Aseptic Packaging

In subject area: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Aseptic packaging of foods can be defined as a process
where a pre-sterilized food product is filled and
hermetically sealed in sterile packaging materials under an
aseptic environment without reheating for sterilization.
From:
Advances in Meat, Poultry and Seafood Packaging, 2012

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Quality of packaged foods

Rakesh K. Singh, Nepal Singh, in
Innovations in Food Packaging, 2005
Aseptic packaging
Aseptic packaging is an alternative to conventional canning in the
production of shelf-stable packaged food products. The word
“aseptic”, derived from the Greek word septicos, means the
absence or exclusion of putrefactive micro-organisms. Aseptic
packaging technology is fundamentally different from that of
traditional food-processing systems. Canning processes
commercially sterilize filled and sealed containers, while in
aseptic packaging the presterilized product is filled into sterilized
containers that are hermetically sealed in a commercially sterile
environment. This form of heat treatment enables the commercial
sterilization of the product, and results in minimal loss of product
quality and nutrition. A typical flow diagram is shown in Figure
3.3.
Figure 3.3. Schematic flow diagram of aseptic packaging system.
In aseptic packaging, raw or unprocessed product is heated,
sterilized by holding at a high temperature for a predetermined
amount of time, cooled, and then delivered to a packaging unit for
packaging. Aseptic packaging offers advantages to the consumer
as well as distribution channels (for example, lower distribution
and storage costs, an extended shelf life, relief of pressure on
chilled cabinets, cost effectiveness, and freedom from additives).

Sterilization of packaging material is a critical step in the aseptic

packaging system, and the method used should:

1. Have rapid microbicidal activity

2. Be compatible with the surfaces treated, especially packaging
material and equipment

3. Leave minimal residue – i.e. residue should be easily

removable from surfaces

4. Present no health hazard to the consumer

5. Have no adverse effects on product quality in cases of
unavoidable residue or erroneous high concentration

6. Present no health hazard to operations personnel around the

packaging equipment

7. Be compatible with the environment

8. Be non-corrosive to the surface treated

9. Be reliable and economical.

Various methods for the sterilization of packaging materials are

currently used in aseptic packaging systems. Hydrogen peroxide
sterilization followed by hot air appears to have the most
potential for use as in-line sterilization of packaging materials.
Sterilization of packaging materials followed by ultraviolet
irradiation has also been accepted for industrial application.
Ultraviolet irradiation promotes the breakdown of peroxides into
hydroxyl radicals, and the overall lethal effect is greater than the
sum of the effects of peroxide and irradiation alone.
Ethylene oxide has been used to pre-sterilize paperboard cartons
(Hedrick, 1973) and plastic packaging materials (Alguire, 1973).
However, no commercial system currently uses ethylene oxide as
a sterilizing agent in the aseptic packaging of low-acid foods. An
important consideration in bulk sterilization of preformed
packaging materials is ethylene oxide's ability to permeate and
contact all the surfaces that need to be sterilized. Extensive
aeration of the sterilized material is necessary to remove residual
ethylene oxide because of its toxic nature, and the length of time
necessary precludes its use in in-line applications. Other
chemicals, such as peracetic acid, beta propiolactone, alcohol,
chlorine and its oxide, and ozone, have potential for use in
sterilizing aseptic packaging materials. However, peracetic acid
produces off-flavor in food if any residual deposit is enclosed in
the container, and beta propiolactone lacks the penetrating power
of ethylene oxide – although it is considerably more active against
micro-organisms. Only 2–5 mg/l of beta propiolactone is required
for sterilization, compared with 400–800 mg/1 of ethylene oxide.
Ethanol is effective only against vegetative cells, and not against
conidia or bacterial spores; therefore its use in packaging of foods
is limited to the extension of the shelf life of packaged foods
which are normally stored under refrigeration.

Dry heat, saturated steam, and superheated steam can be effective

sterilants, but the degree of heat damages many packaging
materials and so they have limited application. Sterilization of
metal cans and lids by saturated steam under pressure was used
as early as 1920 in the USA (Reuter, 1988), and this method is
today employed to sterilize thermostable plastic cups. Saturated
steam under pressure is used to sterilize moulded polystyrene
cups and foil lids at 165°C and 6 bars immediately after deep
drawing. At the same time, the external surface of the cup is
cooled to limit the heating effect to the internal surface of the
cups. Moist heat could cause blistering or delamination of paper-
based packaging materials and impair the heat-sealing
characteristics of plastics. Saturated steam is a preferred
treatment method for sterilizing metal-food contact surfaces
downstream from the hold tube, including sterile hold tank,
filters, and the aseptic packaging zone. Superheated steam was
the method used in the 1950s for sterilization of tin-plate and
aluminum cans and lids in the Martin-Dole aseptic canning
process. This process continuously sterilizes tin-plate and
aluminum cans by passing them through 220–256°C superheated
steam at normal pressure for 45 seconds (Larousse and Brown,
1997). Hot air is preferred as a sterilant over superheated steam to
sterilize cardboard laminates (i.e. aluminum and paper) at 145°C
for 3 minutes (Reuter, 1988). However, the method has only been
found suitable for products that have a pH < 4.6. An aseptic
packaging system utilizing the heat co-extrusion process for
sterilization is the form-fill-seal packaging system, which relies
on temperatures reached by thermoplastic resin during the co-
extrusion process used to produce multilayer packaging material
to produce a sterile product contact surface. The high temperature
(180°C-230°C for up to 3 minutes) produced by extrusion
produces sterile surfaces. Reports as to the efficacy of this heating
method vary considerably (Reuter, 1988). Aseptic filling into
extruded containers appears suitable only for acidic products
with a pH less than 4.6. For products with a pH greater than 4.6,
extruded containers should be post-sterilized with hydrogen
peroxide or with mixtures of peracetic acid.

