Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Welding/Sterilization and Sealing of Asceptic Food Packages

灭菌和封口这两个关键而缓慢的步骤在生产线上形成了两个瓶颈，限制了无菌食品包装的制造速度。本研究的目的是提高灭菌率和封口率，评估灭菌对封口的影响，研究替代封口(焊接)工艺，并研究这些工艺对食品中异味形成的影响。俄亥俄州立大学的焊接研究中心(CWR)和北卡罗来纳州立大学的无菌加工和包装研究中心(CAPPS)都是工业/大学合作研究中心，并在这一联合“TIE”研究项目上进行成本分担和合作。CAPPS的研究人员将研究电子束辐照杀菌的使用及其对产生恶臭风味的影响。初步工作表明，辐射比目前的方法更快、更有效。CWR的研究人员将研究无菌包装的激光和红外密封的使用。与传统方法相比，这些新技术允许更快、更本地化和更可控的加热。CWR将评估灭菌对密封质量的影响，而CAPPS将研究密封对异味形成的影响。这项工作的短期好处是加快生产并降低无菌食品包装的制造成本。长期的好处包括提高对密封和灭菌的理解，导致无菌食品生产的新工艺和新的特殊材料的开发。项目经理建议拨款49,972美元，为期两年。

The manufacturing of aseptic food packaging is limited in speed by the two critical and slow steps of sterilization and sealing which form two bottle.necks in production lines. The objectives of this research are to increase the rates of sterilization and sealing, evaluate the effect of sterilization onsealing, investigate alternative sealing (welding) techniques and study the effects of these processes on the formation of off flavors in the food. The Center for Welding Research (CWR), at Ohio State University and the Center for Aseptic Processing and Packaging Studies (CAPPS) at North Carolina State University are both Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers and are cost sharing and collaborating on this joint "Tie" research project. The researchers at CAPPS will study the use of electron beam irradiation for sterilization and its effect upon the creation of off flavors. Preliminary work shows irradiation to be faster and more effective than current methods. The researchers at CWR will study the use of laser and infrared sealing of aseptic packages. These new techniques permit faster, more localized, and more controlled heating than conventional methods. The effects of sterilization on sealing quality will be evaluated at CWR, while the effect of sealing on off flavor formation will be studied at CAPPS. The short term benefits of this work are to speed production and reduce cost of manufacturing of aseptic food packages. Long term benefits include improved understanding of sealing and sterilization leading to development of new processes and new specialty materials for aseptic food production. The Program Manger recommends a grant in the amount of $49,972 for two years.