ - ^) sollidtefnt) the grant of a patent of invention for the object described and represented in the abovementioned appendices, - with postponement of this grant to ............_ 1. 1.2./)_______________ months. (13)

The degOSKOO applicant: --------__: _______ (14) Π. Deposit Minutes

The above request for brevej ^ fcweetimi has been filed with the Ministry of Economy and Middle Classes, Property Service L ^ f ^^^ ê ^ î ^^ l ^ bourg, dated: 0 3.0 6.19 8 8 / | 3 I Pr. The Minister of Economy and the Middle Classes, at 3:00 p.m. 11 I \ W P ¥ -

The head of the intellectual property would be, - ~ a 68007 _ ^ - r '] / -:: _ -A j EXUCATIONS RELATING TO THE DEPOSIT FORM. ’’: ’D / __ - _" _ / 1 y 1d I (1) if applicable "Request for certificate of addition to the main patent, to the main patent application No-". · .... K ... .dij .iv ,, 1. , T ,,, ** - (2) enter the surname, first name, profession, JT j i Λ / address of the applicant, when that · «! is a private individual or corporate name, legal form, address of head office, when the applicant is a legal person - (^ register - —... ^ w the surname, first name, address of the authorized representative, industrial property attorney, provided with 'a special power, if applicable: "represents by ........... acting as a claimant" - (4) date of filing in full - (5) title of the invention - (6) enter the names, first names, addresses of the inventors or the indication "(see) separate designation (will follow)", when the desi- 'rmotinn SA faltail U fAM A fl ne HH / ΙλΑιι m am # clnarl Ali anmrA] UnHiAa #, nn Hham · mHtiAiinafl 'ln "/ iiiA Pimt" i1 "iirnm" n <i rirm.M II. / ία ... μ.ιι ^ λμ X Li.Ju X ..ma JA! ". .. '. "V l-3234

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DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY FILED IN SUPPORT OF A PATENT INVENTION APPLICATION IN THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG

LEFEBVRE Paul-Henri COLINET Edouard LEFEBVRE Henri Jean Louis 8, avenue Bel Air 27, avenue Champel 103, rue de la Limite B-1970 wezembeek B-1640 Rhode-Saint-Génese B-1970 Wezembeek 1 H%

Continuous cooking and stabilization process by heat-r of food particles in suspension in a liquid followed by aseptic storage of the stabilized suspensions and apparatus suitable -particularly for the implementation of the process.

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CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF COOKING AND STABILIZATION BY THE HEAT OF FOOD PARTICLES SUSPENDED IN A

LIQUID FOLLOWED BY ASEPTIC STORAGE OF STABILIZED SUSPENSIONS AND APPARATUS PARTICULARLY SUITABLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROCESS.

The process described in this patent relates to the food industry and particularly the preparation of canned food in the form of natural "particles" or get it naked by cutting too bulky products.

This process is characterized by the continuous carrying out of sterilization operations and more or less deep cooking, by the use of a stock of sterile liquid prepared before the production campaign, ____ 15 days by the fact that the operations cooking and sterilization can be carried out under a pressure significantly higher than the vapor pressure of the immersion liquid at the treatment temperature in order, above all, to avoid the consequences of the thermal expansion of gases present 2C or formed in particles; by the extreme reduction of the shocks undergone by the particles / by the pressurization of the suspension before it is dosed and heated, thus avoiding damaging the product, the pump or both and forcing most of the residual gases to dissolve . By the possibility of homogenizing the composition of the liquid for immersion of the particles in one or more aseptic storage tanks and, consequently, of homogenizing also the composition of the liquid present in the particles, and finally of correcting, if there are certain characteristics of the IK immersion liquid, cycle.

The products to be treated can be fresh or obtained by rehydration of the dried products.

The process described allows extremely rapid heating and cooling; particles. It makes it possible to cook and stabilize almost identically each of the particles of the same flow in an excess of liquid and to vary to a significant extent the factors "duration, temperature and pressure" without having to cool an exaggerated quantity of liquid. .

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It also reduces some of the harmful effects of. heating and adjust the "cooking" effect almost independently of the "stabilization" effect.

The descriptions of the multipurpose equipment are based on the schematic representations appearing in plates I to XII.

Descriptions and diagrams are explanatory. They do not limit the scope of the claims.

Figures 1 and 2, plates I and II, relate to an installation suitable for non-acidic, slightly acidic or acidic particles, to be stabilized between 75 and 150 ° C, the usual temperatures being rather between 85-90 ° C and 140ec , under high overpressure and even containing abrasive impurities such as earth, sand, slag and small stones from cultivated soils.

FIG. 1 details the "dosing, heating, stabilization, cooling and pre-storage of the particles" posts, while FIG. 2 relates to an entire installation.

2 <: In both cases, the equipment required to supply particles and liquid to stabilize the tanks loaded on the installation are not shown.

They are conventional (pumps, elevators, containers and hoists, etc.).

2 "The term" multipurpose "means that the installation, as well as the process, is suitable for all particles transferable in the line and then from the storage tanks to the packaging equipment in retail or transport packaging.

K This excludes "non-standard" particles such as asparagus branches, celery hearts and whole green beans. These particles form clusters.

They are not transferable by pipes and valves of reasonable diameters.

35 Figure 14, board X, extremely simplified, makes it possible to follow the flow of particles from the suspension tank to the hot settling tank, cooling and temporary storage, 0, and of the tank liquid. A to D and to the long-life aseptic flexible storage tank to be filled U ^.

All devices, sterile or not, depending on their use, are initially filled with liquid, sterile or not, hot or cold. Only tank A may or may not be completely filled. At least one of the reservoirs D is charged with particles to be treated.

Liquid A, pumped by 31, flows through C, D, F, E, 11. G, H, I, J, K, L, h, 0, Q2, R, S to It can also directly feed F or the cooker G, without going through D and through the suspension positive displacement pump E, called "the doser"; therefore, the material flow, which is adjustable, is permanent. D is completely filled with particles and liquid, whether or not there is an excess of liquid.

The suspension, transferred by E, is reheated in the continuous cooker G, stabilized and cooked in G, then in the chamber I, hot deflected at K, hot decanted at M, then cooled and accumulated at 0.

2 'When the load at 0 is sufficient, this tank is isolated from the devices supplying it and its accessories, ie the exchangers Q ^, the pump B3 and the discharge valve R. Then, using sterile liquid, cycle through the pump B ^, we discharge towards the bottom of the tank-2Z see Ü1 the particles accumulated at 0.

The particles sediment in the liquid already contained in U ^.

The floating liquid returns through the pipe S * ’to the pump B ^.

The pump B ^, high pressure, introduces liquid at K, a hot flow diverter, if this is justified, and between the valve L and the hot decanter M.

This decanter separates the liquid-rich suspension into two phases, the dense suspension and the excess liquid, due to the pumping action of the chamberer I. This excess returns via the pipe N to G. If necessary, this recycling of the liquid, stabilized and hot, can also be caused by a ponpe placed between u and G in the pipe X.

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The reservoir 0 and its annexes or accessories M, Q1 # ®2 * B3 "and pipes, being initially filled with sterile liquiae, any flow of materials, - particles and liquid coming from the outside, either by AB ^, in 5 form of vapor in G or of liquid in K, flows by R towards S, although the stabilized particles accumulate at the bottom of 0. In other words, after return to G of the excess of hot liquid separated in M, the complementary part of hot liquid and a volume of cold liquid, coming from the lower part of 0, equivalent to the volume of the stabilized particles, are eliminated by the discharge device R, after cooling in and directed to one of the reservoirs. Aseptic storage U. The hot particles decant through the cold liquid contained in the middle and lower part of 0 and are rapidly cooled.

The low liquid temperature of the lower part of 0 is maintained by 1 • 'exchanger Q1 and the pump · 5 \ "

The preceding descriptions and FIGS. 1, 2 and 14 make it possible to understand the essential of the process and even of the basic apparatus making it possible to apply it. It is advisable to already examine the other figures. This facilitates the understanding of the rest of this text. Cn a *

Fig. 3 î Carpet cooker. It is especially intended to heat the particles by sprinkling carried out by means of hot liquid in the presence of an incondensable gas, occupying most of the volume inside the apparatus.

Fig. 4: Perforated rotary drum cooker. It is similar to those in figs. 1 and 2. It can be filled with liquid or contain the minimum and 15 an incondensable gas.

Fig. 5: Hot flow diverter K (fig. 1-2-14-15) Fig. 6: Hot flow diverter K (fig. 8) with 1 input and 3 outputs.

Fig. 7; Aseptic cold suspension flow deflector of. See "T" in Figure 2.

Fig. 8 ï Details concerning elements of figures 1-2-14.

Fig. 9 s Special submerged flexible tanks.

Fig. 10! Relates to the technique of mixing liquids in storage tanks.

Fig. Ils Immersed flexible tank suitable for mixing sugar syrup with stabilized and stored fruit: in water.

r Fig. 12î Concerns pressure regulation in an installation containing very little gas.

Fig. 13; Relates to pressure regulation in an installation where the cooker contains a lot of noncondensable gas.

The commissioning of a major new facility 35 takes several weeks. Or, as basic exemplary data for this installation:

Hourly capacity: 10 m / h. suspension or 6 T / h. of particles.

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Operating pressure at cookers 10 Kg / cm relative. Total capacity of the aseptic storage farm: 10,000 m3.

✓ ✓ 3

Number of 500 m submerged flexible tanks, of which 5,400 are useful: 25

Stabilization temperature: 75 ° to 150 ° C.

Types of cookers: Type figures 1 - 2 and 4 and figure 3, gas. The cooker is interchangeable.

Room type: Figures 1 and 2, worm gear.

10 Cooling water temperature: 20 ° C.

The particles to be cooked and stabilized are: 1) Young peas, tender, succulent, not absorbing liquid during cooking and stabilization.

2) Ripe peas, hard, absorbing 30% of liquid during treatment; Quite neutral flavor.

3) Corn seeds, young.

4) Carrots in cubes that do not absorb liquid.

5) Acid fruits (cubes), pH 3.5, containing 10 £ of soluble substances and not absorbing liquid.

20 6) Acidic fruits, pH 3.5, mumps and whole, with and without pits.

"5" is mainly marketed as "fruit in syrup" to 1836 sugar "5" is mainly to be marketed as "candied fruit".

These are examples, but variants can be envisaged.

The preliminary operations are: a) Verification of the installation, including its airtightness.

b) Sterilization of the metallic apparatuses and setting in aseptic conditions of the valves, pumps, diverters ..... which require it.

c) Sterilization of flexible tanks and any flexible hoses.

d) Preparation of sterile and hot water.

35 e) Partial filling of flexible tanks with this hot liquid f) Biological test of the sterility of flexible tanks.

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7 g) Complementary filling, with cold sterile liquid, of flexible tanks whose sterility has been checked.

h) Sterilization and temperature setting of installation 5 upstream of the valves L and adjustment of the devices.

i) Start of production.

Many details are useless for tradespeople and tedious for others, so the discussion below is confined to the essentials, as in a procedure. It is advisable to examine the various figures.

The meaning of codes, letters or numbers is usually only indicated once. Then, only the codes are used. The main apparatuses 15 will be described in detail after the examples. It is important to synchronize operations c, d, e, f. The reason for this is obvious. The indication (fig. 1 - 2) means that it is particularly necessary to examine Figures I and 2.