Ultraviolet radiation at a wavelength of 253.7 nm is an effective

germicide against yeast, moulds, bacteria, viruses and algae.
Maunder (1977) suggested the use of high-intensity ultraviolet
light for aseptic packaging material sterilization. However, dust
particles present on the surfaces reduce the effectiveness of
ultraviolet irradiation for sterilization of aseptic packaging
materials. Doyen (1973) described an aseptic packaging machine
that used both an alcohol bath and high-intensity ultraviolet
radiation for the sterilization of flexible pouches. Infrared rays
(0.8–15 5 10−6 waveband) have been used to treat the interior of
aluminum lids with a plastic coating on the exterior surface, but a
temperature rise in the packaging material due to infrared
application results in softening of the plastics. Gamma irradiation
(25 kGy) has been used to sterilize plastic bags for the bulk
packaging of acid foods using an aseptic bag in box system
(Nelson, 1984). Ionizing rays are not acceptable, as they have
harmful effects on personnel.

The technology of utilizing short pulses of light is attractive for

sterilizing packaging materials and processing equipment in
aseptic packaging. The spectrum of light used for sterilization
purposes includes wavelengths from the ultraviolet to the near-
infrared region. The packaging material is exposed to at least one
pulse of light having an energy density in the range of about 0.01–
50 Jcm−2 for 1 μs to 0.2 s at the surface (Anonymous, 1994). It is
desirable for certain aseptic processes that packaging material be
treated with pulses having a relatively high ultraviolet content to
minimize the total fluence (Jcm−2) necessary to achieve the
desired reduction in microbial population (Dunn et al., 1991).
Light pulses have not been adequately studied, so far as their
effect on food material is concerned.

The versatility of aseptic technology has given rise to the use of a

variety of plastic and polyolefin materials for packaging, and
examples commonly used in aseptic packaging are presented in
Table 3.3. There are several basic requirements that these
packaging materials must meet for successful application:

Table 3.3. Functional attributes of some aseptic packaging

materials

Empty Empty

Empty Cell Barrier property Cell Cell Durability

Material Oxygen Moisture Light Seal Stiffness

quality

and

adhesion

Linear-low X X

density

polyethylene

Low-density X X

polyethylene

Polypropylene X X

Polystyrene X

Polyvinylidine X X

chloride

Ethylenevinyl X

alcohol

Nylon

Ethyleneacrylic X

acid

Paperboard X X

Aluminum foil X X X

Metallized film X X

Source: Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology (1997).

Copyright © 1997

1. The packaging material must be acceptable for use in contact

with the intended product, and must comply with applicable
material migration requirements

2. Physical integrity of the package is necessary to assure

contamination of the product and maintenance of sterility

3. The package material must be able to be sterilized and be

compatible with the method of sterilization used (heat,
chemical, or radiation)

4.
 The package must provide the barrier protection necessary to
maintain product quality until it is used.
The structure and composition of aseptic packaging is more
complex, and varies depending on product application, package
size, and package type. Factors such as strength and integrity,
package shape, stiffness, durability, and barrier properties
determine the choice and/or combination of materials required. In
most applications aseptic packages incorporate more than one
material in the structure, and these are assembled by lamination
or co-extrusion processes.

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Packaging for probiotic beverages

Natalia Lumby, Jonghun (Jay) Park, in Probiotic Beverages,
2021
16.3.3 Aseptic packaging
Aseptic packaging is a food processing technique that allows
liquid products to have a nonrefrigerated shelf life of up to
approximately 1 year. The advantages of aseptic processing over
conventional package processing include longer shelf life, greater
variety of packaging sizes and materials, and better nutritional
and sensory maintenance functions (Chen & Rosenthal, 2015).
Therefore, aseptic packaging is commonly applied to liquid foods
and beverages as well as pharmaceutical products. The most well-
known aseptic packaging technologies have been introduced by
Tetra Pak, which is one of the largest food packaging companies in
the world based on sales. The aseptic packages that Tetra Pak
developed consist of a multi-layered film, paperboard, and
aluminum foil and are hermetically sealed. The aseptic packaging
products that Tetra Pak has produced in the past several decades
include Tetra Brik Aseptic, with a rectangular shape; Tetra Rex,
with a cuboid shape and a gabled top; Tetra Prisma Aseptic, with
an octagonal shape; and Tetra Top, with a resealable cuboid
package. These packages have been applied to a variety of liquid
food products such as milk, soy milk, yogurt, and juice to extend
their shelf life even in ambient temperatures and humid
conditions (Tetra Pak, 2017). Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or
high-density polyethylene bottles are also commonly used in the
aseptic packaging process for dairy and nondairy beverages, as
they are easy to handle and reseal, and they have strong shock
resistance.

For aseptic processing, food should be sterilized before the filling

process and then filled into a sterilized container and sealed
under sterile conditions. Thus, the key to aseptic food processing
is to sterilize products and packaging containers as well as to keep
a commercial sterilization condition throughout the packaging
process. The liquid can be thermally sterilized using either high-
temperature, short-time (HTST) pasteurization, which sterilizes
the food at 72°C for 15 s, or ultra-high temperature (UHT)
sterilization, which sterilizes the food between 135°C and 150°C
for 1–2 s (Sanjana, Hemegowda, & Sushma, 2019). Compared to
the HTST method, UHT technology provides better preservation in
terms of nutritional and sensory quality, as well as a faster
processing time. Because of its advantages, UHT sterilization is
more commonly used in aseptic processing than in HTST
pasteurization. Kept separate from the sterilization of the food
products, the packaging materials should be sterilized before
being filled. The typical methods used to sterilize the packaging
materials are heat, steam, hot water, radiation, and chemical
agents such as peracetic acid and peroxide (Hersom, 2009).
Peracetic acid is used to sterilize PET bottles. Ansari and Datta
(2003) found that the use of hydrogen peroxide, with
concentrations of up to 30%, temperatures of up to 80°C, and
contact times of up to 15 s, was successful for in-line aseptic
packaging. All packaging components should be erect,
thermoformed, blow-molded, or sealed, and the packages should
be filled under commercially sterile conditions (Pillai & Shayanfar,
2015).

