JP7799376B2 - Manufacturing method of packaged soup - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing packaged soup.

Containerized foods have been known for some time (see, for example, Patent Document 1). One such containerized food is containerized soup. Containerized soup is produced by filling a container such as a can or pouch with soup, sealing the container, and then subjecting the entire container to a retort process. The soup preparation is stored in a preparation tank and supplied to the container through a supply line, including piping, connected to the preparation tank.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-9938

Depending on the type of soup, the above-mentioned containerized soup may have a strong odor or color from the prepared liquid. This can result in the odor or color of the prepared liquid adhering to the preparation tank and piping, potentially contaminating the supply line. After producing such soup, it may become necessary to replace the piping on the production line.

In addition, for contents containing pulp or spices, substances derived from these ingredients tend to stick to or settle on pipes, etc., necessitating additional cleaning processes, which takes a lot of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing packaged soup that can prevent contamination of the blending tank and piping.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for producing container-packed soup includes washing a container, supplying a preparation liquid for producing soup stored in a blending tank to the washed container, supplying a freeze-dried solid material containing a binder that produces the soup together with the preparation liquid to the container, sealing the container filled with the preparation liquid and the solid material, and retorting the sealed container.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for producing container-packed soup includes washing a container, supplying a soup-producing liquid stored in a blending tank to the washed container, supplying a freeze-dried, truncated cone-shaped solid material that produces the soup together with the liquid mixture to the container, sealing the container filled with the liquid mixture and the solid material, and retorting the sealed container.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for producing packaged soup that can prevent contamination of the blending tank and piping.

1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a packaged soup manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of a method for producing the container-packed soup. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the soup composition used in the evaluation test. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of the first and second evaluation tests for each example of solid material used in the container-packed soup. 10 is a graph showing the results of a second evaluation test. 10 is an enlarged graph showing the results of a second evaluation test. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of a packaged soup manufacturing apparatus and solid material according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a manufacturing apparatus 1 and a manufacturing method for packaged soup 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG.
Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an apparatus 1 for producing packaged soup 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a flow chart showing an example of a method for producing packaged soup 100. Also, Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the composition of soup 102 used in an evaluation test of solid matter 122 of packaged soup 100, Fig. 4 shows the test results of first and second evaluation tests on the solid matter of each example in the evaluation test, Fig. 5 is a graph showing the results of the second evaluation test, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged graph of the graph of Fig. 5.

The manufacturing device 1 shown in Figure 1 is configured to be able to manufacture packaged soup 100.

(100 container soups)
First, the packaged soup 100 will be described.
As shown in Fig. 1, packaged soup 100 is constructed by packaging soup 102 in packaging container 101. Packaged soup 100 is produced by sealing soup 102 in packaging container 101 and sterilizing it by retort processing.

Specifically, the packaged soup 100 comprises a packaging container 101 and soup 102 sealed within the packaging container 101. The packaging container 101 is formed to be hermetically sealed. The packaging container 101 is heat resistant to the temperature at which the soup 102 is retorted. The packaging container 101 is a can, a pouch packaging bag, a cup, a bottle, a PET bottle, or the like that can be retorted. In this embodiment, the packaging container 101 is, for example, a can made of a metal material. Below, the packaging container 101 will be described as a can 101.

As shown in Figure 1, the can 101 comprises a body 111, a lid 112, and a bottom 113. With soup 102 packed inside the can 101, the internal pressure is reduced to a predetermined pressure and the can is then sealed.

The can body 101 is, for example, a packaging container known as a three-piece welded can, in which a lid body 112 and a bottom body 113 are secured to a body body 111 by seaming.

The body 111 is cylindrical, with a lid 112 and a bottom 113 fixed to both open ends.

The lid 112 is formed from a flat plate made of a metal material such as aluminum alloy or steel. The lid 112 is airtightly fixed to the body 111 by having a flange portion on the outer periphery that is seamed to one open end of the body 111. For example, the lid 112 is a so-called stay-on-tab (SOT) can lid, which has a tab that, when operated, breaks a score line to form a drinking spout.

The bottom body 113 is formed from a flat plate made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy or steel. The bottom body 113 is formed in a disk shape, and its outer flange portion is fastened to the other open end of the body 111, thereby hermetically fixing it to the body 111.

In this type of can body 101, the ingredients for soup 102 are filled into the container body 103, which is a combination of the body 111 and lid 112, or the body 111 and bottom body 113, and then the bottom body 113 or lid body 112 is rolled up and sealed.

Soup 102 is produced by blending ingredients. Soup 102 contains, for example, ingredients with a strong odor and/or color, or ingredients in the form of particles. Examples of these ingredients include spices, Chinese herbal medicine, and pulp. These ingredients are specific ingredients that may contaminate lines, such as pipes, by adhering to the lines with their odor or color, or by leaving particles such as pulp or spices in the lines. To distinguish these ingredients from the other ingredients (ingredients) that make up soup 102, in this embodiment, these ingredients are referred to as specific ingredients. Pulp here refers to, for example, fruit particles or vegetable fibers. A typical example of such a soup 102 is curry soup.

As shown in FIG. 1, soup 102 is produced, for example, by mixing a liquid preparation 121 with a solid material 122, which is a solid obtained by freeze-drying specific ingredients. As the solid material 122 dissolves in the liquid preparation 121, soup 102 reaches product characteristic values such as pH, salt concentration, and sugar content.

The mixture 121 is prepared using ingredients from the soup 102 other than the specific ingredients.

The solid material 122 is produced by freeze-drying the specific ingredients. In other words, the solid material 122 is the raw material for the soup 102 that has been solidified by freeze-drying the specific ingredients. In addition to the specific ingredients described above that are the raw materials for the soup 102, the solid material 122 also contains a binder for solidification. The binder includes at least one of polysaccharides, gelling agents, proteins, and additives that create cross-linked structures. Typical examples of binders include cellulose, starch, dextrin, etc.

