Abstract: A container rinsing system has a nozzle adapted to be positioned proximate an opening of the container and adapted to direct a supply of air in any orientation to the container. A vacuum member is positioned around the air nozzle and adapted to vacuum foreign particles away from the container. A system comprises an air source and a manifold having a manifold inlet, an ionization unit, and a plurality of manifold outlets along with a plurality of air nozzles. Each nozzle has a nozzle inlet, a nozzle outlet, and a nozzle passageway extending between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet. The ionization unit is placed within the manifold, and the plurality of nozzles are located on the plurality of manifold outlets such that during operation air is ionized before entering the nozzles. The ionized air is used to clean containers.

Abstract: A container rinsing system has a nozzle adapted to be positioned proximate an opening of the container and adapted to direct a supply of air in any orientation to the container. A vacuum member is positioned around the air nozzle and adapted to vacuum foreign particles away from the container. A system comprises an air source and a manifold having a manifold inlet, an ionization unit, and a plurality of manifold outlets along with a plurality of air nozzles. Each nozzle has a nozzle inlet, a nozzle outlet, and a nozzle passageway extending between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet. The ionization unit is placed within the manifold, and the plurality of nozzles are located on the plurality of manifold outlets such that during operation air is ionized before entering the nozzles. The ionized air is used to clean containers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assisting the cooling or heating of product, such as beverages, in a container can include agitating the contents of the container to create movement and to generate eddy currents in the contents. The method and apparatus can help to reduce the temperature gradients in the contents and to increase the heat transfer rate of the contents while simultaneously cooling or heating the contents and simultaneously transporting the containers. The containers can be cooled or heated using a cooling or heating media, in a cooling or heating tunnel, or in a reservoir. Agitating the contents of the container can be accomplished with a vibration generator, which can be selected from a pulsating fluid, a shaker, a motor rotating an unbalanced mass, a tactile transducer, an acoustic device, and a subwoofer. The vibration generator can be a pulsating fluid that is also a cooling or heating media.

Abstract: An apparatus for sterile filling of beverage containers has a first module and a second module. The first module rinses and sterilizes empty containers and delivers the sterilized containers to the second module. The second module fills and caps the containers with beverage product at ambient temperature in an active sterilization zone utilizing an e-beam sterilization unit.

Abstract: A container rinsing system has a nozzle adapted to be positioned proximate an opening of the container and adapted to direct a supply of air in any orientation to the container. A vacuum member is positioned around the air nozzle and adapted to vacuum foreign particles away from the container. A system comprises an air source and a manifold having a manifold inlet, an ionization unit, and a plurality of manifold outlets along with a plurality of air nozzles. Each nozzle has a nozzle inlet, a nozzle outlet, and a nozzle passageway extending between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet. The ionization unit is placed within the manifold, and the plurality of nozzles are located on the plurality of manifold outlets such that during operation air is ionized before entering the nozzles. The ionized air is used to clean containers.

Abstract: An apparatus for sterile filling of beverage containers has a first module and a second module. The first module rinses and sterilizes empty containers and delivers the sterilized containers to the second module. The second module fills and caps the containers with beverage product at ambient temperature in an active sterilization zone utilizing an e-beam sterilization unit.

Abstract: A method and system for forming a beverage mixture comprising protein is disclosed. The method comprises heating the beverage in a heat exchanger, transferring the beverage to a hold loop located outside of the heat exchanger, and denaturizing the protein within the hold loop for a residence time, after the beverage is heated in the heat exchanger such that the denaturizing occurs outside of the heat exchanger to prevent fouling of the heat exchanger. The system comprises a beverage forming tank, a heat exchanger for heating the beverage, and a first hold loop separate from the heat exchanger, which is configured to hold the beverage for a residence time to denaturize a protein in the beverage.

Abstract: A container rinsing system has a nozzle adapted to be positioned proximate an opening of the container and adapted to direct a supply of air in any orientation to the container. A vacuum member is positioned around the air nozzle and adapted to vacuum foreign particles away from the container. A system comprises an air source and a manifold having a manifold inlet, an ionization unit, and a plurality of manifold outlets along with a plurality of air nozzles. Each nozzle has a nozzle inlet, a nozzle outlet, and a nozzle passageway extending between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet. The ionization unit is placed within the manifold, and the plurality of nozzles are located on the plurality of manifold outlets such that during operation air is ionized before entering the nozzles. The ionized air is used to clean containers.

Abstract: An apparatus for sterile filling of beverage containers has a first module and a second module. The first module rinses and sterilizes empty containers and delivers the sterilized containers to the second module. The second module fills and caps the containers with beverage product at ambient temperature in an active sterilization zone utilizing an e-beam sterilization unit.

Abstract: A method and system for forming a beverage mixture comprising protein is disclosed. The method comprises heating the beverage in a heat exchanger, transferring the beverage to a hold loop located outside of the heat exchanger, and denaturizing the protein within the hold loop for a residence time, after the beverage is heated in the heat exchanger such that the denaturizing occurs outside of the heat exchanger to prevent fouling of the heat exchanger. The system comprises a beverage forming tank, a heat exchanger for heating the beverage, and a first hold loop separate from the heat exchanger, which is configured to hold the beverage for a residence time to denaturize a protein in the beverage.

