SK286837B6 - Packaging means for liquid yeast - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to packaging means comprising a container containing liquid baker's yeast characterized in that the container is equipped with means to release overpressure and has a volume between 0.1 and less than 100 liter.

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to packaging compositions containing liquid yeast and their use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Liquid yeast is a suspension of baker's yeast cells with a yeast dry matter content typically in the range of 5 to 25% by weight. A specific form of liquid yeast is yeast milk. Yeast milk is a product obtained in a yeast production process directly after the fermentation step, optionally after one or more wash steps following the fermentation. Yeast milk typically has a dry matter content in the range of 17-23% by weight. Alternatively, liquid yeast can also be obtained by resuspending the compressed or dried yeast. In addition, the liquid yeast may be in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion as described in JP 02-124054. Liquid yeast further comprises high-density yeast preparations as described in EP-A-0515406. Liquid yeast is currently available in two forms. The first is unstabilised liquid yeast, which must be mixed to prevent sedimentation of yeast cells. The second form is stabilized liquid yeast, which retains its homogeneity due to the presence of a stabilizing agent such as xanthan gum (see EP-A-0461725). Liquid yeast may further comprise one or more dough and / or bread processing aids to improve their properties.

In large industrial bakeries, unstabilized yeast milk is used in the majority of 5,000 to 25,000 liters per week. The yeast milk is transported by the manufacturer in tank vehicles, from which it is transferred to the yeast milk tanks or tanks in the bakery. From these baking tanks, the yeast milk is pumped into mixing machines forming a circuit around the respective dosing points. Medium-sized bakeries use stabilized yeast milk, which is usually supplied once a week in containers of 300 to 1,000 liters. After the yeast milk has been consumed, these containers are returned to the yeast producer for cleaning and refilling.

Yeast milk is currently not used in the smallest bakeries. Yeast milk consumption in these bakeries, due to its small scale, ranges only from a few liters to several hundred liters per week and therefore, due to the lack of suitable packaging means, these bakeries are forced to persist in the use of lump pressed yeast. The benefits of using yeast milk over multiple lump yeast are multiple and include more accurate yeast dosing, automated yeast dosing, increased bakery hygiene, lower yeast consumption, improved dough stability and improved bread quality. In view of the above, there is an urgent need for the use of yeast milk for craft bakeries instead of lump pressed yeast. In Europe, yeast consumption in these bakeries accounts for 30 to 40% of total yeast consumption.

Packaging means for liquid food products known in the art, such as milk, fruit juices, still or carbonated carbonated non-alcoholic beverages, which do not produce any gases, consist of a one-piece container. This one-piece container is usually made of materials such as cardboard (optionally supplied with a coating made of plastic or aluminum), glass, polycarbonate, PET, HDPE (high density polyethylene), tinplate and other suitable food grade materials quality. Other packaging means used in the food industry for storing and transporting, for example, wine, cream, egg products and the like, consist of a container stored in a support structure, such as a bag in a box, a can in a box and the like. All of these packaging means are provided with closure means or caps to completely close the container or bag, and thus do not leak fluid or gas. In this arrangement, the packaging compositions are not suitable for storing liquid yeast, since the accumulation of CO ₂ gas (the formation of which is due to the metabolism of yeast cells) causes a gradual increase in internal pressure and eventually, over time, inflates and damages the packaging compositions. Such damage is then not only a wasting of yeast but also a potential risk to the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides packaging means comprising a container containing liquid yeast, said container being equipped with an overpressure relief means and having a volume of between 0.1 and 100 liters. Preferably, the volume of the container is in the range of 0.1 to 80 liters.

The means for relieving the positive pressure includes a venting cap. A venting plug is defined herein as a plug that permits gas ingress but does not allow fluid to pass through. This vent can be either screwed onto the container containing liquid yeast, or it can be snap-closed, and allows gas to be released from the interior space while preventing leakage of the liquid yeast. Suitable vent caps may include a strainer that is fixed and attached to the inside of the cap. The shutters may further comprise one or more apertures disposed in the top wall of the shutter. In the case where the cap is provided with said apertures, gas from the container may escape through these apertures, while in the absence of these apertures the gas may escape along the abbreviated thread of the cap. The screen may be formed of a permeable microporous material in the form of a membrane which is permeable to gas and impermeable to liquids. Alternatively, the cap may include a trap disposed within the overpressure releasing mechanism, which is above a certain threshold pressure, for example 10 mbar (i.e. 0,01.10 ⁵ Pa), automatically opens.