The solid material 122 includes, for example, at least one of spices, Chinese herbal medicine, seasonings, and pulp. In this embodiment, since the soup 102 is curry soup, the solid material 122 is spices to which a binder has been added, which have been freeze-dried, and solidified.

(Apparatus 1 for producing packaged soup 100)
Next, the apparatus 1 for producing the packaged soup 100 will be described with reference to FIG.
The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a rinser 11, a liquid filling machine 12, a blending tank 13, piping 14, a granule filling machine 15, a sealing machine 16, a retort processing machine 17, and a conveying device 18. The manufacturing apparatus 1 is installed in a factory and forms a mass production line for packaged soup 100.

The rinser 11 is a washing machine that cleans the container body 103, which is a can body (packaging container) 101, before filling it with the raw materials for making the soup 102. For example, the container body 103 before filling it with the raw materials for making the soup 102 is formed by integrally winding and seaming the body 111 and lid body 112.

The liquid filling machine 12 is a so-called filler that fills a predetermined amount of liquid into the container body 103. In this embodiment, the liquid filling machine 12 fills a fixed amount of the preparation liquid 121 supplied from the preparation tank 13 into the container body 103.

The blending tank 13 stores the blended liquid 121. The blending tank 13 may be used to blend the blended liquid 121, or may have the function of measuring the ingredients of the blended liquid 121 and blending a predetermined amount of the measured ingredients. The piping 14 supplies the blended liquid 121 stored in the blending tank 13 to the liquid filling machine 12. The blending tank 13 and the piping 14 form a supply line for the blended liquid 121 to the liquid filling machine 12.

The granule filling machine 15 fills the container 103 with solid material 122. The solid material 122 filled into the container 103 by the granule filling machine 15 may be solidified in advance by a freeze-drying device and supplied to the granule filling machine 15. Alternatively, the manufacturing apparatus 1 may include the freeze-drying device, and the freeze-drying device and the granule filling machine 15 may be connected by a conveying line for the solidified solid material 122. In this embodiment, the granule filling machine 15 includes a storage section 15a for storing the solid material 122 and a line 15b for conveying a predetermined number of solid materials 122 from the storage section 15a.

The granular filling machine 15 is provided on the secondary side of the rinser 11. The granular filling machine 15 is also provided on the primary or secondary side of the liquid filling machine 12. The granular filling machine 15 may be provided on both the primary and secondary sides of the liquid filling machine 12. For example, for the sake of convenience, Figure 1 shows an example in which the granular filling machine 15 is located on both the primary and secondary sides of the liquid filling machine 12. However, if the granular filling machine 15 is located on the primary or secondary side of the liquid filling machine 12, the following description will be given assuming that one of the two granular filling machines 15 in Figure 1 is not present.

The sealing machine 16 seals the packaging container 101 filled with the prepared liquid 121 and the solid material 122. In this embodiment, the sealing machine 16 seals the can body 101 by covering the container body 103, which is composed of the body 111 and the lid body 112, with the bottom body 113 and then tightening the bottom body 113.

The retort processor 17 retorts the sealed can bodies 101 filled with the prepared liquid 121 and solid matter 122. The retort processor 17 includes a retort kettle and heats the can bodies 101 contained in the retort kettle at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time to perform retort sterilization. The retort processor 17, for example, performs retort processing by leaving the can bodies 101 contained in the retort kettle stationary, or has an agitation function that rotates or rocks the can bodies 101, thereby performing retort processing while agitating the can bodies 101 contained in the retort kettle.

The conveying device 18 sequentially conveys the container bodies 103 from the collection section 18a, which collects multiple container bodies 103, to the rinser 11, the liquid filling machine 12, the granular filling machine 15, the sealing machine 16, and the retort processing machine 17. The conveying device 18 is, for example, a conveyor formed by rollers, belts, etc. The conveying device 18 forms a conveying line for the container bodies 103 between each device. The conveying device 18 may also include a component for conveying the bottom body 113 that seals the container bodies 103 in the sealing machine 16.

(Method for manufacturing the container soup 100)
Next, a method for producing the packaged soup 100 will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG.

First, the container 103, which does not have a bottom 113 (or lid 112) and is formed by a body 111 and a lid 112 (or bottom 113) and has one open end, is transported to the rinser 11 by the transport device 18. The rinser 11 cleans the container 103 transported to the rinser 11 by the transport device 18 (step ST11).

Next, the container body 103 cleaned by the rinser 11 is transported by the transport device 18 to the liquid filling machine 12 and the granule filling machine 15. The liquid filling machine 12 and the granule filling machine 15 then fill the container body 103 with the prepared liquid 121 and the solid material 122, respectively (step ST12). Specifically, the liquid filling machine 12 fills the transported container body 103 with a predetermined amount of the prepared liquid 121 supplied from the blending tank 13 via the piping 14. The granule filling machine 15 also fills the transported container body 103 with a predetermined amount of the solid material 122.

The order in which the prepared liquid 121 and the solid material 122 are filled can be set as appropriate. That is, when the granular filling machine 15 is located on the primary side of the liquid filling machine 12, the solid material 122 is filled into the container 103 first, and then the prepared liquid 121 is filled into the container 103. When the granular filling machine 15 is located on the secondary side of the liquid filling machine 12, the prepared liquid 121 is filled into the container 103 first, and then the solid material 122 is filled into the container 103. When the granular filling machine 15 is located on both the primary and secondary sides of the liquid filling machine 12, the solid material 122 is filled into the container 103 first, then the prepared liquid 121 is filled into the container 103, and finally the solid material 122 is filled into the container 103.