Abstract: An apparatus for sterile filling of beverage containers has a first module and a second module. The first module rinses and sterilizes empty containers and delivers the sterilized containers to the second module. The second module fills and caps the containers with beverage product at ambient temperature in an active sterilization zone utilizing an e-beam sterilization unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for sterile filling of beverage containers has a first module and a second module. The first module rinses and sterilizes empty containers and delivers the sterilized containers to the second module. The second module fills and caps the containers with beverage product at ambient temperature in an active sterilization zone utilizing an e-beam sterilization unit.

Abstract: A system comprising a pre-heater located downstream of where a product stream is formed and upstream of a heater that heats the product stream to a desired temperature, the pre-heater comprising a circulating stream of a first heat transfer stream that pre-heats the food product, a container cooler comprising a circulating stream of a second heat transfer stream that cools containers containing the heated food product coming out of the heater, and a heat exchanger where heat from the second heat transfer stream is transferred to the first heat transfer stream. A method for using the system is also disclosed. The product can be a food product, including but not limited to a beverage. The container containing the heated product can be any suitable container, including but not limited to bottles and cans.

Abstract: A method and system for producing a flavored beverage wherein the flavor is added in a separate step to a combination of the base ingredients after the base liquid has been pasteurized by, for example, thermal heating. The flavor can be added to a continuous stream of the base liquid after a thermally processed hot-fill beverage base liquid is made up. A return loop conduit of the hot-fill beverage base liquid portion of the system is capable of diverting the heated hot-fill beverage base liquid in a stable state, that is, at the desired temperatures ready for continued beverage production, while the flavor may be switched over in a downstream flavor dosing portion of the system. The system may be used to produce a desired batch of flavored beverage by producing a first flavor, cleaning only that portion of the system to remove the first flavor and then changing over the flavor additive component to a desired second flavor.

Abstract: A fluid processing system has a plurality of segments configured to receive flow of a fluid product. Each of the plurality of segments has a line input, a line output, a cleaning input valve, and a cleaning discharge valve. The cleaning input valve connects to the line input and the cleaning discharge valve connects to the line output. A cleaning medium is provided wherein the cleaning medium is injected into a respective cleaning input valve and drained through a respective cleaning discharge valve, such that each segment can be cleaned independently of each other.

Abstract: A container rinsing system has a nozzle adapted to be positioned proximate an opening of the container and adapted to direct a supply of air in any orientation to the container. A vacuum member is positioned around the air nozzle and adapted to vacuum foreign particles away from the container. A system comprises an air source and a manifold having a manifold inlet, an ionization unit, and a plurality of manifold outlets along with a plurality of air nozzles. Each nozzle has a nozzle inlet, a nozzle outlet, and a nozzle passageway extending between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet. The ionization unit is placed within the manifold, and the plurality of nozzles are located on the plurality of manifold outlets such that during operation air is ionized before entering the nozzles. The ionized air is used to clean containers.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a chamber where a base concentrate common to at least a first flavored food product and a second flavored food product is formed, the first flavored food product having different flavoring than the second flavored food product, the base concentrate having a first temperature. The apparatus also comprises a process line that receives the base concentrate from the chamber, heated liquid from a heated liquid source, and flavoring from either a first flavor source or a second flavor source to form a mixture of base concentrate, heated liquid and flavoring. The mixture has a has second temperature sufficient to achieve a change in the mixture selected from the group consisting of microbial change, chemical change, biochemical change, and enzymatic change, and combinations thereof. A method is also disclosed for change over from forming a first flavored food product to forming a second flavored food product.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a chamber where a base concentrate common to at least a first flavored food product and a second flavored food product is formed, the first flavored food product having different flavoring than the second flavored food product, the base concentrate having a first temperature. The apparatus also comprises a process line that receives the base concentrate from the chamber, heated liquid from a heated liquid source, and flavoring from either a first flavor source or a second flavor source to form a mixture of base concentrate, heated liquid and flavoring. The mixture has a has second temperature sufficient to achieve a change in the mixture selected from the group consisting of microbial change, chemical change, biochemical change, and enzymatic change, and combinations thereof. A method is also disclosed for change over from forming a first flavored food product to forming a second flavored food product.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a chamber where a base concentrate common to at least a first flavored food product and a second flavored food product is formed, the first flavored food product having different flavoring than the second flavored food product, the base concentrate having a first temperature. The apparatus also comprises a process line that receives the base concentrate from the chamber, heated liquid from a heated liquid source, and flavoring from either a first flavor source or a second flavor source to form a mixture of base concentrate, heated liquid and flavoring. The mixture has a has second temperature sufficient to achieve a change in the mixture selected from the group consisting of microbial change, chemical change, biochemical change, and enzymatic change, and combinations thereof. A method is also disclosed for change over from forming a first flavored food product to forming a second flavored food product.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a chamber where a base concentrate common to at least a first flavored food product and a second flavored food product is formed, the first flavored food product having different flavoring than the second flavored food product, the base concentrate having a first temperature. The apparatus also comprises a process line that receives the base concentrate from the chamber, heated liquid from a heated liquid source, and flavoring from either a first flavor source or a second flavor source to form a mixture of base concentrate, heated liquid and flavoring. The mixture has a has second temperature sufficient to achieve a change in the mixture selected from the group consisting of microbial change, chemical change, biochemical change, and enzymatic change, and combinations thereof A method is also disclosed for change over from forming a first flavored food product to forming a second flavored food product.