The aim of ultra-clean technology is to fill and handle containers under hygienic conditions and consequently significantly reduce the microbial load inside the container. Depending on the type of product and the supply chain management it is thus possible to guarantee a longer shelf-life using reduced quantity of preservatives or eliminating them.
Ultra-clean technology is now relevant in the field of milk-based products and ESL (Extended Shelf-Life): by combining ultra clean technology with the cold supply chain it is possible to guarantee an adequate shelf life (60 days or over) for products such as drinkable yoghurt and flavoured milk with simpler production systems as compared to an aseptic line.
The environment of the filling area is normally controlled with pressurizers fitted with HEPA filters (High Efficiency Particulate Air) that maintain it in slight overpressure as compared to the surrounding environment.
Sanitizing the containers is performed using different chemical means; in any case the performances requested in terms of logarithmic reductions on the C.F.U. (Colony Forming Units) are much lower than those of an aseptic application, normally no more than 3 log of the reference target organism. Sanitizing caps is possible using either a high pressure UV ray treatment (if correctly handled), or by using a chemical treatment, with reduced chemical concentrations and shorter treatment times. According to the laws of the country of production, it is sometimes possible to add stabilizers to the product that guarantee its duration. In this case, the use of ultra clean technology has the aim of reducing the quantity of stabilizers. The possibility of using ultra clean technology for filling sensitive products depends on many critical parameters that may intervene:
- Product Recipe
- Temperature of the supply chain of the end product
- Required shelf life
In any case, it is not possible to guarantee the repeatability of the process, in particular as compared to certain circumstances (presence of particularly contaminated containers, increase in environmental contamination due to external factors).