PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2014

42 PET planet insider Vol. 15 No. 03/14 www.petpla.net BEVERAGES / INGREDIENTS regarding the different barrier solu- tions vary between solutions and from country to country. In Europe, all the constituent parts of the different layers have to be food-approved materials - even if they are isolated between other layers - whereas in America, the FDA has granted a ‘Non-Object’ for multi-layer PET technologies which offer a functional barrier. This requires an inner layer of virgin PET material of a minimum 0.025mm thickness to separate the outer ‘barrier’ material from direct contact with the contents. Barrier technologies such as addi- tives or blends, directly incorporated into the composition of the basic PET material, as well as employed as a coating, have the potential to affect the composition of the PET resin and may cause some degradation of the beverage. That is the reason many leading figures within the industry, particularly in Europe, are required to have all components individually approved for direct contact with food. Blow moulding and lightweighting EFSA and the FDA correctly iden- tify that the potential threat to food safety linked to today’s packaging material mainly arises from the possi- ble degradation of the material during transformation. This could lead to the creation of ‘by-products’, however there are no by-products that impact food safety during preform injection processing. They are instead, colour- less gases at normal room tem- perature that may migrate to bottled water causing a harmless but mildly unpleasant taste. The blow moulding process itself within the production and filling of the PET bottles has no impact on the fea- tures of the packaging material. It is a neutral process involving a preform in which the plastic material has already been transformed. The oven tempera- ture that heats the preform is below the fusion temperature and does not cause any risk in terms of degradation of the resin. The actual blow moulding process stretches the material, chang- ing its state from amorphous PET to semi-crystalline. The finished bottle has superior strength and greater bar- rier properties as a result. The current drive towards ever more lightweighting of bottles does not have an effect on the properties of PET regarding food safety. Although the thinner bottle walls do have a decreasing effect on the performance of the PET barrier, it requires accu- rate testing of material permeability to ensure the required shelf life of the beverage is achieved - and to ensure that migration of external compo- nents into the product does not take place and cause contamination. All manufacturers also need to be aware of other potential risks such as the migration of inks required for bottle marking or glues from the bottle label- ling process through the thinner PET walls. Hygienic design is essential The hygienic design of all food production equipment is, of course, vital. Mostly, the general principle of hygiene within machinery is related to the materials used to construct that machinery. The surface finish, the construction and fabrication details, the installation, operation and main- tenance are all crucial elements and must be considered from the outset for the entire operating life of the equipment. Surfaces that come into contact with any food or drink product at any point in the production process must be made from materials that are smooth, non-toxic, non-absorbent, corrosion-resistant and easily clean- able under normal operating condi- tions. As much as is possible, interior surfaces of the equipment should be devoid of joints, sharp angles, pitched to a drainable port and self-draining. Maintaining food safety Even when bottling lines have been developed, manufactured, installed and commissioned, correct and regular maintenance is essential in maintaining safe and profitable pro- duction. Leading manufacturers will, of course, provide a thorough after- sales service of routine maintenance. Most will pass on maintenance manu- als and advice on procedures for the operating personnel. As food stand- ards continue to change and evolve, the collaboration between equipment supplier and operator is vital in ensur- ing safe and reliable production that meets the requirements of interna- tional standards. Operators will natu- rally be supplied with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) plans along with suggestions on labo- ratory and quality analysis. Having learned from each cus- tomer, each installation and years of experience, leading equipment suppliers are eager to communicate all recommendations concerning the food safety of their equipment. Achiev- ing Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is not about meeting legisla- tive requirements, but relaying simple recommended ideas that can help operators to maintain complete bever- age safety and quality throughout the entire production life of the machinery. In that way, suppliers will know that they have done everything they can to contribute to the safety of the world’s food and beverages. www.sidel.com In Europe, all the constituent parts of the different bottle layers have to be food-approved materials - whereas in America, the FDA has granted a ‘Non- Object’ for multi-layer PET technolo- gies which offer a functional barrier.