The prepared liquid 121 is prepared in the preparation tank 13 or in a tank separate from the preparation tank 13. The solids 122 are set to a predetermined size, and the granule filling machine 15 fills a predetermined number of solids into the container body 103. The size and number of solids 122 to be filled are set appropriately. The solids 122 are filled into the packaging container 101 together with the prepared liquid 121, and are formed so that they dissolve and homogenize in the prepared liquid 121 when the retort process described below is performed, and so that they do not crumble during storage, transportation, and filling until they are filled into the container body 103 by the granule filling machine 15. The solids 122 are set to a shape that ensures sufficient surface area and a shape that makes them easy to fill into the packaging container 101. Examples of shapes include cylindrical, columnar, or spherical shapes, but they may also be rectangular or have other shapes.

Next, the container body 103 filled with the prepared liquid 121 and the solid matter 122 is transported by the transport device 18 to the sealing machine 16. The sealing machine 16 then seals the container body 103 (packaging container 101) (step ST13). When the packaging container 101 is a can body 101, like the packaging container 101 of this embodiment, the sealing machine 16 places the bottom body 113 on the container body 103 and seams the bottom body 113 to the body 111 of the container body 103, thereby sealing the can body 101.

Next, the conveying device 18 conveys the sealed can body 101 to the retort processor 17. The retort processor 17 retorts the sealed can body 101 (step ST14). For example, the retort processor 17 heats the sealed can body 101 at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time to perform retort sterilization and dissolve the solid matter 122 in the preparation 121.

Here, the solid matter 122 is dissolved in the prepared liquid 121 by retorting, or by agitating the prepared liquid 121 and the solid matter 122 by retorting and rotating or shaking the can body 101 during the retorting.

Next, the can body 101 is cooled in the retort processor 17 or outside the retort processor 17 (step ST15). The can body 101 may be cooled naturally or by forced cooling using a cooler. Through these steps, the packaged soup 100 is produced.

(Evaluation test of solid 122)
Next, examples and evaluation tests of the solid matter 122, which is a part of the ingredients of the soup 102 and is filled into the container body 103 by the granular filling machine 15, will be described with reference to FIGS.
In this evaluation test, solid material 122 was produced by mixing specific ingredients of soup 102 with a binder and freeze-drying the mixture. In the evaluation test of solid material 122, the ease of dissolving (solubility) in prepared liquid 121 during retort processing and the resistance to crumbling (strength) were evaluated. In the evaluation test, solid material 122 was shaped, for example, into a cube. However, when mass-producing containerized soup 100, a shape that ensures sufficient surface area and a shape that makes it easy to fill packaging container 101 is preferable.

Furthermore, the ease of dissolving (solubility) and resistance to crumbling (strength) required of the solid material 122 in the prepared liquid 121 vary depending on the type of raw material of the solid material 122, the shape of the solid material 122, the type of binder, the type of prepared liquid 121, conditions such as the temperature and time of the retort treatment, and the state of the packaging container 101 during the retort treatment, such as standing, rotating, or shaking, and each example in this evaluation test is an example of the solid material 122.

(Examples of ingredients for soup 102)
3 shows an example of ingredients of soup 102 and an example of the blend of liquid preparation 121 and solid matter 122 of each ingredient. As an example of soup 102, an example of curry soup will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, examples of ingredients for soup 102 include vegetable paste, vegetable and fruit puree, emulsified oils and fats, nut paste, curry paste, coconut milk powder, honey, vegetable extract, salt, curry powder and spices, chicken extract powder, thickener, pH adjuster, emulsifier, flavor oil, antioxidant (vitamin C), and water. Note that the ingredients for soup 102 are not limited to those mentioned above, and may also include various other ingredients and solid ingredients such as corn kernels.

The solid matter 122 is formed by freeze-drying the specific ingredients mentioned above, namely curry paste, curry powder, spices, and flavor oil, which are spices among the ingredients of the soup 102. The prepared liquid 121 is prepared using ingredients other than those contained in the solid matter 122.

(Example of solid 122)
Next, as examples of the solid matter 122 used in the above-described soup 102, the solid matters 122 of Examples 1 to 11 below were produced and subjected to evaluation tests. The solid matters 122 of Examples 1 to 11, the evaluation tests, and the results of the evaluation tests will be described below.

In each example, the solid material 122 was formed by adding dextrin as a binder, a shape-retaining and strengthening additive, to the spice-containing ingredients of the soup 102, molding the mixture into a cube, and freeze-drying it.

Example 1
The solid material 122 of Example 1 was prepared by blending 2.55 g of curry paste, 2.1 g of nut paste, 0.78 g of curry powder and spices, and 0.17 g of flavor oil (vegetable oil) with a predetermined amount of dextrin as a binder, shaping the mixture into a cube, and freeze-drying the mixture. The amount of binder added to the solid material 122 of Example 1 is taken as the reference (100%). The weight of each ingredient in the solid material 122 of Example 1 is the weight per solid material 122. During the evaluation test, one solid material 122 was used for a predetermined amount of the preparation 121.

Example 2
The solid material 122 of Example 2 was prepared by blending 2.55 g of curry paste, 2.1 g of nut paste, 0.78 g of curry powder and spices, 0.17 g of flavor oil (vegetable oil) with a predetermined amount of dextrin as a binder as the added raw material, shaping the mixture into a cube, and freeze-drying the mixture. The amount of binder was set to the same amount as the amount of binder added to the solid material 122 of Example 1.

