Despite the downturn in the economy in 2008, the market for natural foods continued to grow in the United States. According to Nielsen’s most recent “Healthy Eating Report,” released in January 2009 year, Americans put their money where their mouth was by continuing to turn to healthier food options. In 2008 alone, sales of “natural” foods generated $22.3 billion in revenue, up 10% from 2007. Additionally, the functional beverage market grew by 15% from 2003 to 2007, fueled by greater consumer demand for healthier and more convenient options.
Growing demand for these types of foods represents a great deal of opportunity for those in our industry, and may prove to be a bright spot in the economic downturn. However, preserving the freshness and nutrition of these foods is one challenge we will continue to face in any economy, particularly as it relates to shelf life issues. Food science and technology has been addressing this issue for years from the inside out through product formulations, additives and preservatives. However, advancements in the packaging industry over the last half century have brought us solutions like aseptic packaging and processing that can effectively and safely extend the shelf life of food products while preserving nutrition, food quality, sensitive ingredients and taste.
Food has essentially two enemies when it comes to its preservation—time and bacteria. Over time, food that was once good deteriorates, losing its taste, flavor, color, texture and nutritional value. Bacteria or microorganisms can also contaminate good food, causing it to go bad or spoil. Over the years, food preservation techniques have included a number of ways to neutralize or eliminate bacteria in food. Aseptic processing and packaging represents one of the most effective solutions for overcoming these and other shelf life challenges.
What is aseptic?
Aseptic processing and packaging is different from other traditional food packaging techniques in that it is based on the principle that both the food and the packaging be free of any harmful microorganisms precisely when the food is packaged. In order to achieve this aseptic status, everything in the production chain must be commercially sterile, including the food, the package, the machinery and the environment where packaging takes place.
The aseptic process, simply put, comprises of three stages. In the first step, formulated product will go through an Ultra High Temperature (UHT) treatment, using optimized heat exchangers. The temperature and holding time used during this process will vary depending on the specific food being processed. However, it’s worth noting that the UHT process allows for much shorter heating and cooling times—a matter of seconds—vs. other food sterilization methods. This minimizes heat penetration problems that can lead to degradation of the flavor, sensitive ingredients and nutritional value of food.
In the second stage, unformed packaging material is fed into a machine where it is sterilized in a hydrogen peroxide bath. The 30% hydrogen peroxide concentration is then eliminated from the packaging material using hot air or pressure rollers before it’s formed into a tube in preparation for filling. In the final step, the sterilized and rolled tube is filled with product, sealed and shaped into a package as product flows through it. This process ensures there is no air space in the product.
The combination of aseptic processing and packaging reduces energy use and nutrient loss associated with other conventional methods that may require product to be heated in their packages for upwards of 50 minutes. As a result, aseptically packaged products tend to retain more nutritional value and exhibit more natural texture, color and flavor.
The materials that make up an aseptic carton package typically include laminated paper, plastic and aluminum foil. Most commonly, finished packages will contain six layers of protection. Paper is used for strength and labeling. One thin plastic coating is used to protect the paper and print design on the outside of the carton, as well as one thin layer on each side of the aluminum foil to optimize adhesion. The foil itself is used for its impermeability to light and air. And finally, one thin layer of plastic is used to separate the product inside from the other layers of the package and give it added protection.
