DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The present invention described herein, in general, relates to an apparatus for processing and packaging of food products. Further, the present invention relates to an apparatus to stabilize, process, and package all types of food products with increased shelf-life.
BACKGROUND
[002] Typically, the food industry is one of the major industries in today’s market. However, the food processing sector in the food industry is still behind in technologies due to lack of proper storage or advanced preservation techniques. The supply chain gaps and losses at various levels, such as at a farm level, a distribution level and consumer levels, are the biggest challenges faced by the food processing sector. The significant damage of food occurs at harvest and post-harvest level and most of the food gets wasted during the distribution and consumption stages as well.
[003] The main reason behind such huge wastage of food is a shortage of cold chain facilities and limited food processing capacity. Contamination of food products by microorganisms during a process of storage often leads to the loss of a nutritive value and makes it poisonous for consumption. Therefore, there is a need to limit the wastage of food by providing proper storage and preservation facilities. The conventional methods such as physical and chemical preservation of the food products, including vacuum packaging, drying and freeze-drying, irradiation, pasteurization, smoking, addition of chemical additives, freezing, canning, dehydrating and salting are being used by most of the food processing industries to increase the shelf- life of the food.
[004] However, these conventional methods have various disadvantages such as they are time consuming as well as have high production cost. The use of chemical additives and irradiation techniques for increasing the shelf life of food products can cause serious health concerns.
[005] Patent Application Number US20170273324A1 titled “Methods and apparatuses for thermal treatment of foods and other biomaterials, and products obtained thereby” discloses a commercially sterile biomaterial having one or more quality attributes that is preserved to a greater extent as compared to a reference biomaterial of the same type as the commercially sterile biomaterial, the commercially sterile biomaterial having been sterilized as a flowable material in a process including a heating step in which the flowable material is exposed to electromagnetic radiation and a mixing step in which at least a portion of the flowable material reaches thermal equalization, the reference biomaterial having been sterilized using a thermal treatment method including contacting of the reference biomaterial with a surface whose temperature is consistently higher than a predetermined treatment temperature for the reference biomaterial.
[006] Patent Number US5555702A titled “Process and apparatus for packaging liquid food products” discloses a liquid food product packaging process and apparatus. The process may be employed for filling gable top cartons with high acid liquids such as orange juice. The product is heated to a sufficiently high temperature to sterilize the product for a short period of time and then cooled to an intermediate temperature that is sufficiently high to avoid the growth of bacteria, and at the intermediate temperature, the product is placed in unsealed gable top cartons. The cartons are sealed and allowed to cool to room temperature. This process produces a food package that has high seal integrity and relatively low carton distortion.
[007] Considering the consumers growing awareness towards use of chemical/ synthetic preservatives, there is a need of affordable, low-cost food packaging and processing apparatus which will reduce or completely eliminate the use of preservative, irradiation, refrigeration and other such techniques and provide the food product with increase shelf life without compromising with the nutritional value, hygiene and maintaining the freshness of food products.
SUMMARY
[008] Embodiments of the present disclosure present technological improvements as solutions to one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems.
[009] Before the present subject matter relating to an apparatus for food processing, it is to be understood that this application is not limited to the particular system described, as there can be multiple possible embodiments which are not expressly illustrated in the present disclosure. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the implementations or versions or embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present subject matter.
[0010] This summary is provided to introduce aspects related to an apparatus for food processing. This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter nor is it intended for use in determining or limiting the scope of the present subject matter.
