New decontamination application for sensitive beverages
Extending the Predis system from beverages distributed in the cold chain to ambient air temperature products allows aseptic packaging to lengthen the shelf life of sensitive drinks, such as juice, tea, flavoured water and energy drinks sold at room temperature, says the company.
“The dry sterilisation solution for preforms ensures superior hygiene for sensitive beverages while offering unrivaled cost-effectiveness along with product and environmental benefits,” according to Sidel.
“While 250 m³ of water and 200 litres of chemicals are used daily to decontaminate bottles on a traditional aseptic bottling line, Predis dry-solution decontaminates preforms using hydrogen peroxide mist. It requires no water, reduces the use of chemical agents and creates no effluent. Other benefits include energy savings, a smaller footprint and the potential for lighter bottles. High-temperature sterilisation of preforms instead of bottles can also avoid thermal stress on empty bottles,” claims the company.
Aseptic conditions
Sidel’s Combi Predis FM system is designed to allow blowing bottles and filling sensitive products in aseptic conditions. It differs from competitor models in using dry preform technology, says the firm.
“Bottle rinsing is replaced with dry preform sterilisation at oven entrance, using hydrogen peroxide vapor. Combi Predis FM combines the Predis solution with Sidel’s newest aseptic filling technology, the Sensofill FM, in a single process for blow moulding, filling and capping.”
The Predis system is installed at the in-feed of the blowing part of Combi equipment for blow moulding, filling and capping. Depending on the demands of the product and specific distribution method, Predis can be combined with aseptic Combi equipment, for aseptic packaging of products sold at ambient temperature that have a pH of less than 4.5 such as juices and teas.
It can also be combined with ultra-clean Combi equipment for packaging pasteurised or ESL sensitive products sold in the cold chain such as milk, liquid dairy products, juices and sensitive carbonated drinks.
Ambient temperature
The company’s Predis filling technology has been commercially available since 2006 for products in the cold chain and was extended last year to cover high acid products sold at room temperature. Applications for low acid products sold at ambient temperature should be available soon, according to the company.
The technology has been adopted by beverage producers in Europe and North America, it adds.
