Other than that, it is the responsible of both parties, suppliers and sellers to:
Ensure the goods received are in compliance with specifications
Suppliers should furnish written guarantees that the ingredients are
not adulterated and, where appropriate, meet FDA or other regulatory
requirements.
Accurate receiving records
must be maintained
showing batch codes
In terms of avoiding decrease in ingredients' shelf life, the microbial proliferation or also known
as ‘incipient spoilage’ must be avoided which are due the presence of thermostable enzymes
Firstly, the ingredients will go through High Temperature Short Time (HTST)/ Ultra High Temperature
(UHT). In this process, the heati may be not enough to inactivate enzymes although quite adequate to
destroy the spoilage organisms .
Processing Methods
provide products, that retain desirable sensory qualities for an acceptable period of shelf time
without refrigeration or freezing
Direct steam infusion or injection
Direct
heating/cooling-
utilizes a steam
chamber and
vacuum vessel
Direct steam sterilizing- versatile
aseptic processing method
designed primarily to heat and
cool fluid foods through their
critical heat ranges in a matter of
seconds.
Tubular heaters
Tubular aseptic sterilizing-indirect
heating/ cooling method that uses
stainless steel coiled or trombone
tubular heat exchangers.
Scraped-surface heat exchangers
Scraped-surface sterilizing-indirect
heating/ cooling method incorporating a
dasher (shaft) with scraper blades that
rotates inside a heat exchange cylinder
Plate heat exchangers
Indirect heating/cooling method
Process Control and Validation
5 conditions in order to produce a satisfactory products:
1. Sterile equipment 2. Sterile product 3. Sterile
container 4. Sterile environment during filling 5. Seal
and container integrity maintenance
- Spores may grow in (APF) and may develop toxins.
- Pathogen Clostridium botulinum against
sterilization process must be development
- Scheduled process established and adequate heat-resistant spore formers.
- Between 76.7 °C and 87.8 °C is range heat-stable enzymes may be
inactivated for appropriate periods of time.
- Target pathogen (Cl. Botulinum) categorization of foods into low-acid with a pH above 4.6 (USA) or 4.5 (UK)
- Acid is a valid one, just as it is for conventional canning - a ‘high-acid’ category is recognized e.g. ketchup,
the target will be acid-tolerant spoilage organisms, especially the ascospore formers including the yeast
Zygosaccharomyces bailii.
3 separate experiments are expected to be performed by FDA:
1.first raw product is inoculated with a specific number and
type of organisms, and their absence must be demonstrated
in the finished product. 2. the packaging material paper stock
or plastic film needs to be inoculated with an organism to
demonstrate that the peroxide treatment, or whatever
sterilization system is used, destroys all contaminants
present 3. test consists of inoculating the air space in the
sterile zone of the filler to demonstrate the effectiveness of
the pre-sterilization procedures in destroying these
organisms
NFPA recommends that at least four
commercial runs of uninoculated product be
packed and incubated followed by
examination for evidence of spoilage and for
proper functioning of the sealing equipment.
Aseptic packaging systems that rely
on Hz02 as the package sterilant,
must initially demonstrate (and
continually monitor to assure) that
the H202 residue in the final
container does not exceed the 0.5
ppm residue level stipulated by FDA
Pacakaging Materials
Rigid Containers
1. External Defects : a.Visual examination (denting, perforation,
buckling, presence of corrosion and stains, and rough edges) b.Can
to be disposed (presence of flippers or swollen cans)
2. Double Seam Evaluation: a. Can ripdown provides
necessary information relating to proper closure of can
end to body b. Routine measurements (body hook, cover
hook (overlap), seam width, countersink depth, and seam
tightness)
3. Level Of Vacuum: a.Measurement of
headspace vacuum is accomplished using a
device which punctures through the top and
which is connected to a vacuum gauge b. The
information can relate to container integrity
4. Biotesting:- rigid, semi-rigid, and flexible container
a. Fill the container with a nutrient broth and sealing
normally b. Container is then maintained in contact
with a medium infected with a test organism
c. Container is incubated, followed by assessment of
microbial growth
Semi-rigid and flexible containers
1. Vacuum Methods a. Vacuum is applied to the vessel and observation
made for expressed product or bubbles b. Smoke particles or dye can be
used for observation and to pinpoint leakage sites
2. Pressure Methods a. Pressurized by
puncturing with a tube which injects
compressed gas
3. Helium, Carbon Dioxide, Oxygen, Organic Solvent and Water
Vapor Leak Detection Methods
Issues
Flexibility
Pinhole
Vertical Shock
Compression
Seal Failure
Quality Assurance
Inspection of incoming material
Lack of uniformity
Package sterilizing process
Coding and Labelling
spelling out critical production data
‘expiration’ or ‘best used by’ date
should be prominently displayed
on the package
UPC (Universal Product Code) bar-code
Packages larger than single-service should bear a warning that
any unused portion of the product should be refrigerated after
opening