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

无菌食品包装的制造速度受到两个关键和缓慢的灭菌和密封步骤的限制，这两个步骤形成两个瓶子。生产线上的脖子。本研究的目的是提高灭菌和密封的比率，评估灭菌对密封的影响，研究替代密封（焊接）技术，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）和北卡罗莱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，在这个联合“Tie”研究项目上进行成本分摊和合作。CAPPS的研究人员将研究电子束辐照灭菌的使用及其对产生异味的影响。初步工作表明，辐照比目前的方法更快、更有效。CWR的研究人员将研究使用激光和红外密封无菌包装。这些新技术允许比传统方法更快、更局部、更可控的加热。灭菌对密封质量的影响将在CWR进行评估，而密封对异味形成的影响将在CAPPS进行研究。这项工作的短期效益是加快生产和降低无菌食品包装的制造成本。长期效益包括提高对密封和灭菌的理解，从而开发用于无菌食品生产的新工艺和新特种材料。该计划经理建议一笔金额为49,972美元的两年奖助金。

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.