PET aseptic cold filling technology:
Technical introduction Aseptic packaging technology was born in the 1930s. In 1961, Tetra Pak first used the Tetra Pak aseptic packaging technology for commercial production. Now the PET aseptic cold filling production line uses sterile space for sterilization. To ensure that the entire filling process meets the sterility requirements.
Aseptic cold filling refers to the cold (normal temperature) filling of beverage products under aseptic conditions, which is relative to the usual high temperature hot filling method under normal conditions. When filling under aseptic conditions, the parts of the equipment that may cause microbial contamination of the beverages are kept sterile, so it is not necessary to add preservatives to the beverages, and it is not necessary to perform post-sterilization after filling and sealing the beverages. Meet the requirements of long shelf life while maintaining the taste, color and flavor of the beverage.

The key to aseptic cold filling technology is to ensure that the microbial control in the beverage after filling and sealing is within the allowable range (ie commercial aseptic). In order to ensure the success of aseptic cold filling, the production line must meet the following basic requirements: Instant sterilization at high temperature reaches sterility; packaging materials and sealed containers should be sterile; filling equipment should be sterile; filling and sealing should be carried out in a sterile environment; establishment, monitoring, recording and control of critical control points.
Comprehensive comparison of hot and cold filling Although the development of PET aseptic cold filling is not long, the world's leading beverage equipment manufacturers have a relatively mature aseptic cold filling process. The following is a detailed comparison of aseptic cold and hot filling.
Hot filling is generally divided into two types.
One is high-temperature hot filling, that is, after the material is instantaneously sterilized by UHT, the temperature is lowered to 85-92 ° C for filling, and the product is refluxed to maintain a constant filling temperature, and then the temperature is maintained to sterilize the bottle cap (as shown in the figure). A).
One is pasteurization at 65-75 °C after the material is sterilized and filled with preservative (Figure B).
These two methods do not require separate sterilization of the bottle and lid, and the product can be sterilized by holding the product at a high temperature for a sufficient period of time.
PET aseptic cold filling firstly UHT instantaneous sterilization of the material, and then quickly cooled to normal temperature (25 ° C), into the aseptic tank temporarily. The bottle and lid are then sterilized with a chemical disinfectant and then filled in a sterile environment until they are completely sealed before leaving the sterile environment. The whole process material has a short heating time, the filling operation is carried out in a sterile environment, and the filling equipment and the filling area are also disinfected, and the safety of the product can be ensured.
The outstanding advantages of PET aseptic cold filling compared to hot filling are:
First, the use of ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization technology (UHT), the heat treatment time of the material does not exceed 30 seconds, to the greatest extent to ensure the taste and color of the product, and to maximize the preservation of the content of vitamins (heat-sensitive nutrients).
Second, the filling operation is carried out under aseptic and normal temperature environment, and no preservative is added to the product, thus ensuring the safety of the product.
Third, the production capacity has been improved, raw materials have been saved, energy consumption has been reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the products has been reduced.
Fourth, the advanced technology can be widely applied to filling a variety of beverages.