WO2018189938A1

WO2018189938A1 - Surface-baked food manufacturing device and method for manufacturing surface-baked food

Info

Publication number: WO2018189938A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/037411
Authority: WO
Inventors: 今井　正人; 亮今宮
Original assignee: オハヨー乳業株式会社
Priority date: 2017-04-14
Filing date: 2017-10-16
Publication date: 2018-10-18
Also published as: JPWO2018189938A1; JP6691270B2

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a surface-baked food manufacturing device and a method for manufacturing surface-baked food with which it is possible to bake solely the desired range while minimizing the complexity of adjusting and managing the heating power and the temperature afterwards. [Solution] The present invention is provided with a near-infrared heater, the emission direction of which is held at a substantially vertically downward direction, and a transportation means for transporting food in a prescribed direction, wherein the invention is characterized in being provided with a baking step in which the food is stopped for a prescribed period in the focal point range of the near-infrared heater and the surface of the food is baked.

Description

Surface-baked food manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing surface-baked food

The present invention relates to a surface-baked food manufacturing apparatus and a method for manufacturing a surface-baked food.

Conventionally, for example, in pudding, creme brulee, custard pudding, ice cream, other Western confectionery and baked confectionery, and bread etc., the sugar is sprinkled on the food surface and heated with a burner to adhere to the food surface There is a known method of caramelizing the processed sugar to give it a crispy texture and a unique flavor and texture.

In addition, from the viewpoint of convenience in eating and distribution, food is manufactured and distributed in a variety of packaged states. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a container by heating on the surface of a packaged food. A method of continuously firing while preventing deformation is known.

JP-A-9-252737

However, it has been difficult to control the heating power and to make the firing condition uniform according to the method of firing with a burner which has been generally performed conventionally. In addition, it was dangerous for the workers because it handled the flame. Furthermore, if the burner is burned for a long time, the environment becomes deficient and the burner burns out, and the working environment is unsatisfactory for the worker.

Further, Patent Document 1 describes a means for baking by bringing the surface raised to a predetermined temperature into contact with the food surface. However, the hardness of the food causes a difference in strength of the contact, which affects the degree of baking. Therefore, there is a trouble of adjusting the contact pressure that brings the baking means into contact with the food surface. Further, since the baking means is brought into contact with the surface of the food, selection of the material, temperature, etc. of the contact surface is somewhat complicated so that the food does not burn on the baking means. In addition, smoke is generated due to volatilization of moisture, oil, etc. contained in food by baking, but such smoke has an adverse effect on workers and also becomes a means of removing smoke because it adheres to equipment and becomes dirty. Was demanded.

This invention is made | formed in view of the above problem, and is the manufacturing method of the surface baking food manufacturing apparatus and surface baking food including the following means and processes.
(1) The method for producing a surface-baked food according to the present invention is characterized in that the food surface is baked by a near infrared heater.
(2) Moreover, the manufacturing method of the surface baking food which concerns on this invention uses the apparatus provided with the near-infrared heater by which an irradiation direction is hold | maintained substantially perpendicularly downward, and the conveyance means which conveys food in a predetermined | prescribed direction, It is characterized by comprising a baking step of baking the surface of the food by stopping the food for a predetermined time in the focal range of the infrared heater.
(3) In the above (1) or (2), the surface-baked food is obtained by heating sugar existing on the food surface before baking. Here, examples of the heating product obtained by heating the sugar include caramelized products, but may simultaneously cause a Maillard reaction.
(4) In any of the above (1) to (3), a plurality of the near-infrared heaters are provided, and the baking is completed by heating the surface of the food in a plurality of times.
(5) In any one of the above (1) to (4), a smoke absorbing means for sucking smoke generated by the baking step is provided, and smoke generated by the baking step is sucked.
(6) In the above (5), the smoke absorbing means is provided on the downstream side of the production line in the vicinity of the firing position, and air discharge means for discharging air is provided at a position on the upstream side of the production line, and the air discharge means is in the downstream direction It is characterized by exhausting air.
(7) Furthermore, the surface-baked food manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention includes a near-infrared heater in which the irradiation direction is held substantially vertically downward, and a transport unit that transports the food in a predetermined direction. The food is stopped in a focal range of a near infrared heater for a predetermined time, and the surface of the food is baked.

