초록 ▼

A method involving the hot fill of foods in packaging containers constructed from a paperboard laminate comprises the food being filled in the packaging container with at least one component at a temperature of at least 80°, but below 100°, whereafter the packaging containers are closed an

A method involving the hot fill of foods in packaging containers constructed from a paperboard laminate comprises the food being filled in the packaging container with at least one component at a temperature of at least 80°, but below 100°, whereafter the packaging containers are closed and sealed and the packaging containers with their food contents are thereafter held hot during a predetermined period of time by contact with a heat holding medium at a temperature of at least 80°, but below 100°. The heat holding medium is present substantially in gas and/or vapour phase. An apparatus involving the hot fill of foods is also disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method in hot fill of foods in packaging containers constructed from a paperboard laminate, comprising hot filling said food in said packaging containers with at least one component thereof at a temperature of at least 80° C. but below 100° C., thereafter cl

The invention claimed is: 1. A method in hot fill of foods in packaging containers constructed from a paperboard laminate, comprising hot filling said food in said packaging containers with at least one component thereof at a temperature of at least 80° C. but below 100° C., thereafter closing and sealing the packaging containers, and thereafter heat holding the packaging containers with their food contents during a predetermined period of time by contact with a heat holding medium at a temperature of at least 80° C. but below 100° C., wherein said heat holding medium is substantially present in gas and/or vapour phase. 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat holding medium is substantially free of liquid phase. 3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said heat holding medium comprises hot air. 4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a temperature of the packaging containers with their food contents is at most permitted to fall 15° C. between said hot filling and said heat holding. 5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the temperature of the packaging containers with their food contents is raised to at least 80° C. but below 100° C. in a heating stage which precedes said heat holding, the heating stage also being carried out by contact with said heat holding medium at temperature of at least 80° C. but below 100° C. 6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat holding is maintained during a period of time of up to 30 minutes. 7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat holding is carried out in a continuous heat holding tunnel. 8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat holding is carried out batchwise. 9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising cooling the packaging containers and their food contents following the heat holding to a temperature below 50° C. 10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said food has a pH of below 4.6. 11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said paperboard laminate is coated with inner and outer coatings of a polyethylene based polymer, and includes a gas barrier layer. 12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat holding medium comprises hot air with an additional heat input comprised of at least one of steam and/or radiation heat. 13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a temperature of the packaging containers with their food contents is at most permitted to fall 5° C. between the hot fill and the heat holding. 14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat holding is maintained during a period of time from 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes. 15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat holding is followed by a cooling stage in which the packaging containers and their food contents are cooled by contact with cold water to a temperature below 40° C. 16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said paperboard laminate is coated with inner and outer coatings of a low density polyethylene, and includes a gas barrier layer. 17. An apparatus used in hot fill of foods in packaging containers constructed from a paperboard laminate, in connection with which apparatus said food is filled into said packaging containers with at least one component thereof at a temperature of at least 80° C. but below 100° C., whereafter the packaging containers are closed and sealed and the packaging containers with their food contents are thereafter subjected to heat holding during a predetermined period of time by contact with a heat holding medium at a temperature of at least 80° C. but below 100° C., wherein said apparatus comprises means in order, during the heat holding, for supplying and maintaining said heat holding medium substantially in gas and/or vapour phase. 18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising at least one nozzle for supplying said head holding medium substantially in gas/or vapour phase. 19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the apparatus is an oven for batchwise heat holding. 20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising means for supplying said heat holding medium as hot air. 21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the apparatus is a continuous tunnel for heat holding, including at least one endless conveyor belt for transporting the packaging containers. 22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the apparatus is a continuous tunnel for heat holding, comprising a through-going path for carriages filled with the packaging containers. 23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the apparatus comprises a helical path operative to move the packaging containers substantially in a helix upwards and/or downwards during the heat holding. 24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising means for supplying said heat holding medium as hot air with a steam admixture and/or radiation heat as an additional heat input.