Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Thermal Processing
Pasteurization
NCB
Learning Objectives
Introduction
Thermal Process
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Basis of Thermal Processing
Process Determination
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
pH
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
High acid products Low acid products
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STERILE
COMMERCIALLY STERILE
Pasteurization
Purpose
Quality Aspect
Pasteurization
Definition
Pasteurizer
Washer GRB
Filler
Rinser Molder
Cap/Crowns Crowner / Capper
Date Coder
Trim cooler
Hold tube
Heating
Juice
Filler
Pasteurizer
Labeling and
Tunnel Cooling Bottle inversion
Sec Pack
In – Package Holding
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Pasteurization
Make up
tank
Condensate
Hot water pump
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Flow meter
Buffer Tank
Trim Cooling
Cooling water in Divert to return cooler
Trim cooler
To Filler
Divert Valve
Control valve connected
to trim cooler Juice outlet temp
Juice from
hold tube To cooling tower
Hold tube
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Return Cooling
Cooling water in
Return Cooling
To Buffer tank
From filler
return tank
To cooling tower
From divert
valve
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Pasteurizer
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Filler
Product
Return Cooler 5-15% Re-circulation
Filled
Package @
78-88°C
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Material Flow Stoppage Cycle
Incoming Product
Filler
Product
Return Cooler
Filled
Package
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Types of Heat Exchangers
Trim Chilling
Section--where utilized, product
is partially cooled to reduce the
bottle filling temperature and
prevent package damage
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• Usually
bundled or
concentric
tubes
• Also available
as coiled tube-
in-shell design
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Balance Tank
Balance Tank
Hold Tube
• What is it?
– A carefully calculated length of pipe designed to provide the
required product hold time at a specific temperature and rate of
flow.
• Why do we need it?
– The dimensions of the hold tube, in combination with the product
flow and temperature, is what actually provides the design
lethality for the thermal portion of the process.
• Concerns?
– Proper slope to eliminate air & allow self-drainage
– Location of tube and proper insulation (to prevent temperature
variation)
– Proper temperature monitoring
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Hold Tube Specifications
• Temperature must be monitored continuously at the exit of
the hold tube by properly calibrated recording temperature
devices (RTD)
HOLD TUBES
Plant Pictures
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Filtration
• What is it?
– Cartridge, cloth or metal screens through which the beverage
passes; normally two parallel screens are in place to allow
changing of one filter while the other filter is in service
• Why do we need it?
– Prevent foreign materials and any abnormal size particulates
from entering the finished product
– Avoids food safety issues or beverage asthetics issues
• Concerns?
– Proper size
– Integrity - gaskets and filtration medium remaining in tact
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Filtration Requirements
Requirement
Verify proper screens are in place and in good condition after each CIP
Filters
1.5 mm openings
Filters
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Bag Filter
25 Micron Bag
Filter
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Unit Operations: Divert Valve
• What is it?
– A valve located at the end of the hold tube before the hot
surge tank that is activated when thermal processing
conditions are not met.
• Why do we need it?
– To ensure beverage that has not met the minimum thermal
processing temperature and time requirements does not flow
to the filler.
– To provide immediate and automatic rejection of beverage due
to unacceptable thermal processing.
• Concerns?
– Maintaining proper operation
– Maintaining proper temperature control within heat exchanger
to prevent excessive divert of beverage
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Pasteurizer Divert Requirements
– Temperature divert setpoint based upon the temperature
measured at the end of the hold tube - set to meet the
minimum temperature requirement for the thermal process
– Gatorade: typically 94.4 deg C
– Juices: temperature needed to maintain the minimum in-bottle
temperature of 79.4 deg C, 60 seconds after package inversion
( Refer Specific Product beverage document)
– Flow divert based upon the full flowrate
– The divert may also be activated (or at a minimum alarms
activated) for temperatures greater than the maximum
temperature specification.
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Filler
• What is it?
– Multi-head equipment which delivers hot, thermally processed
product into the package
• Why do we need it?
– To fill product into packages at the appropriate temperature, prior
to capping, and assure adequate net contents.
• Concerns?
