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HEMICAL sterilisation of caps can be an issue. It often employs work at high
temperatures that can distort the cap. To eliminate these issues, Serac has developed
an alternative to chemical sterilisation. According to the company, its new
BluStream® cap sterilisation technology offers fast and highly efficient sterilisation
without the use of chemicals and high temperatures. It is intended for use on bottling
lines of non-refrigerated and ESL 90 day beverages.
BluStream® is a low-energy e-beam treatment that can be administered at room temperature.
The new technology is capable of ensuring a 6 log bacteriological reduction in 0.3 to 0.5 seconds
per side, without any chemicals. It is this efficiency level that allows the module to be used in
aseptic packaging.
E-beam is a physical dry treatment. To sterilise surfaces, e-beam dispenses a beam of electrons
over the surface of the product, and these electrons quickly destroy microorganisms by breaking
their DNA chains. These low-energy electron beams do not penetrate the treated material and will
not affect the internal structure of the cap.
A safe, real-time monitored and environmentally friendly solution for manufacturers,
BluStream® can be integrated on new Serac lines as well as existing machines, whatever their OEM.BluStream®: Controlled sterilisation with reduced environmental impact
BluStream® technology uses a much simpler process which makes sterilisation easier to monitor.
The e-beam treatment only depends on 3 critical parameters which are easy to control voltage,
current intensity and exposure time. By comparison, H 2 O 2 sterilisation depends on seven critical
parameters; output, temperature and time for hot air, output, temperature, concentration and time for
hydrogen peroxide.
Bacteriological reduction is ensured as soon as the cap has been exposed to the recommended
dose of electrons. This dose is administered via perfectly controllable parameters and can be
monitored in real-time using a simple dosimetry test. Sterilisation is confirmed in real-time, which
is not possible with chemical laboratory tests. Products can be released and shipped quickly, which
will reduce the stock.
The new technology also brings environmental benefits that will lower the environmental
footprint. It doesn’t require water, heating or steam. By eliminating these requirements, it consumes
little energy and does not generate toxic waste.Continuous cap sterilisation in a compact module
Compared to chemical sterilisation solutions, the BluStream® cap sterilisation module
is highly compact. It occupies only 3 square metres of floorspace. It allows continuous
decontamination of 6 log inside the cap and 3 log outside the cap, with an output up to
900 units per minute.
This module can be integrated on all ESL and aseptic bottling lines. It can be used
by any manufacturer that would like to better control their cap sterilisation and promote
environmentally responsible production methods.For all ESL and ambient stored products packed in bottles
The BluStream® technology can be applied on any kind of cap HDPE, LDPE, PET, PP or
aluminum and any bottle size. This technology is used for high-acid products such as fruit juices as
well as low-acid products such as teas, UHT milks, milk-based drinks and milk substitutes.
Serac’s BluStream® technology offers a cutting-edge sterilisation solution which reinforces its
position as an expert in the aseptic filling of bottles. It will be available on new machines and as an
upgrade on existing aseptic lines.ESL and aseptic packaging
BluStream® sterilisation technology offers fast and highly efficient
sterilisation, without the use of chemicals and high temperatures
packaging
BluStream®
sterilisation for caps
(internal surface)(^26) FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal July 2019 http://www.industrysourcing.com