[0011] In one embodiment, one or more apparatuses for processing one or more food packages are disclosed. In another embodiment, an apparatus for processing one or more food packages includes a boiler, a sterilization unit, an electric generator, an electric controller, a converter, a cooling unit, a sensing unit, and a micro-controller. The boiler is assembled to generate high pressurized steam. The boiler further includes a plurality of heaters and a hot air storage unit. The plurality of heaters is assembled to process water received from a source and provide hot water inside the boiler. The hot air storage unit is assembled to generate and store the high pressurized steam by using the hot water. The sterilization unit is connected with the boiler. The sterilization unit is assembled to perform thermal sterilization on at least one food package placed inside the sterilization unit by using the generated steam from the boiler. The sterilization unit includes a spreader unit and one or more mist sprayer units. The spreader unit is assembled to distribute the generated steam in a designated interior area within the sterilization unit for a pre-determined time. The one or more mist sprayer units having a plurality of nozzles, the mist sprayer unit is assembled to spread cool mist evenly through nozzles in the sterilization unit to cool down the food package. The electric generator is connected with the boiler. The electric generator is assembled to generate thermoelectricity by using the hot water received from an outlet connected with the boiler. The electric controller is connected with the electric generator. The electric controller is assembled to control the generated thermoelectricity by receiving an input signal from the pre-defined measured value, comparing the value with a pre-determined control point of the apparatus, and determining the amount of an output signal. The converter is connected with the electric controller. The converter is assembled to convert the generated thermoelectricity into electric current by using the electric energy from an external source based on the determined output signal. The cooling unit is connected with the converter. The cooling unit is assembled to generate cool mist by using the electric current received from the converter. The cooling unit is assembled to supply the generated cool mist to the sterilization unit through the mist sprayer units with the help of the nozzles embodied inside the sterilization unit to cool down the temperature inside the sterilization unit. The sensing unit is connected with the boiler, the sterilization unit and the cooling unit. The sensing unit is assembled to sense temperature, pressure and one or more pre-determined parameters of the food package placed inside the sterilization unit. The microcontroller is connected to the sensing unit, the boiler and the cooling unit. The microcontroller is configured to transmit the instructions to the boiler and the cooling unit to deliver a pre-determined amount of the generated steam and the cool mist in the designated area of the sterilization unit and maintain the pre-determined pressure and temperature based on the sensed parameters of the food package.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[0012] The foregoing detailed description of embodiments is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the present document example constructions of the invention; however, the invention is not limited to the specific apparatus disclosed in the document and the drawings.
[0013] The present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to various features of the present subject matter.
[0014] Figure 1A illustrates a schematic diagram depicting a configuration of an apparatus for food processing, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0015] Figure 1B illustrates a schematic diagram depicting a detailed configuration of an arrangement of various modules of the apparatus of Figure 1A, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0016] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic diagram depicting a configuration of a tray arrangement assembled inside a sterilization unit of the apparatus of Figure 1A, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] In the above accompanying drawings, a non-underlined number relates to an item identified by a line linking the non-underlined number to the item. When a number is non-underlined and accompanied by an associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify a general item at which the arrow is pointing.
[0018] Further, the figures depict various embodiments of the present subject matter for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the present subject matter described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] Some embodiments of this invention, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. The words "comprising," "having," "containing," and "including," and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although an apparatus for food processing, similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present invention, the exemplary, an apparatus for food processing is now described.
[0020] Various modifications to the embodiment will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments. For example, although the present invention will be described in the context of an apparatus for food processing, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize an apparatus for food processing can be utilized in any situation. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments illustrated but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.
