Extended Shelf Life - The Process of Hot Fill

Hot fill is where a product is cooked then pasteurised to a minimum core temperature-before being filled at a lower, stabilised temperature into sealable vacuum bags, stand-up pouch or container, using specified temperatures between production and a rapid cooling process post filling, product is safe to be refrigerated for extended periods of time. The benefits of hot-fill and automating hot-fill processes are numerous:

• It's Fast
• Less Labour Intensive
• Safer for the Operator
• Reduction of Artificial Additives
• Greater product shelf life
• Offers multiple different packaging formats

Regethermic provide hot filling machines which are an accurate means of portioning food (soups, sauces, custards, curries, mash potato) into bags, dishes or bottles. Combined with a Regethermic rapid tumble chiller, this system provides an extended shelf product averaging 28 - 35 days, while offering the ability of monitoring food temperature at all stages of the process. This ensures that the product is safe and verifiable.

Factors to consider when looking at an extended shelf life product through hot fill:

• Target microorganisms
• Packaging requirements
• Product suitability
• Microbiological verification requirements
• Method of post packing storage requirements
• Minimum process stage temperature and time requirements
• Means to verify the minimum temperature requirements at each stage of processing

Regethermic offer solutions designed to not only streamline the cooking, pasteurisation, filling and chilling process’s but also offer a high level of safety and flexibility to the operator

Click here to see the Regethermic Pump-fill station and here to see the Vertical Form Filler or contact the Regethermic team for further assistance.