The pressurizing means may further comprise one or more cuts formed in the container itself, preferably at the top of the container. The cut size is usually dependent on the size of the cartridge. In addition, this cut may be covered by a venting membrane made of microporous material and preferably arranged on the inside of the container.

According to a further embodiment, the whole or at least a part of the container is made of microporous material, which in turn results in securing the container by means of pressure relief.

Suitable microporous materials are PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) or UHMW-PE (very high molecular weight polyethylene), such as Solupor ™, commercially available from DSM Solutech, The Netherlands. The microporous material may have a pore size of 0.05 to 5.0 microns, preferably 0.1 to 2.0 microns.

The container may be formed from any food grade material suitable for this purpose. Thus, the container may be made, for example, of cardboard, which is optionally coated with plastic, for example polyethylene or aluminum. These cartridges can be supplied with either one or more venting seals or with one or more incisions. The cartridges for containing liquid yeast preferably have a volume ranging from 0.1 to 5 liters, more preferably from 0.25 to liters, and most preferably from 0.5 to 3 liters. In the case where the containers are provided with one or more cuts, these cuts are preferably in the upper tight closure of the container. These cuts may be small straight cuts formed in the center of the upper tight closure, in the immediate vicinity of the edge of the horizontal bend of the upper rib. The cutting length may be in the range of 1 to 80 mm, preferably in the range of up to 50 mm and even more preferably in the range of 10 to 20 mm, its maximum value being dependent on the dimensional size of the packaging means. The distance between the cut (s) and the edge of the horizontal rib of the rib is preferably less than 5 mm and greater than 0.5 mm, more preferably less than 2 mm and greater than 0.5 mm, and most preferably about 1 mm. One cut may be in the upper tight closure. If two cuts are used, the cuts may be either in the same horizontal plane or on both sides of the upper rib. After the container is filled with liquid baker's yeast in a racking machine, the upper tight closure of the container is formed in the usual manner, ie by melting the polyethylene material and pressing the opposing layers against each other. Thus, the cut is in the "closed" state. Thus, turning the packaging means upside down in this state will not result in leakage of the liquid product from the container. Cutting opens only when a certain overpressure is reached and thus allows the release of CO ₂ .

The container may further be a bottle or canister made of a food grade material suitable for this purpose, for example PET and HDPE. These containers are preferably supplied with a venting cap which is fastened to the container by short-circuiting or snapping.

According to a further embodiment, the packaging means comprise an additional support structure, for example a box, for holding and holding the container. In this case, the container may be made of materials such as polyethylene, nylon, EVOH, MPET or a combination thereof. Alternatively, the container may be formed from said microporous materials. The box may be made of cardboard. In addition, in order to prevent the paperboard from becoming weaker, it may be provided with a coating in cases where water condensation could occur. The packaging means may have a volume in the range of 1 to less than 100 liters, preferably having a volume in the range of 5 to 50 liters, and more preferably in the range of 10 to 30 liters.

The packaging means provided by the present invention are intended to contain liquid baker's yeast. Liquid baker's yeast (yeast milk) preferably has a dry matter content in the range of 5 to 25% by weight, and even more preferably in the range of 17 to 23% by weight. The liquid yeast further preferably comprises a gum, for example xanthan gum. Liquid yeast may additionally contain one or more dough and / or bread processing agents to improve its properties, for example enzymes, ascorbic acid, emulsifiers and the like.

