WO2017066850A1 - Procédé pour sceller un produit alimentaire dans une tasse - Google Patents

Procédé pour sceller un produit alimentaire dans une tasse Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2017066850A1
WO2017066850A1 PCT/AU2016/095006 AU2016095006W WO2017066850A1 WO 2017066850 A1 WO2017066850 A1 WO 2017066850A1 AU 2016095006 W AU2016095006 W AU 2016095006W WO 2017066850 A1 WO2017066850 A1 WO 2017066850A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
product
cup
container
seal
temperature
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/AU2016/095006
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Akhil CURAN
Lisa LINEHAN
Original Assignee
Spc Ardmona Operations Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from AU2015904323A external-priority patent/AU2015904323A0/en
Application filed by Spc Ardmona Operations Limited filed Critical Spc Ardmona Operations Limited
Publication of WO2017066850A1 publication Critical patent/WO2017066850A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B7/00—Closing containers or receptacles after filling
    • B65B7/16—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons
    • B65B7/162—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons by feeding web material to securing means
    • B65B7/164—Securing by heat-sealing
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L19/00—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof
    • A23L19/09—Mashed or comminuted products, e.g. pulp, purée, sauce, or products made therefrom, e.g. snacks
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
    • A23L3/015—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by treatment with pressure variation, shock, acceleration or shear stress or cavitation
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
    • A23L3/10—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by heating materials in packages which are not progressively transported through the apparatus
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D77/00—Packages formed by enclosing articles or materials in preformed containers, e.g. boxes, cartons, sacks or bags
    • B65D77/10—Container closures formed after filling
    • B65D77/20—Container closures formed after filling by applying separate lids or covers, i.e. flexible membrane or foil-like covers
    • B65D77/2024—Container closures formed after filling by applying separate lids or covers, i.e. flexible membrane or foil-like covers the cover being welded or adhered to the container
    • B65D77/2028—Means for opening the cover other than, or in addition to, a pull tab
    • B65D77/2032—Means for opening the cover other than, or in addition to, a pull tab by peeling or tearing the cover from the container
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D2577/00—Packages formed by enclosing articles or materials in preformed containers, e.g. boxes, cartons, sacks, bags
    • B65D2577/10—Container closures formed after filling
    • B65D2577/20—Container closures formed after filling by applying separate lids or covers
    • B65D2577/2041—Pull tabs
    • B65D2577/205—Pull tabs integral with the closure