There are several heat-transfer methods applied to thermally

sterilize and cool food products, including several indirect heat-
transfer methods (i.e., tubular, plate, scraped-surface, electrical,
and microwave), direct heat transfer methods (i.e., steam
injection, steam infusion), and nonheating methods (i.e., high
pressure) (Nelson, 2010). A proper heat-transfer method needs to
be chosen by considering the food characteristics (i.e., viscosity,
particles, and heat sensitivity). For example, the direct heat-
transfer method works better for heat-sensitive foods such as
milk, while the indirect heat-transfer method, such as the tubular
method, works better for viscous food with particulates (Fellows,
2009).

The aseptic packaging process should involve strict cleaning

procedures, and those administering the process should have a
high level of training and assistance. The equipment,
instrumentation, and procedures used in aseptic processing
facilities must be maintained and inspected according to
government regulatory requirements such as the US Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR 21, i.e., CFR 21 Sub-part C [211.42]), the
FDA documents for aseptic processing and packaging systems, and
the EU GMP's Rules and Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
and Distributors (Sandle, 2013).

There were many challenges to directly inoculating nondairy

beverages with probiotics, especially juice products, because of
several unfavorable conditions such as juice products’ acidity and
the thermally sensitive nature of probiotics (Shigematsu et al.,
2018). However, technological innovations in this area have led to
the possibility of using aseptic processing technology for
probiotics. In order to inoculate nondairy beverages, such as
juices, with probiotics, special technology using an aseptic dosing
system (i.e., Tetra Pak Aseptic Dosing unit F or Tetra Aldose with
in-line sterile filtration) is often used to allow bacteria to be
added immediately before the filling process (Soccol et al., 2012).
This innovative aseptic technology has boosted the development
of nondairy probiotic beverages such as juices and fermented
beverages.

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Safe Storage and Preservation

Techniques in Commercialized
Agriculture
Narashans Alok Sagar PHD, Sunil Pareek PhD, in
Natural Remedies for Pest, Disease and Weed Control, 2020
Aseptic packaging
Aseptic packaging is also a type of thermal sterilization. It is
process in which commercially sterilized food item is placed in a
sterilized package followed by sealing under aseptic environment.
It is highly recommended for the preservation of F&V slices,
tomato paste, and fruit juices [39]. Heat treatment, chemical
application, or both can be utilized for sterilization in this process.
Paper and plastic are generally used in conventional aseptic
packaging. Apart from this, foil, metal cans, and various metal
containers can be used in aseptic packaging [40]. This wide range
of packaging materials increase proficiency and reduce the cost of
the process. Basically, there are two approaches of aseptic
packaging: direct approach (composed of steam infusion and
steam injunction) and indirect approach (comprises scrapped
surface heat exchanger, plate heat exchanger, and tubular heat
exchanger) [41]. Steam injection is a faster process hence
sometimes volatile is lost while steam infusion gives better
control on the processing conditions thus decreases the chance of
overheating of foods [41].

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History of Food Packaging

Gordon L. Robertson, in Reference Module in Food Science,
2019
Aseptic Packaging
Aseptic packaging is the filling of sterile containers with a
commercially sterile product under aseptic conditions, and then
sealing the containers so that reinfection is prevented; that is, so
that they are hermetically sealed. This occurs in a closed system.
The first aseptic packaging of food (specifically milk in metal
cans) was carried out in Denmark by Niels Jonus Nielsen prior to
1913, and a patent for this process (termed aseptic conservation)
was granted in 1921 (British patent 190,810). In 1918, Melville E.
Dunkley from Kalamazoo, Michigan received US patent 1,270,798
for a method of sterilizing cans and lids with saturated steam; the
cans were then filled with a presterilized product. In 1923,
unrefrigerated, aseptically packaged milk from South Africa
reached a trade fair in London in perfect condition.

Charles Olin Ball from River Forest, Illinois received US patent

2,029,303 in 1936 (filed in 1930) assigned to The American Can
Company (ACC) of New York which used saturated steam under
pressure to sterilize the cans and ends. The sterile cans were filled
with sterile product and the ends sealed on in a closed chamber
which was kept pressurized with steam or a mixture of steam and
air. Known as the heat-cool-fill (HCF) system, ACC developed a
filling machine in 1933, and in 1938 the HCF process went into
commercial use in processing a chocolate-flavored milk beverage.
In all three commercial plants were built and operated on this
principle until 1945 (Reuter, 1988).

In 1942, at the Avoset plant in Gustine, California, George

Grindrod developed the Avoset process based on his 1939 patent
(US patent 2,170,196). Whipping cream was sterilized by steam
injection and packed in cans, and later in glass bottles. Containers
were sterilized in retorts using saturated steam. The retort
method of sterilization was eventually abandoned and replaced
by a continuous hot-air system, utilizing ultraviolet lamps to
protect the filling and closing area. Like the HCF process, the
Avoset process is no longer in operation, but it served as a
stepping-stone in the evolution of aseptic processing and
packaging technology.

In the 1940s, William McKinley Martin from California developed

a process in which empty metal cans were sterilized by treatment
with superheated steam at temperatures of up to 232 °C for up to
40 s before being filled with cold, sterile product. He received US
patent 2,549,216 in 1951 (filed in 1947) assigned to the James
Dole Engineering Co. in Nevada.

Martin's aseptic process overcame many of the obstacles that

prevented the success of the HCF unit. The use of superheated
steam at atmospheric pressure eliminated the need for rotary
valves for passing empty cans into the system and finished cans
out of the system. Also, the use of atmospheric pressure negated
the need for high-pressure construction. This early unit was the
forerunner of the Dole Aseptic Canner still in use today. The first
commercial units were installed in 1951 for Andersen Pea Soup,
and sterilized milk at the Med-O-Milk plant started in 1951 by
Ralph Graves and associates in East Stanwood, Washington. Real
Fresh Inc. was established in 1952 by Robert Graves and associates
at Visalia, California (David et al., 1996). In 1962 Martin patented
an improvement for use in aseptic canning systems containing
suspended solids such as vegetable soup and beef stew (US patent
3,041,185). Although the Martin-Dole Aseptic Canning System
worked well for packaging liquids in metal cans, industry
explored possibilities for aseptic packaging in other containers.
The first commercial successes with other packages were in
Europe, especially through the development by Tetra Pak of
machines for packaging milk aseptically in cartons.

