ADVANCES IN ASEPTIC

PROCESSING

Aseptic technology

Aseptic technology- shelf stable products

UHT milk & Pasteurised fruit juices plastics,
paper board and aluminium foil.
Adv: economical, convenient and light

38 types of commercially available aseptic filling &

packaging system for retail pack sizes
Metal,

laminate cans, plastic pots, laminate cartons,

sachets and plastic or glass bottles or jars.

12 for bulk systems- bag-in-box or bag-in-drum

Basic principle : aseptic transfer of sterilised
materials into sterile containers.
Food

is subjected to rapid heating in a heat exchanger,

held for sufficient time to achieve commercial sterility
and then cooled before filling into a decontaminated
container within an aseptic filling zone.

Avoidance of reinfection:
Food

contact surfaces
Maintaining over pressure within the processing
storage and the filling system

Regulatory effects

For meat and poultry processes USDA has added

aseptic process systems to their plants
Chemical sterilant packaging systems could not be
used at one period for commercial processing and
aseptic packaging of foods
1981-Hydrogen peroxide is permitted as a
sterilising agent for polyethylene surfaces of
containers
Application to homogeneous products

Aspects of good manufacturing

practice

Steriliser Direct
heating

Food
Processing

Food preparation

Flash evaporator
(1st stage cooler)

Steriliser Indirect
heating

Coolers

Steriliser/ cooler
batch

Aseptic tank

Package
thermoform

Aseptic
packaging

Final
product

Package
sterilisation

Aseptic fillers

Package
preformed

Package material
sterilisation

Package- aseptic
formation

Warehouse

Palletisation

Package erection

ASEPTIC FLOW DIAGRAM

Secondary packaging

Aseptic sealing,
Lidding

GMP guidelines

Low acid foods- Cl.botulinum

Commercial sterility

Design and development

1. Food Contact Surfaces
2. Food Process
3. Non-food Contact Surfaces
4. Decontamination of packaging
5. Aseptic filling zone

Food description

Consider product transport and

capacity of plant for product and
services

Define thermal process

requirement by hazard
analysis

Design-stage candidates:

e.g.

Re-assess

Identify critical control

points

Pumps
Pipework
Heat exchangers
Holding section
Valves
Packaging
Product fillers
Control system
Aseptic tanks

Proposed installation

Establish scheduled processes

Commissioning tests
1. Performance of on-line control
system
2. Incubation and destructive analysis
3. Secondary packaging
4. Handling practices
5. Transport tests
6. CIP requirements
7. Aseptic seals

1. Pre-production sterilisation of food contact

surfaces
2. Food thermal process
3. Decontamination of packaging
4. Decontaminated air or gas
a. Aseptic filling environments
b. Aseptic tanks
5. Decontamination of non-food contact
surfaces in filling machines

Stages in system development

Commissioning tests
1.Packaging
Compatibility- no breakdown of packaging mtrls
Package structure free from defects
Sealing method- microbiological barrier
2. Storage
Identification- product referable to records
Protection- adequate for handling and stacking
3. Transportation- package integrity has to be
maintained by correct handling

THANK YOU