Aseptic packaging of foods

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN ASEPTIC PACKAGED FOOD PRODUCT WHICH COMPRISES DISPOSES A FILLING MACHING HAVING A COVERED FILLING ZONE IN A COMPLETELY WALLED PRESSURE-SEALED CLEAN ROOM, SPRAYING THE ATMOSPHERE AND ALL SURFACES OF THE CLEAN ROOM AND OF SAID FILLING ZONE WITH A LIQUID SOLUTION OF A MICROORGANISM-KILLING AGENT FOR A TIME LONG ENOUGH TO KILL ALL MICROORGANISMS PRESENT, AND MAINTAINING SAID AGENT ON SAID SURFACES THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF SAID METHOD, THEN FLOWING FILTERED PRESTERILIZED AIR THROUGH THE CLEAN ROOM IN A PATH ACROSS OUTER SURFACE OF SAID MACHINE AND OVER AND PAST AN OPERATOR ADJACENT THERETO, THEREBY PICKING UP ANY MICROORGANISMS FROM THE OPERATOR AND CARRYING THE SAME AWAY FROM THE MACHINE, REMOVING SAID AIR THROUGH A CLOSABLE OPENING IN THE ROOM, FLOWING FILTERED PRESTERILIZED AIR THROUGH SAID COVERED FILLING ZONE AND REMOVING THE SAME FROM THE PRODUCT DISCHARGE END OF THE MACHING AND FROM SAID ROOM, MAINTAINING AIR PRESSURE IN SAID ROOM AT A SILIGHTLY SUPERATMOSPHERIC VALUE TO PREVENT ENTRY OF MICROORGANISMS FROM THE ATMOSPHERE OUTSIDE THE CLEAN ROOM, MAINTAINING AIR PRESSURE IN THE FILING ZONE HIGHER THAN IN SAID CLEAN ROOM, AND CONTAINING SAID AIR FLOWS AS LONG AS THE OPERATOR ATTENDS SAID MACHINE, COINCIDENTLY WITH SAID AIR FLOWS, FLOWING SAID FOOD PRODUCT THROUGH A HEATING ZONE, HEATING THE FOOD THEREIN AT A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH AND FOR A TIME SUFFICIENTLY LONG AS TO KILL MICROORGANISM CONTAINED THEREIN, FLOWING THE STERILE FOOD THROUGH A PRESTERILIZED COOLING ZONE, FLOWING THE COOLED FOOD TO SAID FILLING MACHINE IN THE CLEAN ROOM, ASEPTICALLY INTRODUCING A STACK OF PRESTERILIZED CONTAINERS AND A STACK OF PRESTERILIZED CONTAINER LIDS TO SAID FILLING ZONE OF THE MACHINE, ASEPTICALLY FILLING EACH CONTAINER WITH STERILE FOOD AND CAPPING AND SEALING THE SAME IN SAID MACHINE, AND REMOVING SEALED CONTAINERS FROM THE MACHINE AND FROM THE CLEAN ROOM THROUGH A CLOSABLE EXIT IN THE LATTER WHILE MAINTAINING THE AIR PRESSURE THEREIN AT SAID SUPERATMOSPHERIC VALUE, SAID FOOD PRODUCT IN THE NON-STERILE STATE BEING PERISHABLE IF NOT REFRIGERATED, AND SAID SEALED CONTAINERS OF STERILE FOOD PRODUCT BEING STORABLE WITHOUT REFRIGERATION FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AT LEAST TWICE AS LONG AS THE STORAGE PERIOD OF THE REFRIGERATED NON-STERILE FOOD.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN ASEPTIC PACKAGED FOOD PRODUCT WHICH COMPRISES DISPOSES A FILLING MACHING HAVING A COVERED FILLING ZONE IN A COMPLETELY WALLED PRESSURE-SEALED CLEAN ROOM, SPRAYING THE ATMOSPHERE AND ALL SURFACES OF THE CLEAN ROOM AND OF SAID FILLING ZONE WITH A LIQUID SOLUTION OF A MICROORGANISM-KILLING AGENT FOR A TIME LONG ENOUGH TO KILL ALL MICROORGANISMS PRESENT, AND MAINTAINING SAID AGENT ON SAID SURFACES THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF SAID METHOD, THEN FLOWING FILTERED PRESTERILIZED AIR THROUGH THE CLEAN ROOM IN A PATH ACROSS OUTER SURFACE OF SAID MACHINE AND OVER AND PAST AN OPERATOR ADJACENT THERETO, THEREBY PICKING UP ANY MICROORGANISMS FROM THE OPERATOR AND CARRYING THE SAME AWAY FROM THE MACHINE, REMOVING SAID AIR THROUGH A CLOSABLE OPENING IN THE ROOM, FLOWING FILTERED PRESTERILIZED AIR THROUGH SAID COVERED FILLING ZONE AND REMOVING THE SAME FROM THE PRODUCT DISCHARGE END OF THE MACHING AND FROM SAID ROOM, MAINTAINING AIR PRESSURE IN SAID ROOM AT A SILIGHTLY SUPERATMOSPHERIC VALUE TO PREVENT ENTRY OF MICROORGANISMS FROM THE ATMOSPHERE OUTSIDE THE CLEAN ROOM, MAINTAINING AIR PRESSURE IN THE FILING ZONE HIGHER THAN IN SAID CLEAN ROOM, AND CONTAINING SAID AIR FLOWS AS LONG AS THE OPERATOR ATTENDS SAID MACHINE, COINCIDENTLY WITH SAID AIR FLOWS, FLOWING SAID FOOD PRODUCT THROUGH A HEATING ZONE, HEATING THE FOOD THEREIN AT A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH AND FOR A TIME SUFFICIENTLY LONG AS TO KILL MICROORGANISM CONTAINED THEREIN, FLOWING THE STERILE FOOD THROUGH A PRESTERILIZED COOLING ZONE, FLOWING THE COOLED FOOD TO SAID FILLING MACHINE IN THE CLEAN ROOM, ASEPTICALLY INTRODUCING A STACK OF PRESTERILIZED CONTAINERS AND A STACK OF PRESTERILIZED CONTAINER LIDS TO SAID FILLING ZONE OF THE MACHINE, ASEPTICALLY FILLING EACH CONTAINER WITH STERILE FOOD AND CAPPING AND SEALING THE SAME IN SAID MACHINE, AND REMOVING SEALED CONTAINERS FROM THE MACHINE AND FROM THE CLEAN ROOM THROUGH A CLOSABLE EXIT IN THE LATTER WHILE MAINTAINING THE AIR PRESSURE THEREIN AT SAID SUPERATMOSPHERIC VALUE, SAID FOOD PRODUCT IN THE NON-STERILE STATE BEING PERISHABLE IF NOT REFRIGERATED, AND SAID SEALED CONTAINERS OF STERILE FOOD PRODUCT BEING STORABLE WITHOUT REFRIGERATION FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AT LEAST TWICE AS LONG AS THE STORAGE PERIOD OF THE REFRIGERATED NON-STERILE FOOD.