Furthermore, in Example 2, four solid objects 122 were formed by blending the above ingredients. That is, the weight of each ingredient of the solid objects 122 in Example 2 was the weight required to produce four, and therefore the size (volume) of each was 25% of the size of the solid object 122 in Example 1. Furthermore, in the evaluation test, four solid objects 122 in Example 2 were used for a predetermined amount of prepared liquid 121. That is, since four solid objects 122 in Example 2 were provided, the ingredients were the same blend as the solid object 122 in Example 1, but their surface area was set larger than that of the solid object 122 in Example 1.

Example 3
The solid material 122 of Example 3 was prepared by blending 2.55 g of curry paste, 0.78 g of curry powder and spices, 0.17 g of flavor oil (vegetable oil) with a predetermined amount of dextrin as a binder as the added raw material, shaping the mixture into a cube, and freeze-drying the mixture. The amount of the binder was set to the same amount as the amount of the binder added to the solid material 122 of Example 1.

The weight of each ingredient of the solid material 122 in Example 3 is the weight per solid material 122. In addition, during the evaluation test, one solid material 122 was used for a given amount of the prepared liquid 121.

Example 4
The solid material 122 of Example 4 was prepared by blending 1.30 g of curry paste, 0.78 g of curry powder and spices, 0.17 g of flavor oil (vegetable oil) with a predetermined amount of dextrin as a binder as the added raw material, shaping the mixture into a cube, and freeze-drying the mixture. The amount of the binder was set to 75% of the amount of the binder added to the solid material 122 of Example 1.

The weight of each ingredient of the solid material 122 in Example 4 is the weight per solid material 122. In addition, during the evaluation test, one solid material 122 was used for a given amount of the prepared liquid 121.

Example 5
The solid material 122 of Example 5 was prepared by blending 1.30 g of curry paste, 0.78 g of curry powder and spices, 0.17 g of flavor oil (vegetable oil) with a predetermined amount of dextrin as a binder as the added raw material, shaping the mixture into a cube, and freeze-drying the mixture. The amount of the binder was set to 50% of the amount of the binder added to the solid material 122 of Example 1.

The weight of each ingredient of the solid material 122 in Example 5 is the weight per solid material 122. In addition, during the evaluation test, one solid material 122 was used for a given amount of the prepared liquid 121.

Example 6
The solid material 122 of Example 6 was formed by blending predetermined amounts of the added raw materials, including 1.30 g of curry paste, 0.78 g of curry powder and spices, and 0.17 g of flavor oil (vegetable oil), shaping the mixture into a cube, and freeze-drying the mixture. Note that no binder was added to the solid material 122 of Example 6.

The weight of each ingredient of the solid material 122 in Example 6 is the weight per solid material 122. In addition, during the evaluation test, one solid material 122 was used for a given amount of the prepared liquid 121.

Example 7
The solid material 122 of Example 7 was prepared by blending 1.30 g of curry paste, 0.78 g of curry powder and spices, 0.17 g of flavor oil (vegetable oil) with a predetermined amount of dextrin as a binder as the added raw material, shaping the mixture into a cube, and freeze-drying the mixture. The amount of the binder was set to the same amount as the amount of the binder added to the solid material 122 of Example 1.

The weight of each ingredient of the solid material 122 in Example 7 is the weight per solid material 122. In addition, during the evaluation test, one solid material 122 was used for a given amount of the prepared liquid 121.

(Example 8)
The solid material 122 of Example 8 was prepared by blending 2.55 g of curry paste, 0.78 g of curry powder and spices, 0.17 g of flavor oil (vegetable oil) with a predetermined amount of dextrin as a binder as the added raw material, shaping the mixture into a cube, and freeze-drying the mixture. The amount of the binder was set to 75% of the amount of the binder added to the solid material 122 of Example 1.

The weight of each ingredient of the solid material 122 in Example 8 is the weight per solid material 122. In addition, during the evaluation test, one solid material 122 was used for a given amount of the prepared liquid 121.

Example 9
The solid material 122 of Example 9 was prepared by blending 2.55 g of curry paste, 0.78 g of curry powder and spices, 0.17 g of flavor oil (vegetable oil) with a predetermined amount of dextrin as a binder as the added raw material, shaping the mixture into a cube, and freeze-drying the mixture. The amount of the binder was set to 50% of the amount of the binder added to the solid material 122 of Example 1.

The weight of each ingredient of the solid material 122 in Example 9 is the weight per solid material 122. In addition, during the evaluation test, one solid material 122 was used for a given amount of the prepared liquid 121.

Example 10
The solid material 122 of Example 10 was prepared by blending 2.00 g of curry paste, 0.78 g of curry powder and spices, 0.17 g of flavor oil (vegetable oil) with a predetermined amount of dextrin as a binder as the added raw material, shaping the mixture into a cube, and freeze-drying the mixture. The amount of binder was set to 100% of the amount of binder added to the solid material 122 of Example 1.

The weight of each ingredient of the solid material 122 in Example 10 is the weight per solid material 122. In addition, during the evaluation test, one solid material 122 was used for a given amount of the prepared liquid 121.

Example 11
The solid material 122 of Example 11 was prepared by blending 2.00 g of curry paste, 0.78 g of curry powder and spices, 0.17 g of flavor oil (vegetable oil) with a predetermined amount of dextrin as a binder as the added raw material, shaping the mixture into a cube, and freeze-drying the mixture. The amount of the binder was set to 75% of the amount of the binder added to the solid material 122 of Example 1.

The weight of each ingredient of the solid material 122 in Example 11 is the weight per solid material 122. In addition, during the evaluation test, one solid material 122 was used for a given amount of the prepared liquid 121.

(First evaluation test)
Next, a first evaluation test using the solids 122 of Examples 1 to 11 described above will be described. The first evaluation test was a test to confirm the solubility of the solids 122 in the preparation 121. In the first evaluation test, a predetermined amount of the preparation 121 and the solids 122 in the blending amount of each Example were filled into a container 103, and the bottom 113 was seamed around the container 103 to form a can 101. Thereafter, each of the formed can 101 was subjected to retort treatment in a retort treatment machine 17.

