Aseptic packaging

A. Lopez, ed., A Complete Course in Canning Book II Packaging Aseptic Processing Ingredients, The Canning Trade, Inc., Baltimore, Md., 1987. 

Packaging. Aseptic packaging was developed in conjunction with high temperature processing and has contributed to make sterilized milk and milk products a commercial reaUty. 

For food and pharmaceutical applications, the microbial count must be reduced to less than 10,000 viable cells per g exopolysaccharide. Treatment with propylene oxide gas has been used for reducing the number of viable cells in xanthan powders. The patented process involves propylene oxide treatment for 3 h in a tumbling reactor. There is an initial evacuation step before propylene oxide exposure. After treatment, evacuation and tumbling are alternated and if necessary the reactor is flushed with sterile nitrogen gas to reduce the residual propylene oxide level below the Food and Drug Administration permitted maximum (300 mg kg 1). The treated polysaccharide is then packaged aseptically. 

Figure 13.12. Illustration of the concurrent engineering approach for the design of a packaging adapted to liquidfat or dairy products packaged aseptically and refrigerated or stored at room temperature. (Fora color version of this figure, see www.iste.co.uk/hamaide/polymers.zip)...

The sealed packaging has a defined shelf life during which it should protect the sterilised content against contamination [5]. The user should be able to open the packaging aseptically. 

Aseptic packaging. Aseptic packaging has been dominated by flexible packs for liquid foods and those containing small particle size solids suspended. The flexible packs have been somewhat varied but are mainly the polyethylene/paper/foil/polyethylene or similar brick structures sterilised with hydrogen peroxide as used in Tetrapack or Combibloc machines. 

Canning and Related Processes. Book 1 Basics on Canning Book 2 Packaging, Aseptic, Ingredients Book 3 Processing Procedures for Canned Food Products. Baltimore CTI Publ., 1986. 

Sterilized milk (aseptic milk). This refers to ultra-pasteurized milk products which are packaged aseptically. They can be stored at room temperature for several weeks. 

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