[0021] In one embodiment, an apparatus for processing one or more food packages includes a boiler, a sterilization unit, an electric generator, an electric controller, a converter, a cooling unit, a sensing unit, and a micro-controller. The boiler is assembled to generate high pressurized steam. The boiler further includes a plurality of heaters and a hot air storage unit. The plurality of heaters is assembled to process water received from a source and provide hot water inside the boiler. The hot air storage unit is assembled to generate and store the high pressurized steam by using the hot water. The sterilization unit is connected with the boiler. The sterilization unit is assembled to perform thermal sterilization on at least one food package placed inside the sterilization unit by using the generated steam from the boiler. The sterilization unit includes a spreader unit and one or more mist sprayer units. The spreader unit is assembled to distribute the generated steam in a designated interior area within the sterilization unit for a pre-determined time. The one or more mist sprayer units having a plurality of nozzles, the mist sprayer unit is assembled to spread cool mist evenly through nozzles in the sterilization unit to cool down the food package. The electric generator is connected with the boiler. The electric generator is assembled to generate thermoelectricity by using the hot water received from an outlet connected with the boiler. The electric controller is connected with the electric generator. The electric controller is assembled to control the generated thermoelectricity by receiving an input signal from the pre-defined measured value, comparing the value with a pre-determined control point of the apparatus, and determining the amount of an output signal. The converter is connected with the electric controller. The converter is assembled to convert the generated thermoelectricity into electric current by using the electric energy from an external source based on the determined output signal. The cooling unit is connected with the converter. The cooling unit is assembled to generate cool mist by using the electric current received from the converter. The cooling unit is assembled to supply the generated cool mist to the sterilization unit through the mist sprayer units with the help of the nozzles embodied inside the sterilization unit to cool down the temperature inside the sterilization unit. The sensing unit is connected with the boiler, the sterilization unit and the cooling unit. The sensing unit is assembled to sense temperature, pressure and one or more pre-determined parameters of the food package placed inside the sterilization unit. The microcontroller is connected to the sensing unit, the boiler and the cooling unit. The microcontroller is configured to transmit the instructions to the boiler and the cooling unit to deliver a pre-determined amount of the generated steam and the cool mist in the designated area of the sterilization unit and maintain the pre-determined pressure and temperature based on the sensed parameters of the food package.
[0022] In another implementation, the apparatus includes an air compressor connected with the hot air storage unit of the boiler. The air compressor is assembled to release the generated hot air in the hot air storage unit.
[0023] In another implementation, the boiler includes a plurality of boiler valves and a plurality of boiler gauges. The plurality of boiler valves is assembled to relieve over-pressure of the steam inside the boiler. The plurality of boiler gauges is assembled to maintain temperature and pressure inside the boiler.
[0024] In another implementation, the sterilization unit includes a plurality of unit valves and a plurality of unit gauges. The plurality of unit valves assembled to relieve over-pressure of the steam inside the sterilization unit. The plurality of unit gauges is assembled to maintain temperature and pressure inside the sterilization unit.
[0025] In another implementation, the boiler valves and the unit valves include a release valve and a safety valve.
[0026] In another implementation, the boiler gauges and the unit gauges include a pressure gauge and a temperature gauge.
[0027] In another implementation, the boiler includes a steam unit assembled to deliver the high pressurized steam to the sterilization unit.
[0028] In another implementation, the cooling unit includes a mister unit or an air conditioning unit.
[0029] In another implementation, the sterilization unit is assembled with the boiler by using a valve.
[0030] In another implementation, the sterilization unit includes a plurality of trays assembled to place the one or more food packages inside the sterilization unit.
[0031] In another implementation, the parameters include solid food, liquid food and combination thereof.
[0032] In an embodiment, the present invention discloses an apparatus for food processing, which can be used for processing different types of food products. Typically, in a conventional method of food processing, chemical additives or irradiation techniques are being used. The conventional method has many disadvantages as they process the food with help of the chemical treatment, hazardous radiations or freezing the food product, which results in many serious health issues.
[0033] In order to overcome the above limitations, the present invention fulfils the requirement of the apparatus for food processing, where ready to eat, ready to cook, ready to serve, ready to drink, ready to chop, raw vegetables, fruits, raw meat, sea food, dairy products can be processed, which increases the shelf life of food from one month to one year or three times to ten times. Along with this, dangerous bacteria like E- coli can be deactivated by using the apparatus. In this process, the profit can be doubled by reducing the cost of electricity and transportation. Processed food by using the apparatus has a shelf life of up to one year. And as the use of colors, preservatives, bacteria load, irradiation, refrigeration is completely eliminated, and provide natural, safe, clean, hygienic and healthy food. In one embodiment, the processed food may be placed at room temperature.
