Aseptic packaging applications in foods

In food production , goods due to the packaging, transportation, storage process of continuous contamination of various microorganisms , and makes a wide variety of items with a lot of micro-organisms , especially food susceptible to bacterial infection , so aseptic packaging technology is widely applied to food packaging.

The so-called aseptic packaging in the case of being sterile packaging, packaging materials or containers , packaging aids , for filling and sealing of a package in a sterile environment. Aseptic packaging is mainly related to the food and beverage packaging, followed by heat-sensitive products. Aseptically sterilized food packaging ( such as beverages , dairy products , etc. ) packaged in a sterile environment , enclosed in the sterilized container , without the addition of preservatives to not get longer shelf life under refrigerated conditions by .

Currently , sterile packaged fresh food industry in each country are most prevalent , and its application is not limited to fruit juices and juice drinks , but also for packaging milk, mineral water and wine. Britain has one-third of the use of aseptic packaging beverages , apple juice has been used in Canada aseptic processing technology . Japan developed a calcium phosphate mineral is concentrated absorbent material bags for packaging vegetables and fruits and other foods, fruits and vegetables, so that the supply of nutrients from the mineral concentrate obtained solution , the absorption of ethylene vac tray and carbon dioxide gas released from fruits and vegetables , decomposition of chlorophyll inhibition plays the effect of maintaining freshness . U.S. market with natural active clay and polyethylene plastic bags of fresh fruit , like a very fine filter screen , gas and water vapor flow through the bags , so the shelf life of fruits and vegetables more than doubled , and the bags can be reusable, easy recovery , the price is not higher than ordinary plastic bags.

Aseptic packaging in food use

UHT technology. UHT (UHT) is heated to a high temperature in an instant food to achieve sterilization purposes. UHT sterilization method temperature 135 -145 , only 3 seconds to 5 seconds to completely kill the microbial spores . UHT UHT heating method is divided into direct and indirect UHT heating method .

Pasteurization technology. Pasteurization of food technology is filled and sealed packaging container, maintaining the temperature at a certain time below 100 , to kill bacteria within the packaging container . Pasteurization can kill most pathogens, while for non- pathogenic and spoilage bacteria it is not enough ability to kill spores , if pasteurized combine with other storage means , such as refrigeration, freezing , oxygen, packing with packaging design , the preservation of certain requirements .

Ohm sterilization techniques. Sterilization is achieved by the ohmic electrode current liquid containing particles directly into the product , using the dielectric properties of the food itself , that energy into heat energy for heating food . APV UK company from the 1980s began to study Ohm UHT pasteurization systems , has developed a 75kw to 300kw commercial models, and by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and recognition in 1993 . Aseptic processing high-acid foods company APV ohmic heating UHT sterilization system can be used for more than a block sizeplastic box of 25mm strawberries , kiwi fruit or meat massive low-acid liquid foods. Ohmic heating UHT sterilization system in Europe , America, Japan has been widely used .

UHT sterilization resistance heating method . UHT sterilization resistance heating means is most appropriate food preparations containing dissolved salts of the free ions in the water , has good electrical conductivity, according to Ohm’s law , the current heating the material to a continuous flow of materials through the channels , and the heating range food and food conductivity uniformity of residence time in the heater was heated on a direct UHT system .

Mounted in food packaging development prospects

Aseptic packaging in food packaging a large proportion of , for example, sterile pouch milk , the price is cheaper, the clear plastic packaging flavor is good, but save for a long time at room temperature, manufacturers, consumers would welcome such a packaged product , the plastic trays not only to overcome the geographical constraints of production , but also removed the required cold chain during transport , in favor of market expansion. According to statistics, more than 70% liquid aseptic packaging , aseptic carton packaging the world’s annual consumption of more than 1,000 one hundred million .

Various aseptic packaging equipment about 300 sets of annual production capacity of over 1.5 million tons . Tetra Pak , Sweden , Switzerland and the United States SIG Combibloc International Paper aseptic carton packaging sector is dominating the Big Three . With economic development and people’s living standards improve , the demand for convenience foods is bound to greatly increase , and will certainly promote the further development of aseptic packaging

Aseptic packaging PK hot filling and packaging , the former will have an advantage to win. Some industry insiders believe , sterile plastic packaging will quickly replace hot-fill PET bottles. Their reasons are : the bottle lighter , cheaper, shorter treatment time will further improve the taste and nutritional value of the product . The hot filling line beverage industry consists of many urgent need to update obsolete equipment . President of Business Development Association GordonBockner very familiar with the PET market and related technologies , he believes that the North American market, low-acid beverages will be extensive use of PET bottle aseptic filling . “Tea drinks , milk and En-sure and nutritional supplements such as Boost product is very suitable for this technology .” Bockner said , “There can not be used PET bottles are usually sterile filling , because the FDA had prohibited the use of fungicides other than hydrogen peroxide , while the hydrogen peroxide can not be used PET material , hydrogen peroxide is absorbed PET, have a negative impact on product taste .

Ray-Pak packaging consulting firm RayBourque president also believes that the future trend of low-acid products are plastic bottles aseptic filling . “In particular, some of the new generation of drinks , both from the perspective of quality and nutrients are no longer suitable for hot filling .” Bourque said, ” At the same time , aseptic filling systems continue to improve in recent years . plastic packaging Sterile room area more smaller plastic packaging box and smaller , as compared with the plastic packaging design linear rotating speed is further improved. aseptic filling of cost reduction , more simplified process , the aseptic filling of the lower threshold . ” aseptic packaging technology in the dairy industry not only have a good development, but also in other sectors has also been considerable development. China’s beverage industry, a large number of large enterprise technology and equipment has approached or reached the international clamshell packaging advanced level , a lot of future demand for packaging equipment and beverage industry , especially tea, fruit juice and other non-carbonated beverage filling equipment, paper and plastic sterile PET bottle packaging and aseptic packaging equipment market and good prospects ; market demand for fruit juice beverage production before processing equipment , frozen concentrated juice devices , a variety of packaging equipment and ultra- high-temperature sterilization equipment is also great.

At present , the overall level of national packaging industry for many years behind compared to developed countries , but this gap also shows potential for developing China’s packaging industry. Aseptically packaged products, in developed countries , such packaging accounted for more than 65% of the entire beverage packaging , and 5% -10 % annual growth rate in some countries the per capita annual consumption of more than 100 packages. And China’s per capita annual consumption of more than just a package , far from the world’s average level of 20 packets. Therefore, aseptic packaging in China has great potential for development

Source: http://goo.gl/bxVzac