The packaging compositions provided according to the present invention allow bakers-craftsmen to use liquid yeast, in particular yeast milk, as well as in large-scale industrial bakeries. The baker may use the packaging means as follows. After opening the packaging means, the liquid yeast from these packaging means can either be transferred, by using a simple tap, dispensing device or small tube and diaphragm pump, to the scale or measuring beaker, or when the amount of yeast corresponds to the amount required for preparation. dough, directly pour into the mixing machine to produce dough. The packaging means can also be placed in a pressure vessel, and external air pressure is used to empty the container. Depending on the requirements of the baker, it is of course equally possible to apply automatic yeast dosing, for example by placing packaging means on the load cells and using a pump, a metering valve and a computer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be explained in more detail by means of specific exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows a carton of FIG. 2 shows its folding arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1 shows a carton box of about 1 liter and equipped with a screw thread spout for attaching the vent vent VC. The cardboard box dimensions are: first dimension a = 19.4 cm, second dimension b = 4.0 cm, third dimension c = 1.8 cm, fourth dimension d = 7.0 cm.

In FIG. 2 there is shown a folding arrangement of a cardboard box provided with one cut 7 as a venting means. This box consists of four jacket walls 1 and 4 and a fifth jacket wall 5. When assembling the cardboard box, the fifth jacket wall 5 is glued to the jacket wall 1. The other dimensions are the same as in FIG. 1. The length of the cut 7 is 15 mm and the distance between the cut 7 and the bending edge of the horizontal seam is approximately 1 mm.

Example 1

For this purpose, different packaging means have been formed, all comprising a cardboard box with a bag made of LLDPE (linear low density polyethylene) of 20 liters capacity and a screw thread spout for fastening the screw cap. The following closures were used:

1. a closed, non-venting cap;

2. no closure, that is, the packaging means are not sealed;

3. Venting cap and PTFE diaphragm located inside and fixed;

4. a vent with one orifice of 1 mm in diameter, located in the upper and PTFE diaphragm located inside and fixed;

5. a breather cap with five orifices of 1 mm in diameter placed in the upper and PTFE diaphragms located inside and fixed;

6. A venting cap and a UHMW-PE diaphragm located inside and fixed;

7. a 1 mm diameter breather cap located in the top and UHMW-PE diaphragm located inside and fixed;

8. a venting cap with five 1 mm diameter orifices located in the top wall of the cap and a UHMW-PE membrane placed inside and fixed.

Approximately 15 liters of commercially available stabilized yeast milk (known under the trade name "Koningscream" and manufactured by DSM, based in Delft, The Netherlands) was filled in all these packaging compositions. The following conditions were used to test the effect of overpressure: incubation temperature of 20 ° C for 3 weeks. All boxes were shaken every third day to stimulate the release of gas from the fluid into the upper compartment of the bag. The results were as follows:

wall wall wall closure, closure, closure,

Table 1:

Storage of stabilized yeast milk in containers equipped with various pressurizing agents at a temperature of 20 ° C.

Venting agent Storage time 1 day 1 week 2 weeks 3 weeks Closed cap Bag expansion Box deformation n. a. on the. No closure good* good* good* good*

Venting agent Storage time 1 day 1 week 2 weeks 3 weeks seal + PTFE membrane good* good* good* good* Cap + 1 hole + PTFE membrane good* good* good* good* Cap + 5 holes + PTFE membrane good* good* good* good* seal + UHMW-PE membrane good* good* good* good* Cap + 1 hole + UHMW-PE membrane good* good* good* good* Cap + 5 holes + UHMW-PE membrane good* good* good* good*

* The term "good" in the above context means that the packaging means remained undamaged and that there was no or only a small expansion.

On the basis of the above data, it can be concluded that the use of the sealed closure results in rapid expansion of the bag and deformation of the packaging means. All vent caps, either with PTFE or UHMW-PE membranes and equipped with or without apertures, have a suitable embodiment as compared to open, non-capped packaging means. When shaking filled cartons equipped with venting caps, the CO ₂ , which is released from the liquid yeast, can cause the bag to expand; but within a few hours these bags will return to their original shape.

To determine the extent of CO ₂ formation that is performed during the yeast milk storage test, the chemical composition of yeast milk was first determined before and after incubation. The CO ₂ formation was then calculated based on the following reaction equation:

glucose -> 2 CO ₂ + 2 ethanol using a molecular volume of 22.4 liters per mole of CO ₂ .

The glucose conversion is calculated from the decrease in yeast dry matter content and the decrease in trehalose and glycogen content during storage, using the following equation (in grams per kg of yeast dry matter):

Δ glucose = Δ [yeast dry matter * (trehalose% + glycogen%)] * 360/342 * 10

The results of the calculations are as follows (Table 2):

Table 2:

Estimated CO ₂ formation after three weeks storage of liquid yeast at 20 ° C.