At the end of the 1940s, a dairy enterprise (Alpura AG, Bern) and a
machinery manufacturer (Sulzer AG, Winterthur) in Switzerland
combined their knowledge to develop ultra-high temperature
(UHT)-sterilized, aseptically canned milk which was subsequently
marketed in Switzerland in 1953. However, this system was not
economical, mainly because of the cost of the cans, and Alpura, in
collaboration with Tetra Pak of Sweden, began developing an
aseptic cartooning system in 1957. As early as the mid-1950s,
Tetra Pak had started a technological collaboration with the Swiss
industrial group Ursina for the development of long-shelf life milk
products. The first Tetra Pak machine for aseptically filling
sterilized cartons with sterilized milk was installed in a dairy in
Thun, Switzerland, and milk packaged in this manner was first
sold in Switzerland in October 1961. The tetrahedral cartons were
made with an added layer of thin (9-μm) aluminum to give the
required protection, enabling the milk to be kept for up to
6 months without the need for refrigeration (Fig. 23).

Figure 23. One method of forming cartons from a continuous web;

the cross-section of the longitudinal seal is enlarged to show the
plastic strip which protects the internal edge of the carton.
The most significant development in the history of the aseptic
carton was the commercial release in 1969 of the Tetra Brik
Aseptic carton. This packaging system now accounts for more
than 80% of the company's packages and dominates the aseptic
beverage carton market. In May 1975, the first Combibloc aseptic
system was presented to the packaging world, differing from the
Tetra Brik Aseptic in being a blank-fed system. Products such as
UHT milk and juice became widely available around the world,
but not in the US until 1981 when the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) approved a food additive petition for the use
of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a sterilant for food contact
surfaces. According to the FDA, the final product must not contain
greater than 0.5 ppm H2O2. Their initial approval for the use of
H2O2 as a sterilant for packaging material that directly contacts
food was approved only for polyethylene. The approval was
extended to include all polyolefins in March 1984, and in 1985
approval was extended to include polystyrene, modified
polystyrene, ionomeric resins, ethylene methyl acrylate
copolymer resin, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer resin and
polyethylene terephthalate. In January 1987 approval was
extended to include ethylene acrylic acid copolymers (Ansari and
Datta, 2003). This provided the impetus for the introduction of
various aseptic filling and packaging systems into the US market.
Prior to 1981, the Martin-Dole aseptic canning system was the
only aseptic filling and packaging system of commercial
importance for milk and milk-based low-acid foods.

The Fellows of the US-based Institute of Food Technologists, in

connection with the society's 50th anniversary celebrations in
1989, ranked aseptic processing and packaging as “the most
significant food science innovation of the past 50 years”.

International Paper, the giant forestry and packaging company,

recognized the opportunity for a complete carton packaging line
and, since 1981 has offered its customers not only the supply of
blanks but also form-fill-seal (FFS) machines, following the
acquisition of Systempack in Europe in 1981 and the Cherry-
Burrell Packaging Division in 1991. They are now being marketed
as a web-fed aseptic packaging system and as a blank-fed gable-
top system, with packaging materials supplied from International
Paper's own manufacturing plants in different parts of the world.
More recently, International Paper became the sales agent for the
Fuji aseptic packaging system developed by the Japanese
company Shikoku, with machines and packages similar to the
Tetra Brik Aseptic system (Nermark, 1999).

Despite predictions to the contrary, paper vbeverage cartons

continue to increase in sales worldwide, and they can now be
found in more than 170 countries. While the pasteurized milk
market in countries such as the US, UK, and Australia has seen a
decline in gable-top cartons with a concomitant increase in large-
sized HDPE plastic bottles, the aseptic carton market continues to
grow, especially in developing countries such as Brazil, Mexico,
and China.

Liquid-tight, hermetically-sealed brick-shaped cartons are widely

used for the aseptic packaging of a wide range of liquid foods
including milk, juices, soups and wines to give packs which will
retain the product in a commercially sterile state for years. The
end of shelf life (typically 6–9 months) is determined by
organoleptic changes as a result of undesirable chemical and
physical reactions.

In 2003, two former Tetra Pak China employees joined Tralin Pak,
a State-owned enterprise in Shandong, China, and established the
company as an alternative supplier for roll-fed aseptic packaging
material. It listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2010 with a
new name, ‘Greatview Aseptic’ and the following year
commissioned a new factory in Halle (Saale), Germany. They now
supply aseptic packaging material that can run on Tetra Pak filling
machines to over 40 countries.

A wide range of materials is used for aseptic packaging. These

include form-fill-seal and prefabricated cartons; tinplate, ECCS
and aluminum cans; glass and plastic (PET, HDPE and PP being the
most common) bottles; preformed plastic cups; and sachets and
pouches. A detailed list of 27 aseptic packaging systems available
in 1985 is presented by Mitchell (1988). Numerous methods are
used to sterilize the packaging material with the most commonly
used methods including heat, hot water, chemical sterilants (H2O2
or peracetic acid), electron beam and radiation or a combination
of methods. Most widespread are technologies for sterilization of
packaging materials that use H2O2 solutions. The packaging
materials are in contact with 15%–35% H2O2 solutions during
passage through immersion tanks or are sprayed from nozzles
with fine droplets of the chemical agent. Alternatively, H2O2 may
be applied from the vapor phase and then condense on the cold
surface of packaging materials in the form of fine droplets. H2O2 is
removed from the surfaces of the packaging materials by thermal
treatments such as hot air or infrared irradiation. H2O2 treatment
is thus a combination of a chemical and physical procedure.

More recently the aseptic filling of PET bottles has been

commercialized by Krones (Germany) and Sidel (France). Bottles
are sterilized at 20 °C with peracetic acid (produced by oxidation
of acetic acid by H2O2), rinsed with sterile water and filled. A
chemically sterilized closure is then applied.