[0034] In an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for food processing is disclosed. The apparatus is configured to process the food with the help of a steam unit. The apparatus includes a sterilization unit to process a food package, a boiler to provide steam to the food package, and a cooling unit to cool the food package. The packaged food is placed in the sterilization unit and the door of the sterilization unit will be closed. The steam is then flowed from the boiler through the steam unit to the sterilization unit. The packaged food is then steamed for a predetermined time. After steaming the food, the cool air is released through the cooling unit for a predetermined time. The final processed food package, with increased shelf life is then removed from the sterilization unit.
[0035] In embodiment of the present invention, the sterilization unit can be scaled from, but is not limited to, one liter to twenty-five thousand liters.
[0036] Figure 1A illustrates a schematic diagram depicting a configuration of an apparatus for food processing, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1B illustrates a schematic diagram depicting a detailed configuration of an arrangement of various modules of the apparatus of Figure 1A, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The detailed description of Figure 1A and Figure 1B is explained together in detail.
[0037] An apparatus for food processing (hereinafter referred to as “apparatus) (100A, 100B) includes a sterilization unit (11), a boiler (21), a cooling unit (71), a sensing unit (81), and a microcontroller (91). In an embodiment, the apparatus (100A, 100B) further includes an electric generator (21), an electric controller (51) and a converter (61).
[0038] The boiler (21) is assembled to generate high pressurized steam. In an embodiment, the boiler (21) includes a plurality of heaters (27) and a hot air storage unit (29). The plurality of heaters, for example, heater-1 (27a), heater-2 (27b), heater-3 (27c), and heater-4 (27d) are assembled inside the boiler (21) to process water received from a source and provide hot water inside the boiler (21). In an embodiment, the heaters (27) are assembled to increase the inlet temperature of the process water into a steam boiler. The heaters (27) relieve the pressure on the boiler (21), as it requires less energy to evaporate the process water. In one embodiment, the heaters (27) can be low pressure heaters or high-pressure heaters. Further, the hot air storage unit (29) is also assembled inside the boiler (21) to generate and store the high pressurized steam by using the hot water provided by the heaters (27). In one embodiment, the boiler (21) further includes a steam unit (28) which is assembled to deliver the high pressurized steam to the sterilization unit (11). In another embodiment, the boiler (21) includes a plurality of boiler valves (22, 23) assembled to relieve over-pressure of the steam inside the boiler (21), and a plurality of boiler gauges (25, 26) assembled to maintain temperature and pressure inside the boiler (21). In yet another embodiment, the boiler valves include a release valve (22) and a safety valve (23), and the boiler gauges (25, 26) include a pressure gauge (25) and a temperature gauge (26).
[0039] In an embodiment, the apparatus (100) includes an air compressor (31) which is connected with the hot air storage unit (29) of the boiler (21). The air compressor (31) is assembled to release the generated hot air in the hot air storage unit (29).
[0040] The sterilization unit (11) is connected with the boiler (21) via a valve (24). In an embodiment, the sterilization unit (11) is assembled to perform thermal sterilization on the at least one food package placed inside the sterilization unit (11) by using the generated steam received from the boiler (21). The sterilization unit (11) includes a plurality of trays (200) (as shown in Figure 2) assembled to place the one or more food packages inside the sterilization unit (11). In an embodiment, the sterilization unit (11) includes a spreader unit (not shown in a figure) and one or more mist sprayer units (17). The spreader unit is assembled to distribute the generated steam in a designated interior area within the sterilization unit (11) for a pre-determined time. The pre-determined time includes five to ten minutes. The one or more sprayer units (17) has a plurality of nozzles (17a, 17b, 17c), which is assembled to spread cool mist evenly through nozzles in the sterilization unit (11) to cool down the food package and provide the cooling effect to the packaged food product via a plurality of nozzles (17a, 17b, 17c) embodied inside the mist sprayer unit (17). In an embodiment, the sterilization unit (11) includes a plurality of unit valves (12, 13) assembled to relieve over-pressure of the steam inside the sterilization unit (11), and a plurality of unit gauges (15, 16) assembled to maintain temperature and pressure inside the sterilization unit (11). In yet another embodiment, the unit valves include a release valve (12) and a safety valve (13), and the unit gauges (15, 16) include a pressure gauge (15) and a temperature gauge (16).