Yeast dry matter (%) trehalose (% in dry matter) Glycogen (% of dry matter) Amount of CO ₂ (1 / kg of ferment, milk) Comparative lot - leaven, milk without packaging 16,30 8.14 4.44 0 Closed cap 14.80 0.03 0.21 4.8 No closure 15,00 0.03 0.18 4.9 Venting cap 14.80 0.03 0.12 4.9

On the basis of the above data, it can be concluded that a considerable amount of CO ₂ was generated during storage: approximately 5.0 liters of CO ₂ per kg of yeast milk. The fact that approximately 15 liters of yeast milk is filled in the packaging means that the total amount of CO ₂ produced in 20-liter bags must be about 75 liters of CO ₂ . Part of the CO ₂ was dissolved in the yeast milk solution and part of the CO ₂ exited into the upper compartment of the bags, either releasing it from the compartment or causing part of the CO ₂ to create an overpressure in the bag. Based on the standard values of CO ₂ saturation in water (2.3 g CO ₂ per kg water at 20 ° C, equivalent to 1.1 liters CO ₂ per kg water), it can then be calculated that, in the case of packaging with a closed cap the amount of CO ₂ gas in the 5 liters of the upper compartment of the bags could be up to 60 liters, which represents a theoretical maximum overpressure of 60/5 = 12 bar (ie 12.10 ⁵ Pa) and clearly explains the bag expansion and box deformation found during testing.

Example 2

In this case, different packaging means were used, all of which consist of a 1 liter cardboard box coated with polyethylene on the inside and a screw thread nozzle for fastening the screw cap (see Fig. 1). The same closures as in Example 1 were used as the venting agents. Approximately 1 liter of commercially available stabilized yeast milk (known under the trade name "Koningscream" and manufactured by DSM, based in Delft, The Netherlands) was filled in each package. The boxes were stored at 20 ° C for 3 weeks and shaken regularly to stimulate the release of gas from yeast milk.

The results are shown in Table 3:

Table 3:

Storage of stabilized yeast milk in containers equipped with various pressurizing agents at 20 ° C

Venting agent Storage time 1 day 1 week 2 weeks 3 weeks Closed cap Explosion box on the. on the. on the. No closure good* good* good* good* seal + PTFE membrane good* good* good* good* Cap + 1 hole + PTFE membrane good* good* good* good* Cap + 5 holes + PTFE membrane good* good* good* good* seal + UHMW-PE membrane good* good* good* good* Cap + 1 hole + UHMW-PE membrane good* good* good* good* Cap + 5 holes + UHMW-PE membrane good* good* good* good*

* The term "good" in the present context means that the packaging means remained undamaged and that there was no or only a small expansion.

On the basis of the above data, it can be concluded that packaging means comprising a simple cardboard container and equipped with a closed closure cannot be used for storing liquid yeast. 25 On the other hand, packaging means with a venting cap behave practically in the same way as cartons without any capping and are very well suited for storing liquid yeast. While shaking the boxes containing the liquid yeast and equipped with the venting caps, some expansion occurred, but in a short time these boxes returned to their original shape.

Example 3

In this case, packaging means of different designs were used, all equipped with a venting cap with a 1.0 mm diameter orifice located in the top wall of the cap and inside with a PTFE membrane:

1. 0.5 liter aluminum bag;

2. a 1.5 liter PET bottle;

3. 2 liter HDPE bottle;

4. a can of 20 liters per box; and

5 can of 20 liters.

All packaging compositions were filled with the corresponding amount of commercially available stabilized yeast milk (known under the trade name "Koningscream" and manufactured by DSM, based in Delft, The Netherlands). In order to test the effect of the yeast-forming gas resulting in high pressure inside the packaging compositions, the packaging compositions were stored at 20 ° C for 3 weeks. The packaging compositions were regularly shaken to stimulate the release of gas from yeast milk. The results are shown in Table 4.

On the basis of the data recorded in Table 4, it can be concluded that the packaging means equipped with a venting cap are very suitable for storing liquid yeast. There was some expansion / overpressure when shaking the liquid yeast boxes fitted with the venting caps; but in a short time these boxes either returned to their original shape, or the excess pressure formed was released.

