The disclosure relates to a method for regulating a velocity of a conveyor belt of a container treatment machine, such as a pasteurizer, in a filling line having a plurality of machines, wherein the method comprises: monitoring a current output of the filling line; when it is determined that the current output falls below a predefined nominal output, operating the conveyor belt at an effective velocity by a timed operation of the conveyor belt at a nominal velocity for a first time period and with stoppage of the conveyor belt for a second time period. The disclosure further relates to a device for carrying out the method, wherein the device comprises a container treatment machine with a conveyor belt.

The disclosure relates to methods for operating a pasteurizing device for pasteurizing foods filled into sealed containers. The foods are treated in treatment zones by applying a tempered, aqueous treatment liquid to an exterior of the containers. The treatment liquid is re-supplied to at least one treatment zone for reuse via circulation circuit pipes of a circulation circuit. A partial flow of the treatment liquid is continuously removed from the circulation circuit and filtered by means of a membrane filtration means. Furthermore, a biocide is apportioned to the treatment liquid as process chemical, such that a concentration of the biocide does not exceed 0.4 mmol/L. In addition, a pH-regulating agent comprising at least one inorganic or organic acid is apportioned to the treatment liquid as process chemical, such that a pH value of the treatment liquid is set to a range from 3.5 to 7.0.

Apparatus and method for pasteurizing food products and ready meals in hermetically sealed packages (22) by means of microwaves, comprising a microwave chamber (14); a lower conveyor belt (20) for the packages (22); an upper conveyor belt (18), extending substantially horizontally and vertically movable, and a microwave source (16) located below the lower conveyor belt (20), the microwave chamber (14) being under atmospheric ambient pressure. The apparatus comprises a cooling plate (10) in close contact with the upper conveyor belt (18) so that during microwave heating the top of the package (22) is cooled to below the condensation point of water vapor and overpressure in the package is avoided.

Provided herein are a microwave retort system and a process for heating food products using a microwave retort system, such as to pasteurization and/or sterilization temperatures. Food product formulated for treatment in microwave retort processes are also provided. In one aspect, the microwave retort system includes a microwave zone having one or more microwave temperature sections in which a liquid medium is maintained at a temperature below sterilization temperatures during the microwaving process. The processes and systems described herein heat the products to pasteurization or sterilization temperatures while preventing the products, including outer surfaces, reaching a temperature greater than 135 F. The microwave retort processes and systems advantageously provide products with the taste and organoleptic properties equivalent to or nearly equivalent to an otherwise identical freshly prepared product and significantly better than otherwise identical food products that have undergone a conventional immersion or saturated steam retort process.

A method for the production of a stabilized packaged food product comprising the steps of: filling a tray with a predetermined quantity of a food starting material; introducing the tray into a pressure vessel and conveying the tray through the pressure vessel while performing the following steps in sequence inside the pressure vessel: (i) treating the food starting material with high-temperature pressurized steam to sterilize the material, and (ii) dosing the sterile food material inside said tray with a predetermined amount of sterile water; and (iii) applying a lid to the tray to seal the food product inside the tray while maintaining the tray in a sterile environment. Suitable food starting materials comprise starchy food products, such as rice, wheat or pasta, and/or meat or vegetable pieces. Also provided are an apparatus for performing the method and packaged stabilized full moisture food products obtainable by the process.

An apparatus for thermally processing food products in sealed packages comprises heating/cooling chambers with an endless conveyor guided through them with product carriers connected thereto. Each product carrier 10 comprises insertion spaces 17 for packages 27 to be placed in. A side wall 11 of the carrier 10 comprises slits 20 which open out towards insertion openings of the respective insertion spaces 17. Operating members are provided which comprise load bearing organs 32 with operable holding means 33 for picking up and carrying packages 27. The load bearing organs 32 are movable in an insertion direction x while projecting through the slits 20 during placing of packages 27 into the insertion spaces 17.

Carriers suitable for transporting a plurality of articles through a microwave heating zone are provided. Carriers as described herein may include an outer frame and upper and lower support structures vertically spaced from one another to provide a cargo volume into which the articles are loaded. At least a portion of the upper and/or lower support structures may be formed of an electrically conductive material. Additionally, the carrier may include removable article spacing members, such as vertical spacing members and dividers, that can be selectively inserted to adjust the size and/or shaper of the cargo volume. Carriers as described herein may be configured to receive a variety of different articles, including trays and pouches, and the articles may be loaded into the carrier in a nested or overlapping manner.

Carriers suitable for transporting a plurality of articles through a microwave heating zone are provided. Carriers as described herein may include an outer frame and upper and lower support structures vertically spaced from one another to provide a cargo volume into which the articles are loaded. At least a portion of the upper and/or lower support structures may be formed of an electrically conductive material. Additionally, the carrier may include removable article spacing members, such as vertical spacing members and dividers, that can be selectively inserted to adjust the size and/or shaper of the cargo volume. Carriers as described herein may be configured to receive a variety of different articles, including trays and pouches, and the articles may be loaded into the carrier in a nested or overlapping manner.

A carrier for processing a container in a thermal processing system includes a carrier body having an exterior configured to roll in the thermal processing system. The container includes a container body extending between first and second container ends. The carrier body has a first end portion configured to receive the first container end and a second end portion opposite the first end portion. A retention system is disposed within the second end portion of the carrier body that is configured to engage the second container end and retain the container within the body.

A tunnel pasteurizer having a tunnel, through which the material to be pasteurized is conducted and sprayed or sprinkled with water, and with a trap region for the draining water arranged on the bottom of the tunnel, pasteurizer and a plurality of temperature zones arranged in the transport direction, and the trap region is divided into separate trap zones which correspond to the temperature zones, from which the water is re-supplied to the respective tunnel zones, and comprising a control means for controlling the water temperature in the temperature zones. To improve control of the temperature in the individual temperature zones, the control and the tubing of the trap zones is adapted such that water can selectively be taken from the individual trap zones for temperature control and can selectively be returned to other temperature zones, wherein water is buffered in the individual temperature zones separate from other temperature zones in a respective zone buffer.