Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd.

Chikako Sunohara

Takeshi Iwashita

Kenichi Kominami

Makoto Sawada

Miki Hirabayashi

Shigeru Sakai

For reducing time required for sterilizing a container by hydrogen peroxide, mitigating a cost required therefore, simplifying a sterilizing apparatus, reducing space for installing such apparatus, and mitigating load to the environment, a method for sterilizing a container is provided according to which hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution, air at the normal temperature and hot air are simultaneously injected into a container whereby the hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution which has been turned to minute droplets by the air at the normal temperature is instantly gasified.

Method for sterilizing a container and 3-fluid nozzle used for carrying out the method

A method for producing contents filled in a container comprising steps of introducing a polyester container with a non-crystallized neck portion into a sterilized closed space having sterility and closed state on a commercial basis and comprising at least space in which a bottle sterilizing process is performed, space in which a filling process is performed and space in which a sealing process is performed, entire inner surface of said sterilized closed space and surface of an apparatus disposed in said sterilized closed space being sterilized by wet heating of the space using heated water and/or steam, at least the space in which the filling process is performed and the space in which the sealing process is performed being kept under a positive pressure by sterilized air; heating and sterilizing the container at least in its inner surface by wet heating using hot water and/or steam; and filling the contents in the sterilized container at a filling temperature within a temperature range from 40&#xb0; C. to a temperature less than glass transition temperature which is determined by moisture content of the container and then sealing the container.

Method of producing contents filed in a container

The present invention provides an aqueous solution of a sterilant of peracetic acid series for use in aseptic filling comprised predominantly of hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid and water wherein a pH of the aqueous solution is 2&#x2dc;4, a ratio of the concentration of hydrogen peroxide/the concentration of peracetic acid is 0.7 or less, and the concentration of peracetic acid is 500&#x2dc;3000 ppm as well as a sterilization method wherein the sterilant thereof is used. The sterilant of peracetic acid series exhibits an excellent sterilizing effect even at an extremely low concentration of peracetic acid and so is economically advantageous. What is more, washing of the sterilant with sterile water after sterilization of a container is attained by injecting sterile water even for a short period of time to such level that the sterilized container can be filled with foods and drinks, so that the sterilant is remarkable in economical value and working efficiency. The sterilization method is carried out by heating the sterilant of peracetic acid series and/or a container for foods and the like or the interior surface thereof at 60&#xb0; C. or higher to obtain more effective sterilizing effect and can be used in a recycling system, so far as a ratio of the concentration of hydrogen peroxide/the concentration of peracetic acid be maintained.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Chikako Sunohara