20 Operation a) Follow the manufacturer's instructions and detect any micro-leaks with the latter. Operation b) Use of steam at 125-130 ° C of the aseptic valves. 8 and L at the aseptic valves 14 and 15 r Drain the condensate. Cool the pipes connecting 25 14 and 15 to the flexible tanks and flexible pipes. Better 20 to 30 minutes for a metal installation with pumps, seals, etc., so that the heat has time to act everywhere.

The manufacturer's instructions must be observed.

Operation c) Steam is introduced from above.

The condensate and the air are evacuated from below. Then, vapor containing a powerful volatile germicide, such as formaldehyde, a strong acid, etc. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Some spores resist for nearly 20 hours in boiling water at pH 7.

8 f

The connections must be chemically disinfected before assembly.

Remove germicide by prolonged washing with steam.

Preferably, in order to avoid any pollution, conden-5 ser the steam exiting through the bottom of the tank.

Operation d) To be carried out so as to have hot sterile water (100-103eC) at the end of the operation (c) Sterilize water of appropriate quality, then reduce its temperature to 100-103 ° C, including near the 10 valves 14. If necessary circulate this water (circuit not shown) so as to thus obtain 100-103 ° C in the pipe S near the valves 14. Add nutrients for microorganisms to the liquid to be sterilized. Follow the manufacturer's instructions since it is especially necessary to induce the spores to germinate in the biological test liquid.

Operation e) Introduce the hot liquid into the flexible tank still containing pure steam. Do not allow it to explode and allow the vapor to condense too quickly.

✓. This would deteriorate the membrane. It takes about 20 m from

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liquid per 400 nr useful tank. This depends on the type of flexible tank. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Operation f) Partially immerse the tank.

25 Ensure that the temperature is between 32 and 37 ° C. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

A fortnight of incubation is sufficient to check the sterility of the liquid and, therefore, to a very large extent, that of the internal walls of the reservoir.

30 Operation g) Use devices A to P (fig. 1 and 2) to produce sterile water. A duration of 4 minutes at 132 ° C is sufficient.

If necessary, already adjust the pH. Use the exchanger to cool the sterile liquid and heat the make-up water. If necessary, directly supply cooker G with hot water, the required piping not being shown in the figures.

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1000 to 5000 m of liquid are required in the 10,000 m of t> 1 9 tanks, depending on whether one uses treated water to stabilize and cook the particles or whether one uses, in A, liquid coming from the tank of storage to be loaded or, if necessary, another tank U ^.

5 Operation h) Fill the system with liquid upstream of the valves L and sterilize the liquid in this section from the aseptic valves L and 8 so that no spores can remain there, as well as in the seals and jams of the IJK devices

IC Indeed, the equipment does not have to be aseptic type upstream of L and 8 ·.

Adjust devices B1, E, G, K, Q2 »R, ^» T, 14, 15. (Flow rates, temperatures, pressures, etc.) Operation i) It is preferable to describe this 15 using one of the examples.

Example 1 s Young peas have been stripped of skins and other semi-floating impurities. Depending on the case and the installation used, especially in G and I, the peas are blanched or raw, hot or cold. The liquid is preferably at the same temperature as the peas.

Any storage at biologically dangerous temperatures (25 to 70 ° C) is avoided.

If the peas are young, very fresh, succulent and the cooker of Figure 3 is used, it is better to treat these raw, unbleached and cold particles.

Fill one of the tanks D completely with particles and in any case with liquid. Since the installation is already - ^ in service, the tank A and the piping C already contain liquid. If necessary, complete filling 30 of A. Valves and deflectors are already set. debits.

A bypass with a relief valve 1 supplying at A limits the pressure at C so as never to exceed the operating pressure at G.

Open valve 3 and start the doser E.

3 35 E transfers IC m / h. to line F.

This, short or long, (see fig.1-2-8-15) feeds the cooker G. If G contains a lot of noncondensable gas (fig.3-4-8-15) F must also serve as a seal>

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10 hydraulic.

When "F" feeds a carpet and gas cooker, (fig.3) it can serve as a "whiteness or tubular cooker".

In this case, the hot wash water must be constantly renewed at the start of G.

In general, liquid from the group “pump B2” heat exchanger G1 ”accelerates the flow of the suspension at F.

In G, there is partial heating, cooking and stabilization. Duration of stay: 1 minute. Temperature: 132 to 133eC. Better to get 133 ° C in I, after balancing temperatures than 131 ° C. We then refine the setting. Pressure in G: 8 Kg / cm. This is not necessary for young peas but cannot be harmful, while high pressure generally improves the results for ripe peas.

Changing the pressure setting is achievable and sometimes useful.

However, it is better to standardize as much as possible. 20 The product accumulates in G the calories necessary to obtain 132 ° C, at equilibrium, in fleshibreur I.

In I there is temperature maintenance, additional cooking, stabilization and hydration.

In I, the proportion of particles is less than 25%. The agitation is gentle. The particles stay there for about 4 minutes at 132 ° C. If the worm has 20 turns, the length of stay can vary from one particle -> to the other by + 2.5%. This is negligible compared to what happens in an installation with a chamber pipe.

There is transfer to J, deviation in K to one of the reservoirs 0, transfer to the hot settling tank A, return to G by the pipe N of the excess hot liquid.

35 A filling level of $ 75 in I corresponds to a maximum excess liquid of (10: 0.75) - 10 = 3.33 m / h.

It is cooled to 30 ° C at 0.

The liquid, leaving the reservoir 0, is cooled by 11

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the heat exchanger û2 ·

The aseptic discharge valve R maintains the pressure upstream and lets flow to the tank U a volume of liquid equivalent to that coming from B ^.

5 When the charge of particles in C, /; is sufficient, we must divert the flow in K to another device O. There are two or three. Either tanks 01 and 02 · The first still receives the flow but must be replaced by 02 · To do this, on 02, close .P and 10, IC open 8 - 9 11 - 12 and L2 <Deviate in K ,, the flow towards 02 · At 0 ^ close L ^ - 9 - 11 and 12.

01 is no longer supplied, but the pressure is maintained there by 8 and N. The particles still sediment in 01> As soon as the time necessary to lower to around 60 ° C 15 the temperature at the center of the last particles has elapsed, close 8 ~ . The contents of can be transferred to the long-term storage tank l ^.

The transfer of particles from K to H was accelerated by injecting with 7 (Figure 1) sterile liquid from the pump B ^ · It also cools the content of the elements between K and the bottom of the settling tank M.

In FIG. 8, liquid taken from N is used when G is a "gas" cooker. The elements K to M are cooled also by means of a double envelope with circulation of cold water or with liquid. from the pump B3 then placed upstream of Q1 · Oven transfer the particles from 0 ^ to (fig.l and 2) put the aseptic low pressure pump on.

^ Open the valves IC and even 13. Open the valve P ^.

30 The pump B ^ supplies C. ^ and S with cold liquid recovered at the top of ü ^. The suspension normally already containing a little more than 40% of liquid can also be diluted upstream and even downstream of P1 "by liquid coming from. In S, the dilution increases, given the flow coming from R. The hydraulic transfer to T, 14 and the bottom of -does not deteriorate the particles.

The peas sediment in U ^. There is auto-filtration of the

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12 liquid by depositing peas, as soon as it forms. The multiple arrivals of the product in (fig.2 • and 9) facilitate the sedimentation of light particles. Once the deposit has formed, most of the solid impurities are retained there.

As regards the cooling of the particles in the tank 0 ^, if the flow rate in Q1 is 3 liters per kilo of peas, the temperature being 30 ° C at 12, the limit temperatures are obtained below: 10 30 ° C at 0, W, 55.5 ° C at 0 ”and 10, 86.1 ° C at 0 *.

If the diameter of tank 0 is 2.2 m. the liquid moves up there at the negligible speed of 0.132 cm / second.

The particles already disperse in M, then in O.

15 Their variable rate of sedimentation is important. The cooking of the peas stops around 8o ° C.

Example 2: Ripe and hard peas - The process is identical or similar to that used in Example 1. Various variants are possible.

2C i) If the ripe peas have undergone a long blanching, use the same scale or 1.5 minutes in G at 131 ° C and 6 minutes in I, at 130 ° C.

ii) Whiteners working above 1C0 ° C will soon be available. They have been developed to hydrate certain pulses. In addition, a variant of the process which is the subject of the invention also makes it possible to carry out continuous bleaching at more than 1 ° C.

^ It is enough to install a hydrostatic cooler in place of the pipe S using only one single tank -30 or 0 without worrying about aseptic, to bleach and cool continuously, under pressure.

iii) Certain authorized but little known treatments greatly increase the tenderization rate of ripe peas. They are specified at the end of the text, page 55 35 i-iii) Carpet and inert gas cookers (fig. 3 and 15) allow very significant variations in flow rate and residence time.

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The possible scales are:

Variant (ii): As for young peas.

"(iii): 1.5 min 131 ° C in G and 6 min at 130 ° C in I.

"(iiii): 3 min at 127 ° C then 1.5 min at 132-133 ° C

5 in G.

4 min at 132 ° C in I.

By limiting oneself to the possibilities offered by the basic equipment of Figures 1 and 2, the right solution is rather, for peas that have remained hard: 10 1 1/2 minutes at 129-130 ° C in G.

8 "at 129 ° C in I.

The rates for ripe peas which absorb 30 ° o of liquid are: 3

In B1 and in R i 5 m / h.

15 In Ξ: 3.34o m3 / h.

Hence the value of solutions (i to iiii). They can be combined. This is part of the manufacturing technology for preserves. High pressure usually helps maintain the structural integrity of ripe peas.

If necessary, the liquid can be recovered from the reservoir U towards the reservoir A after having, if necessary, been improved, including by means of enzymes, in order to transform the starch which it may contain.

The change in particle quality is rapid. If the scales are different, it is necessary to empty G and I, to modify the settings, etc ... When the scales are identical, it is above all necessary to have the time necessary to change tank 0.

Example 3: Young grain corn is treated like young peas. However, it is better to immediately stabilize the raw seeds, without blanching them. They per-. . i easily tooth their milky juice.

Example 4: Carrot cubes. It is better that they are raw and cold. The liquid is preferably cold. The water is corrected within the limits authorized by the public authorities. Lowering the pH is helpful.

Semi-floating waste has been eliminated;

Table: As for young peas and high pressure.

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Example 5 "Fruit cubes. Lower the pH of the liquid present from A to U, at least up to pH 4.3, and better, up to that of these fruits, ie 3.5 .-—- - Liquid and particles are 5 cold. Sometimes particles having been deaerated under vacuum. Scales similar to those of young peas, but around 90 to 105 ° C. High pressure. Rather cool to 25 ° C and even up to 15 ° C, which requires having a refrigeration unit. The increase in the sugar content takes place during storage.

Example 6: Fruits (Mumps and whole).

same conditions as for fruit cubes but, given the particle size ‘and the possible presence of stones, the short scales are not suitable.

15 Rather, it takes 10 to 25 minutes around Ö0 - 90 ° C, the pH being well controlled

Fruit sugaring "with water".

This can be done during aseptic packaging in detail packages, but sugar can also be added to the special flexible tanks (FIG. 11 and even FIG. 10).

Or a flexible tank containing 60 parts of fruit and 40 parts of liquid. The content of soluble extract of raw fruit being 10%, that of the "canned water" is 6%. The tank has a very large sieve on floating support (fig.11) preventing particles from accompanying the liquid to S 'and B4 Bg.

20 parts of 66% sterile and cold sugar syrup are introduced to the bottom of the tank, and 20 parts of 6% liquid are removed from the top. The extract of this liquid is recovered by concentration, in good time, etc. After prolonged mixing of the liquid, the extract content equilibrates to 18%. Particles enriched with sugar eventually sediment again.