– Should be 316L stainless steel and designed for adequate
CIP/SIP
– Preference is not to use bowl fillers; difficult to CIP. Also no
vacuum fillers for hot-fill PET
– Must be able to meet recycle specs
– Acid wash capable for some products
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Divert Valve Before Filler
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Filler Operation Requirements
• Criteria
– Proper fill weights are maintained in the filled packages
• Meets regulatory requirements
• Meets Pepsi standards
– No mold growth on outside of package
• Eliminate or minimize “splash-over” of product to eliminate
beverage nutrients on bottle threads which could lead to mold
growth
– Ensure proper in-bottle temperature after filling
• Essential to control to properly sterilize the package without
damaging the integrity of the package
• Proper in-bottle temperatures:
– PET (non-crystallized finish) 79.4 - 83.3
– PET (crystallized finish) 82 - 86
– Cans, Glass 82 -86
– Hybrid 75 - 79
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Filler Recycle
What is it?
Filler Recycle is the amount of product exhausted from the
filler valve vent line while filling bottles and/or portion of the
pasteurizer stream that is continuously returned to the
pasteurizer system.
Why do we need it?
Some fillers are designed to vent while filling for proper air
displacement in the bottles (i.e., pressure fillers). Some
recycle may be necessary to maintain proper process control
Concerns?
Excessive amount of recycle will cause product thermal abuse
of beverage
Different products have different specifications on maximum
recycle
Not all fillers are suitable for all products. The filler and valve
design will impact recycle, so careful selection of filler must
take place.
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Recycle Calculation
• Recycle is calculated as follows:
• Obtain:
– Filler Speed = Bottles per hour at normal operating speed
– Target Fill Volume = Liters per bottle at target fill height
– Pasteurizer Flow = (L/hr)
• Calculate:
– Flow into Packages = Filler Speed x Target Fill Volume
– Recycle Flow = Pasteurizer Flow - Flow into Packages
Recycle Requirements
• What is it?
– This is when the entire pasteurization flow is diverted
from the filler and recirculated through the
pasteurization process.
• Why do we need it?
– To maintain the consistency of the pasteurization
process during short interruptions in the filler
operation.
• Concerns?
– The length of time that beverage recirculates adds
greatly to the heat abuse on the flavor profile
(beverage will be pasteurized multiple times)
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Recirculation Requirements
• For Juices
– Maximum 3 minutes recirculation after a filler stop
– Start-up time allowable up to 5 minutes.
• For Gatorade
– Maximum recirculation 10 minutes. FILLER SUPPLY
DIVERT TANK
VALVE
LT FILTERS
FULL FLOW
CAPPER
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Product Recycle Cooler Requirements
Product from the filler and filler divert returning to this tank
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HOT FILL - SUMMARY
Inverter
Bottle Inverter
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Conveying Times Specifications
CAPPER
COOLING TUNNEL
INVERTER
COOLING TUNNEL
INVERTER
Beverage
P
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Thermal Process Specs – Slice/Mangola
Slice - Glass Slice - PET
Product Min Max Min Max
Product temp at pasteurizer exit 90 C 95 C 90 C 95 C
Thermal HOLD time during
pasteurization( residence time from 30.0 Sec 180 Sec 30.0 Sec 180 Sec
pasteurizer exit to filled package)
Hold tube outlet Filler Supply/Bowl temp
Hold tube outlet
Hold time prior to trim cooler
Trim Cooler out/Filler/Bowl temp N/A N/A
In package temperature/Filling temp > 83.0 75.0C 79.0 C
Filler to capper/Crowner 10 Sec 10 Sec
Capper to cooling tunnel 120 Sec 120 Sec
Inverter time ( Angle of 45 to 90deg) 6 Sec 6 Sec
Hot hold time 60 Sec 60 Sec
Capper to cooling tunnel exit 35 minute 35 minute
Cooling tunnel exit Temp 37.8 C 37.8 C
20 % of total 20 % of total
Recycle rate flow flow
Cool recycled product with in 60 Second at 37.8 C 37.8 C
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Calibration
• Key Attributes:
• Key Attributes:
– Manufacturing site must clearly define responsibility and approval
authority who determines release of product
– Record of review and approval
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Mandatory Requirements
Process Time
FILLER SUPPLY
TANK
DIVERT
VALVE
BLEND LT
TANK FILTERS
PLC
HEAT EXCHANGER 30 -180seconds
BALANCE Pasteurizer from pasteurizer
TANK exit to filled bottle
FILLER LT
RETURN
TANK
LT < 88°C
RTD CHILLER TI
< 60sec cool
PRODUCT
PUMP down at 100%
FT FLOW TI
METER
<90.6°C flow rate
PLC TI
< 38°C
BLEND
TANK
HEAT TRIM
BALANCE EXCHANGER COOLER
TANK
RETURN
COOLER FILLER RETURN
TANK
FM
< 38.0°C
INVERTER CAPPER
COOLING TUNNEL