According to the present invention, since a near-infrared heater (for example, a halogen heater) is used as a baking means for the food surface, only a predetermined range on the food surface can be heated and fired. In addition, a material that is difficult to use in baking with a gas burner or the like (for example, a material that causes thermal deformation at a relatively low heating temperature such as plastic) can be selected as the food container. Furthermore, food containers of various shapes can be selected according to the shape of the near infrared heater. Furthermore, once the adjustment is made, the trouble of the subsequent adjustment and the like can be greatly reduced, so that there is no need for complicated adjustment for temperature management or the like. Further, since the food is baked in a non-contact manner by the near-infrared heater, the baking condition is not affected by the hardness of the food itself, unlike a baking means of the type contacting the food surface. In addition, since the present invention is provided with smoke absorbing means, it is possible to suppress contamination of the apparatus due to volatilization of food components and to prevent the irradiation of the near-infrared heater on the food surface without causing smoke to interfere with baking conditions such as baking unevenness. Can be further suppressed.

It is a top view which shows an example of the surface baking food manufacturing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a side view of the surface baking food manufacturing apparatus which concerns on FIG. It is a partial sectional view showing an example of a near infrared heater. It is a schematic diagram from the plane side which shows an example of the structure of a smoke absorption means and shows the positional relationship with a near-infrared heater and food. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the suction port portion of the smoke absorbing means in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are views according to a plan view and a side view of the surface-baked food production apparatus 1. The surface-baked food manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a near-infrared heater (for example, a halogen heater) 11 for baking the surface of the food 20 and a transport unit 30 that transports the food 20 in a predetermined direction and constitutes a manufacturing line. Near-infrared light is light having a wavelength of approximately 0.8 μm to 2.5 μm. A halogen heater is a typical example of a near infrared heater. According to the near-infrared heater, the heat generation temperature of the food surface exceeds 1400 ° C. However, the near-infrared heater is suitable for local heating of the food surface because the heating region can be limited to a predetermined range. As shown in FIG. 1, the surface-baked food manufacturing apparatus 1 includes twelve near-infrared heaters 11, that is, near-infrared heaters 11 </ b> A to 11 </ b> L. However, the number of near infrared heaters 11 is not limited to this. The near-infrared heater 11 is held by the heater holding means 12 at a predetermined distance from the surface of the food 20.

The near-infrared heater 11 held by the heater holding means 12 is installed above the conveying means 30 through which the food 20 such as ice cream or pudding filled in a cup-shaped container flows. Here, the conveyance direction of the conveyance means 30 shall be the arrow direction shown in FIG. 1, Therefore, the said arrow direction turns into the downstream direction in a manufacturing line. The food 20 is held by the food holding means 31 provided in the conveying means 30 and is conveyed in the direction of the arrow.

The near infrared heater 11 is held by a heater holding means 12 that holds the near infrared heater 11 so that the irradiation direction is substantially downward in the vertical direction. However, the irradiation direction of the near-infrared heater 11 can be set as appropriate, but is preferably substantially vertically downward from the viewpoint of heating and firing efficiency and device design. The food 20 is stopped for a predetermined time almost immediately under the near infrared heater 11, and the surface is heated and baked. However, the food 20 does not necessarily have to be stopped when the food surface is heated. As an aspect of heating the surface of the food without stopping the food 20, for example, a turntable is provided in the conveying means 30, and the food 20 is arranged at an appropriate position on the turntable. According to the said aspect, the foodstuff surface can be heated by rotating the foodstuff 20 with rotation operation of a turntable, and irradiating the near infrared rays with respect to the foodstuff 20 in a rotation state. In particular, according to the aspect, with respect to foods having unevenness on the surface, the surface can be uniformly heated and fired without unevenness. Furthermore, even if such a turntable is not provided, it is possible to irradiate the food 20 with near infrared rays and to heat the food surface while continuing to convey the food 20 in the conveyance direction by the conveying means 30.