The confection process, aseptic and cold, is similar, but requires much more time (Example 6).

You need to have a vacuum concentration system and even, for some fruits, a volatile aroma recovery system. These

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15 are reincorporated at the end of confectioning. Most candied fruits are currently prepared from fruits stabilized with sulfurous acid, or stored in brine; also, there hardly remains any more but the 5 insoluble matters of the fruits.

Candied fruits are biologically stable due to their sugar content and even their acidity (Italian Kostarda - Mango chutney), so aseptic is no longer essential at the end of confectioning. It can be useful. If the candied fruit is dehydrated and iced, the residual syrup can be used for "syrup" fruits or for confit other fruits.

The products obtained differ, better, from those currently available. They are therefore to be considered 15 as new. The same is true of fruit stabilized in the presence of water and then enriched, aseptically, with fruit juice concentrates.

These products are suitable as a base for the manufacture of jams. They can be candied with sugar. 2C When a plant stabilizes only peas and corn seeds, the market for which is very large, it can, in many countries, work up to 3000 hours per year.

On the contrary, an installation, designed only for the production of candied fruit, may have to treat more than a dozen different plants, each in generally fairly small quantities.

The arrangement of the devices in Figure 2 is especially suitable in the first case.

»3C An installation intended only for fruit, to be candied, is slightly different.

For example, the tanks U are normally smaller and in many cases it is possible to dispense with the 16-flow deflectors T and even install the metallic devices A to R on a mobile platform, which can be brought close to the aseptic storage tanks to be loaded. The screen 59 of Figure 11 5 is not necessarily flat. The store tanks. -. 3 rigid swims, of a fairly low capacity, such as 5C m, can also be considered.

Certain technological data are important.

Bacterial spores are particularly resistant to heat in non-acidic foods. (PH 6 to 7) Their heat resistance depends on the type of bacteria and many other factors.

The spores to be considered for non-acidic foods are mainly: 15 A: Clostridium Botulinum B: ”Sporogenes, type PA 3679 C:" rhermosaccharolyticum D: Bacillus Stearothermophilus Ξ: ”Subtilis 2G Are strict anaerobes: A, BfC, - Are optional anaerobes : D and E - Are toxigenic: A and, sometimes, other sporogens than PA 3579 - Only germinate at temperatures above 37 ° C: C and D.

Non-acidic foods should contain less than one viable spore per 10 per spore initially present.

The public authorities are more tolerant of B and especially of CD E. it does not matter that a 1/2 box out of a hundred is deteriorated at 55 ° C by C or D when the product, stabilized in a box, is immediately cooled up to 30 30 - 37 ° C, then stored between 10 and 25 ° C.

In a continuous line comprising a tubular cooler and packaging food in bags of 5o to 1C-G0 liters, the degree of stability required is higher than in the case of small format boxes. Indeed, 35 1 bag 1000 liters corresponds to more than 2000 half boxes.

The process which is the subject of the invention requires a significantly higher degree of stability. In the 17 reservoirs 0 and their accessories Q 9,10,11, any deposit of organic matter is maintained at temperatures favorable to the germination of the spores. In addition, there is recycling of the liquid and the capacity of the reservoirs is considerable.

Assuming that there are sometimes 10,000 spores per liter 13 of product to be treated, this represents 10 spores per million cubic meters. Also, the heat treatment can, at most, allow only a spore 13 10 out of 10 to survive. In other words, the survival rate of these spores must not exceed "1" ^

The exact calculations for determining the necessary heat treatments are worked out when account must also be taken of the heat penetration into the particles, the destruction of enzymes and various other factors, but the following formula already makes it possible to clarify the problem. .

Let be a liquid with a pH of 7. Let us consider that it is reheated and cooled very quickly and that the stabilization temperature T1 is maintained there for ”t" 1 13 minutes. It can only survive one spore thereon. 10

when we have: ^ _ 12l> 1oC

z 10 t n = ——— =? - = 13

25 D121.1 ° C

1 ^ -121.100 10- z

You must therefore obtain: _ 13 _ _ --- - —— - n.

l2l. 1 ° C r 30 by maintaining the product at temperature T1 for 1 minute.

The survival rate after t minutes is 10 and that after one minute is 10 n.

In this formula we have: 35 '1) 121.1 ° C is the reference temperature (250 ° F = 121.111 ° C) 18

V

//,, 2) is the number of degrees centigrade required for a thermoreduction line to cross a logarithmic cycle corresponding to a decimal reduction in population.

_ 3) D101 x is the number of minutes of maintenance at 5 121.1 (hin) 121.1 ° C in a liquid whose pH is 7 to destroy 90jé of spores and therefore achieve a decimal reduction in the population.

. Τχ - 121.1 ° C IC z 4) 10 =? 121 10q ”expresses the lethality or sterilizing value of a scale at 121 ° 1C.

Table 1 indicates the value of the constants, z and D, for the five types of spores considered: 15 Table 1.

3p ° ras z (° c) gi2i.i »c (i: ln) A IC 0.21 B 10.6 0.43 1 ^ 4 20 C 1.7 - 2d_2 16 22 D _Z_ _4_ E 7.4 - 13__ 0.48 0.76

The underlined numbers are used to establish the "n" values in Table 2.

25

Table 2.

SP. 110 ° C 115 ° C 120 ° C 124 ° C 127 ° C 12d ° C

30 A 0.37 1.169 3.696 9.28 18.5 23.3.

B 0.064 0.19 0.562 1.34 2.6 3.2 C - - C, C14 0.95 21.8 62 D 0.006 0.034 0.174 C, b5 1.7 2.4 E 0.164 0.447 1, Cù3 2.2 3.7 4.4 * 4

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19

_129 ° C 13C ° C 131 ° C 132 ° C 133 ° C 134 ° C

A 29.3 37 46.5 + + + B 4 4.9 6.1 7.6 9.4 11.7 C 177 + + + + + 5 D 3.3 4.6 6.5 9 12, 5 17.4 E 5.3 6.3 7.6 9 10.8 12.9

Temperatures 11C to 13C ° C are used for slightly acidic or non-acidic foods stabilized in retail packaging whereas, in continuous processes, it is better to work at least at 125 - 127 ° C when it comes non-acidic products.

The sign - means: "smaller than”.

The + sign means: "greater than". Thus for C and 130 ° C, n = 504.7.

15 The duration, 4 minutes, of maintaining the suspension of peas at 132 ° C in roomer I seems to be excessive, the survival rates then being approximately ιη-30.4 1λ-36 10 or 10

Account is taken of the problems posed by enzymes, cooking and the penetration of heat into the particles, the aim being to eliminate the risks,

According to the way of carrying out the process and the installation available, the duration of holding at the temperatures of 25 stabilizations of particle and liquid stabilization are different and moreover, the liquid can be stabilized first at the same temperature as the particles , then at a different temperature, the pH also being able to be lower in the liquid and at the surface of the particles than inside them.

Although the influence of pH on the thermodestruction of spores seems to be still poorly understood, except for spores of Clostridium Botulinum, this should be considered later.

35 · These considerations show that the determination of the sterilization scales (times - temperatures) "20 is complex, for example when the installation makes it possible to bring into play all the possibilities of continuous fractional treatment, including carbon dioxide.

The figures do not indicate the instrumentation. It must be excellent. Extensive automation does not exempt from permanent control.

PH plays a key role in the heat resistance of spores and enzymes.

For example, the heat resistance of botulinum spores 10 decreases by £ 60 when the pH goes from 6 to 4.5. However, the following fact is ignored. We observed that by adding a trace of hydrochloric acid to the liquid of the boxes of fresh peas immediately before their sterilization (American scale, quite short, 16 min at 121 ° C -15 acid necessary to lower the pH of the ground, turmixed, the contents of a can) obtained the following results: , fermented in the incubation chamber.

b) The pH was identical, to the nearest 0.1 pH unit, in the acidulated and non-acidulated dishes, sterilized together.

C) The product from the "tart" boxes was less "cooked", firmer, markedly less caramelized.

Other tests, carried out by varying the composition of the water in the cover liquid for the pea cans gave, with cold distilled water, enriched in carbonic acid, among other results, that indicated in "c".

Since the potential for application of this in the canned and jar industry is zero, the results were not published.

35 They are of great interest for a continuous process. In that which is the subject of the invention, the pH can be modified before or during stabilization and then reestablished, provided that the legislation 21 "" authorizes these additions.

In addition, it is sufficient to use carbonic acid, CC> 2, to reduce the "apparent cooking" and caramelization, significantly reduce the taste of "cooked", etc.

5 without being accountable to the public authorities, if the risks of food poisoning are eliminated. However, for Cl. Botulinum, an "n" of 18.52 is already obtained after one minute at 127 ° C at pH 6-7.

This does not mean that the scale CIs indicated in the examples can already be reduced, but the possibilities offered by a temporary acidification, using carbonic acid, are considerable. In Figures 1-2-8-12-14 and 15 we have: A "Tank containing a sufficient quantity of liquid 15 B1! Volumetric pump, the flow of which is adjustable.

C »Piping between B ^ t 'D« t and F (or G).

»Reservoir containing the suspension of particles to be treated.

E: Volumetric or metering pump, adjustable.

2C F s Hose.

G sCooker, adjustable, G1: Heat exchanger.

B2: Pump.

G2 »Small tank containing a small amount of gas. 25 · - - H: Pipe.

I: Chambering apparatus, called "chamberer", adjustable.

J: Pipe.

K: Suspension flow diverter (see also 3c Figures 5 and 6) · L sValves K s Decanter whose bottom, open, allows hot particles and their interstitial liquid (+ 40%) to exit towards the liquid in the tank 0 .

35 N s Pipe.

0 »Cooling tank and temporary storage of stabilized particles.

% 22 P sVanne.

:Heat exchanger.

*Pump.

q2 »Heat exchanger.

5 Rg * l * Relief valves - R: Same or pump.

R ^ »Reservoir containing sterile liquid R2 and gas R ^» with valve R ^. Goals stabilize the pressure.

S »Pipe.

82 “Heat exchanger.

10 80 -81 * Pumps, B4 Bg * Aseptic pumps.

T * Aseptic diverter for cold suspension flow (see also Figure 7) »Flexible reservoir, still containing only sterile liqui-15. It is immersed in the non-sterile, cold liquid 55 of the pelvis 44.

U2 * Flexible tank loaded with stabilized particles (see also Figures 9) 44 * Basin walls (metal, concrete, earth ...) 2o (see also Figures 9) 55 * Liquid immersion in the flexible tank.

Sterile liquid from X2 * Excess sterile liquid at the top of the tank Ü2 \ 25 Y »Particulate deposit in U2 · 51 to 54 i Flexible pockets outside the tank U.

(see also figures 9).

Some accessories are very important.

The valves L, 8, 14 and 15, as well as those required to empty the tanks U aseptically, are preferably made up of pairs of valves.

The piping between valves in series is then kept sterile when justified, according to known methods. The number of devices per station is normal-35. higher than shown in the figures.

We have »A * 1, 2 or 3.

ψ 23 * <Βι 1 or more.

Piping between and installations 1 or 2.

D s 2 or more.

E: l, but it can be 'interchangeable.

5 F s 1 "" "", r G t 1 or more in series. 'Interchangeable.

H: 1 "" I s 1 or 2 in series.

J K s 1 10 L: 2 per tank 0.

Msl "" O, but its capacity can be made variable.

0: 2 or 3.

P s One per tank 0.