The retort treatment conditions were a test in which the can body 101 was left stationary in the retort kettle of the retort processor 17, and a test in which the can body 101 was rotated in the retort kettle, and the treatment temperature was 125°C. In each example, the treatment time was 30 minutes, and in examples 1 and 3, the treatment time was 60 minutes. However, in example 2, the test of the 30-minute retort treatment with standing was omitted, and in example 1, the test of the 60-minute retort treatment with rotation was omitted.

In addition, to evaluate solubility, after retorting under the above conditions, the can 101 was opened and the degree to which the solid matter 122 remained undissolved in the preparation liquid 121 was evaluated. If the solid matter 122 was completely dissolved in the preparation liquid 121 and no solid matter 122 remained, the evaluation was marked "○". If most of the solid matter 122 was dissolved in the preparation liquid 121 but a small amount of solid matter 122 remained in a solid state, the evaluation was marked "△". If only a small amount of solid matter 122 dissolved in the preparation liquid 121 and most of the solid matter 122 remained in a solid state, the evaluation was marked "×".

(Results of the first evaluation test)
The results of the first evaluation test in each state and processing time will be described below with reference to FIG.

(Condition: Standing, Processing time: 30 minutes)
The results of retorting the can body 101 for 30 minutes while it was left stationary are described below. Most of the solid matter 122 in Example 1 remained in solid form in the preparation liquid 121, while a small amount of the solid matter 122 in Example 3 remained in the preparation liquid 121. A small amount of the solid matter 122 in Examples 8 and 9 remained in solid form in the preparation liquid 121, but the amount was such that it could be said to be substantially dissolved. The solid matter 122 in Examples 4 to 7, 10, and 11 was completely dissolved in the preparation liquid 121.

(Condition: Rotation, Processing time: 30 minutes)
The results of retort treatment for 30 minutes while rotating the can body 101 are described below. That is, in Examples 1 and 2, a small amount of the solid matter 122 remained in the preparation liquid 121. However, in Examples 3 to 11, the solid matter 122 was completely dissolved in the preparation liquid 121. This demonstrates that rotating the can body 101 during retort treatment improves solubility compared to standing.

(Condition: Standing, Processing time: 60 minutes)
The results of retorting the can body 101 for 60 minutes while standing are described below. As with the 30-minute treatment, the solid matter 122 in Example 1 remained mostly in a solid form in the preparation 121. On the other hand, unlike the 30-minute treatment, the solid matter 122 in Example 3 was completely dissolved in the preparation 121.

(Condition: Rotation, Processing time: 60 minutes)
The results of retorting for 60 minutes while rotating the can body 101 are as follows: The solid matter 122 of Example 3 was completely dissolved in the preparation liquid 121, similar to the case where the treatment time was 30 minutes.

(Second evaluation test)
Next, a second evaluation test using the solid material 122 of Examples 1 to 11 described above will be described. The second evaluation test is a test to confirm the resistance (strength) of the solid material 122. For the second evaluation test, the solid material 122 of each Example was placed in a container and vibration was applied to the solid material 122 of each Example using a vibration device with a vibration frequency of 15 Hz, an amplitude of 10 mm (±5 mm), a gravitational acceleration of 4.5 G, and a vibration direction in the direction of gravity. Note that, since the solid material 122 of Examples 1 and 2 had the same raw material composition, the second evaluation test was not performed for Example 2, and the same evaluation results as those of Example 1 were estimated.

In the second evaluation test, the total vibration application time, which is the cumulative time for applying vibration to the solid object 122, was 10 minutes, and the solid object 122 was removed every two minutes, the weight of the solid object 122 was measured, and the degree of crumbling (%) of the solid object 122 was calculated every two minutes. The degree of crumbling (%) is the amount of weight loss compared to the weight of the solid object 122 before the application of vibration.

In addition, the degree of crumbling 0.5 minutes (30 seconds) after the start of vibration application to the solid object 122 was estimated from the degree of crumbling up to 2 minutes after the start of vibration application. If the degree of crumbling after 0.5 minutes was 2% or less, the strength (resistance to crumbling) was deemed sufficient and rated as "O", and if the degree of crumbling after 0.5 minutes exceeded 2%, the strength was deemed insufficient (easy to crumble) and rated as "X".

Here, a degree of crumbling of 2% or less 0.5 minutes after the start of vibration application is defined as the acceptable value for sufficient strength. However, this is an example of a value that does not affect the quality of the soup 102 even if the weight of the solids 122 decreases, and this value can be set appropriately depending on the type of soup 102, etc.

(Results of the second evaluation test)
3 to 5, the degree of disintegration of the solid material 122 in Examples 4 to 6 after 0.5 minutes exceeded 2%, indicating that the strength was insufficient. In contrast, the degree of disintegration of the solid material 122 in the other Examples after 0.5 minutes was 2% or less, indicating that the strength was sufficient. The strength of the solid material 122 may be any strength that can prevent the solid material 122 from disintegrating and contaminating the manufacturing apparatus 1 or reducing its proportion of the solid material 122 relative to the prepared liquid 121 during the period from when the solid material 122 is transported to when it is filled into the container 103, and can be set appropriately depending on the type of soup 102.