Claim 8

A method for the production of an aseptic product in a covered filling zone of a filling machine disposed in a pressure-sealed clean room which comprises applying to the atmosphere and the surfaces of the clean room and the filling zone a liquid solution of a microorganism-killing agent to kill all microorganisms present, and maintaining said agent on said surfaces throughout the course of said method; then flowing filtered presterilized air through the clean room across said machine and over and past an operator for said machine, thereby picking up any microorganisms and carrying the same away from the machine, removing said air from said room, flowing filtered presterilized air through said filling zone and removing the same, maintaining air pressure in the clean room at a slightly superatmospheric value to prevent entry of microorganisms, maintaining air pressure in the filling zone higher than in said clean room, and continuing said air flows as long as the operator attends the machine; coincidently with said air flows, flowing presterilized product to said filling machine, aseptically introducing presterilized contAiners and lids to the filling zone of the machine, aseptically filling each container with sterile product and capping and sealing the same in said zone, and removing sealed containers from the machine and from the clean room while maintaining the air pressure therein at said superatmospheric value.

Claim 9

A method for the production of an aseptic product in a covered filling zone of a filling machine disposed in a pressure-sealed clean room which comprises applying to the atmosphere and the surfaces of the clean room and the filling zone a liquid solution of a microorganism-killing agent to kill all microorganisms present, and maintaining said agent on said surfaces throughout the course of said method; then flowing filtered presterilized air through the clean room across said machine and over and past an operator for said machine, thereby picking up any microorganisms and carrying the same away from the machine, removing said air from said room, flowing filtered presterilized air through said filling zone and removing the same, maintaining air pressure in the clean room at a slightly superatmospheric value to prevent entry of microorganisms, maintaining air pressure in the filling zone higher than in said clean room, and continuing said air flows as long as the operator attends the machine; coincidently with said air flows, flowing presterilized product to said filling machine, aseptically introducing presterilized contAiners and lids to the filling zone of the machine, aseptically filling each container with sterile product and capping and sealing the same in said zone, and removing sealed containers from the machine and from the clean room while maintaining the air pressure therein at said superatmospheric value.