PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A FERMENTED LIQUID

Abstract

A process for producing a fermented liquid food product includes the following steps. A liquid is pasteurized. The liquid is completely or partially cooled. The liquid arrives in a tank. Ferments are added to the liquid in the tank. Before the liquid arrives in the tank, the tank is inerted through flushing a headspace of the tank with an inert gas.

Claims

1-5. (canceled)

6. A process for the production of a fermented liquid food, comprising the steps of: pasteurizing the liquid; cooling all or part of the liquid; arrival of the liquid in a tank; inoculating the liquid in the tank by ferments, wherein, before arrival of the liquid in the tank, the tank is inerted by flushing a headspace of the tank with a neutral gas that comprises nitrogen and optionally CO.sub.2.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein before arrival of the liquid in the tank and either downstream or upstream of the pasteurization, the neutral gas is injected in-line into the liquid at a flow rate of between 5 and 50 g per cubic meter of liquid.

8. The process of claim 6, wherein before arrival of the liquid in the tank and either downstream or upstream of the pasteurization, the neutral gas is injected in-line into the liquid at a flow rate of between 10 and 30 g per cubic meter of liquid.

9. The process of claim 6, wherein CO.sub.2 or a gas containing CO.sub.2 is injected into the liquid, for example in-line, before its arrival in the tank or else into the actual tank, preferentially in an amount of between 20 and 1500 mg/l and more preferentially of between 150 and 900 mg/l.

10. The process of claim 6, wherein said liquid is milk.

11. The process of claim 6, wherein: said liquid is a mixture of several liquid ingredients, and optionally solid ingredients; and mixing of the ingredients, to form the mixture, is carried out under inert conditions.

12. The process of claim 6, wherein the ferments are lactic acid bacteria.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0045] The appended FIG. 1 illustrates a partial diagrammatic view of a plant suitable for the implementation of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0046] The following plant elements can be recognized in the FIGURE: [0047] As reference 1: a milk storage vessel [0048] As 2: a pump [0049] As 3: a pasteurizer [0050] As 4: an in-line gas injector (for example a Venturi system) [0051] As 5: an inlet for the liquid via the bottom in the fermentation tank (10), which has been preinerted with nitrogen [0052] 6: a mixing shaft [0053] 7: an inlet for ferments

[0054] The present invention consequently relates to a process for the production of a fermented liquid food, comprising the following steps: [0055] the pasteurization of the liquid; [0056] its cooling in all or part; [0057] its arrival in a tank; [0058] the inoculation of the liquid contained in the tank by ferments, for example by lactic acid bacteria,

[0059] characterized in that the tank was, before the arrival of the liquid, inerted beforehand, for example by flushing the headspace of the tank using a neutral gas, such as nitrogen, containing or not containing CO.sub.2.

[0060] An inerting by flushing using a gas is touched on above but other methods can be envisaged, and in particular the use of the low pressure created during the aseptic cleaning of the tank and the injection of an inert gas, such as nitrogen, to compensate for the low pressure.

[0061] While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims. The present invention may suitably comprise, consist or consist essentially of the elements disclosed and may be practiced in the absence of an element not disclosed. Furthermore, if there is language referring to order, such as first and second, it should be understood in an exemplary sense and not in a limiting sense. For example, it can be recognized by those skilled in the art that certain steps can be combined into a single step.

[0062] The singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0063] “Comprising” in a claim is an open transitional term which means the subsequently identified claim elements are a nonexclusive listing i.e. anything else may be additionally included and remain within the scope of “comprising.” “Comprising” is defined herein as necessarily encompassing the more limited transitional terms “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of”; “comprising” may therefore be replaced by “consisting essentially of” or “consisting of” and remain within the expressly defined scope of “comprising”.

[0064] “Providing” in a claim is defined to mean furnishing, supplying, making available, or preparing something. The step may be performed by any actor in the absence of express language in the claim to the contrary.

[0065] Optional or optionally means that the subsequently described event or circumstances may or may not occur. The description includes instances where the event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not occur.

[0066] Ranges may be expressed herein as from about one particular value, and/or to about another particular value. When such a range is expressed, it is to be understood that another embodiment is from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value, along with all combinations within said range.

[0067] All references identified herein are each hereby incorporated by reference into this application in their entireties, as well as for the specific information for which each is cited.