(Summary of evaluation test)
As described above, in each example, the solubility and strength were evaluated in the first and second evaluation tests, respectively. In producing packaged soup 100, the properties of solids 122 can be appropriately set based on the results of these evaluations. For example, when retorting can body 101 in a stationary state for 30 minutes, packaged soup 100 can be produced using the solids 122 of Examples 8 to 11 with production apparatus 1 and the above-described production method, whereby solids 122 dissolve in blended liquid 121 during retort treatment, and soup 102 can be suitably produced within packaging container 101. Furthermore, when retorting can body 101 in a rotating state for 30 minutes, packaged soup 100 can be produced using the solids 122 of Examples 3 and 7 to 11 with production apparatus 1 and production method. Note that the solubility and strength of solids 122 are contradictory functions, and therefore, it is preferable to appropriately set the properties depending on the type of packaged soup 100 and the production method.

Furthermore, by using solid materials 122 with suitable strength, it is possible to minimize the crumbling of the solid materials 122 when they are transported to the granule filling machine 15 and when they are filled into the container body 103 from the granule filling machine 15. As shown in each example, the suitable composition of the solid materials 122 can be appropriately set depending on the type of soup 102, the type and composition of the prepared liquid 121, the composition of the solid materials 122, the conditions of the retort processing by the retort processing machine 17, etc.

(Effects of manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method)
According to the thus configured manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method for packaged soup 100, in the manufacture of packaged soup 100, specific ingredients of soup 102 that may contaminate manufacturing apparatus 1 are formed as solids 122 and filled into container 103 separately from blended liquid 121. As a result, blended liquid 121 that comes into contact with transfer lines such as blending tank 13 and piping 14 does not contain ingredients that may contaminate these transfer lines. Therefore, manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method can prevent contamination of blending tank 13, piping 14, etc. Therefore, when changing the type of soup 102 manufactured by manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method, there is no need to replace blending tank 13 and piping 14, and the time and steps for cleaning, etc. can be reduced.

Furthermore, by appropriately setting the solubility and strength of the solids 122 depending on the soup 102, etc., the solids 122 can be suitably dissolved in the preparation liquid 121 during retort processing. Furthermore, by setting the strength of the solids 122 to a predetermined strength, the solids 122 are prevented from crumbling when the freeze-dried solids 122 are transported or filled, preventing contamination of the manufacturing apparatus 1 by specific ingredients that are the crumbled solids 122. Furthermore, by preventing the solids 122 from crumbling, variation in the ratio of the solids 122 to the preparation liquid 121 can be prevented, thereby preventing the manufactured packaged soup 100 from being defective.

As described above, the apparatus 1 and method for producing packaged soup 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention can prevent contamination of the blending tank 13 and piping 14.

Next, a manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method for packaged soup 100 according to another embodiment will be described using Figure 7. Note that the manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method according to this embodiment differ from the manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method according to the above-described embodiment in terms of the shape of the solid material 122 and the configuration of the granule filling machine 15. Therefore, like components are designated by like reference numerals and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

Below, examples of suitable solid materials 122 and examples of granule filling machines 15 are described using Figure 7.

As a preferred example, the solid 122 is formed in a truncated cone shape, as shown in Figure 7. The solid 122 is formed so that one end and the other end have a smaller diameter than the opening of the container body 103, and the one end is configured to have a smaller diameter than the other end. For example, the taper angle of the solid 122 relative to the central axis of the solid 122 is set to 5° or more.

The granular filling machine 15 fills the opening of the container body 103 with the solid material 122 in a position where one end with a small diameter of the solid material 122 faces downward and the other end with a large diameter of the solid material 122 faces upward. Here, the position of the solid material 122 where one end with a small diameter of the solid material 122 faces downward and the other end with a large diameter of the solid material 122 faces upward includes a position where the central axis of the solid material 122 is aligned with the direction of gravity, and a position where the central axis of the solid material 122 intersects the direction of gravity.

Next, a specific example of such a granular filling machine 15 will be described. This specific example of the granular filling machine 15 has a chute section 21 at the end of a line 15b connected to the storage section 15a of the granular filling machine 15. The granular filling machine 15 also has, for example, a turret and multiple pockets 22 below the chute section 21. The granular filling machine 15 may be configured to sequentially transport the container bodies 103 at predetermined intervals using a turret or the like, or may not have a turret or multiple pockets 22 and instead supply solid material 122 to the container bodies 103 that are transported in close contact with each other and sequentially transported.

As shown in FIG. 7, the chute section 21 includes a rail 21a for transporting the solids 122, and a discharge device 21b for discharging a predetermined number of solids 122, for example, one solid 122, into the pocket 22 with the small-diameter end downward. The chute section 21 may also be configured to discharge the solids 122 directly into the container body 103, rather than discharging the solids 122 into the pocket 22. The discharge device 21b, for example, opens and closes the end of the rail 21a to discharge a predetermined number of solids 122 from the rail 21a.

Rail 21a is provided at least at the end of line 15b. Rail 21a is inclined relative to the direction of gravity, with its end positioned above the opening of container body 103. Rail 21a includes, for example, a bottom portion 21c that moves solid matter 122 in the inclined direction, and a guide portion 21d that extends along the longitudinal direction of bottom portion 21c.

The bottom 21c is formed so that the placed solid objects 122 can move along the inclined direction. For example, the bottom 21c is formed from a plate-like member with a coefficient of friction that allows the solid objects 122 to slide along its upper surface. As another example, the bottom 21c may be formed from multiple rollers on which the solid objects 122 can move. As another example, the bottom 21c may be formed from a belt conveyor that moves the placed solid objects 122. In other words, the bottom 21c can be configured as appropriate as long as it is capable of placing multiple solid objects 122 and is configured to move the solid objects 122 toward the end.

Guide portion 21d is provided along bottom portion 21c and guides the movement of solid object 122 in the direction of extension of bottom portion 21c. For example, guide portion 21d is a pair of walls provided along bottom portion 21c and capable of restricting the movement direction of solid object 122 by abutting the sides of solid object 122. Guide portion 21d may also be composed of a pair of rollers provided along the longitudinal direction of bottom portion 21c. Guide portion 21d may also be a pair of belt conveyors that abut against portions of the sides of solid object 122 to move solid object 122.