[0041] In an exemplary embodiment, the plurality of valves such as the release valve (12), the safety valve (13) and the valve (14) for connection of the sterilization unit (11) to the cooling unit (71) is embodied in the sterilization unit (11). The sterilization unit (11) can be also connected to the pressure gauge (15) to supervise the pressure inside the sterilization unit (11), and the temperature gauge (16) to monitor the temperature inside the sterilization unit (11). The sterilization unit (11) also includes a drain (18), water and process water units which can be assembled to drain water from the sterilization unit (11) by using respective units. The sterilization unit (11) can be assembled to couple with the mist sprayer unit (17) inside it. The mist sprayer unit (17) helps to cool down the temperature of the sterilization unit (11) and the food packages placed inside the sterilization unit (11).
[0042] The electric generator (41) is connected to the boiler (21). The electric generator (41) is assembled to a thermoelectric generator (TEG) (not shown in a figure) to generate thermoelectricity by using the hot water received from an outlet connected with the boiler (21). In an embodiment, the electric generator (41) acts as a thermoelectric generator (TEG). In one embodiment, the thermoelectric generator (TEG) is a Seebeck generator, which is a solid-state device that converts heat flux (temperature differences) directly into the thermoelectricity.
[0043] The electric controller (51) is connected with the electric generator (41) to receive the generated thermoelectricity. The electric controller (51) is assembled to control the generated thermoelectricity by receiving an input signal from the pre-defined measured value, comparing the value with a pre-determined control point of the apparatus, and determining the amount of an output signal. In an embodiment, the electric controller (51) is assembled to determine the output signal required for converting thermoelectricity into required output in the form of signal/current by the converter (61). In another embodiment, the measured value includes required electric voltage, for example 1 to 1.6 units per hour/day, energy in watt-hours, energy in kilowatts and kilowatt-hours, energy in megawatts, and energy in gigawatts. In yet another embodiment, the control point is pre-assembled by an administrator of the apparatus (100) to control the current flows through the apparatus (100), which includes, but is not limited to, resistors, circuit breakers, switches, fuses, rheostat, and surge protectors.
[0044] The converter (61) is connected with the electric controller (51) to receive the determined output signal. The converter (61) is assembled to convert the generated thermoelectricity into electric current by using the electric energy from an external source based on the determined output signal. In an embodiment, the converter (61) includes hydropower converter or hydroelectric converter. In an exemplary embodiment, the converter (61) is configured to convert the energy of flowing water into mechanical energy, and this mechanical energy is further converted into electricity.
[0045] In one embodiment, the apparatus (100) includes a transformer (not shown in a figure) alternative to the converter (61). The transformer is configured to transfer the controlled thermoelectricity energy to the cooling unit (71) by using a thermal process.
[0046] The cooling unit (71) is connected with the converter (61) to receive the electric current. The cooling unit (71) is assembled to generate cool mist by using the electric current received from the converter (61). In an embodiment, the cooling unit (71) is assembled to supply the generated cool mist to the sterilization unit (11) through the mist sprayer units (17) with the help of the nozzles (17a, 17b, 17c) embodied inside the sterilization unit (11) to cool down the temperature inside the sterilization unit (11). In an embodiment, the cooling unit (71) includes a mister unit or an air conditioning unit.
