초록 ▼

Process and apparatus for packaging beverages such as fruit juice provides plastic pouches filled with juice and sealed to form containers that are shelf stable for extended periods. The process involves limited heating, holding and cooling times for the juice. Preferred film for the pouches include

Process and apparatus for packaging beverages such as fruit juice provides plastic pouches filled with juice and sealed to form containers that are shelf stable for extended periods. The process involves limited heating, holding and cooling times for the juice. Preferred film for the pouches includes a multilayer construction having a barrier core and heat sealable outer layers.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A process for the continuous processing and packaging of juice comprising the sequential steps of:(a) heating the juice to a heated temperature of about from 185.degree. to 205.degree. F. in a closed conduit;(b) maintaining the heated temperature of the juice while it is in the cond

[ I claim:] [1.] A process for the continuous processing and packaging of juice comprising the sequential steps of:(a) heating the juice to a heated temperature of about from 185.degree. to 205.degree. F. in a closed conduit;(b) maintaining the heated temperature of the juice while it is in the conduit for a residence time of about from 0.5 to 3 minutes;(c) passing the heated juice into a distribution tank which has a height to diameter ratio of at least about 5 to 1 and maintaining the level of the heated juice in the distribution tank at a substantially constant level such that the height to diameter ratio and the substantially constant level of heated juice in the tank ensures a substantially constant flow of heated juice through the distribution tank thus allowing all juice processed through the tank to be maintained in the tank for substantially the same period;(d) passing the heated juice from the distribution tank by at least one conduit and filling pouches comprising a gas impermeable polymeric film with the heated juice from the tank wherein the heated juice filling the pouch is at the heated temperature;(e) sealing the top of each filled pouch;(f) maintaining each sealed and filled pouch at ambient conditions for at least about 1 minute; and then(g) contacting each scaled and filled pouch for at least about 2 minutes with fluid maintained at a temperature below about 100.degree. F. to cool the heated juice in the sealed and filled pouch to a temperature of less than about 100.degree. F. such that said steps produce a packaged juice that is shelf stable at room temperature in the sealed pouch for at least six month without preservatives.