Post-filing heat dwell for small-sized hot filled juice beverage containers

摘要

A method and system incorporates a warming tunnel closely downstream of a hot filling apparatus which is set up to fill relatively small volume capacity polymeric containers of not greater than 12 fluid ounces. The hot filled containers are conveyed through a warming tunnel which provides a heated environment which is higher in temperature than the environment, thereby maintaining the temperature of the beverage within the containers at an adequate temperature for an adequate time so as to complete needed heat treatment of the beverage in each such small container.