The importance of autoclaves for the food packaging industry

Do you want to know what is behind a good container?

We will start this article with a daily situation: imagine that you open a canning of either cooked vegetables, a sauce or a jam, normally this act does not have more consequences than expected. However, several unfortunate situations could happen such as:

1. The container would break in your hands.
   If it were made of glass, the consequences could be fatal.
   If it was made of plastic and it was a little cracked, what could happen is that the liquid inside would have leaked leaving the pantry or fridge dirty and that, in addition, the food inside would have been corrupted.
   And if it was a can, it could be rusty on the outside and/or inside and affect the content.
2. The cap or plug would not close properly and everything inside was in bad condition.
   It could also happen that the lid was rusty giving a very bad image and low confidence.
3. The external adhesives would have been removed or discolored.
   You will then find it impossible to see the information of interest to you and the mandatory presence on the packaging, such as expiration date, ingredients, or allergens.

We know that all these situations do not usually happen. What’s more, we take the resistance and excellence of packaging for granted because our story with it almost always ends well. However, this is thanks to careful research and quality work on the part of the packaging industry, and more specifically, the food industry.

With this article we want to show you what is behind a consistent glass jar, semi-rigid tray, pouche or can. Shall we find out?

Food packaging

Packaging for the food sector must undergo exhaustive quality controls before being used for food packaging. The main objectives in performing these tests are to ensure the total integrity of the packaging throughout its shelf life and also the maintenance of the contents without modifying its properties.

The material from which the vessel is made can have an impact on its interior. This interaction between the different materials of the packaging and its contents is called migration. This phenomenon can harm a negative effect on the food, leaving traces of certain substances unfit for human consumption. Hence the importance of ensuring the highest quality standards in terms of food safety.

Packaging suitable for preserves and ready meals

The packaging used in the food industry and, more specifically in the case of preserves and ready meals, must ensure higher resistance because:

1. They can hold hot food.
2. They must be subjected to thermal processes to carry out pasteurization or sterilization of the ingredients inside.

For this reason, the food packaging industry performs a series of tests before putting their goods on sale to certify that their packaging complies with the relevant requirements.

As we have already mentioned, the maxim of the food packaging sector is to offer safe products both in terms of hardness and structure, i.e., that they do not break or migrate.

To this end, various protocols are carried out in the R&D and innovation (research and development and innovation):

• Control of the presence of residual O2 and CO2 to minimize the risk of microorganisms deteriorating the contents.
• Seal integrity inspection.
• Detection of container leaks.
• Analysis of non-return valves to avoid undetected integrity problems.

A simple way to perform the different actions listed is by simulating reality, i.e., by incorporating hot food inside our containers, chosen at random, and subjecting them to a sterilization process. The more challenging and realistic the representation, the better because we will be able to test the strength of our products when exposed to a limited situation.

Our benchtop autoclaves with counterpressure are perfect for pilot batches because they are an effective and efficient way to ensure the highest quality standards of your vessels while saving time, money, and human resources. On our website, you can see the experience of local producers, restaurateurs and chefs, and food industries in our success stories .

The packaging industry is constantly innovating

The food packaging industry must be constantly evolving as well as its customers. The market demands novelties and, for this, R&D laboratories must always be researching, developing and innovating. They are looking for new designs, more sustainable and economical materials, packaging that leaves less waste and allows reuse and easy recycling.

Did you know…

According to a study by consultancy Smithers Pira and Procarton , published in 2017, 96% of the brands surveyed consider the use of sustainable packaging to be important to their business.

Advantages of TERRA Food-Tech® autoclaves for the food packaging industry

The suitability of this horizontal or benchtop autoclave specially designed for pilot batches batches in the food or food packaging industry is not only due to its small format, slightly larger than a microwave but also to its easy handling and many other advantageous features typical of our autoclaves:

• Benchtop autoclaves or horizontal loading autoclaves with a capacity of 21 to 75 liters.
• Specific autoclaves for scientific trials and pilot batch testing of preserves and ready meals packaged in hermetically sealed vessels in the food and packaging industry.
• Regulation, control and recording of the F0, P0, %F0 and %P0 parameters; printable and down-loadable in PDF format. Also storable in the computer and removable via USB.
• They allow stress and longevity testing of containers as they can configure any of their 50 programs with 5 initial segments and 5 final segments adjustable by pressure, temperature and pressure in an autonomous way.
• Suitable for cooking, sterilization and pasteurization of all types of food packaged in cans, glass, pouches and semi-rigid.
• Programmable counter pressure support up to 2.1 Bar g to avoid breakage or deformation of containers.
• Rapid cooling technology by means of water shower.
• They respect the organoleptic and nutritional characteristics of the final product, rapidly eliminating most bacteria and spores.
• Include one core temperature probe expandable up to a total of 2 core temperature probes
• SW8000: software kit and PC connection for exporting and storing pasteurization or sterilization cycle data in pilot batch trials and tests.
• Easy to use and program, with color touchscreen and capacity to store up to 50 programs.
• Excellent safety measures: safety valve and thermostat, door locking system and door open alarm, pressure and water level detectors, thermal protection around the lid and protective chassis of the sterilization chamber.
• Multiple accessories for all types of projects: standard and customized trays, racks and supports, lid punching kit and semi-rigid containers.

All these advantages of autoclaves for the food packaging industry are also available for our range of top-loading vertical autoclaves, with chamber volumes from 33 to 175 liters, which have exactly the same technology and technical performance as horizontal or benchtop autoclaves. Vertical autoclaves are especially useful in those cases where it is required to produce larger pilot batches.

In addition, autoclaves TERRA Food-Tech® for pilot batches are a product of the brand’s evolution. RAYPA , with more than 40 years of experience in the manufacture of sterilization equipment.

For more information about our autoclaves for the food packaging industry or for scientific trials and pilot batch tests in the food industry, do not hesitate to contact our sales department . We will be happy to offer you a demonstration of everything that our autoclaves can contribute to your company and products.