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Food Packaging
G.L. Robertson, in
Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Food Systems, 2014
Aseptic Packaging
Aseptic packaging is the filling of sterile containers with a
commercially sterile product under aseptic conditions, and then
sealing the containers so that reinfection is prevented; that is, so
that they are hermetically sealed. The term aseptic implies the
absence or exclusion of any unwanted microorganisms from the
food, container, or other specific areas, whereas the term hermetic
(strictly air-tight) is used to indicate suitable mechanical
properties to exclude the entrance of microorganisms into a
package and gas or water vapor into (or from) the package. The
term commercially sterile is generally taken to mean the absence
of microorganisms capable of reproducing in the food under
nonrefrigerated conditions of storage and distribution, thus
implying that the absolute absence of all microorganisms need
not be achieved.

The three major reasons for the use of aseptic packaging are (1) to
take advantage of high temperature-short time (HTST)
sterilization processes, which are thermally efficient and
generally give rise to products of a superior quality compared to
those processed at lower temperatures for longer times, (2) to
enable containers to be used that are unsuitable for in-package
sterilization, and (3) to extend the shelf life of products at normal
temperatures by packaging them aseptically.

Three main sterilization processes for packaging material are in

common use, either individually or in combination: irradiation,
heat, and chemical treatments. Irradiation involves ionizing
radiation using gamma rays from cobalt-60 or cesium-137. The
use of intense and short-duration pulses of broad-spectrum
‘white’ light (200–1000 nm) that generate high power levels can
also sterilize aseptic packaging material and has recently been
commercialized. UV radiation is most effective in terms of
microbial destruction between 248 and 280 nm (the so-called UV-
C range), with an optimum effectiveness at 253.7 nm. However,
UV-C irradiation is generally only used commercially in
combination with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as discussed below.

Heat sterilization processes can involve either steam (moist heat)

or dry heat. For example, saturated steam at 165 °C and 600 kPa for
up to 2 s is used to sterilize plastic containers. Hot air at a
temperature of 315 °C has been used to sterilize paperboard
laminate cartons where a surface temperature of 145 °C for 180 s is
reached. A mixture of hot air and steam has been used to sterilize
the inner surfaces of cups and lids made from PP, which is
thermally stable up to 160 °C.

The lethal effect of H2O2 on microorganisms (including resistant

spores) has been known for many years and is widely used to
sterilize food packaging materials. When UV irradiation and H2O2
are used together they act synergistically, and the overall lethal
effect is greater than the sum of the individual effects of peroxide
and irradiation; the optimum effect is at a relatively low peroxide
concentration of between 0.5% and 5%. Peracetic acid (PAA) is a
liquid sterilant, which is particularly effective against spores. It is
used for sterilizing filling machine surfaces as well as packaging
materials such as PET bottles before aseptic filling, with the PET
bottles being rinsed with sterile water rather than hot air.

The most widely used package is the paperboard laminate carton;

it consists of layers of unbleached and/or bleached paperboard
coated internally and externally with polyethylene, resulting in a
carton that is impermeable to liquids and in which the internal
and external surfaces may be heat sealed. There is also a thin
(6.3 μm) layer of aluminum foil that acts as an O2 and light barrier.
The structure of a typical paperboard carton is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Typical structure of a paperboard laminate carton for

aseptic filling.

Reproduced with permission from Robertson, G.L., 2013. Food Packaging:

Principles &amp; Practice, third ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Metal cans and glass bottles are used to a very limited extent for
aseptic packaging. Blow-molded plastic bottles have been used for
many years as a cheaper alternative to glass for nonreturnable
containers. HDPE and PP were the two most common
thermoplastics used, sometimes with pigments added so that the
contents are better protected from light. In recent years the use of
PET has increased dramatically. Sachet and pouch systems are
increasingly common, a typical material being a laminate of
LLDPE with a center layer of EVOH copolymer and carbon black to
give the pouch the required shelf life. Aseptic bag-in-box systems
ranging in size from 1.5 to 1400 L are used for packaging UHT
products. The bags contain EVOH and metallized PET as barrier
layers and are manufactured fully sealed with minimum air
content and then sterilized using gamma radiation. Preformed
plastic cups are usually made from HIPS, PP or coextruded,
multilayered polymers such as an outer layer of HIPS, a
laminating adhesive, a barrier layer of PVdC or EVOH copolymer, a
laminating adhesive, and finally LDPE. FFS cups are also available.

Assessment of package integrity is one of the most critical issues

in the aseptic packaging of foods, and it is imperative that package
integrity be maintained to ensure the safety and quality of the
product. There is increasing interest in nondestructive (or
noninvasive) package integrity testing, which allows the on-line
testing of every package produced, while leaving both product
and package intact. However, the availability of commercially
viable, nondestructive package integrity testing equipment is still
very limited.

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Aseptic packaging of foods and its

combination with electron beam
processing
S.D. Pillai, S. Shayanfar, in
Electron Beam Pasteurization and Complementary Food
Processing Technologies
, 2015
6.1 Introduction
Aseptic food packaging is a specialized form of food packaging
where the food and the package are independently processed and
sterilized, and then brought together and the food is hermetically
sealed within the package under aseptic conditions (David et al.,
2013). Aseptic packaging and filling is very common and growing
in the pharmaceutical industry. Aseptic packaging is considered to
be one of the most actively growing areas of the US food and
beverage industry and pharmaceutical industries. The aseptic
market in the pharmaceutical and food industries is estimated to
be approximately US $ 3.5 billion. The pharmaceutical industry is
the main area where this packaging technology is growing fast.
Today, foods in cans, plastic bottles, plastic cups, pouches, and
paper boards can be found in most retail shelves around the
world. The 2012 “Global Aseptic Packaging” report prepared
jointly by Zenith International and Warrick Research Ltd. predicts
that globally, approximately 153 billion liters of food and food-
related liquids will be packaged into over 300 billion packs by
2016 (www.Zenithinternational.com).