Definitions

  • This invention relates to process for sealing and cooking a food product contained in a cup or similar container.
  • a product comprising a container, typically in the form of a cup, the cup having an open top, the cup containing a cooked food product and being covered with a removable seal, wherein the cup is hermetically sealed, characterised in that the force required to remove the seal is less than about 14N (newton).
  • the cup will be made of plastics material, most preferably a 1.1 mm thick poly-propylene including a barrier layer to resist the transmission of harmful gases such as oxygen and water vapour.
  • the wall thickness of the cup is about 0.2 mm.
  • a flange is defined at the top of the cup which has a thickness of about 0.73mm to 1.03 mm, most preferably about 0.88 mm.
  • the flange is about 4mm wide.
  • the preferred material for forming the seal is a composite plastic sealing film provided by Amcor Flexibles of Ghent, Belgium known as "HeatFlex" and sold as product code TBWF.
  • the outer layer of the seal is 12 ⁇ layer of polypropylene, which is joined by an adhesive layer to a 25 ⁇ polyamide layer which is turn is joined by an adhesive layer to a 70 ⁇ polypropylene peel layer.
  • the force required to remove the seal is about 13.3 to 13.5 N.
  • the present invention provided a process for hermetically sealing a container containing a food product comprising the steps of depositing the food product in an open topped container, sealing the open top of the container with a film, using heat, at a temperature of between about 177°C to 170°C most preferably around 175°C for about 0.65 seconds, and a pressure in the range of 500 to 960kPa with a preferred maximum pressure of about 957 kPa, and subsequently cooking the food product in the container.
  • the step of cooking the product in a container includes cooking the product for a period at a temperature of 100°C or more for about 13 minutes.
  • the cooking will typically be carried out in a retort.
  • the maximum temperature in the cooking process is about 115°C.
  • the cooking stage may include a step where the temperature is maintained at about 115°C for a period of 10 minutes at a pressure of 1.95 bar, preceded by a step of about 2 minutes 10 seconds at the same temperature where the pressure is a slightly lower 1.9 bar.
  • the total length of the cooking process in which the sealed cup is heated in a retort may be more than 35 minutes, and is more typically about 50 minutes, although that includes the steps where the cup is gradually cooled. While it is counter-intuitive to increase the cooking time as this makes the cooking process longer and less efficient, it is necessary to protect the weaker seal from damage during the cooking stage.
  • the overhead pressure in the retort assists in maintaining the integrity of the seal.
  • the containers have an average burst pressure in excess of 700 mbar, typically around 720 mbar, with the standard deviation in the burst pressure being less than about 60. This ensures that the number of containers having a burst pressure below 600 mbar is statistically acceptable.
  • the average peel force required to open the containers is less than 14 N and is preferably around 13.5 N.
  • a related aspect of the invention provides a product comprising a container, typically in the form of a cup, the cup having an open top, the cup containing a cooked food product and being covered with a removable seal, wherein the seal defines an integral tab which extends beyond a perimeter of the cup and which defines a series of perforations extending through the tab.
  • the tab will define form 3 to 20, preferably about five perforations for improving grip.
  • the perforations will typically be formed by a tool defining a series of conical elements defining sharp points simultaneously with the cutting of the film around the cup to define the tab and separate the seal from the film.
  • the word "comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
  • Figure 1 shows a photographic view of a cup prior to filling and sealing
  • Figure 2 is an isometric drawing showing the cup after it has been filled and sealed
  • Figure 3 is a side view of the filled and sealed cup of Figure 2;
  • Figure 4 is a top plan view of the filled and sealed cup of Figure 2;
  • Figure 5 is an isometric view from underneath of the filled and sealed cup of Figure 2;
  • Figure 6 shows a photographic view of a cup prior to filling and sealing
  • Figure 7a and 7b shows a first and second part of a table of test results showing the burst pressure and peel force at different sealing temperatures:
  • Figure 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the peel force and the sealing temperature. Description of Embodiments
  • a liquid delivery system will be provided for delivering syrup or juice or other liquids into the cup to cover the particulates.
  • the system will include means for controlling the fill level of the liquid in the cup.
  • a piston filler system including fill heads is provided.
  • FIG. 1 An unfilled container in the form of a transparent/translucent cup 10 having an open top is shown in Figure 1 and a filled and sealed cup is shown in Figures 2 to 6.
  • the cup will be formed from polypropylene including a barrier layer to resist the transmission of harmful gases such as oxygen and water vapour.
  • the wall thickness of the cup 10 is typically about 0.2 mm.
  • a flange 12 is defined at the top of the cup which has a thickness of between about 0.73mm to 1.03 mm, ideally about 0.88 mm.
  • the width of the flange is about 4mm.
  • the system includes a means for sealing the cups with a printed lidding film after they have been filled.
  • the film is typically supplied as a web on a roll and the system is designed to seal cups in register to the printed lidding film.
  • the film is made from a polymer/plastics material.
  • the preferred material for forming the seal is a composite plastic sealing film provided by Amcor Flexibles of Ghent, Belgium known as "HeatFlex" and sold as product code TBWF.
  • the outer layer of the seal is 12 ⁇ layer of polypropylene, which is joined by an adhesive layer to a 25 ⁇ polyamide layer which is turn is joined by an adhesive layer to a 70 ⁇ polypropylene peel layer.
  • a registration photocell will be provided for sensing the position of the film relative to sealing heads.
  • the film is sealed to the open top of the cup and the excess material is cut away leaving a circular seal 14 on the cup including an integral triangular tab 16 (refer to Figure 2 and 4, in particular).
  • a piercing tool is used to make perforations in the tab.
  • the piercing tool simply defines an array of, typically five, sharp points. These improve the grip of the tab.
  • the sealed cups are then transferred to trays for the next stage of the process in which the sealed cups are heated to cook the contents of the cups and to kill any bacteria or other organisms that might spoil the contents.
  • the cup is sealed at 175°C for 0.6 seconds at a maximum sealing pressure of 957Kpa. This temperature softens and melts part of the plastic layer of the film and when the plastic cools seals the film to the open top of the cup.
  • the puree is then cooked inside the sealed cup using a combination of temperature, time and pressure.
  • a preferred sequence of steps which achieves a desired peel force of less than 15N, most preferably about 13.3N is set out below.
  • the cooking process is carried out in a retort using steam.
  • the cups are transferred into the retort on trays, air is expelled from the retort in favour of steam and the retort is sealed and the cups are cooked in batches.
  • the pressure inside the retort shown in the table is measured using a probe.
  • the cooking time is longer than would be necessary with a stronger seal.
  • the temperature used in the cooking process is kept as low as possible to avoid breaking or weakening the seal.
  • the increase in pressure as the temperature increases assists in maintaining the seal.
  • the overall cooking time in the retort including the heating and cooling time of over 50 minutes is increased compared to previous processes for making similar products.
  • Figure 8 shows a graph of peel force against temperature where the sealing temperature is applied for about 0.65s.
  • the graph demonstrates that in the range of 170° to about 177° a fairly constant peel force of around 13.5N is provided.
  • the average burst pressure is also an acceptable 600 mbar. Note that if a seal has a burst pressure of 600 mbar that means that on average only 1 in 10000 containers will fail in the subsequent cooking/retort stage. That is important since if in production a container having a burst pressure lower than 600 mbar is found during sampling it is necessary to stop and check the line, being a critical control point for the line.
  • the actual burst pressure will vary due to the difficulty of maintaining the exact same conditions for each container in an actual commercial production line. Sometimes the burst pressure will be lower due to excessive seal contamination (e.g. due to the product leaking one the sides during filling). The burst pressure is indicative of the overall seal quality. As can be seen from the burst pressures for 170° there were eight occasions at items 2, 4, 13, 14, 22, 35, 36 and 37 when the burst pressure was less than 600 which indicates that the 170° temperature is somewhat low for guaranteeing successful sealing, even though the average burst pressure is well above 600 mbar.
  • the standard deviation in the burst pressure at 170° is 116.65, so the burst pressure results are quite variable. Hence the average burst pressure alone is not indicative of seal quality, only in conjunction with the standard deviation in the burst pressures can it be determined if the sealing temperature is satisfactory.
  • the standard deviation in the burst pressure at 175° is only 57.43 (less than 60) which is about half the standard deviation that occurs at 170° and, surprisingly, also much less than the standard deviation at 180° which is 99.22, (although at 180° the average burst pressure is much higher than it is at 175°).
  • 600mbar were less than 600 mbar, indicating that that sealing is generally satisfactory at that temperature, with only 2 in 50 being at risk of bursting. Note also that while a burst pressure of over 600 mbar is the aim, a burst pressure below that does not automatically mean that the cup will burst during cooking, merely that it is more likely to burst. At 175° the average burst pressure was about 725 mbar, and is preferably above 700 mbar.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Nutrition Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé pour sceller un récipient contenant un produit alimentaire, lequel procédé comprend les étapes consistant à déposer le produit alimentaire dans un récipient à sommet ouvert (10), à sceller le sommet ouvert (12) du récipient à l'aide d'un film, à l'aide de chaleur, à une température entre environ 177 °C et 173° C, idéalement environ 175° C pendant environ 0,6 seconde, et sous une pression dans la plage de 500 à 960 kPa, avec une pression maximale préférée d'environ 957 kPa, puis à cuire le produit alimentaire dans le récipient. Par ce procédé, la force requise pour retirer l'opercule à partir du récipient est inférieure à environ 14 N, rendant le récipient plus facile à ouvrir pour des personnes présentant un force de prise plus faible.
PCT/AU2016/095006 2015-10-21 2016-10-21 Procédé pour sceller un produit alimentaire dans une tasse WO2017066850A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2015904323A AU2015904323A0 (en) 2015-10-21 A process for sealing a food product in a cup
AU2015904323 2015-10-21

