PET bottles – Perfect for Hot fill packaging process
The revolutionary and patented ThermoShape™ technology has made it possible for PET bottles to be used in hot fill of acid containing food stuff. The hot fill process is one of the easiest and perhaps the most economical process to package edible food items. Most food items get stale and putrefied due to the activity of the pathogens, especially Yeast, Bacteria and fungus. These pathogens start to decompose the food, especially the carbohydrates. Such food if accidently consumed can have very serious consequences like food poisoning, diarrhea and vomiting and even septicemia.
Louis Pasteur was the first person who invented the aseptic method of packaging. The process is known as Pasteurization and essentially envisages the heating of any food item to high temperature and suddenly cooling it to very low temperatures. Most of the pathogens present in the food are killed by this process and since the extreme temperatures variations are over in a short time , therefore there is not much change in the constituency if the food items.
Product and Contents
Bacteria Control
Container and closure decontamination and aseptic filling is a very complex procedure and often presents a serious technological challenge. Hot fill process is simple and does not require much technology or technical training. All one has to ensure is to monitor and record the two extreme variations of temperatures.
Oxidation
PET bottles were not earlier in hot fill packaging because of Oxygen ingress. Oxygen ingress can have a very bad effect on acidic products such as juices and causes the degradation of the Vitamin C in the juice. Oxygen can cause a large number of different types of reaction which discolors the product and at the same time spoil the taste and makes it unfit for consumption.
Hot Fill process on the other hand ensures that the products are de aerated and thus there is no need for any oxygen ingress protection. The headspace is often flushed with Nitrogen gas before the container is sealed. Some excess quantity of Vitamin C is added as an anti-oxidant to make good the loss of Vitamin C by heat during the hot fill process.
Positive features of PET Packaging
Most of the food products like juices and ready to eat packages are spoilt because there is ingress of oxygen into the package. The standard PET material can be safely used for hot fill packaging since it is inert and provides an impervious surface which prevents oxygen ingress and helps the packaged food to have a longer shelf life. PET also has many properties like Glass and has UV and infra red barrier properties. For photosensitive products, light barring material can be added to the PET during the pre-forming process.
The revolutionary and patented ThermoShape™ technology has made it possible for PET bottles to be used in hot fill of acid containing food stuff.
http://www.logpac.com//en/products-hotfill.asp
Processing your request, Please wait....