15 Q1s At least one.

not . "" "'Q2 *

Ri "R1 R2 R3 R4 * AU at least one set · s At least one.

2C b4 "” ”

Bcs "" "or its equivalent on liquid from pipe N.

o S: "" ", but we could have one per O tank.

S *: Same as for S.

25 t: Depending on the number of tanks U and the number of outlets of the deflectors T.

One or more.

44. ”* · ·· - 51 to 54 s Depending on the type of tank U.

30 It is important to be able to clean and even disinfect A, the piping to D and even to F without having to stop production. Therefore double A B ^ etc.

Some tanks D may not be loaded on E, but the large section of this metering inlet must, in any case, be able to transfer to F the dense suspension, containing only about 40% of interstitial liquid accumulating by gravity above the aircraft. The particles settle in the liquid rem- *

V

24 * completely folding the tank under load on E, liquid maintained under pressure by the pump B ^ · E is a positive displacement pump not having to cause a significant difference in pressure between its 5 inlet and its outlet, also its internal tightness, vis-à-vis the liquid, does it not have to be or remain elevated. The body of this pump must withstand high pressure, but its rotors or other moving parts do not have to be particularly robust.

IQ This makes it possible to oversize the pump and to design moving parts which can be replaced after preferential wear.

G is used to introduce the quantity of calories required in the suspension. In Figures 1 and 2 the cooker comprises a perforated rotary drum with internal helical screw. For some particles, a carpet device may be preferable. This mat can be horison-tal, tilted H or upwards like a lift.

I is preferably cylindrical, with a screw conveyor. 2C The free space between the rotor and the stator is such that particles do not penetrate it. Given the existence of a leak rate in the roomer, the liquid circulates there, on average, slower than the particles.

This eliminates any risk of insufficient stabilization of the liquid when the particles are well stabilized.

The stop of the chamberer's rotor must cause the immediate stop of E and G, because, if the flow of liquid was maintained, the direction of flow in N would be reversed and the contents of 0 would be contaminated immediately, and therefore 30 that of R, S, T, U. If G is heated by injection of. vapor, the introduction of it also stops as soon as I stops. An automatic valve on N can be justified. A check valve is not enough.

G and I are preferably inclined in order to facilitate the collection in 6 of small quantities of gas which can escape from certain particles.

V

25 ”m

The gas contained in G2 dampens any pulsations, -function 'of the characteristics' of. E -and G..

G and I contain more than 40% hot liquid.

Their flow is adjustable. To avoid an excess of li-5 guide deteriorating chemically at high temperature, one of the solutions is to change devices G, I when the particle flow rates and / or the residence times in G and in I are as there is overcooking of the liquid.

They are therefore designed so that they can be easily exchanged. The removable nature of G and I can also relate to F, H and even J.

Diverter K has one input and two or three outputs.

Decanters M have an interest in being incorporated into reservoirs 0. Their walls are insulating.

15 It is preferable that the hot liquid capacity of the open bottom decanters M be adjustable by aseptic remote control. This is easily achievable by means of openings present in the side wall, openings normally closed but opening from the bottom upwards, depending on the position of a movable or rotary wall, positioned as required.

The flow in K and L corresponds at least to the flow of the pump B ^, which keeps the tank D completely full and moves towards 0 liquid or particles in the series of devices. To this flow is added that of the condensate and the sterile cycled liquid, coming from a reservoir U, via the pump Be; this flow is found in 0 '9, 0. Q2, R and S. There is a continuous flow through S to T and U.

On the other hand, the excess liquid present in K and L, 3c due to the screw pump constituted by the chamberer I, leaves i from the settling tank M by the pipe N and is recycled to G

avoiding lowering the temperature in H and I.

The piping N and the body of the chamberer I have a double heating wall maintained at least at the desired temperature at I.

The exchangers Q1 and Q2 could be combined η 26 I "but the temperature of the liquid in 0’ being higher than the temperature in 0 ", an exchanger ü2 is better suited to recover usable calories.

The particles sediment fairly quickly in tank 0 and are individually cooled by the cold liquid flowing very slowly from bottom to top while moderately warming up.

An aseptic relief valve, Rg, is provided for each of the reservoirs 0. It should only deliver 10 around the maximum admissible pressure at 0.

The role of pumps and is obvious.

That of the T deflectors is developed later.

The reservoir still contains only sterile and cold liquid.

It is immersed in the liquid 55-of the basin 44.

As soon as it is started up, the installation is filled with sterile or sterilized liquid, hot or cold, with the exception of small quantities of gas which may be in G2 and R3, but the flexible tank does not contain of gas and is partially filled with liquid.- a rigid U-tank completely filled with liquid at the start would require that any excess liquid be evacuated from above, towards the outside, part of this excess liquid being to be discarded and the other can, if necessary, supply the tank A, while the cycling in 15 -S '- - S would take place as when the tanks U are flexible.

This way of using rigid reservoirs, initially filled with liquid, making it possible not to introduce gas in significant quantities therein makes it possible to reduce the risks of reinfection there before storage and during storage. On the other hand, rigid tanks require the introduction of sterile gas when they are emptied.

'This is not their only drawback. Their use is however compatible with the process.

V

27

In Figures 1 and 2 there is no valve at F.

If the pump E, when stopped, is not enough, we can. either place a valve at F, or close off the inlet of pump E, by means of a thick-walled, fairly insulating valve.

This valve of large section when lowered reduces the heating of the product present above E.

This justifies the installation of a very small tank between the pump E and the tanks D ^ D2.

10 In FIG. 5 we have J ”supply line 20 and 21s outlet lines 23: hinge and external control 24: tilting valve, rather rectangular. It is made so as to transmit a minimum of heat from the hot flow to the cold liquid introduced between this valve and the valve 1 ^ when the tank 0 ^ is no longer supplied.

7, 7 '. t Valves on the cold, sterile liquid piping, cycled by the pump or B3 (fig. 2 and 8)

If the flow flows from j towards 20,1a valve L1 being open and the valve closed, when we want to close L ^, we first open I ^, and, if necessary introduced liquid by 7 ", to facilitate the valve operation. It is rocked and, before closing L ^, expels the particles and the hot liquid present between L1 and the valve, by means of liquid coming from 7.

ψ L1 being finally closed, it is possible, if necessary, to maintain a very low flow rate of cold liquid at 7. This liquid 30 flows towards L ^ · It prevents any caramelization between the valve and L ^.

In Figure 6 we have: J 20 21: see Figure 3 22 i third outlet pipe 35 26 j cprps of the diverter 27 t ball, lightened, hollow 28: free space, between the rotor and the stator t 28 29: pipe slightly curved, deflecting the flow, 30 * control of the valve position.

as well

The hollow body and bushel can be cylindrical or frusto-conical. The bushel is hollow, lightened, approximately semi-floating. Rollers, not shown, keep the free space between the rotor and the stator more or less constant. Particles cannot get in. The diameter of the pipes 20,21,22 is such that the flow can be maintained when it is quickly diverted, provided that the desired valves (L, etc.) allow the R valve to maintain its flow

The liquid in the free space 28 must be replaced frequently or permanently with fresh, hot or cold liquid.

15 The hot product located between the valve L, to be closed, and the diverter, must be moved down by cold liquid before closing the valve L. Caramelization must be avoided.

The dimensions of the tank 0 are such that the particles 20 sediment there without being hindered by the ascending current of cold liquid.

Reservoirs 0 resistant to high pressures normally have a hemispherical upper bottom. The decanter can occupy the upper central part as 25 in Figures 1 and 2, or be eccentric so as to reduce the distance between K and M.

An aseptic-normal storage farm has many tanks U and therefore aseptic deflectors T, whose role is very important.

3G Suppose the diverter has one input and 5 outputs.

Figure 7 describes it schematically. We have S t product inlet pipe.

31 i articulation. spherical male of S (or female) 32 "" "female of 33 (or male) · 33: rigid flow diversion pipe.

34 i body of the deflector. Here it has a relatively frusto-conical shape.

* 29 35 i Bottom of 34 convex or flat.

36: Rotating disc or shaft positioning 33 '.

37 ι Aseptic rotation control of 3Ç.

38: External index showing the position of the diverter 33.

5 S * Flow outlet pipe intended for another diverter.

39-40-4l-42i Outflow pipes diverted to 4 tanks.

The process does not exclude that the stabilized suspension is directly packaged in retail or transport packaging from tanks 0. This can, for example, be justified when the particles have to be sent in sterile bags to another company.

Even in this case the installation must include one or more type U reservoirs to accumulate at least the liquid to be cycled and also as a safety buffer; also, this or these reservoirs U are they still preferably similar to the reservoirs U1 U2 of FIGS. 2, 9, 11 and 14.

A normal installation has a large aseptic storage capacity of several thousand cubic meters. To supply 4000 hours per year of an aseptic filling line in 0.5 liter format, about 7200 m of particles are required. The shopping capacities to be considered can

O

reaching 10,000 to 40,000 m, this is not limiting since the production capacities of very large canneries are high: around 50 T / h for peas and certain fruits, the duration of the "pea-corn" campaign ”Which can exceed 2000 hours / year.

y 3

Gold 2,000 hours at 10 T / h. represents more than 20,000 m of suspension.

Rigid tanks are unsuitable for eramagating large amounts of particles; this for many reasons.

The risks of reinfection are high - Too many tanks are needed - They are too expensive - They are very difficult to empty properly, they are susceptible to implosion · 35 Cooling their contents is slow and expensive -

With submerged flexible tanks, the maximum unit capacity of which is hardly limited, if we stick to 3,400 useful m, that is to say around 500 m total, we need 3 4>

S

ψ 30 already 25 to 26 U tanks per 10,000 m.

3

A flexible tank of 500 m theoretical, for example, has a flat width of 7.85 m, a diameter of 5 m.

If it were a cylinder its length would be 25.47 m.

5 Its ends being preferably heirti-spherical, the length reaches 27.14 m. Ground surface flat 213 m.

Several flow deflectors T and a long pipe s are required.

The minimum dimensions of these reservoirs depend above all on the behavior of the particles and of the liquid, the latter not being able to entrain particles during its recycling.

It suffices to observe the contents of the cans to note that the liquid, called the cover, covers the particles therein. However, this liquid has often been enriched with salt and sugar, while that of the U reservoirs contains hardly anything but soluble substances coming from the particles. Also the sedimentation of the latter in the apparatuses and reservoirs of fig.l, 2, 9, 11 and 14, poses 2C t it only minor problems, provided that the horizontal sections are sufficient.

Figure 9, plate YI relates to a special flexible tank U.

We have> 25 43 * Flexible tank membrane. It withstands at least 100 ° C, has a layer of oxygen barrier material and can be reinforced with 44 t Basin fibers (concrete, bricks, metal, earth..). It contains the immersion liquid from the flexible tank.

14 t Aseptic loading valve. It is preferably a pair of valves of appropriate section.

The aseptic particle drain valve is not indicated. It is, for example, connected between 35 14 and the inlet of 46 in, the basin.

15 · t Aseptic valve on the rigid piping supplying the pumps B4, Bg. It is preferably a pair of valves.

V

31 45 i Channel for 45 - 47 - 48 - 49 ".

46 i Main piping.

47 ”Short flexible hoses allowing the flow of suspension or liquid coming from hose 46 'to be directed towards 5 the zone or zones of the tank which one wishes to supply.

When the length of the tank is 27 meters, it is also possible to provide an inlet 48 by hemispherical bottom.

49 * Remote-controlled shutters, preferably_. clamp type never completely crushing the flexible lc hose, not to be damaged.