[0047] The sensing unit (81) is connected with the boiler (21), the sterilization unit (11) and the cooling unit (71). The sensing unit (81) is assembled to sense temperature, pressure and one or more pre-determined parameters of the food package placed inside the sterilization unit (11). In an embodiment, the one or more pre-determined parameters of the food package include solid food, liquid food and combination thereof. In an embodiment, the sensing unit (81) includes a plurality of sensors, including, but are not limited to, temperature sensor, pressure sensor, bio-based sensor, liquid level sensor, rotary encoders, optical sensor, fluid property sensor, and humidity sensor.
[0048] The microcontroller (91) is connected with the sensing unit (81), the boiler (21) and the cooling unit (71). The microcontroller (91) is configured to transmit the instructions to the boiler (21) and the cooling unit (71) to deliver a pre-determined amount of the generated steam and the cool mist in the designated area of the sterilization unit (11) and maintain the pre-determined pressure and temperature based on the sensed parameters of the food package. In an exemplary embodiment, the microcontroller (91) is configured to control the sensing unit (81), the boiler (21) and the cooling unit (71).
[0049] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic diagram depicting a configuration of a tray arrangement (200) assembled inside the sterilization unit (11) of the apparatus (100) of Figure 1A-Figure 1B, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The tray arrangement (200) includes a plurality of trays for placing the food packages inside the sterilization unit (11). In an embodiment, the trays (200) are assembled to be arranged inside the sterilization unit (11) to provide the space to place the packaged food product.
[0050] In an exemplary embodiment, there are three basic treatment processes, i.e., steam, falling water and full water immersion. There are also sub - divisions within each of these categories including steam/air, steam - spray, water spray and half immersion. It should be emphasized that all the processes, bar simple steam, will work on all of the current container formats, so there is not necessarily a wrong process for novel applications. However, it is clear that some principles of transferring heat to sealed containers do have advantages over others when specifying particular packaging food.
[0051] In an embodiment, the apparatus (100) uses steam, pressurized steam and inlet steam valve. The steam is a form of automatic autoclave and is usually a top - loaded, vertical pressure vessel with straight forward controls. The pressurized steam is applied to the sterilization unit (11), driving the air inside out of from the top of a vessel through a vent. The process phase lasts up to ten minutes. This inlet steam valve is then closed, and the temperature is kept raised by injecting steam, creating over pressure from the temperature increase via automatic heater control methods. There is independent control of temperature and pressure and because the gaseous medium is not mixed or agitated, air must be eliminated during the vent phase to ensure there are no cold spots pockets where the temperature is significantly lower due to stratification, since air and steam do not readily mix without assistance.
[0052] In an embodiment, the apparatus (100) provides a cooling process, which includes horizontal vessels, i.e., the sterilization unit (11) and the boiler (21) with quick opening doors to facilitate basket loading and unloading, forced steam circulation and most importantly, independent control of temperature and pressure. The steam is injected directly into the vessel (11) and a reduced venting time is achieved by the use of a high velocity fan (optional) to re-circulate and mix the steam with any residual air, eliminating the occurrence of cold spots. This highly efficient process was specifically developed for flexible and semi-rigid containers, initially for military rations in aluminum foil packs, but has seen many applications on stand-up pouches and ready meals. It offers rapid heating to give the shortest process times to maintain the required food quality. Cooling consists of two steps - a precooling step that first cools the steamed chamber, gradually replacing the pressurized steam environment with compressed air, and a second step that showers the hot containers with cold water, which is re-circulated through an energy recovering heat exchanger or the same water can be used to produce steam again as circulated to a different water pot.
[0053] In another embodiment, once the steam temperature is achieved inside environment gives a very good heat transfer on rigid containers during the come - up or heating phase, as the water transfers its heat very quickly. Here, a fan is not utilized to mix the atmosphere. The nozzles placed around the circumference of the apparatus (100) take water from a pump, re-circulating the condensate, and mix it with steam directly injected into the sterilization container (11).
