1. Aseptic Food Processing Mat Drew Industrial Engineering

2. Definition of Aseptic Processing  The process by which a sterile product is packaged in a sterile container in a way that maintains sterility

3. Background  Sterility is achieved with a flash-heating process (temperature between 195° and 295°F (91° to 146°C))  Used primarily in food and pharmaceuticals  Capable of maintaining the flavor, color and nutritional benefits of certain products such as fruit juices  In 1989 the Institute of Food Technologist an organization of food scientists devoted to improving the production and distribution of food, selected aseptic packaging as “the most significant food science innovation in the past fifty years”

4. History  The first aseptic packing of foods (especially milk in metal cans) was carried out in Denmark prior to 1913 and in 1921 a patent for this process (termed aseptic conservation) was granted  The focus was mainly on the preservation of canned goods with a short shelf life  In 1923, aseptically packaged milk from South Africa reached a trade fair in London, England in perfect conditions

5. Process Flow

6. Processing Factors

7. Effects of Heat Treatment  “The preservative effect of heat processing is due to the denaturation of proteins, which destroys enzyme activity and enzyme-controlled metabolism in micro-organisms. The rate of destruction is a first-order reaction; that is when food is heated to a temperature that is high enough to destroy contaminating micro-organisms, the same percentage die in a given time interval regardless of the numbers present initially”

8. Nutritional Value Typical Maximum Nutrient Losses (as compared to raw food) VitaminsFreezeDryCookCook+DrainReheat Vitamin A5%50%25%35%10% Retinol Activity Equivalent5%50%25%35%10% Alpha Carotene5%50%25%35%10% Beta Carotene5%50%25%35%10% Beta Cryptoxanthin5%50%25%35%10% Lycopene5%50%25%35%10% Lutein+Zeaxanthin5%50%25%35%10% Vitamin C30%80%50%75%50% Thiamin5%30%55%70%40% Riboflavin0%10%25%45%5% Niacin0%10%40%55%5% Vitamin B60%10%50%65%45% Folate5%50%70%75%30% Food Folate5%50%70%75%30% Folic Acid5%50%70%75%30% Vitamin B120% 45%50%45% MineralsFreezeDryCookCook+DrainReheat Calcium5%0%20%25%0% Iron0% 35%40%0% Magnesium0% 25%40%0% Phosphorus0% 25%35%0% Potassium10%0%30%70%0% Sodium0% 25%55%0% Zinc0% 25% 0% Copper10%0%40%45%0%

9. Health and Safety  A technological breakthrough enabling aseptic addition of probiotic strains during final steps of filling has opened the door for probiotic beverages in restaurants  Probiotics are bacteria that help maintain the natural balance of organisms (microflora) in the intestines

10. Government Regulation  Guidelines for good manufacturing practices in an aseptic environment - http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/.../Guidances/u cm070342.pdf http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/.../Guidances/u cm070342.pdf  As a result of the heparin (an injectable anticoagulantant) scandal in 2008, “Policy changes and enforcement strategies implemented by the FDA have led to an increase in the number of inspection of sterile manufacturers — especially injectables”

11. Effects on Manufacturing  Two processes:  Products that can be sterilized within their final container (terminally sterilized)  Those that must be filled into a sterile container inside a sterile environment  Movement from traditional method (batch retort process) to continuous flow methods  Loss of sterility can be a major hurdle as sterilization procedures are often lengthy  Extreme focus on creating quality goods by constantly monitoring the cleanliness of the facility

12. Environmental Factors  Many Aseptic containers can be recycled with a method called hydrapulping  It is difficult to recycle many of the materials used as Aseptic containers because hyrdapulping facilities are not that common within the US  Aseptic products often do not require refrigeration, therefore they save in energy expenditure during storage

13. Example Products and Brands

14. Pros and Cons Pros  Beneficial to maintain the flavor, color and nutritional benefits of certain products such as fruit juices  Decreased energy requirements to maintain inventory Cons  Replacement of glass with plastic has caused concern  Loss of nutrients during flash heating process  Challenges in recycling the packaging materials currently in use  Challenges in maintaining and creating sterility  Flash pasteurization could also kill some non-pathogenic beneficial microbes in products

15. Discussion Do you trust the food processing techniques used today? Do you think there is enough of a focus on the environmental and health impacts of Aseptic packaging?

16. References  http://www.beveragedaily.com/R-D/Dean-Foods-gets-approval-for-aseptic-filler-technology http://www.beveragedaily.com/R-D/Dean-Foods-gets-approval-for-aseptic-filler-technology  http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/processing http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/processing  http://processfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/history-of-aseptic-packaging.html http://processfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/history-of-aseptic-packaging.html  http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2006/193.html http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2006/193.html  http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/probiotics-topic-overview http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/probiotics-topic-overview  http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=unRiYnq7- RYC&oi=fnd&pg=PR17&dq=aseptic+food+processing&ots=PdvR4RRFOi&sig=tjkp2d_b42npJFCTH DdLml0PA2M#v=onepage&q=aseptic%20food%20processing&f=false http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=unRiYnq7- RYC&oi=fnd&pg=PR17&dq=aseptic+food+processing&ots=PdvR4RRFOi&sig=tjkp2d_b42npJFCTH DdLml0PA2M#v=onepage&q=aseptic%20food%20processing&f=false  http://www.livestrong.com/article/503958-how-does-flash-pasteurization- work/#ixzz2iIFllVYT http://www.livestrong.com/article/503958-how-does-flash-pasteurization- work/#ixzz2iIFllVYT  http://barryafriedmanphdllc.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/fda-increases-vigilance-on-aseptic- processing-facilities/ http://barryafriedmanphdllc.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/fda-increases-vigilance-on-aseptic- processing-facilities/  http://www.scholle.com/newsroom/news/aseptic-processing-for-bag-in-box-the-basics http://www.scholle.com/newsroom/news/aseptic-processing-for-bag-in-box-the-basics