Aseptic packaging technology is not new and has been around for
over 70 years. A key milestone in the commercialization of this
technology was the FDA approval in 1981 of hydrogen peroxide as
a sterilizing agent for the packaging material that comes in
contact with food surfaces. Over the last 30 years, there have been
a number of developments in specific areas of aseptic packaging
such as filling, packaging itself, sterilization, and sealing. A key
advantage of this food packaging method is that the food can be
processed under conditions that are optimized for the food in
question, without the need to worry about issues of whether the
packaging material and the seal can withstand the food
processing conditions. Food processors and retailers interested in
shelf-stable food items that can withstand ambient storage
conditions are particularly interested in aseptic packaging.
Extensive research and development activities are on-going to
optimize the sterilization process of both the food and the
packaging materials, and formulation of new packaging materials.
A variety of novel plastic polymers such as polyethylene (PE) and
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which used to be used primarily
for high acid foods, are now being used to hold low-acid shelf-
stable beverages such as flavored coffees, sports drinks, etc. Today,
there are well over 500 different aseptic systems for the
manufacture of retail packages and bulk containers in the USA,
and over two dozen manufacturers of aseptic filling equipment
worldwide. There are a number of excellent research articles,
reviews, book chapters and books covering the different aspects
of aseptic packaging (Nelsom, 2010; David et al., 2013). The focus
of this chapter is on the role and potential applications of a
sterilizing technology such as electron beam (eBeam) technology
in aseptic food packaging, with special focus on the use of this
technology for sterilizing packaging materials.

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Ultrahigh Temperature Treatment

(UHT): Aseptic Packaging
Gordon L. Robertson, in Reference Module in Food Science,
2016
Abstract
Aseptic packaging involves the filling of a commercially sterile
product into sterile containers under sterile conditions and
sealing the containers so that reinfection is prevented. Over
35 billion liters of milk products are aseptically packaged annually.
The three main sterilization processes for packaging materials
involving radiation, heat, and chemical treatments are discussed.
The four main categories of aseptic packaging systems (cartons,
plastic bottles, sachets and pouches, and cups) and their major
features and characteristics are described.

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Packaging of ready-to-serve and
retail-ready meat, poultry and
seafood products
H. Walsh, J.P. Kerry, in
Advances in Meat, Poultry and Seafood Packaging, 2012
15.6.2 Aseptic packaging
Aseptic packaging of foods can be defined as a process where a
pre-sterilized food product is filled and hermetically sealed in
sterile packaging materials under an aseptic environment without
reheating for sterilization. Aseptic processing requires (Buchner,
1993):

• sterilization of the products before filling

• sterilization of the packaging materials or containers and
closures before filling

• sterilization of aseptic installations before operation – UHT

unit, lines for products, sterile air and gases, filler and relevant
machine zones

• maintaining sterility in the total system during operation –

sterilization of all media entering the system, air, gases, sterile
water

• production of hermetic packages.

Aseptic processing and packaging systems are separate but

integrated operations where the packaging step relies on the
processor to provide a quality sterile product. Presterilization of
food products consists of heating the food to the desired UHT
temperature, maintaining this temperature for a predetermined
time period to achieve sterility. The food is then cooled to ambient
temperature or an elevated temperature to the desired viscosity
for filling. Indirect heating methods for liquids with particulates
include tube-type heat exchangers, scrape-type heat exchangers,
rotaholders, ultra-high-pressure sterilization and microwave
sterilization (Buchner, 1993). Various methods for the sterilization
of packaging materials are currently used in aseptic packaging
systems. These include dry heat, saturated steam, superheated
steam, UV light and ozone, hydrogen peroxide, pulsed light and
ethylene. The effects of a number of processing techniques on
packaging materials have been reviewed by Ozen and Floros
(2001). An aseptic packaging technique employing the form-fill-
seal system relies on the temperatures reached by thermoplastic
resin during the co-extrusion process used to produce the
multilayer packaging material to produce a sterile product contact
surface (Han and Scanlon, 2005).
While the main form of aseptic packaging is the carton and is
typically composed of paper (70%), polyethylene (LDPE) (24%) and
aluminium (6%) with a tight polyethylene inside layer, pouches,
cups, trays and plastic cans also be aseptically packaged. The
paper component of the package provides stiffness, strength and
the ‘brick’-like shape of the package. Polyethylene is used on both
the outer surface (printing surface) and the innermost layer of the
package, forming a tight seal. An ultra-thin layer of aluminium foil
provides a barrier against light and oxygen eliminates the need
for refrigeration and prevents spoilage without the use of
preservatives (Annette, 2008). The Tetra Wedge Aseptic (TWA)
microwaveable 200 S pack launched by Tetra Pak in 2005 was the
world’s first microwaveable aseptic packaging. The innovative
package, which uses polyethylene terephthalic silicon oxide (PET
SiOx) as an oxygen barrier, is designed to ensure product safety
and integrity as well as original flavour, colour and texture for 6
months without the need for refrigeration or preservatives. The
distinctive new shape of the TWA microwaveable 200 S offers the
benefit of even heating, easy handling and accurate pouring over
conventional stand-up plastic pouches (AP-Food technology.com,
2005). Aseptically packaged, ready-to-serve meals are one of the
newest aseptic technologies to appear on the market. Vetetee Rice
(Japan) launched its Dine-In range of cooked rice in shelf-stable
microwaveable plastic trays, sealed with a clear plastic lid
(Annette, 2008).

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Food Packaging Machinery

Harold A. Hughes, in
Handbook of Farm, Dairy and Food Machinery Engineering,
2013
9.1.1 Aseptic Packaging
A specialty form of vffs machinery is used to make aseptic
packaging of the type often called “Brick-Pack”: or “drink box”.
Aseptic packaging is sterilized in a hydrogen peroxide dip and
formed into a package. Then the product which has also been
sterilized, is piped into the newly formed box by double wall pipe
which has sterile air in the outer layer. Aseptic technology is also
used to package products into premade containers. The system is
essentially the same, except that the container forming step is
skipped.

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Packaging Technologies for Fruit

Juices
Rajeshwar S. Matche, in Fruit Juices, 2018
32.7 Aseptic Packaging
Aseptic packaging involves separate sterilization of food product
and container, and filling the product in the container and sealing
in a sterile or aseptic environment. This technology is used for
high-acid foods such as fruit juices (Veerraju and Rangarao, 1990).
Fig. 32.8 shows a schematic representation of the aseptic
packaging process. Different methods based on physical
processes, chemical sterilizers, and radiations are used for
sterilization of packaging materials.