The discharge device 21b may be, for example, a gate that opens and closes, and the method for opening and closing the discharge device 21b can be set as appropriate. For example, the discharge device 21b may be opened and closed by being operated by the moving pocket 22, or may be configured to detect the pocket 22, container body 103, or solid matter 122 with a sensor or the like and open and close based on the detection results. The discharge device 21b may also be configured by a turret, a pocket 22, or a component attached to the turret. That is, the turret or a component attached to the turret may be configured to constantly close the end of the rail 21a, and the end of the rail 21a may be opened when the pocket 22 is positioned at the end of the rail 21a.

By using solid matter 122 configured in this manner, the manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method can further reduce contamination caused by solid matter 122.

That is, by using a truncated cone-shaped solid material 122 in the manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method and supplying the solid material 122 to the container 103 with the smaller diameter side facing downward, the tip of the solid material 122 can easily enter the opening of the container 103. This prevents the solid material 122 from colliding with the opening of the container 103, preventing the solid material 122 from breaking upon impact with the container 103 and scattering part of the solid material 122 outside the container 103, which could contaminate the conveying device 18 or the outer surface of the container 103. Furthermore, because the solid material 122 has a truncated cone shape, even if, for example, the outer surface of the larger diameter end of the solid material 122 collides with the opening of the container 103 when entering the container 103, part of the force of the collision is converted into a radial force of the solid material 122.

As a result, the solid material 122 can be moved toward the center of the mouth of the container body 103, and even if the solid material 122 collides with the outer surface of the end of the large diameter portion of the mouth of the container body 103, the solid material 122 can be prevented from crumbling and scattering.

Furthermore, by making the solids 122 truncated cone shaped, the area of contact between the small diameter end face and outer peripheral surface of the solids 122 and the components used to transport the solids 122 or adjacent solids 122 can be reduced when the solids 122 are transported. This prevents the solids 122 from crumbling due to contact with other components or other solids 122, thereby reducing contamination of the area around the path along which the solids 122 travel.

In this embodiment, the member for transporting the solid material 122 is, for example, the line 15b of the granular filling machine 15. For example, in the chute section 21 of the granular filling machine 15, the rail 21a and the discharge device 21b come into contact with the solid material 122. However, because the bottom 21c of the rail 21a comes into contact with the small-diameter end face of the solid material 122 and the guide section 21d comes into contact with part of the outer circumferential surface of the large-diameter end face of the solid material 122, the contact area of the solid material 122 with the rail 21a is small. Furthermore, because the discharge device 21b comes into contact with the small-diameter end face of the solid material 122 and part of the outer circumferential surface of the large-diameter end face of the solid material 122, the contact area between the discharge device 21b and the solid material 122 is similarly small. Furthermore, when multiple solid objects 122 are transported by rail 21a, adjacent solid objects 122 will come into contact with part of the outer circumferential surface of the larger diameter end, similarly reducing the contact area.

For example, different from the above example, the granular filling machine 15 may be configured to stack the solid materials 122 and transport them in the direction of gravity, or to store the solid materials 122 in a stacked manner. Even when the solid materials 122 are stacked in this way, the small-diameter end face of one solid material 122 will come into contact with the large-diameter end face of the other solid material 122, but the contact area will be the area of the small-diameter end face of the solid material 122, making the contact area smaller.

As described above, in the manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method for the packaged soup 100 according to another embodiment, the solid material 122 has a truncated cone shape, which makes it easier to supply the solid material 122 to the container 103 and prevents the solid material 122 from crumbling. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method can prevent the solid material 122 from contaminating the granule filling machine 15, conveying device 18, etc.

Note that the present invention is not limited to one embodiment. In the example described above, an example of the blend of curry soup was described as the soup 102, but this is not limiting; the blend can be set as appropriate, and the type of soup 102 can also be set as appropriate.

The above example merely illustrates one example of the composition of ingredients for the soup 102. For example, the container 103 may be configured to further contain ingredients for the soup 102 in addition to the solid matter 122, and such ingredients for the soup 102 may be freeze-dried. In this case, the manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method may further include a filling machine and process for filling the ingredients.

In addition, in the above example, one type of solid material 122 is filled into the container body 103 by the granule filling machine 15, but this is not limited to this. For example, a configuration may be provided in which multiple granule filling machines 15 are provided, and each granule filling machine 15 fills a different type of freeze-dried solid material 122 into the container body 103.

In addition, in the above examples, the packaging container 101 is described as being a can, a pouch, a cup, a bottle, a PET bottle, etc., but is not limited to these and may have other configurations as long as it can seal the ingredients of the soup 102 and be capable of being retorted.