The near-infrared heater 11 and the heater holding means 12 are preferably independent of the conveying means 30 so as not to be affected by the shaking generated by the conveying means 30. This is to prevent the filament in the lamp portion L of the near-infrared heater 11 from being damaged by the shaking generated by the conveying means 30, and this is prevented. Moreover, it is because a focus range may shift | deviate or the distance to the surface of the foodstuff 20 may change, and there exists a possibility of having a bad influence on the condition of baking.

Subsequently, the near infrared heater 11 will be described. The near-infrared heater 11 is preferably a point-condensing halogen heater, and includes a lamp portion L that generates radiant heat mainly based on near-infrared rays and holds the lamp portion L as shown in FIG. It consists of a lamp base 13 and a mirror member 14. In particular, the mirror member 14 is provided with a mirror portion 14a that defines a focal range in a mortar shape, and a protection member 15 that is provided in a lid shape with respect to the mirror portion 14a in order to protect the lamp portion L. As the protection member 15, a commonly used member can be used, and quartz glass excellent in heat resistance is preferable.

Regarding baking of the surface of the food 20 by the near-infrared heater 11, especially the baking time and range, the output of the lamp portion L and the mirror portion 14a are appropriately selected according to various conditions such as the content of the food 20, the temperature, the range to be baked, etc. Although it is necessary to adjust the performance of the near-infrared lamp 11 such as the shape, once settings such as an appropriate output and range are determined, the settings can be used later. Can be greatly reduced. The output of the lamp used for the halogen heater is preferably 10 W to 3.0 kW. In addition, the lamp output is preferably 1.0 kW to 3.0 kW in a short time firing. However, the output of the lamp is not limited to this. The focal length of the lamp can be designed arbitrarily. However, the focal length is desirably as short as possible, and is preferably 6 mm to 1000 mm depending on the shape of the mirror. Further, the focal length is preferably 20 mm to 400 mm in short-time firing.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, smoke absorbing means 40 for inhaling smoke generated by baking the surface of the food 20 is provided. As shown in FIG. 4, the smoke absorbing means 40 is composed of a suction port portion 41 and a passage portion 42, collected by a merging pipe portion 43, and connected to an air suction device such as an air pump (not shown). The shape of the suction port 41 can be appropriately changed according to the size and shape of the food 20.

The suction port 41 of the smoke absorbing means 40 is provided in the space between the food 20 and the near infrared heater 11, that is, in the range of the height space h shown in FIG. In order to improve the efficiency of smoke absorption and suppress the adhesion of dirt to the near infrared heater 11 and the like as much as possible, the position of the suction port 41 is a height that does not contact the food 20 so as not to obstruct the flow of the production line. And it is desirable to set it as the position closer to the foodstuff 20 in the baking position, ie, the position where the foodstuff 20 stops for baking for a predetermined time. More specifically, h is preferably 20 mm to 400 mm, and more preferably 50 mm to 200 mm.

FIG. 4 shows the positional relationship between the stop position of the food 20 and the smoke absorbing means 40 in plan view. As long as the suction port 41 of the smoke absorbing means 40 is provided in the height space h between the food 20 and the near-infrared heater 11 as described above, its configuration is not questioned. From the viewpoint of certainty, as shown in FIG. 4, it is desirable to individually extend the inlet 41 for each food 20 at the stop position (baking position) to absorb the smoke.