Figure 32.8. Schematic diagram of aseptic packaging process.

From Anstrom, A., 1990. Aseptic packaging. Indian Food Industry 9 (6),

23–27.

In this process, the container is not subjected to pasteurizing

temperatures of 80–95°C. Lightweight, durable
plastic/paperboard/metal foil laminates are commonly used.
Aseptic processing lines surround a pasteurized and cooled juice
stream with a sterile package and seal the juice in segments of
tetrahedral or rectangular shape. Sterile filtered juice can also be
handled in the same manner. Aseptic cartons consist of about 70%
paper, providing strength and form; 25% low-density
polyethylene, for sealing and moisture barrier; and 5% aluminum
foil, as the light and oxygen barrier. Container roll stock is
sterilized during the forming step by hot hydrogen peroxide
(Bates et al., 2001). Retail packs of 250 mL include a plastic straw
and orifice space for puncturing by the straw’s point.

Easy-open features are employed in all sizes from 150 mL to

multiliter containers. Because there are plastic containers capable
of withstanding pasteurization temperatures available, hot-fill or
postfill pasteurization is now common. However, in regions where
such technology is impractical, juices are filled into all types of
inexpensive plastics, including unpasteurized fresh juice, juice
beverages, and imitations in polyethylene bags for immediate
consumption. When dosed with high levels of benzoates, shelf life
is extended at the expense of content quality.

32.7.1 Functional Requirements of Aseptic Packages

1. Low permeability to water vapor; zero for long shelf life.

2. Very low permeability to oxygen since its interaction leads to
chemical and biological deterioration.

3. Aroma barrier property to preserve odors and prevent

external taints.

4. Compatibility with the product packed.

5. Ability to withstand sterilizability with heat, chemicals, or
radiations.

6. Perfect package and closure integrity.

7. Machineability—capacity to form well on operating

machinery.

8. Provide user convenience for unit and bulk packages.

9. Thermal stability for both low and high temperatures.

10. Robust to withstand handling and transportation hazards.

11. Meet all regulatory specifications.

32.7.2 Package Forms

Aseptically processed foods are packed in varieties of packaging
materials and package forms. They comprise of flexible, semirigid,
and rigid containers. Aseptic packages can be divided into the
following main types:

1. Flexible pouches and bags.

2. Carton form-fill-seal (FFS) systems similar to Tetra Pak and
Tetra Brick principles.

3. Thermoform-fill-seal systems fed from the reel stock.

4. Bag-in-box systems.
5. Conventional containers made of glass, tinplate, etc.
32.7.3 Aseptic Packaging in Cartons
The three types of cartons used for packing liquid foodstuffs are
the gable-top, the tetrahedron, and the brick shape. The gable-top
type, which is mostly used for milk, is made by feeding of the
blank from a magazine, and the lay-flat tube is then unfolded and
made to enter a mandrel where the bottom is heated with hot air.
The bottom is then folded in accordance with the score lines, and
pressure is applied to finish the bottom sealing. This rectangular-
shaped carton is removed from the mandrel on to a conveyer,
filled with liquid, and then top sealed. The top seal is performed
with hot air and pressure.

The tetrahedral-shaped pouches (Tetra Pak) are extensively used

for aseptically packed liquid foods. The tetrahedral shape requires
less packaging material than other designs, as it offers the most
favorable ratio of area to volume. For this type of carton, the
packaging material is supplied from a reel and passed up to a
bending roller and shaped into a tube with longitudinal made at
the ends of the carton giving the tetrahedral shape. The process is
continuous and results in a chain of filled packages. As the seals
are made under the liquid surface, the packages have no
headspace. The transverse seals are produced by heat and
pressure. First, the jaws compress the tube of material thus
excluding liquid from the sealing surface. Secondly, induction heat
is supplied, melting and fusing the plastic. Pressure is maintained
while cooling the seal. The outer plastic cooling is then heated
with a hot pulse to ensure that when opening the jaws, they do
not stick to the packaging material and possibly pull the seam
apart. The shelf life of aseptically packed ready to serve (RTS)
beverages packed in different packaging materials are given in
Table 32.5.

Table 32.5. Shelf Life of Aseptically Packed Products

Shelf Life

(Months)

25–

Product Packaging Material 30°C 38°C

RTS PE/paper board/PE/Al foil/PE/PE 6 3

beverages (tetra pack)

PE/Al foil/PE 6 2

Metallised polyethylene 2 1
terephthalate (Met PET)/PE
 Shelf Life
(Months)

25–

Product Packaging Material 30°C 38°C

Composite cans (paper/Al foil/PE) 3 2

for hot filling

Source: Mahadeviah, M., Gowramma, R.V., 1996. Aluminium

container. In: Food Packaging Materials. Tata McGraw-Hill
Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi.

32.7.4 The Brick-Pack System

Rectangular-shaped (Tetra Brick) cartons were introduced around
1963 to facilitate distribution and have proved very popular. The
production of Tetra Brick-type packages from roll-fed machines
follows the same principles as for tetra standard; but the
transverse seams are sealed parallel. The characteristic brick
shape is formed after cutting off individual packages from the
tube, by folding in the flaps and heat-sealing them.

Brick-style cartons are currently widely used for the packaging of

high and low acid drink products. These are essentially
constructed of PE/paper/PE/aluminum foil/PE with slight
differences between manufacturers. Especially for aseptic juice
applications, the innermost layer is PE/ionomer co-extruded web
as this eliminates PE delamination from the foil. A pH value of 4.5
is the critical benchmark of product acidity, determining the
utilization of PE/ionomer layers for products below pH 4.5. The
outermost polyethylene layer provides a water vapor barrier
property while the paper-board provides stiffness, ease of
formation on automatic machines and printability. Aluminum foil
of thickness 0.009–0.01 mm affords gas and water-vapor barrier
properties, odor proofness, and light protection. The innermost
web of ionomer (Surlyn) is claimed to offer 5–10-times more
heat-seal (hot tack) strength than ordinary PE, eliminate seal
failures and leaks, and resist cracking at score lines. The relative
amounts of constituents in the material will be approximately
71% paper, 22% plastics, and the remaining 7% aluminum.
However, it has been shown that oxygen transmission rate at the
scored area would be 40- to 50-times higher than in the flat area.
To eliminate the risk of contamination from the base carton, all
edges are protected. Further, as permeation can occur through
raw cut edges of a carton, especially for long life products, the
interior raw edges are eliminated to make the product as close to
being hermetically sealed as possible.

