Top 7 Strategies for Aseptic Food Processing

Aseptic food processing involves sterilizing a product that is then filled and packaged under sterile conditions into a sterilized container before being exposed to the environment. Aseptic processing results in shelf-stable products that have a long shelf life. This is a complicated process in which many critical factors must be managed, monitored, and documented.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that this type of processing is a smart investment that will continue to pay off. As restrictions during the pandemic caused bottlenecks and scarcity in the fresh food supply chain, consumers flocked toward shelf-stable items, revealing demand. Aseptic processing and packaging will continue to close supply chain gaps as manufacturers are freed from providing refrigerated or frozen storage.

While the demand for shelf-stable items is here to stay, aseptic processing is a complex undertaking with many variables not seen in traditional food processing—from product and process design, to instrumentation and records, to training and monitoring. To maximize your investment—and to protect the end consumer—it’s important to fully understand the processes and commit to maintaining and monitoring aseptic production performance. In other words, it’s not a “build it and forget it” endeavor.

Based on my more than two decades working globally in aseptic processing and packaging facilities with design and production teams, I’ve seen in real time the successes—and challenges—of aseptic processing operations. Here are my top seven strategies for long-term aseptic processing performance, including designing, monitoring for quality assurance, training, and improving continuously.

1. Coordinating Processing Operations

Every part of the system, from purchasing, utilities, ingredient dosing, batching, and mixing, to the thermal process, control, and data recorder, must be designed with the purpose of operating as designed—concurrently—at all times. Aseptic processing and packaging require high attention to detail, and small mistakes in any of these areas can lead to costly problems.

I’ve seen large quantities of product destroyed because a simple gasket wasn’t replaced on time, which led to contamination. It’s worth the time, effort, and expense to execute a flawless design from the very beginning, in which the key stakeholders of the company—including quality assurance and safety and experienced and qualified engineers—produce a good design, taking into account every aspect of the process line, including utilities, sanitation, and environmental equipment.

2. Success Comes from a Good Plan

Aseptic processing design requires planning for several scenarios based on the flexibility needed by the producer as well as the variability in ingredients and supply chain. Aseptic “hidden costs”—such as downtime for maintenance and sanitation, preventive maintenance, calibration, and inspections—should be considered from the start. Design that simplifies these operations allows faster turnaround time and higher productivity.

It’s important to involve a process authority from the beginning to ensure that all legal requirements are considered and that future modifications to the line will be minimal. Aseptic processing relies heavily on the scheduled process given by a process authority, as part of a complete food safety plan, to produce safe and high-quality products. During the design stage, it’s a good idea to develop a design/food safety plan where several control points will be identified and design allowances made for instrumentation, recordkeeping, and calibration.

3. Validation Is Not a One-Time Activity

Validation is typically associated with commissioning and hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP), but in real life, it’s a continuous activity that is closely tied with operations and quality. During commissioning, validation activities are carried out to ensure that the production line and packaging equipment will perform as designed. Automated control systems, clean in place, and sanitation, as well as process line, need to be validated periodically to ensure they are still working as planned. Other activities, such as maintenance and change management, should also be considered part of continuous validation.

4. People Make the Difference

This is one of the biggest culprits in waning vigilance over time for aseptic processing. Every employee involved in the validation of aseptic processes—operations, quality control, plant management, maintenance, and engineering—should receive training on high-quality and safe foods. Training programs should adhere to both current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs) and the Better Process Control School. Employers should also offer ongoing professional development and refresher courses. It’s important that management commit beforehand to the training tenets of aseptic processing. Training is a great way to combat complacency over time.

5. Quality Assurance

Testing goes hand in hand with coordinating processes. The failure to maintain accurate records and test products periodically can cause the quality to diminish, risking contamination and serious illness, including contamination with Clostridium botulinum. The aseptic process is designed and validated to inactivate all microorganisms that could cause spoilage or pose a public health threat, and the scheduled response must be followed carefully. Aseptically processed foods require stringent recordkeeping. As the saying goes, if you didn’t document it, it didn’t happen.