FOOD PACKAGING STERILIZATION

Food packaging means containers and pouches that are used to store food products in liquid, bulk or solid state.
*photo credit from Scholle IPN

IONIZING RADIATION TECHNOLOGY - X-RAY AND EBEAM - FOR FOOD PACKAGING STERILIZATION
Electron accelerators use high energy of electrons and X-Rays as a method for treatment of materials and products sterilization. Electron accelerator generates and accelerates electrons that pass through materials and products affecting microorganisms and chemical compounds. Electron beam treatment of materials and products is environmentally friendly since it uses only electricity.

The dose is based on the time period the product is located in the ionizing radiation chamber: The longer its stays, the higher the dose. For dose uniformity the product needs to be turned. In case of treatment in pallets, the pallet rotates around its axis in front of the electron beam outlet window.

BENEFITS OF PACKAGE TREATMENT
WITH RADIATION

  • Complete sterility of both internal and external surfaces of the packaging.
  • The material structure doesn't change. The treatment doesn't affect physical or chemical properties of packaging.
  • There's no residual radiation in irradiated products when treated by Beamcomplex electron accelerators, since we use electron accelerators with the energy up to 5 MeV.
  • Sterilization by electron accelerators ensures and guarantees safe use and filling of the sterilized packaging and eliminates recontamination.

TREATMENT PROCESS OPTIONS

The company has developed compact size modules with in-built electron accelerators that can be installed at production facilities to enable in-house sterilization of products.
Module for sterilization of food packaging packed in boxes and on pallets
The sterilization process is done in X-Ray mode.

Benefits:
  • Sterilization of products on a pallet itself;
  • No need for stuffing and destuffing operations before and after sterilization. The pallet can be unloaded and loaded;
  • No repeat contamination since the product is the packaging material is tightly packed and sealed on the pallet.
  • productivity capacity - 12 tons per hour with dose of 15kGy
  • power expenses - 350 kWt per hour
  • maximum parameters of products - 1200*1200*1500mm
Module for sterilization of food packaging in a tape roll
The sterilization process is done in E-beam mode.

Benefits:
  • productive capacity - 12 tons per hour with dose 15kGy
  • power use - 210 kWt per hour
  • Possibility to sterilize containers and pouches with thickness of material up to 50 mm.
Maximum width of packaging: 1.5 m.