Furthermore, as a specific example of the packaging container 101 described above, a can body 101 in which the lid body 112 is wrapped around the body 111 and a drinking spout is formed by a score line has been described, but this configuration is not limited thereto. For example, when a can body is used as the packaging container 101, the lid body 112 may be a cap that can be resealed on the body 111. In such a can body 101, for example, a threaded portion is provided on the outer periphery of the mouth of the body 111, and the lid body 112 is formed into a cup shape. Then, the lid body 111 is placed over the lid body 111 and threaded along the threaded portion provided on the outer periphery of the mouth of the body 111, thereby hermetically securing the lid body 112 to the body 111. With this configuration, the lid body 112 can be resealed on the body 111, and the mouth of the body 111 becomes a drinking spout when the lid body 112 is removed from the body 111. The can body 101 may also have other configurations, such as a configuration in which the bottom body 113 is fastened to both ends of the body 111, and one of the bottom bodies 113 is opened with a can opener.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combining selected elements from the disclosed elements. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some elements are deleted from all elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.
The following is a description equivalent to the invention described in the original claims of the present application.
[1] Cleaning the container;
supplying a soup-making liquid stored in a blending tank to the cleaned container;
providing said container with freeze-dried solids that together with said liquid preparation form said soup;
sealing the container filled with the preparation and the solid material;
retorting the sealed container;
A method for producing a packaged soup, comprising:
[2] The method for producing packaged soup according to [1], wherein the solid material is formed by freeze-drying and solidifying a portion of the soup ingredients.
[3] The method for producing packaged soup according to [1] or [2], wherein the liquid mixture is prepared using ingredients other than the solid matter among the ingredients of the soup.
[4] The method for producing packaged soup according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the solid matter contains at least one of spices, Chinese medicine, seasonings, and pulp.
[5] The method for producing containerized soup according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the solid material contains a binder.
[6] The method for producing containerized soup according to [5], wherein the binder is a polysaccharide, a gelling agent, a protein, or an additive that forms a cross-linked structure.
[7] The method for producing a packaged soup according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the retort treatment is carried out by leaving the container stationary.
[8] The method for producing a packaged soup according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the retort treatment is carried out by rotating or shaking the container.
[9] The method for producing containerized soup according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein the solid material is formed into a truncated cone shape.
[10] The method for producing container-packed soup according to [9], wherein the solid material is supplied to the container with the end of the small diameter side facing downward.
[11] A rinser for cleaning the container;
a blending tank for storing a blended liquid for producing soup;
a liquid filling machine for filling the container with the prepared liquid;
a pipe for supplying the mixed liquid from the mixed liquid tank to the liquid filling machine;
a granule filler for supplying freeze-dried solids to said containers to form said soup together with said liquid mixture;
a sealing machine that seals the container filled with the prepared liquid and the solid material;
a retort processor that retorts the sealed container;
An apparatus for producing containerized soup, comprising:
[12] The apparatus for producing packaged soup according to [11], wherein the solid material is formed by freeze-drying and solidifying a portion of the soup ingredients.
[13] The apparatus for producing packaged soup according to [11] or [12], wherein the liquid mixture is prepared using ingredients other than the solid matter among the ingredients of the soup.
[14] The apparatus for producing packaged soup according to any one of [11] to [13], wherein the solid material includes at least one of spices, Chinese medicine, seasonings, and pulp.
[15] The apparatus for producing packaged soup according to any one of [11] to [14], wherein the solid material contains a binder.
[16] The apparatus for producing packaged soup according to [15], wherein the binder is a polysaccharide, a gelling agent, a protein, or an additive that forms a cross-linked structure.
[17] The apparatus for producing container-packed soup according to any one of [11] to [16], wherein the retort treatment is carried out by leaving the container stationary.
[18] The apparatus for producing container-packed soup according to any one of [11] to [16], wherein the retort treatment is carried out by rotating or shaking the container.
[19] The apparatus for producing packaged soup according to any one of [11] to [18], wherein the solid material is formed into a truncated cone shape.
[20] The apparatus for producing container-packed soup according to [19], wherein the granular filling machine supplies the solid material to the container with the small diameter end of the solid material facing downward.

1... manufacturing equipment, 11... rinser, 12... liquid filling machine, 13... blending tank, 14... piping, 15... granule filling machine, 15a... storage section, 15b... line, 16... sealing machine, 17... retort processing machine, 18... conveying device, 18a... collection section, 100... containerized soup, 101... can body (packaging container), 102... soup, 103... container body, 111... body, 112... lid body, 113... bottom body, 121... blended liquid, 122... solid matter.

Claims (16)

Cleaning the container,
supplying a soup-making liquid stored in a blending tank to the cleaned container;
providing a freeze-dried solid material, including a binding agent, that forms the soup together with the liquid preparation into the container;
sealing the container filled with the preparation and the solid material;
retorting the sealed container;
A method for producing a packaged soup, comprising: The method for producing packaged soup according to claim 1, wherein the solid material is formed by freeze-drying and solidifying a portion of the soup ingredients. The method for producing packaged soup according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid mixture is prepared using ingredients other than the solids from among the ingredients of the soup. The method for producing packaged soup according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the solid matter includes at least one of spices, Chinese herbal medicine, seasonings, and pulp. The method for producing packaged soup according to claim 1, wherein the binder is a polysaccharide, a gelling agent, a protein, or an additive that forms a cross-linked structure. The method for producing containerized soup according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the retort treatment is performed while the container is left stationary. A method for producing containerized soup according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the retort treatment is performed by rotating or shaking the container. The method for producing containerized soup according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the solid material is formed into a truncated cone shape. The method for producing containerized soup according to claim 8, wherein the solid material is supplied to the container with the end of the smaller diameter facing downward. Cleaning the container,
supplying a soup-making liquid stored in a blending tank to the cleaned container;
providing a freeze-dried, frustum-shaped solid material into said container that will produce said soup together with said liquid preparation;
sealing the container filled with the preparation and the solid material;
retorting the sealed container;
A method for producing a packaged soup, comprising: The method for producing packaged soup according to claim 10, wherein the solid material is formed by freeze-drying and solidifying a portion of the soup ingredients. The method for producing packaged soup according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the liquid mixture is prepared using ingredients other than the solids from among the ingredients of the soup. The method for producing packaged soup according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the solid matter includes at least one of spices, Chinese herbal medicine, seasonings, and pulp. A method for producing containerized soup according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the retort treatment is carried out while the container is left stationary. The method for producing packaged soup according to any one of claims 10 to 13 , wherein the retort treatment is carried out by rotating or shaking the container. A method for producing containerized soup according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the solid material is supplied to the container with the end of the solid material on the smaller diameter side facing downward.