Opposition Filed Opposition filed by Unilever N.V. EP Register Verified

System for production of aseptic food product sterilised by ohmic heating with later addition of saltwater

Publication No. EP1886574

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App No. EP07290876

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Filed by Campbell Soup Company

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Filed on 2007-07-11

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Issued/Published on 2009-04-22

Official EPO Register

Publication No. EP1886574 A1

Application No. EP07290876 Filed: 2007-07-11

Grant Date 2009-04-22 Mention of grant

Active Oppositions 1 Active EPO Oppositions

Patent Abstract / Summary

Sterilizing a food composition formed from a heterogeneous mixture of at least one liquid phase and solid particles involves preparing a concentrated liquid/particles phase with a reduced amount of salt, a sterilization involving a phase of ohmic heating and a phase of holding the concentrated phase, cooling the sterile concentrated phase and packaging. The concentrated phase is mixed after the heating phase with an aqueous phase comprising sterile salted water for formulation of the heterogeneous mixture of at least one liquid phase and solid particles. An independent claim is included for an installation for sterilizing the food composition comprising a mixer supplied with a salted sterile aqueous phase and a concentrated liquid/particles phase with a reduced amount of salt, and a sterilizer of the concentrated phase including at least one ohmic heating tube (6a, 6b) and at least one holding tube (8) and a cooling system.

IPC Classifications

A23B4/005, A23B4/01, A23L3/00, A23L3/005, A23L3/22, H05B3/60, H05B3/00

Priority Claims

FR 20060006758 Date: 2006-07-24

Designated Contracting States (32 EPC States)

Austria (AT)

Belgium (BE)

Bulgaria (BG)

Switzerland (CH)

Cyprus (CY)

Czech Republic (CZ)

Germany (DE)

Denmark (DK)

Estonia (EE)

Spain (ES)

Finland (FI)

France (FR)

United Kingdom (GB)

Greece (GR)

Hungary (HU)

Ireland (IE)

Iceland (IS)

Italy (IT)

Liechtenstein (LI)

Lithuania (LT)

Luxembourg (LU)

Latvia (LV)

Monaco (MC)

Malta (MT)

Netherlands (NL)

Poland (PL)

Portugal (PT)

Romania (RO)

Sweden (SE)

Slovenia (SI)

Slovakia (SK)

Turkey (TR)

Parties & Representation

Applicants

Campbell Soup Company

One Campbell Place, Camden NJ 08103-1799

Campbell France S.A.S

Route de Carpentras, 84130 Le Pontet

Inventors (1)

Dock, Guillaume

16 Chemin Saint Roch, 84510 Caumont sur Durance

Representatives / Agents

Novagraaf Technologies

Bâtiment O2, 2, Rue Sarah Bernhardt

Bredema

38, avenue de l'Opéra, 75002 Paris

Tjon, Hon Kong Guno

Unilever N.V., Unilever Patent Group

Key Procedural Dates

Request-For-Examination 2008-06-20

Mention Of Grant Published 2009-04-22

First-Examination-Report-Despatched 2008-11-10

Patent Oppositions

Official opposition proceedings filed against European Patent EP1886574 under EPC Article 99.

1 ACTIVE OPPONENT

Opponent Company

Unilever N.V.

Weena 455 /, NL

Representative

Tjon, Hon Kong Guno

Filing Date

2010-01-20

Opposition in Progress

Patent & Non-Patent Citations

Cited documents and prior art referenced in search and examination reports.

4 Citations

Cited Patent Documents

GB2237722

Espacenet

EP1290949

Espacenet

GB1235494

Espacenet

US5829224

Espacenet

Official File Inspection EPC Art. 128 Public Dossier

Complete European Patent Register Dossier (148 Total Documents)

The full inspection file for Application EP07290876 contains 148 total documents, including all notices of opposition, proprietor counter-statements, examination communications, third-party observations, and procedural forms. Below are all major recorded procedural filings and publication specifications.

Open 148-Doc Register Dossier

Procedural Step

Date: 2013-07-05 Procedure: Examination OBAP

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System for production of aseptic food product sterilised by ohmic heating with later addition of saltwater

Patent Abstract / Summary

IPC Classifications

Priority Claims

Designated Contracting States (32 EPC States)

Parties & Representation

Applicants

Inventors (1)

Representatives / Agents

Key Procedural Dates

Patent Oppositions

Unilever N.V.

Legal Status & Event History

Patent & Non-Patent Citations

Cited Patent Documents

Worldwide Patent Family

Complete European Patent Register Dossier (148 Total Documents)

Recorded Filings & Patent Specifications

European Patent Specification - Granted Patent (B1)

Official European Patent Register Full Dossier

European Patent Application with Search Report (A1)

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

Change - lapse in a contracting state

Revocation of patent

New entry: Despatch of communication that patent is revoked

New entry: Decision (+date) in appeal procedure

Revocation of the patent

New entry: Receipt of observations in an appeal

New entry: Invitation to file observations in an appeal + time limit

Observations in an appeal

New entry: Date of receipt of statement of grounds of an appeal

Change: Appeal number

New entry: Date of receipt of notice of appeal

New entry: Appeal number

New entry: Despatch of communication that opposition is rejected

Rejection of opposition

New entry: Despatch of minutes of oral proceedings

Oral proceedings

New entry: Date of oral proceedings

Change - lapse in a contracting state

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

New entry: Reply of patent proprietor to notice(s) of opposition

Change: Communication of a notice of opposition and request to file observations + time limit

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

Invitation to proprietor to file observations on the notice of opposition

New entry: Communication of a notice of opposition and request to file observations + time limit

Opposition filed

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

(Expected) grant

New entry: Payment of fee for grant

New entry: Payment of fee for publishing/printing

Intention to grant the patent

New entry: Communication of intention to grant a patent

Definitive list of designations

Change - applicant

Request for examination filed

Amendment by applicant

Amendments

Publication in section I.1 EP Bulletin

Language of the procedure

International searching authority

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