If R&D energy is converted to commercial action, 2004 could be a watershed year for many types of shelf-stable products, including aseptic particulates.
Gerber Products Co. spent several years and tens of millions of dollars to design, build and validate aseptic processing and packaging systems at its Fremont, Mich., baby-food plant. Meanwhile, an executive with Tetra Pak claims the firm validated more than 40 new aseptic products at its Denton, Texas, pilot plant last year. And a major food processor is validating a line of high quality, high margin foods with particulate for foodservice distribution in aseptic totes. Add to that the first U.S. aseptic filler installation from Krones Inc. and new techniques to facilitate validation of aseptic processes, and the technology may be reaching its dynamic peak.