Method for producing packaged drink

Abstract

It is intended to provide a process for producing a packaged drink whereby filling can be performed at room temperature without resorting to using a chemical or sterile water, the favorable taste and flavor of the content can be maintained while relieving the thermal degradation thereof, it becomes unnecessary to employ a heat-resistant container or to thermally sterilize or cool after sealing, and thus both of the equipment cost and the running cost can be largely reduced. After thermally sterilizing the content to give a definite sterilization value, it is quickly cooled to room temperature and then stored in a storage tank that has been preliminarily sterilized under such conditions as being equal to or exceeding the thermal sterilization conditions for the contents. While maintaining the storage tank under positive pressure with the use of a sterile gas, the content is fed into a filling machine that has been preliminarily sterilized under such conditions as being equal to or exceeding the thermal sterilization conditions for the contents. Thus, the liquid-feeding system ranging from the storage tank to the filling machine is made a closed liquid-feeding pathway free from the invasion of air from the outside. The drink is filled into a container having been sterilized with hot water in an environment-controlled space isolated from the outside wherein the surroundings have been thermally sterilized and washed with hot water at 65° C. to 100° C.

1 . A method for producing a packaged drink, comprising the steps of: thermally sterilizing and washing beforehand, using hot water at 65° C. to 100° C. or a chemical agent, a surrounding environment where a container and a cap are sterilized, washed, filled and sealed; thermally sterilizing and washing beforehand a liquid-feeding pathway, up to a cooling device, a storage tank and a filling machine, under conditions equal to or exceeding the thermal sterilization conditions of a drink to be filled; and thermally sterilizing and washing at least an inner surface of the container and cap with hot water at 65° C. to 100° C., wherein the drink to be filled is thermally sterilized up to a predetermined sterilization value and is thereafter quickly cooled to room temperature, the cooled drink being stored in the storage tank, and wherein a content liquid is fed to the filling machine to make the liquid-feeding pathway into a closed liquid-feeding pathway into which outer air does not intrude, and the surrounding environment is made an environment-controlled space isolated from the outside, such that the drink is filled at room temperature into the sterilized container and then sealed in the environment-controlled space. 
   
   
       2 . The method for producing a packaged drink according to  claim 1 , wherein the drink is a drink comprising 30 mg % or more of catechins at a pH of 4.6 or higher, and the drink is thermally sterilized to a sterilization value equal to or higher than 135° C. and 7.58 seconds. 
   
   
       3 . The method for producing a packaged drink according to  claim 1 , wherein the drink is an acidic drink having a pH below 4.6, and the acidic drink is thermally sterilized to a sterilization value equal to or higher than 85° C. and 30 minutes. 
   
   
       4 . The method for producing a packaged drink according to  claim 1 , wherein the environment-controlled space is a space housed in a box. 
   
   
       5 . The method for producing a packaged drink according to  claim 1 , wherein the storage tank is kept at positive pressure with sterile gas, and the liquid is fed from the storage tank to the filling machine through pressure-feeding by sterile gas. 
   
   
       6 . The method for producing a packaged drink according to  claim 1 , wherein washing which is performed after thermal sterilization and washing of the surrounding environment using a chemical agent has also a sterilizing function by using hot water at 65° C. to 100° C. 
   
   
       7 . The method for producing a packaged drink according to  claim 1 , wherein any of a peracetic acid chemical agent, hydrogen peroxide, an ozone-based chemical agent, and a chlorine-based disinfectant containing hypochlorous acid is used as the chemical agent for sterilizing and washing beforehand the surrounding environment where a container and a cap are sterilized, washed, filled and sealed.