In the common fin-seal, that is, polyethylene to polyethylene

layer, the seal is affected. An extra strip of plastic overlapping the
internal side of the longitudinal seal (as in Tetra Brick) effectively
closes the edges. The other type is the so-called skiving technique,
where the inner end of the carton is reduced to one-half of the
original thickness, folded in and sealed to the outer end.
32.7.5 Bag-in-Box Systems
The bag-in-box package utilizes a high barrier multilayer bag
contained in a shipping container of corrugated fiberboard or a
wooden box or metal drum. The capacity of the bag ranges from
about 5 L for institutional use to 250 L (60 gallons) for the
industrial market. Even 1135-L (300 gallons) containers are
available. Smaller bags (5 and 10 L) are generally made of
PE/metallized polyester or polyamide/PE having four-side seals of
width 5–10 mm. Inclusion of a single web of inner loose liner of
liner low density polyethylene (LLDPE) often provides added
physical strength. The outermost polyester or polyamide layer
provides good tensile strength, abrasion resistance, and protection
to the inner foil web. Aluminum foils of gauges ranging from
0.009 to 0.04 mm are used as a barrier against water vapor, gases,
and volatiles. The high-barrier structures containing foil and
metallized plastics are susceptible to flexure fracture during
transportation and handling. The extent of the damage due to
two-crack can be assessed by Gelbo flexing the packaging
material for specific numbers of cycles and determining the
barrier properties. Metallized films, especially sandwiched
between two thermoplastic webs, show less effects than foils. The
effects of flexing on the barrier properties of some laminates are
given in Table 32.4.

In the bag design concept, one of the important factors is that of

spout. The bag in normal use has a welded filament which
contains a rigid plastic spout; it is fitted with a screw cap or
pressed fit cap and sometimes with spigots for easy dispensing.
There are different forms of construction of the spouts with
ability to maintain aseptic conditions.

32.7.6 Cartons
The laminated cardboard carton is currently the most common
package for fruit beverages. Although features like openings and
package shape matter considerably to consumers, differences in
filling systems and packaging materials have a greater influence
on product quality. Most shelf-stable fruit beverages in cartons are
filled aseptically at ambient temperature. This segment is
dominated by three companies, Tetra Pak, SIG Combibloc, and
Elopak. The carton packages are formed and sterilized, using hot
hydrogen peroxide, within the filling machine, before being filled
and sealed. In the Tetra Pak system, where laminated cardboard is
fed on a roll at one end of the filling equipment, the product is not
in contact with air during filling. Head space is created, when
needed, by injecting nitrogen gas into the product before filling. In
the packaging systems from SIG Combibloc and Elopak,
prefabricated blanks are formed into cartons in the filling
machine, followed by sterilization and filling. Optional purging
with nitrogen minimizes oxygen exposure of the product in the
filler.

The laminated packaging material comprises a barrier layer,

commonly a thin aluminum film. It provides a very high gas
barrier but oxygen may permeate at “leaks” at the seals or
through microholes, formed when the material is folded. The
plastic spouts, if used, are applied onto the outside, in order not to
compromise the microbiological integrity of the package, and do
not impact the overall gas barrier (Fig. 32.9).

Figure 32.9. Aseptic packaging in cartons.

32.7.7 PET Bottles
There is currently rough price parity between glass and PET
containers. Energy costs are higher for glass and raw materials
cost more for plastic, although PET has the edge for larger
containers. Moreover, recent technological innovations, such as
the incorporation of acetylene gas into PET and polyethylene
naphthalate (PEN) or PEN-PET blend and copolymers, promise
enhanced barrier properties, light protection, and printability
(Watkins, 2000).

For consumers, PET bottles offer several advantages compared to

glass: they are lightweight, unbreakable, and have an attractive,
glossy appearance. For producers of juices and drinks the picture
is more complex. PET provides a good aroma barrier and a
relatively high oxygen barrier. Nevertheless, it is not sufficient to
protect the quality of oxygen-sensitive beverages, both in terms of
maintaining sensorial properties and nutritional content, during
extended storage. Furthermore, visual changes, such as browning
or fading colors, become more apparent in thin-walled PET bottles
than in glass bottles.

Attracted by the immense potential of the beer market, the PET

industry has developed a range of technologies to improve gas
barriers for PET containers. Continued developments aim to refine
the existing systems and to find more cost-effective solutions.
Barrier material in preforms is applied either as a direct blend
with PET (monolayer) or as one, or more, separate layers between
PET (multilayer). Monolayer barrier preforms have the advantage
of being manufactured on standard equipment while multilayer
solutions require more complex injection-molding systems. There
is a risk of haziness in the monolayer bottles, however, especially
at high barrier concentrations (Fig. 32.10).

Figure 32.10. Aseptic packaging in cartons.

32.7.8 Other Aseptic Systems
Several packaging systems are available for packaging foods into
formed plastic cups. Most of these systems use the FFS variety,
where cups are thermoformed on the packaging machine from
roll stock material. The construction of the cup material is either
polystyrene modifications or high barrier plastic forms comprised
of polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) or EVOH resins. Composite cans
have also been used for aseptic packaging, especially for acid
foods (Fig. 32.11).
 Figure 32.11. Juice in PET bottles.

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Related terms:
Probiotic, Aseptic Processing,
Heat Treatment, Dairy Product,
Packaging Material, Shelf Life, Spoilage,
Pasteurization, Heat Exchange,
Microorganism.

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