50 (in 9b): Floats isolating the content of the basin 44. Each element 47 is of sufficient section. The channel 45 is covered except at the place of passage of the flexible pipes 47.

The piping between the reservoir and the valve 15 is flexible, articulated or rigid depending on whether the empty flexible reservoir rests or not on the bottom of the basin 44. There can be several connections between this piping and the upper part of the flexible tank. The latter can also be held in place by an external device, not shown.

The pipes 46 and 47 hold the bottom of the flexible tank to the bottom of the basin. The latter can be sloping towards D4 and also towards channel 45.

25 Elements 51 to 54 of Figures B-C-D-E-F are flexible and located outside the storage tank to which they are sealed.

They are pockets. Each can be filled, as required, with water, water and gas, or with a liquid of high specific gravity such as, for example, a concentrated solution of calcium chloride.

The profile of these elements is calculated i We can also determine it experimentally on a reduced model.

The inflatable bags can also include internal ti-35 rants, flexible, limiting local deformation. Figure 6c is very schematic.

Figure 6D shows the shape of the left half of the tank if it was 100% filled with the immersion liquid 55 filling the basin 44.

’, T"

V

32

The pockets 51 to 54 are empty.

Figures 9 E F G show some of the configurations taken by the air bags and the flexible tank membrane. We have: 5 51- 52ï contain enough gas and tend to take a horizontal position in E and F but are empty in G.

53-, 54 * contain enough gas and tend to take an inclined position in E and G.

10 At F they contain a dense liquid.

When the flexible tank is to be sterilized by means of steam at around 100 ° C, then steam containing a powerful and volatile germ-acid, etc., the liquid has been removed from the tank U and channel 45. 51 to 54 are 15 empty.

The installation and in particular the special flexible reservoirs, fig. 2, 9, 11, 14, allow the particle immersion liquid to be mixed well.

FIG. 10 schematically describes part of a 2Cl installation comprising numerous storage tanks. We have * B4 t pump

Oj 02 cooling tanks. They do not have to be used when mixing to describe 25 S and S *: piping. T: deviator.

U. to UQi part of the special flexible tanks. They are loaded.

During the filling of the tanks U, the cycling of the liquid has already achieved a mixing of the liquid. It is not always sufficient, especially since the liquid with the highest specific gravity is at the bottom.

To improve the mixing, it is sufficient, during the periods of standstill, to cycle the liquid in a closed circuit * U-S '-B ^ -S-T-U and to direct the flow of liquid using the 35 flexible pipes 47 of FIGS.

To mix the liquids of two tanks, the diverter of figure 7 allows it when the outputs of the diverter are close. Either 39 and 40 or 40 and 41 or 41 and * 33 42 in Figure 7. The mixing of liquids from 3 or 4 tanks is possible thanks to accessories not shown.

The particles contain 10 to 20% of dry matter ”5 so the proportion of liquid in the contents of a tank, particles included, is between 88 and 94%. However, the palatable, soluble substances are in this liquid.

Diffusion of these substances, from particles to liquids, requires a certain amount of time, which is available once the seasonal campaigns are over.

Several new applications derive from the possibility offered by special tanks to carry out these intimate and prolonged mixtures. One is to significantly improve the flavor of particles that lack it thanks to the excess flavor of others that have more than necessary. Ripe peas and young peas are typical in this regard. None of the current processes in the food industry can do this. Therefore 2C some of the products that can be obtained through the process can be considered new, given their essential characteristic that is their accentuated flavor although natural.

The reservoirs of FIGS. 2 - 9 - 14 are not yet sufficient when the particles stabilized in the water are then to be highly enriched in sugar or syrup rich in sugar. The flexible tank of Figure 11 allows this to be achieved. We have: 44- * Basin 3C 55: Immersion liquid of 44 45: Channel ü: Flexible tank.

56: Opening at the top of ü with a circular collar.

35 57: Rigid, metallic, hollow, floating or semi-floating, light cylinder.

15: Valve

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34 58 * Hose, rigid or flexible, for collecting liquid from the tank 59s Sieve, flexible and floating.

60 * Possible gas supply pipe in the float of 59 5 46 * Arrival of the product.

471 One of the many flexible loading hoses from U.

49 * Pliers of 47 ..

The cylinder 57 serves as a manhole and makes it possible to introduce or remove the screen 59, sometimes to carry out the inspection of the internal wall of the tank and to access certain probes controlling, for example, the level particles.

Incidentally, the cylinder prevents the temperature from being too high at the membrane of the flexible tank 15 during sterilization of the pipe 58.

Figure 3 shows a carpet and gas cooker.

Figure 4 shows a rotary drum cooker that can be used with or without gas.

In these figures we have: 20 E * Volumetric pump transferring the suspension of particles to be treated to the cooker.

F * Line between the pump and the cooker.

G * Cooker.

H * Line between cooker and roomer I 25 B2 “B * 2” B "2” B "2 * EoroP63 · G ^ - G * 1" G "i“ G ”i * Heat exchangers.

60 * Upper part of the conveyor.

61 * "lower" "'62 * Piping for distributing the hot cycled liquid.

30 63 64 65 * Tanks containing the liquid supplying pumps and exchangers.

66 * Liquid at 63 and at the bottom of the carpet cooker (fig.3) j "" "04 ·· ··" ·· · "" "* 3 gg j" "55" "" "" "" "3 35 69 * Liquid in line H (fig.3) 70 * Maximum level of liquid in H (approximate-fig.3) 71 * "minimum" "" "" "3 72 * ** maximum of liquid in the cooker of the fig. 4.

i> 35 73 * "minimum" "" "" "" ”” 74 ”separations at the bottom of the carpet cooker (fig.3) 75 i Rotating drum support rollers (fig.4) 76“ Rotating drum shaft (fig .4) 5 77 * Space occupied by inert gas.

78 i Solid bottom of the rotating drum (fig. 4.)

The suspension coming from the doser E is entrained at F towards the cooker G by the flow of liquid from the pump group Β * 2> exchanger G ^.

10 Line F can be short or long. When its length is high, it can play the role of a tubular whiteness. This is particularly interesting in the case of the carpet and gas cooker of FIG. 3. In addition, this facilitates the substitution of one type of cooker with another, for example of a carpet and gas cooker with a drum cooker.

The liquid in F acts as a hydraulic seal with respect to the gas present in the cooker.

Recall that the gas cylinder G2 in Figures 1 20 and 2 can be useful when the cooker fig.4 is filled with liquid.

The liquid 66 cycled by B'2 - G ^ etZ towards F and watering the particles at the start of the carpet can, if necessary, be permanently replaced by fresh liquid 25 reheated by an exchanger.

This allows, for many particles, such as fresh peas, to suppress the prior bleaching.

The carpet cooker of Figure 3 has a cylindrical body ^, It is therefore not suitable for working 3o without gas, given its large volume.

The operation of the carpet and gas cooker is obvious. Particle residence time, flow rate, pressure and temperatures being adjustable within very wide limits, this cooker is versatile. The rains produced 35 thanks to the distributors 62 are adjustable. Other liquid arrivals in the cooker can ensure circulation and dissolution of the qaz, without the liquid dripping / 4> ‘36" on the particles, (this is not shown)

The excess liquid at 63 overflows at 74 "feeds 54 then 65 and finally the line H.

At least one pump B2 and one exchanger G1 · 5 are required. In figure 3 there are 3 pump / exchanger groups. This increases the possibilities of the cooker.

The return of the liquid from the hot decanter M, via the piping N, arrives at choice, in 63, 64 or 65.

The arrival in 63 or 64 rather than 65 reduces the influence of possible temperature variations in N.

Care must be taken to reduce these temperature variations (exchanger, etc.), knowing that it is better to exceed the temperature if there are variations.

The particles are detached from the lower strand at the end of the mat by liquid.

The cooker of Figure 4 is slightly different from those of Figures 1 and 2 and therefore the conventional whiteness. You can replace the rotary drum with a drum of the same dimensions, the bottom 78 of which is a hollow, hermetic cylinder 20 reducing the capacity of the device and its internal volume.

This cooker can, if necessary, be heated by steam injection, but it is preferable to use the exchanger G1 # a pump B2 being necessary to supply F.

25 Figure 8 mainly concerns elements M and N

Figures 1 and 2.

The hatches indicate the areas filled with liquid.

The cooker G 'contains a lot of noncondensable gas, unlike the cooker G ".

30 In the chamber I there is an excess of liquid, but this accompanies the particles in J K L. The excess of hot liquid immediately separates into M and returns by N to the cooker G.

Suppose that the flows are s in Ej 10 m / h. and 35 in J K L Wî 15 m3 / h. The flow rate in N is 5 m3 / h.

The flow of 15 m3 / h. of suspension containing + 60%

V

37 of interstitial liquid, having a speed depending on the diameter of the pipe between K and M tends to disperse in M. The particles sediment quickly.

The interstitial liquid fills the settler ü. Its specific gravity is less than that of the liquid found in 0 below M.

The high temperature liquid mixes with the less hot liquid displaced by the 0 particles.

The mixture rises to 0 'and is directed to the heat exchanger Q2 ·

The speed of sedimentation of the particles in M varies according to their characteristics and those of the liquid, therefore the decanter M must be dimensioned in order to agree by the particles sediment-15 as slowly. The flow between I and M also intervenes.

There are two ways of reducing the volume of liquid at high temperature in M. One is to introduce in M, at the appropriate level, liquid coming from zones 2C 0 'or 0 ". The technical solutions to this are numerous: a) Openings which can be closed by aseptic remote control in the wall of the decanter.

b) Wall "d" comprising a fixed and insulating upper part and a mobile and remote-controlled lower part.

c) Installation of the pump upstream of the Qji exchanger and pipes with valves introducing in M cooler liquid (50 to 80 ° C) present in 0 ".

The choice between these solutions is a matter of engineering. In Figure d, only solution "c" is shown.

The deflector K has in this figure an input and three outputs (see Figure 6).

The liquid present between the bushel and the body of K caramelizes if it stays there too long.

35 So as not to cool the flow and above all not to modify the volume of liquid between A and S in the installation (see fig. 1 - 2 and 13) when using a gas cooker (G ', fig . δ) cycle liquid is taken at N and 1 * injected at K by means of a pump 80. __r Hot liquid is also injected between K and L, thanks to pump 81 "when we deflect 5 at K flow to another tank 0.

The hot liquid pushes back towards M the particles present before L, still open, then between L and M when L is closed.

To quickly lower the temperature between K and M 10 as well as M, the liquid discharged by the pump, moved, upstream is suitable.

It is also possible to use local cooling, by double wall.

Line N can include a heat exchanger 15 indicated at 82.

Maintaining a relatively constant temperature, in service, in N and even in M, is much less important when the cooker G ’has several heat exchangers (see fig. 3).

2G However, the same installation may have to use a cooker G, type fig. 3 for certain particles and a cooker, type fig. 4, for others, therefore a small exchanger 82 on line N can be justified.

Automatic control of the quantity of liquid 25 present between and R is simple, when the installation contains very small quantities of gas in G2 and in R (fig · 1 and 2).

J · G2 reduces the pulsations caused by certain E dosers when G is filled with liquid.

The gas in R3 decreases the pressure drop upstream of R when the flow in R increases, for whatever reason, for a very short time, following, for example, a start of obstruction in R requiring a purge.

There is one discharge valve R ^ per tank 0, 35 while a single pressure regulator R is sufficient for 2 or 3 tanks 0,

The valve R ^ evacuates to S any excess liquid in the installation. This may be the case if the liquid present in M is reheated by steam injection and when, the installation being stopped, a little steam is continuously injected downstream of the valves L, in order maintain a positive pressure between L and Rj, the 5 reservoirs 0 being isolated from the upstream and downstream devices.

The regulation of the pressure between the pump and R, when the cooker G does not contain gas or contains a very small quantity of it (fig. 1-2-12) is easy.

IC Liquids are incompressible. In fig. 1 and 12 the relief valve 1 prevents the pressure from exceeding the timbre of the device. R ^ must charge before "1".

The pressure variations in S slightly modify the pressure upstream of R. The opening of R is carried out either by compression of a spring, or by a pneumatic or other motor controlled by a pressure regulator. The relief valve R, - does not intervene then.

The accessories G2 and R ^ to R ^ in Figure 1 are justified.

20 In figure 13 the cooker G contains a large quantity of noncondensable gas (see fig. 3, 4, 8 and 14)

The relief valve 1 is justified, but it is better to replace in R the relief valve by one or more positive displacement pumps.

25 Maintaining a practically constant volume of liquid or solid matter between and R is then obtained by adjusting the flow rates at B1 and at R, so as to maintain the level of the liquid between 70 and 71 in the type fig cooker. 3 or between 72 and 73 in the cooker type fig. 4, 3C Under these conditions, the pressure in the installation is due to the gas present in G, a gas whose composition is kept constant by appropriate means which is unnecessary to describe. They are classic and obvious.

The gas making up the atmosphere of,; G;, contains water vapor and either an inert gas such as nitrogen, or CO2, or a mixture of vapor, neutral gas and CO2. gases, said to be noncondensable, in the atmosphere of the gas cooker, but it is also possible to inject C02 into the liquid of the cooker, which can also be filled with liquid.

The proportion of CO2 is, in the vast majority of cases, adjusted so that its partial pressure corresponds to a concentration of dissolved CO2 between 0.1 and 1 g. per liter, lower, or at most equal to the solubility of CO2 in the cold liquid found in 0 / f and in U ^.

The influence of CO2 at this concentration is sufficient for health to exert a marked action on the final "tenderness" of non-acidic or slightly acidic particles, on the caramelization of their cooking and stabilizing liquid and, consequently, on the flavor of the finished product.

15 - ------—-

The following CO2 applications still require further development:

a) Lower the sterilization scales (duration and / or temperature - review the text on pages 2C in this regard

20 and 2l) of which also with a view to destroying the enzymes.

These are very sensitive to variations in pH.

b) We know that the stability of chlorophyll is much better at pH between 7 and S.

c) It is obvious that the action in depth of CC2 _ 25 requires time when the dimensions of the particles are large.

Concerning (a): it may be useful to lower the pH to 3.5 - 3.6, which may require increasing the partial pressure of C02 to 1.5 to 2 x 10 ° Pascals to exceed one gram per liter of C02 dissolved.

Regarding (b): it may then be useful to slightly lower the pH to "0" by injecting sterile CO2.

Concerning (c): a deep acification of the particles can be carried out by operating as well as 35 for "a".

An alternative solution consists in already introducing C02 in * D, and even in * A #, which, in this case, must be closed, which does not prevent then strengthening the i 41 dose in G. Elimination in C excess C02 is achievable, but slows down the work and requires more equipment (KOC ^ -B ^).

It is necessary (a) to pre-cool down to 50-7G ° C. (b) Replace 5 with pressurized steam a fraction of the liquid of 0. (c) Depress 0, avoiding that the release of excess C02 deteriorates the particles, (d) Completely fill 0 with liquid from from U.

(e) Restore the pressure to 0 and finish cooling down to 1G.

To carry out (a): connect to 0 'and to 9. If necessary, reheat in the cyclized liquid because, normally, the calories coming from the hot suspension are not enough to reach 5G ° C at 0. To make asep-15 tick (b) provide an additional nozzle at the top of 0, around the level of 11 and connect it to Rj-, to adjust, for example around 10δ Pascals, at this time, or use another relief valve Rg, not shown in the figures. The realization of (c) and (d) 20 is easy but requires 15 to 20 minutes. Regarding (e) the additional cooling takes 45 to 6C minutes, unless it is refrigerated and, anyway, we need a group B3 by multifunction tank K 0.

This technology is expensive, so it can only be justified in special cases, the standard being not to exceed in G the contents of 0.1 to 1 gr. per liter of 202 · Note that, in water, at atmospheric pressure, the maximum C02 contents are, in grams per liter: 20 ° C: 2.36, 30 ° C: 1.31, 40 ° C : 1.05, 3C 50 ° C: 0.36, 60 ° C: 0.71.

If the piping H for evacuating the suspension of a gas cooker has a diameter of 0.3 m. And if a variation in the level of the liquid of one meter is tolerated, the volume occupied by the liquid 35. and the particles in the installation * between B- and R, to O *** + 0.035 m near. This is especially restrictive when using a carpet cooker and that this one, not immersed i

V

42 is not permanently charged with particles. After stopping the metering unit E, when the particles arrive at H, this represents 0.1 m / minute for a flow rate at E of 10 m3 / h. suspension, containing 60% of particles.

5 In the event of false operations, whether caused by the operator or due to instrumentation, the valves L and 8 must close immediately, while all the devices stop upstream of 0.

The arrest of must cause the arrest of E.

10 If using a cooker type fig. 1-2 or 4, containing very little gas, it is possible to complete the treatment of the particles present in G and I, thanks to fairly simple devices such as another water supply and the modification of the setting of R.

15 This does not require explanation.

When using a carpet and gas cooker, type fig. 3, the only remedy is to have a generator.

______ ______ It is not enough if it is a damage ._______ 20 Note that floating particles, pieces of wood and slag are to be removed from the particles to be treated. These impurities can adversely affect the proper functioning of R and r5, - whether a relief valve or an aseptic positive displacement pump is used in R.

25 An oversized grid or screen preventing the passage of floating particles of too large dimensions in the 0 'zone and therefore in Q2 R and R_ is suitable if its characteristics are the following:, Very large surface, or, we have at least 3 m 30 when tank 0 has a diameter of 2.2 m

Very rigid sieve, the removable sections of which are attached to a fixed, robust structure, integral with O. One of the sections, ballasted or on springs, acts as a safety valve.

35 A second grid screens the liquid which can pass through this valve.

y 1 43

A signal indicates the opening of this "valve" screen.

The sieve can be accessed through a manhole.

If the valve works or, if this is not the case, if a drop in pressure is detected, production is stopped, the liquid is returned to the tank 0 by means of steam from 0 to a tank U, closes the valve P. The tank 0 is opened and cooled . We clean the sieve, close 0, sterilize it with steam and let it return, from below, the sterile and cold liquid it contained. The duration of the operation is short compared to that required to replace a damaged pump in R. It is not the very rare particles of semi-floating food which it is important to retain, but the non-food waste escaping control normal manufacturing or intro-15 maliciously dubbed.

If the percentage of free space is 5050 in the grid or the screen 83 of FIG. 3, the liquid circulates therein at about 0.15 cm / second vers1. 9 Q2 R or in the opposite direction, from 10 to P. During the purges 20 to be carried out in S in order to discharge all the particles towards a reservoir U, it is possible to obtain a cleaning flow at 83 several times greater. Also, non-aseptic cleaning of the sieve is rarely required. This also depends on the profile of the elements of 83 25 which is not a filter.

These are the particles which filter the liquid in U, They constitute a very effective filter there, not being able to be blocked.

The representation of the safety screen protecting the valve section at 64 is symbolic. Other, less basic, devices are justified. These are just principles.

In M." the distributor 85 of liquid from the pump B- ^ is also schematic.

In addition to the few precautions already recommended, the following should be considered, the importance of which depends on the installation.

y φ 'y 44 - Multiply the temperature measurements and cause the production to stop as well as the closing of the valves isolating the tanks 0 of group G H · I at the slightest anomaly.

5 - Provide indicators and / or flow indicators in H and N.

- Remove “by means of sterile cycled liquid, the particles and mineral impurities from the valve seat where they can be troublesome.

- Ensure the permanence of the aseptic by immersing the 10 aseptic jams, flanges, fittings, in a “significant volume of powerful, non-toxic germicide in trace amounts. They are numerous and known.

- Know the position of the shutters of valves 14 and 15 and of the particle flow deflectors as well as the degree of filling with particles and liquid of the stock tanks U, also to be followed by calculation.

- Have a steam generator capable of automatically supplying permanently the small quantities of steam required to ensure the aseptic properties of certain devices and the maintenance of a positive pressure between valves L and P during periods of stop.

- If it is important that all the liquid, to be transferred from tanks 0 to tanks U, be at a fairly low temperature, or else use three tanks O, which makes it possible to cool the liquid from two tanks while the contents of the third are transferred to a storage tank U, or else the supercooled recycled liquid from one of the tanks U, before introducing it into the tank 0 to empty of its particles.

- Isolate the basins, cool the immersion liquids of the flexible tanks if it is important to carry out the storage at low temperature in order, for example, to stabilize the coloring of the product.

The process is also suitable for large particles, even exceeding 70 mm, when the elements of the installation (pump E, valves, pipes, etc.) are dimensioned accordingly.

V * 45

Indeed, it is easy to make a pump E, suitable for large particles, given the special pressure conditions at the inlet and at the outlet of this pump.

5 The main current limiting factor is at the level of final packaging in retail packaging.

For bricks, small particles are currently essential.

With some buckets, it seems that we can achieve IG aseptically condition particles up to 25 mm. With bags (bag-in-box) this limit can probably be exceeded. There are also boxes (American fillers, according to the Kartin process).

You should also consider the fact that the aseptic fillers must preferably work all year round and around 4000 hours. per year, when it comes to brick fillers. The reasons for this are economic and technical.

Except for the fruit to be candied later (example 6) 2C, the final packaging and the market tend to limit the size of the particles to those, weak, of examples 1 to 5; seeds and cubes.

The combination "carpet cooker or other conveyor and" gas "with a chamberer, already represents an important advance compared to the combination" liquid-filled cooker "and" chamberer ", because, in a cooker of the type FIG. 3, the cylinder contains approximately 99% of gas and 1% of liquid. This makes it possible to avoid excessively cooking and sterilizing the liquid. In addition, when the pH of the suspension is close to 6 to 7, by introducing therein a · Health of carbonic acid, its caramelization is strongly slowed down, the main harmful consequence of overcooking. This is particularly precious when, given the size of the particles, it takes 10 to 25 mi-35 minutes to cook them and to stabilize them at heart.

The presence of the lodger is not. always essential. In fact, with a carpet and gas cooker, it is possible to use the carpet as a chamber for particles and to sterilize the liquid so as to supply the outlet of the cooker with stabilized liquid in a chamber pipe.

5 See in this connection Figure 3. If the particles are already stabilized at the end of the conveyor, it suffices to supply sterile liquid with the end of the latter and the line H so that in the latter there is only stabilized products. In this case, room I being superfluous, there is room, very short, only between G and M. If it takes 20 minutes to cook and sterilize the particles and the gas cooker mat accumulates, for example, 2 T. of particles, the installation between E and M contains hardly more than 2 of hot liquid, 15 whose residence time at high temperature remains short.

Also, the carpet and gas cooker allows it to carry out fractional continuous heat treatment ^ in English: "in flow" fraction specific thermal Processing, 20 (FSTP) j. remarkably effectively, whether the pressurized gas contains carbonic acid or not.

The improvement consisting in using line F to carry out a hot washing or even a short bleaching of the particles, to separate the liquid using the mat or any other flat conveyor of the gas cooker (fig. 3) has already been reported on page 31.

The normal characteristics of a tubular whiteness are: approximately 16% of particles in the transferred suspension and speed of approximately 1 meter per second.

30 a pipe F of 10 to 20 meters is already sufficient for hot washing and also as a hydraulic lift, which makes it possible not to install the devices Β, Β ^, Ο, ϋ, Ε, above the other components of the line Figures 1-2-8-14.

35 When the suspension is at E, for example, at 20 ° C, • if the liquid coming from the start of the cooker G is at 95 ° C we reach about 70 ° C at F, whereas if we have 132 ° C at G we arrive at around 95 ° C.

s · y 47

However, according to some researchers, a blanching at around 70 - 75 ° C of vegetables such as green or yellow beans improves their final texture. This is due to the action of enzymes from the raw plant on its pectic substances.

It has also been observed that bleaching around 70-75 ° C improves the final coloration of certain green vegetables. Also, it is not excluded that it is advantageous to incorporate a whiteness between the pump E and the cooker G.

This whiteness could even include a liquid separator and therefore contain a lot of gas. This gas should be very low in CO2 »given the temperature of the pressurized products. However, it is possible to carry out such treatments before introducing the particles into the reservoirs D.

15 Ohmic heating, which allows the temperature inside the particles to be raised extremely quickly (1 to 10 ° C per second), is of great interest for certain particles, including some of the candied fruit. Patents and technologies relating to ohmic heating are currently controlled by the A.P.V Company and the products to be treated, particles and liquid, require specific pre-treatments in order to regularly obtain the required electrical conductivity.

When the particles and the liquid have the properties required in M and in 0, they can be treated by ohmic heating between E and K. All or part of the FGHI apparatuses are then to be chosen according to the particular conditions resulting from this heating mode .

In the same vein, the flexible tanks of FIGS. 2, 9, 10, 11 and 14 are also suitable for sedimenting juices and pulps during storage and for aseptically making mixtures. It is no longer a question here of stabilizing particles but of another use 35 of the elements of FIG. 10 and especially of the reservoirs of FIG. 9.

ί 4Ö y Ultimately, in a large installation, it could be necessary to simultaneously fill special flexible tanks: a) By means of a particle suspension stabilized 5 according to the process which is the subject of the invention.

b) By means of a suspension of particles stabilized according to the ARV process · c) By means of juice or pulps stabilized by conventional methods.

10 For "b" and "c”, only multipurpose storage tanks would be used, even if they are rarely used for this purpose. _______

Figure 15 shows an installation, allowing fractional continuous treatment (F. S.T. P.).

15 It is similar to Figure 1.

Its elements A, D2, E, are below the cooker and we have: - A long pipe F which can serve as whiteness or. ^ ^. - No. of hot washer.

- A carpet and gas cooker G.

20 - No roomer I.

- In view of the lack of room, a pump is provided at 86 on line N.

The liquid feeding the end of the cooker G is stabilized before reaching the duct H.

25 See pump B "^, exchanger G" £ and the hose

Chambering 87.

The room for a roomer I is to be provided in H.

A small chamberer reduces the risks and a large capacity chamberer increases the capacity of 5u the line for very large particles.

* Pump 86 can still be justified when it is a small roomer. __

In special cases, for example, when the suspension is immediately packaged in retail or transport packaging, either from multifunction tanks 0 or from a tank U, the latter can be an ordinary submerged flexible tank, for liquids. (Luxembourg patent n ° 85954, • j 49 18-6-85).

FIG. 16 relates to a simpler installation than that of FIG. 15. Cn have A, B ^, D ^, D ^ »E and other accessories: they are killed below the cooker G. These devices are known.

F: Long hose that can be used either as a pre-cooker or as a hot washer and even, by extending the hose, as a tubular cooker.

G ·. Rotary perforated drum cooker, (see fig. L and 4) 10 1- H, I, J, K, L: known.

83: Tank containing a grid or sieve and gas.

89: Grid or sieve.

90 (or 77 in figure 4): §az.

15 91: Pipe between 83 and the top of G.

92 (F in the other figures): Pipe for transferring the suspension from 38 to G.

93: Bottom of d3 accumulating a minimum of liquid.

94: Pipe.

20 95: Possible extraction of a fraction of the liquid flow.

96: Introduction of fresh liquid replacing that extracted in 95 97: introduction of liquid from B1 · 25 98: Relief valve, if necessary, reducing the pressure of the liquid, so that the pressure upstream of E is equal to or slightly higher than the pressure downstream of this dispenser.

99: Volumetric pump that can also supply 96 30 and also serve to keep the liquid level at G and 88 more or less constant.

100: (pump B'2 in Figure 15) A calibrated valve is sufficient given the short distance at 88 between the liquid 93 and the arrival of the suspension.

35 101: Pipe supplying F as soon as it leaves E.. Its bit rate is low.

102: Pipe feeding F at a certain distance from E, its flow is high, and this flow can be mixed with that of F in several places. -

T

9 50 103 s (G 'in fig. 15) Heat exchanger keeping the temperature more or less constant at F and therefore at 38.

Either to mix, in F, a part of product at 20 ° C and 5 7 parts of liquid cycled from 68 to F. If the latter is not reheated the temperature is too low in 83.

If the product at 20 ° C is liquid, to maintain 132 ° C, for example, at 88, the cycled liquid IG must have an average of 148 ° C when it arrives at F.

If the product at 20 ° C contains 60% of particles that do not have time to warm up before 88, 138 ° C is sufficient instead of 148 ° C.

Since the metering device E is normally not very sensitive to high temperatures, the entire cycle flow can be heated and the flow from the pump 100 passes entirely through the pipe 101 and through the exchanger 103.

Rapid variations in temperature at 88 are to be avoided, in order to avoid significant variations in gas pressure and solubility of C02 ·

However, it is not thanks to the gas that the volume of liquid present in the installation is kept relatively constant between the pumps B1 and 99 and the positive displacement pump extracting the sterile and cold liquid in R.

The cooker G can be filled with liquid or contain little of it like that of figure 4.

Room I, useful in most cases, including as a supplement to the room cooker of Figure 15, is generally required after a drum cooker.

If the gas contains C02 and the latter is not introduced directly into G, liquid from the cooker must be pumped at 88, in order to absorb enough C02 <35 The screen 89 may need to be regularly cleaned by jets liquid projected on its convex face.

V # 51

By combining a whiteness, such as the tubular "F in FIG. 10, the gas cooker G in FIG. 15, and a chambering apparatus with a screw conveyor, such as I, in FIG. 1, ori can" pre-bake, hydrate; cook and stabilize "particles and liquids in various ways, the most astonishing of which is to enhance the FSTP character of fractional continuous heat treatment (page 41) as follows: a) The particles are not completely stabilized at the end of the conveyor, in the cooker G. Their temperature is t ^.

b) The liquid, whose residence time in G and in its accessories, pumps and exchangers, is extremely short, is pumped and reheated (B "^ and G"!)) up to the temperature clearly above. t ^ c) Panels limit the gas exchanges in G between zones whose temperatures are clearly different.

d) The liquid is to be added to the particles at the end of the cooker, so there is obtained, in line H, a suspension of particles at t1 ° C and liquid at t- ^ C · e) In roomer I, there is temperature balancing and additional stabilization.

Example; Or 4 parts of particles at 132 ° C and 6 parts of liquid at 136 ° C. We get 134 ° 4C at equilibrium.

The table on page 19. gave the values of "n" for temperatures between 129 ° C and 134 ° C.

The following table completes it for 134.4 and 135 ° C.

30 For the record, n = 12.8 means that in a liquid whose pH is between 6 and 7, after one minute at 134.4 ° C, only one viable spore of cl remains. sporogenic on 10x * spores.

»> 52

132 ° C 133 ° C 134 ° C 134.4 ° Ç 136 ° C

Cl. Sporogenes (PA 3679) 7.6 9.4 11.7 12.4 18.1

Bacillus 5 Stearothermophilus 9 12.5 17.4 19.8 33.6

Bacillus Subtilis 9 10.8 12.9 13.8 18.4

The determination of the residence time at I requires fairly elaborate calculations, since the penetration of heat into the particles and their degree of internal contamination take place. Assuming that one minute in I is sufficient, the interior volume of the loom I is small.

For an installation treating 10 m3 / h of suspension containing 60% of particles, this volume is of the order, only 3, of 0.25 m! Also, a volumetric pump 15 with adjustable flow rate is justified at 86, in the pipe N, given the imperfect efficiency of the screw pump constituted by this small chamberer.

The variant just indicated can be considered to be a "Fractional continuous heat treatment at different temperatures". ____ _ _ - In a cannery, the higher the temperature reached in the autoclaves, the more important it is to create an empty space in the boxes and jars before they are hermetically sealed in order, above all, to prevent the packaging from deteriorating then by excess of the internal pressure.

This empty space contains steam and as little air as possible.

Under these conditions, the pressure difference between the interior and the exterior of the container does not become excessive, provided that it is cooled under pressure.

- We have, luckily or accidentally, observed a phenomenon due to the action of the infinitesimal traces of gas present inside the cotyledons of peas during their period of warming. ; - 35 - Briefly, the conditions for these very simple tests were: • in the factory - on smooth variety peas, fresh, too ripe, quite large, very well degassed during bleaching i · * 53 (5 minutes at 95®C ), 1/2 or 1/1 format cans (425 grs or 850 grs) - advanced static autoclaves, vertical, INACOL, with positive and very rapid purge, with automatic regulation and homogeneous cooling from below 5 and from above under against -pressure of 1.5 Kg / cm then 1 kg / cm - proven scale, at 123 - 124 ° C, standardized for all fresh peas treated.

- There were too many open seeds, excessively swollen, even burst, in the finished product from] _0 overripe peas.

- However, all other conditions remaining equal, by reducing the speed of the temperature rise in the autoclaves, the fault disappeared to 100%.

- Some figures, for technologists s standard 15 "scale” was:

Furge: 1 minute - Shallow from 102-103 ° C to 123-124 ° C: 0.5 min.

Stopping at 123 - 124 ° C: 15 minutes (1/2 and 1/1 formats) Pressure cooling.

20 Variant: Same, but increased from 102 - 103 ° C to 123 - 124 ° C in 5 minutes.

- The results were identical for several days in a row. This confirmed the value of the only plausible hypothesis, namely that the dangerous traces of residual gas, present inside certain cotylated donations of peas, distorted these when the temperature rise was rapid but had the tehips of diffusing to the liquid in 5 minutes.

- There is room, inside the cotyledons, very dense, ripe peas, only for traces of gas.

They are not dosable in laboratories, especially since the air which may have penetrated, after bleaching, in other places of the seed, is harmless for the texture. The percentage of deformed peas was around 5 to 10% after "standard" sterilization.

* * 54 - If a continuous "valve" or "flame" autoclave had been used, the percentage of exploded seeds would have been higher given the rapidity of heating. On the other hand, nothing would have been observed if the operation had been carried out in a hydrostatic continuous or in old static autoclaves requiring more than 5 minutes for the purging period, then the rise in temperature.

- The establishment of a high pressure before the metering pump and its maintenance until the end of the IC cooling in the process which is the subject of the invention not only makes it possible not to rapidly deteriorate the positive displacement pump in many cases and to avoid the bursting of many particles, but also to reduce, as little as possible, their firmness and to regulate this action by acting on the pressure.

- A high degree of tenderness, tolerable for particles in boxes or jars, is not when the stabilized particles are to be aseptically packaged, then in retail packaging.

20 - However, the tenderness of the stabilized particles depends, among other factors, on the expansion of traces of gas present in the cells and even sometimes forming there during the heat treatment following chemical reactions.

25 The control of the tenderness of particles such as pea seeds, corn and various cubes or pieces of carrots and similar products can be achieved by combining the following factors: duration - temperature -pressure and even CO2 · 30 Everything suggests that this type of particles will mainly be aseptically packaged in bricks containing: a) A maximum of particles - b) What you need in sauce prepared from the liquid separated from the stabilized particles - c) What you need in nitrogen.

35 Such a cooked product will require that the particles are not mechanically deteriorated, not only before the storage tank U, but also between the latter and the filler preceded by a device 55 f “separating the particles from their liquid d immersion serving as a base, after concentration, to prepare the sauce.

Explanations regarding treatments likely to increase the tenderizing speed of ripe peas have been promised at the end of page 11.

Given the complexity of the problems posed by texture, no precise procedure can be recommended. Are to be considered; 10 a) Sodium chloride (cooking salt) b) "" "potassium c) Various sodium or potassium salts (lactate, citrate) d) Sodium metaphosphate 15 e) Sodium or potassium bicarbonate.

at ; Full satisfaction in the factory, b and c; Have not been tried, given their price higher than that of "a".

d: Sometimes used in the United States. It is decon-20 sillé.

e; Is ineffective in the factory, while it gives good results during household cooking.

Salt "a" must be used before the particles are cooked and stabilized because, on the one hand, any excess salt is to be removed and because, in practice, it is necessary to first reduce the content calcium particles, by ion exchange, in the presence of a solution containing at least 2% salt, during a more or less long bleaching (1 to 5 minutes) 30 to 80 - 95 ° C, after which enough calcium is returned to the seeds during washing and subsequent cooling, carried out continuously. These operations, in which the time factor is involved, require strict control. In addition, their results depend on the composition of the manufacturing water. Clarifications are required.

Claims (24)

55? 3V £ ND ICATIONS. çj / · Method of cooking and heat stabilization of fermentable particles suspended in a liquid, followed by aseptic storage, characterized I by 1. & R qnivrmts points, sena.iaaae * it or -ear-gembinaisoas y 5 d , X- Ventness of the cooking and stabilization operations is carried out under a pressure higher than the vapor pressure of the suspending liquid at the highest temperature which it reaches at any point of the apparatus. , the overpressure beyond IC the vapor pressure being between 1 and 2 x 1C ° Pascals and the pressure, established from the storage tank supplying the volumetric pump introducing the suspension into the cooking equipment - stabilization being maintained until that the particles 13 have been cooled, at least, to 7C ° C. 2 - 1-process according to claim 1 wherein the cooking and stabilization temperatures are between 75 and 15C ° C. 3. Method according to claims 1 and 2 wherein the total duration of stay at a temperature equal to or greater than 75 ° C is between 1 and 30 minutes. 4. Method according to claims 1 to 3 wherein the size of the treated particles is between a minimum of 3 mm and a maximum of ICC mm. 25 5 - _ Frocédé according to claims 1 to 4 wherein the liquid used to prepare the suspension to be cooked and stabilized is either water, or liquid recovered from the storage tank or that of re-cooling, liquid containing the constituents given up by the treated particles, ie a mixture of water and this liquid. ô - Process according to claims 1 to 5 wherein the recovered liquid undergoes one or more treatments before being reused so as to give it the desired physical or chemical characteristics. 57 ♦ 7. Method according to claims 1 to 5 wherein the cooking and stabilization operations of the particles and the suspending liquid are simultaneous and joint. 5S - A method according to claims 1 to 7 wherein the cooking operations and stabilization of the particles and the suspending liquid are carried out separately. 9. Method according to claims 7 and 8 wherein the cooking and stabilization operations are carried out in devices not comprising a gaseous atmosphere. IC - - Process according to claims 7 and 8, in which the cooking and stabilization operations are carried out in devices of which at least one is provided with a gaseous atmosphere composed of: a) steam and an inert gas or b) "" "and carbon dioxide or c)” "" of an inert gas and CO2 · 2c il - Process according to claim 10, characterized in that the partial pressure of CO2 is such that the concentration of CC2 in the suspension or at least its liquid is between 0.1 and 1 gram per liter, without exceeding the solubility limit of CO2 in the cooled product. 12. Method according to claim. 10, in which the CO2 concentration of the hot suspension is between 1 and 2 grs per liter, the excess of C09 3c being removed from the precooled suspension and still hot before continuing to cool under back pressure restored to initial level. 13. A process according to claim 9, in which the CO2 is introduced directly into the hot cooking and stabilizing liquid. 53 · * 14. The method of claim 1 to 3, wherein the CC> 2 is introduced under pressure into the liquid and / or into the suspension still to be treated. ______ _ 15. The method of claims 1 to 3, wherein the CC ^ is introduced directly into the coolant of the particles in order to lower the pH. 16. The method of claims 11 to 10, wherein the partial pressure of 3G7 or the amount of IC CG'2 injected into the liquid is such that the pH of the suspension is between 7 and 3.3. 17. The method of claims 1 to 1d in which the cooked and stabilized particles are separated from the hot suspension liquid, which is replaced by sterile and cold suspension liquid, the temperature of which does not exceed 7 ° C. 13. Method according to claim 17 characterized in that it implements successively in a device or in two superimposed devices communicating 2c with each other, first, in the upper part, a hot decantation, then below the decanter hot, cold decantation; the temperature of the liquid in the cold decanter being maintained at the value chosen by a circulation of sterile and cold liquid passing through a heat exchanger and an external circulation pump; the vertical speed of the ascending flow of cold liquid provided by the circulation pump being less than the speed of sedimentation of the particles in dense suspension in the cold liquid. 19- The method of claim 18 wherein the stabilized suspension separates into a dense suspension containing about 40 ^ of interstitial liquid and excess liquid, which returns, through a pipe * 59 under the action of a pump, to the cooker ; the pump being, or not, the conveyor screw of the lodger, while the dense suspension leaves through the open bottom of the hot settling tank. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the cooled particles are temporarily accumulated in the multifunction tank in service (according to claims 17 and 13) and are then transferred hydraulically, after reduction of the back pressure, to a storage tank in service; the quantity of liquid, sterile and cold, present in this latter reservoir should be sufficient to ensure there the operations of settling of the particles and recovery, at the top of the reservoir, of the liquid devoid of particles] _5 supplying by pump the reservoir from which the particles. 21. The process as claimed in claims 17 to 2G, in which the equivalent in sterile liquid of the flow of materials introduced into the cooking installation and stabilization stage arrives in a storage tank while the particles are accumulated in that of the storage tanks. cooling in service 22. The method of claims 2C and 21 in which the recycling of the cold and sterile liquid from the storage tank to the cooling and temporary storage tanks ensures a significant mixture of the liquid for immersion of the stabilized particles. 23. The method of claims 21 and 22 wherein JC ieg operations below are improved by special flexible tanks. a) The separation of the liquid from the deposit of particles. b) Mixing the particle immersion liquid. c) The mixture of the immersion liquid and the internal liquid of the particles, as well as the products from different reservoirs. * oG 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the enrichment of sugar or other water-soluble products of the suspension is carried out aseptically during a post-curing treatment and stabilization of the products stored aseptically in special tanks comprising a grid or sieve; this enrichment corresponds, for example, to the sweetening or the freezing of the products. 25. The method of claim 10 characterized in IC that the particles being cooked, hydrated and partially stabilized by rains of hot liquid, are mixed with hot liquid having either a temperature equal to or slightly higher than that of the particles, or a temperature significantly higher than the latter when the suspension is reconstituted at the end of the apparatus, stabilization remaining to be completed thereafter. 25. The method of claim 10 wherein the particles and the liquid being already stabilized when there is 2c reconstitution of the suspension, maintaining it at high temperature is no longer necessary. 27. The method of claims 25 and 25 'wherein the stay at elevated temperature is significantly longer for the particles than for the liquid, the temperatures may be identical for each of the constituents of the suspension or significantly higher for the liquid; the process being, in the first case, of the - P3T type? "in f lov fraction specific thermal Processing" 3c or fractional continuous heat treatment, and in the second case, of the type "Fractional continuous thermal treatment and at different temperatures". 23. Process in which the products obtained according to any combination of claims 1 to 27 33 are stored aseptically in flexible tanks, the general description of which appears in Luxembourg patents 5595¾ and 3-5C23, respectively from 17.5.1955 and 23.7.1935, and improved by the following devices, alone or in combination: 61 a- on either side of the vertical axial plane of symmetry and / or at the top of the tank and / or at the bottom of the tank, are fixed, by any means, from 2 to 2 n waterproof longitudinal pockets 5 outside the tank wall (n whole 1,2,4 ..) segmented or not, each segment being equipped with pipes allowing the filling and emptying of their interior space by a gas or a liquid. b- in the vicinity of the vertical axial plane of symmetry and 10 in the lower part of the tank, the latter is provided with a certain number of flexible pipes connectable to one or more supply or drain pipes; even if deemed necessary, tubing of adequate length is attached to the non-cylindrical ends of the tanks. The minimum distance between 2 neighboring pipes is equal to half the theoretical diameter of the main envelope of the tank, each of the pipes in question being or can be equipped with an aseptic device for obtu-2C ration or throttling. c- in the vicinity of the vertical axial plane of symmetry and in the upper parts of the reservoir, the latter is provided with one or more openings aseptically connectable to a rigid orifice provided with an adequate aseptic closure device allowing a visit of inside the tank, or allowing the introduction of accessory devices, or allowing connection to pipes for handling craz or liquid. 3C 29 - New devices designed for implementing the method according to the principles set out in claims 17 to 21. 3Q - Devices according to claim 29 provided with a grid, preferably annular, and with a surface 35 as large as possible , preventing access to semi-floating or floating impurities, which do not settle in the cold part of the device, to the outlet pipes to the elimination valves or pumps. 52 of the suspending liquid used during the cooking and stabilization operations; this grid being provided with the necessary safety devices in the event of untimely clogging. 31. Flexible tanks produced according to the principles set out in claim 28. 32. "Flow diverters" of the general type of multi-way valves, characterized by: a a plug comprising one or more pipes 10 with a diameter equal to or greater than 30 mm, connecting "following a path ensuring a smooth flow , the inlet tubing to the outlet tubing. b- The bushings of the bushel are assembled inside an envelope forming the external surface of the bushel and this envelope of circular circular shape around the axis of rotation (sphere, cylinder, truncated cone, etc.) is ballasted so as to be roughly floating in the suspending liquid, c- The plug made according to 32a and 32b has dimensions 2C such that the clearance between the plug and the body of the flow deflector is slightly less than the smaller dimension of suspended particles. • d- If necessary, the rotary movement of the plug is guided by rollers on self-lubricating bearings. 25 e- Additional tubes, correctly located, are provided in the body of the flow deflector to allow a circulation of sterile liquid between the plug and the body. ^ 2_- As new products: jC a- The improved products obtained by implementing the method according to claims 1 to 28. b- The improved products by taking advantage of the possibility offered by aseptic storage in flexible tanks of products according to claim 23, that is to say the products obtained by mixing liquids stored in the same tank or in different tanks. '' 53 mc - Sweetened or candied products by post-curing treatments and stabilization in tanks described in claim 28 and fitted as an accessory with a floating screen or mesh preventing particles from reaching the liquid outlets at the part tank top.