[0054] The water process whilst rapid heating can be achieved, the atomizing nozzles, by their design, tend to restrict the water during cooling, leading to longer processing times than conventional cascading water, immersion or water spray types. To get around this restriction manufacturers have considered and implemented separate heating and cooling circuits to maximize the efficiency of the process.
[0055] The raining or cascading water system uses superheated water, under over pressure to achieve sterilization temperatures. Water is heated through a heat exchanger and then pumped through a distribution plate, and showers under low pressure onto the sterilization container (11). This methodology is widely used in the processing of glass containers as the water can pass between the containers as it falls, transferring heat through the side walls of the container. Care should be taken in the re-use of condensate because of the concentration of minerals and the resulting acidification of the steam. There is an option where Full water immersion technology. This is comprised of a processing vessel and a pressurized water reservoir. At the start of the process, hot water from the reservoir floods the lower chamber and is then re-heated to sterilization temperatures. After using the apparatus (100), the water is returned to the reservoir, ready for the next process. A small amount of water is retained in the processing vessel and is then re-circulated and cooled through an exchange, to be sprayed onto the products for cooling.
[0056] The use of pouches and trays has tended to work against this process as the flotation of packs needs to be controlled, leading to increased costs in basket manufacture and reduced flexibility. Half water immersion, where the vessel is half filled with water and a part of the rotation is in water and part out of the water.
[0057] In an exemplary embodiment, the processed food can be kept fresh natural and without any cold storage, chemical, refrigerant, radiation, colour, bacteria load, etc. Any person can do processing of dairy products, bakery products, fruits, vegetables, home food, non-vegetarian food like fish, chicken, mutton, egg, etc., without freezing and increase the shelf life.
[0058] In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus (100) provides a product in a crate or basket, in continuous systems such as hydro static, continuous rotary and Hydroloc systems, as conventionally these systems are universally used for metal cans and have not been widely used successfully for novel applications.
[0059] In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus (100) uses a plastic packaging for processing and packaging the food, which may be a thin, lightweight, flexible laminated plastic package used to hold processed foods. It is essentially a can and glass jar replacement product that combines the longevity of conventional food preservation methods with the convenience and benefits of a thin, relatively malleable container. The plastic pouch may be made from a laminate of flexible plastic and metal foils. It allows the sterile packaging of a wide variety of food and drink handled by aseptic processing, and may be used as an alternative to conventional industrial canning methods. In one embodiment, the packages may be sterilize in temperatures vary from 110 to 200°C. In plastic packaging, food is filled into a pouch or metal can, sealed, and then heated to extremely high temperatures, rendering the product commercially sterile. Typically, the processed food stored in jars and cans offers several advantages. It does not require refrigeration and has an extremely long, stable shelf life. The problem comes not from the preservation process, but in the cost and inconvenience associated with the packaging. Cans and glass jars are bulky and heavy. They take up a fair amount of storage space, increasing the transportation and warehousing costs. Thermal pouches are lightweight and provide packing efficiencies. As a result, they deliver substantial cost savings when it comes to transportation and shipping. Because these pouches lay flat when empty, they require less storage space before filling, reducing warehousing costs.
[0060] The lightweight packaging also provides cost savings and production efficiencies when it comes to the sterilization processes. The thermal sterilization process involves first filling the pouch and then exposing the sealed package to ultra-high heat. The thin packaging quickly transmits heat, permitting content sterilization to occur up to 30% faster than with jars and cans. Faster sterilization requires less energy and therefore costs less money. It also increases the production capacity and improves the overall taste of the product. Thermal pouches come with a variety of features, giving the opportunity to choose packaging solutions that work well with the food products and most directly meet the needs of the customers.
[0061] It should be noted that the description merely illustrates the principles of the present inventions. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described herein, embody the principles of the present invention. Furthermore, all examples recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for explanatory purposes to help the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.