Here, for example, as a container for ice cream or pudding, for example, a generally cylindrical container having a circular mouth part is often used. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the efficiency of smoke absorption is improved by making the shape conform to the circular shape of the container mouth.

Subsequently, in the case where the food 20 is made into ice cream in a container, the flow of production will be described by taking as an example the case where the surface is caramelized by baking.

The food 20 is held by the food holding means 31 and conveyed by the conveying means 30. Although not particularly illustrated, a pre-firing process is performed upstream of the firing position by the halogen heater 11. Specifically, the filling process of filling the container with ice cream fills the ice cream into the container, and the sugar sprinkling means for sprinkling the sugar on the filled ice cream to add sugar to the ice cream surface. It is the process of making it adhere.

Also, before the sugar is sprinkled, a step of allowing the chocolate to flow into the ice cream surface in a thin film may be performed, and the sugar may be sprinkled on the chocolate. Moreover, you may provide the surface smoothing process which smoothes an ice cream surface by pressing a plane part. Conventionally known means can be appropriately used for the steps in the pre-firing stage and the apparatus therefor.

After the filling as described above, the surface of the food 20 sprinkled with sugar is baked by the near infrared heater 11. The food 20 is preferably baked by stopping the food 20 for a predetermined time in the focal range of the near infrared heater 11. However, as described above, the food 20 does not necessarily have to be stopped during heating by irradiation with near infrared rays. The focal range of the near-infrared heater 11 is adjusted in advance so as to be an appropriate range smaller than the container mouth diameter of the food 20, and the baking time (the stop time of the food 20) also depends on the output of the near-infrared heater 11. Adjust it.

Here, in order to increase the manufacturing speed and to save space, as shown in FIG. 1, the gaps between the near-infrared heaters 11 having substantially cylindrical shapes are alternately provided, and one When the food 20 is baked, it may be baked a plurality of times using a plurality of near infrared heaters 11. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the food 20 is a production line that constitutes six rows of foods 20a to 20f in the conveyance direction. However, the surface of the food 20 is baked a plurality of times. The purpose is to complete the firing by heating with 11A for a predetermined time and then heating with the near infrared heater 11B.

That is, as described above, each of the food holding means 31 holds six foods 20, but the food holding means 31a stops for a predetermined time immediately below the row of near

infrared heaters

11A, 11E, and 11I. . Accordingly, the first heating is performed on the

foods

20a, 20c, and 20e among the foods 20a to 20f held by the food holding unit 31a. Thereafter, the food holding means 31a moves according to the conveying direction, stops immediately below the row of near-

infrared heaters

11C, 11G, and 11K, and the first heating is performed on the

foods

20b, 20d, and 20f. At this time, the

foods

20g, 20i, and 20k of the food holding means 31b following the food holding means 31a are heated by the near

infrared heaters

11A, 11E, and 11I (however, the number of foods held in each food holding means 31 is It can be adjusted as appropriate, and is not limited to six as described above).

After this, it moves in the conveying direction, and the near-

infrared heaters

11B, 11F, and 11J heat the

foods

20a, 20c, and 20e for the second time, and the baking of the

foods

20a, 20c, and 20e is completed. At this time, the

foods

20h, 20j, and 20l of the food holding means 31b are first heated by the near

infrared heaters

11C, 11G, and 11K.

For other foods 20, the conveyance and heating are repeated sequentially, and the baking is completed by heating each food 20 twice. By doing so, the flow of the production line becomes smooth and contributes to speeding up of production and efficiency. However, the frequency | count of the heating to each foodstuff 20 is not restricted to 2 times. For example, the food 20 can be heated an appropriate number of times by adjusting the food holding position in the food holding means 31 and the number and arrangement of the near infrared heaters 11 on the heater holding means 12.

In addition, when the food 20 is baked by the two near infrared heaters 11, the near infrared heater 11 on the upstream side of the production line is heated to a level that does not generate smoke due to baking, and the near infrared heater on the downstream side. Since the baking is completed by the second heating by No. 11, it is only necessary to provide the suction means 40 only on the downstream side without providing the upstream side, which contributes to cost reduction.