Table 4

Storage of stabilized yeast milk in containers equipped with various pressurizing agents at 20 ° C

Storage time 1 day 1 week 2 weeks 3 weeks Bag-0.5 l good* good* good* good* PET bottle - 1,5 l good* good* good* good* HDPE bottle - 2 1 good* good* good* good* Can in a box - 201 good* good* good* good* Canister - 20 1 good* good* good* good*

The term 'good' in the above context means that the packaging means remained undamaged and that there was no or only a slight expansion.

Example 4

In this case, two 1 liter cardboard boxes as described in Example 2 were used. One box was provided with one cut 7 as a positive pressure release means. Fig. 2 presents a collapsible arrange cardboard box. This box consists of four jacket walls 1 to 4 and then a jacket wall 5. When assembling the cardboard box, the fifth jacket wall is glued to the jacket wall 1. The other dimensions of the cardboard box are: a = 19.4 cm, b = 4.0 cm, c = 1.8 cm, d = 7.0 cm and the resulting volume is approximately 1 liter. In addition, the casing wall 1 is provided with a cut 7 on its upper closing rib. The cut length 7 is 15 mm and the distance between the cut (s) 7 and the edge of the bend 6 of the horizontal seam is approximately 1 mm.

Both boxes were filled with about 1 liter of commercially available stabilized yeast milk (known under the trade name " Koningscream " and manufactured by DSM, based in Delft, The Netherlands), and then sealed by melting PE and pressing opposing third walls c against each other in a bottling machine. Various incubation temperatures were used to test the effect of overpressure in these packaging compositions: 4 ° C, 10 ° C, and 25 ° C. The maximum incubation period was 1 week.

Table 5

Storage of stabilized yeast milk in containers equipped with various pressurizing agents at 20 ° C

Storage temperature Low: 14 ° C Low: 14 ° C Deň: 22 ° C Without cutting Explosion after 1 week Explosion after 3 days Explosion after 1 hour One cut No damage No damage No damage

On the basis of the above data, it can be concluded that the packaging means without cutting 7 easily expands and deforms, even at a low maintained temperature. The venting means provided with a cut 7 in its upper tight closure has a suitable embodiment. By shaking the venting means, the CO ₂ released from the liquid yeast can cause them to expand temporarily; but the packaging means returns to its original shape after a few hours.

Claims (20)

PATENT CLAIMS A packaging means comprising a container containing liquid baker's yeast, characterized in that the container is equipped with a pressure relief means and has a volume of between 0.1 and less than 100 liters. Packaging means according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for relieving the overpressure comprises a venting cap (VC). Packaging means according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the venting cap (VCj) is provided with a venting membrane. Packaging means according to claim 3, characterized in that the venting cap (VC) further comprises one or more apertures. Packaging means according to claim 1, characterized in that the overpressure releasing means comprises one or more cuts (7). Packaging means according to claim 5, characterized in that the cut (7) is covered by a venting membrane. Packaging means according to either of Claims 3 and 6, characterized in that the venting membrane is made of microporous material. Packaging means according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least a part of the container is made of microporous material. Packaging composition according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the microporous material is PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). Packaging composition according to claim 9, characterized in that the microporous material is UHMW-PE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene). Packaging composition according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the microporous material has a pore size of between 0.05 and 5.0 microns. Packaging means according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the single container is made of cardboard. Packaging means according to claim 12, characterized in that the inner side of the cardboard container is coated with a plastic material, for example polyethylene. Packaging means according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a support structure for holding the cartridge. Packaging means according to claim 14, characterized in that the support structure is a cardboard box. Packaging means according to claim 15, characterized in that the cardboard box comprises a coating. Use of a packaging means according to any of the preceding claims for the transport and storage of liquid baker's yeast and its application in the manufacture of doughs and bakery products. Use according to claim 17, characterized in that the liquid baker's yeast has a dry matter content in the range of 5 to 25% by weight. Use according to any one of claims 17 or 18, characterized in that the liquid baker's yeast further comprises a gum. Use according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that the liquid baker's yeast further comprises one or more dough and / or bread processing agents to improve their properties.