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2017066850A1 true WO2017066850A1 (fr) 2017-04-27

Family

ID=58556520

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/AU2016/095006 WO2017066850A1 (fr) 2015-10-21 2016-10-21 Procédé pour sceller un produit alimentaire dans une tasse

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2017066850A1 (fr)

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4469258A (en) * 1982-08-06 1984-09-04 Champion International Corporation Tray with compound sealed lid
US20030055191A1 (en) * 2000-08-22 2003-03-20 Naoto Yasaka Sealing resin composition sealing films and use thereof
US20050042441A1 (en) * 2003-04-22 2005-02-24 Herbert Peiffer Coextruded, heatsealable and peelable polyester film, process for its production and its use
WO2010023701A1 (fr) * 2008-08-29 2010-03-04 Alpifruit S.R.L. Procédé de production d'un conditionnement de pulpe ou purée de légumes ou de fruits
EP2527142A1 (fr) * 2011-05-24 2012-11-28 Cryovac, Inc. Film multicouche en polyester pour repas prêts à consommer

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4469258A (en) * 1982-08-06 1984-09-04 Champion International Corporation Tray with compound sealed lid
US20030055191A1 (en) * 2000-08-22 2003-03-20 Naoto Yasaka Sealing resin composition sealing films and use thereof
US20050042441A1 (en) * 2003-04-22 2005-02-24 Herbert Peiffer Coextruded, heatsealable and peelable polyester film, process for its production and its use
WO2010023701A1 (fr) * 2008-08-29 2010-03-04 Alpifruit S.R.L. Procédé de production d'un conditionnement de pulpe ou purée de légumes ou de fruits
EP2527142A1 (fr) * 2011-05-24 2012-11-28 Cryovac, Inc. Film multicouche en polyester pour repas prêts à consommer

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