,CLAIMS:We claim:
1. An apparatus (100) for processing one or more food packages, the apparatus (100) comprising:
a boiler (21) assembled to generate high pressurized steam, the boiler (21) comprises:
a plurality of heaters (27) assembled to process water received from a source and provide hot water inside the boiler (21); and
a hot air storage unit (29) assembled to generate and store the high pressurized steam by using the hot water;
a sterilization unit (11) connected with the boiler (21), the sterilization unit (11) assembled to perform thermal sterilization on the at least one food package placed inside the sterilization unit (11) by using the generated steam from the boiler (21), wherein the sterilization unit (11) comprises:
a spreader unit assembled to distribute the generated steam in a designated interior area within the sterilization unit (11) for a pre-determined time; and
one or more mist sprayer units (17) having a plurality of nozzles (17a, 17b, 17c, 17d), the mist sprayer unit (17) assembled to spread cool mist evenly through nozzles (17a, 17b, 17c, 17d) in the sterilization unit (11) to cool down the food package;
an electric generator (41) connected with the boiler (21), the electric generator (41) assembled to generate thermoelectricity by using the hot water received from an outlet connected with the boiler (21);
an electric controller (51) connected with the electric generator (41), the electric controller (51) assembled to control the generated thermoelectricity by receiving an input signal from the pre-defined measured value, comparing the value with a pre-determined control point of the apparatus (100), and determining the amount of an output signal;
a converter (61) connected with the electric controller (51), the converter (61) assembled to convert the generated thermoelectricity into electric current by using the electric energy from an external source based on the determined output signal;
a cooling unit (71) connected with the converter (61), the cooling unit (71) assembled to generate cool mist by using the electric current received from the converter (61), wherein the cooling unit (71) is assembled to supply the generated cool mist to the sterilization unit (11) through the mist sprayer units (17) with the help of the nozzles (17a, 17b, 17c, 17d) embodied inside the sterilization unit (11) to cool down the temperature inside the sterilization unit (11);
a sensing unit (81) connected with the boiler (21), the sterilization unit (11) and the cooling unit (71), the sensing unit (81) assembled to sense temperature, pressure and one or more pre-determined parameters of the food package placed inside the sterilization unit (11); and
a microcontroller (91) connected with the sensing unit (81), the boiler (21) and the cooling unit (71), the microcontroller (91) configured to transmit the instructions to the boiler (21) and the cooling unit (71) to deliver a pre-determined amount of the generated steam and the cool mist in the designated area of the sterilization unit (11) and maintain the pre-determined pressure and temperature based on the sensed parameters of the food package.

2. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising: an air compressor (31) connected with the hot air storage unit (29) of the boiler (21), the air compressor (31) is assembled to release the generated hot air in the hot air storage unit (29).

3. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the boiler (21) comprising:
a plurality of boiler valves (22, 23) assembled to relieve over-pressure of the steam inside the boiler (21); and
a plurality of boiler gauges (25, 26) assembled to maintain temperature and pressure inside the boiler (21).

4. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sterilization unit (11) comprising:
a plurality of unit valves (12, 13) assembled to relieve over-pressure of the steam inside the sterilization unit (11); and
a plurality of unit gauges (15, 16) assembled to maintain temperature and pressure inside the sterilization unit (11).

5. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claims 3 and 4, wherein the boiler valves (22, 23) and the unit valves (12, 13) include a release valve and a safety valve.

6. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 3 and 4, wherein the boiler gauges (25, 26) and the unit gauges (15, 16) include a pressure gauge and a temperature gauge.

7. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the boiler (21) comprising: a steam unit (28) assembled to deliver the high pressurized steam to the sterilization unit (11).

8. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooling unit (71) includes a mister unit or an air conditioning unit.

9. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sterilization unit (11) is assembled with the boiler (21) by using a valve (24).

10. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sterilization unit (11) includes a plurality of trays (200) assembled to place the one or more food packages inside the sterilization unit (11).

11. The apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameters include solid food, liquid food and combination thereof.