About the food baking apparatus 1 which consists of the above structures, when the manufacturing test was performed by the setting as shown below, the result favorable to baking (especially caramelization) of the food 20 surface was obtained.
(1) Food 20
・ Content: Ice cream in a container, thin-film white chocolate on ice cream, and sugar sprinkled on it ・ Mouth diameter of container: 85 mm
・ Distance between the food surface and the halogen heater 11 directly above: about 70 mm
(2) Halogen heater 11 (11A to 11L are all the same type)
-Point condensing type-Mirror diameter: 160mm
・ Output: 2.5kw
・ Focal distance: 160mm
・ Focus diameter: 54 mm
(3) Others ・ Lane stop time (per stop): About 3 seconds

Other settings, configurations, etc. are the same as described above. In Example 1, a high-output point condensing type halogen heater was used, and the focal diameter was smaller than the diameter of the container so that the container would not be burned and damaged because the food 20 was contained in the container. . Thereby, it can heat to the surface of the foodstuff 20 which wants to baking by a pinpoint, and can prevent damage to a container reliably.

The present invention is not limited to the above example. As described above, the performance of the halogen heater, such as the output and the focal diameter, varies depending on various conditions such as the contents of the food 20 and the distance to the food 20 surface. Just choose. In any case, by using a point condensing type halogen heater as the heating means, only a desired range can be heated and fired locally, so that damage to the container and the surrounding apparatus portion can be eliminated. Thus, paper or synthetic resin, for example, which has been conventionally avoided as a material that is easily damaged by heat, can be used as the material of the container.

As shown in FIG. 4, the suction port portion 41 of the smoke absorbing means 40 may be positioned at the firing position, that is, at each of the lower positions of the halogen heaters 11A to 11K. May be provided only at the firing position (under the

halogen heaters

11B, 11D, 11F, 11H, 11J, and 11L, according to FIG. 4).

Further, the upstream suction port portions 41a to 41f are used as air discharge means to discharge air instead of sucking it, thereby creating an air flow from the upstream side to the downstream side, and by the downstream suction port portions 41g to 41l. Inhalation may be encouraged. In this case, the air discharge means only needs to be able to promote the flow of air from the upstream side to the downstream side. Therefore, the configuration, shape, etc. are not limited as long as such an air flow can be caused.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Surface baking food manufacturing apparatus 11 Near-infrared heater 20 Food 30 Conveyance means 31 Food holding means 40 Smoke absorption means 41 Inlet part

Claims

A method for producing a surface-baked food, characterized in that the surface of the food is baked by a near infrared heater.
Using a device comprising a near infrared heater in which the irradiation direction is held substantially vertically downward and a conveying means for conveying food in a predetermined direction, the food is stopped in the focal range of the near infrared heater for a predetermined time. A method for producing a surface-baked food, comprising a baking step of baking the surface.
The method for producing a surface-baked food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surface-baked food is obtained by heating sugar existing on the food surface before baking.
A plurality of near infrared heaters;
The method for producing a surface-baked food according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein baking is completed by heating the surface of the food in a plurality of times.
Comprising smoke absorbing means for inhaling smoke generated by the firing step;
The method for producing a surface-baked food according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein smoke generated by the baking step is inhaled.
The smoke absorbing means is provided on the downstream side of the production line in the vicinity of the firing position,
Air discharge means for discharging air at a position upstream of the production line;
6. The method for producing a surface-baked food according to claim 5, wherein the air discharge means discharges air in a downstream direction.
A near-infrared heater in which the irradiation direction is held substantially vertically downward, and a transport means for transporting food in a predetermined direction,
The said baking means stops the said foodstuff for the predetermined time in the focal range of the said near-infrared heater, The surface baking food manufacturing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned