process
Pasteurisation
A controlled heat-treatment process that inactivates pathogens and spoilage organisms in beverages, typically 72–95°C for juice, 136–142°C UHT for aseptic.
Pasteurisation is the controlled heat-treatment of liquid foods to kill pathogenic micro-organisms and reduce spoilage flora. In beverage processing, it is the central thermal process for juice, RTS, nectar, and dairy-beverage applications.
Common regimes used in Indian juice plants:
- **Hot-fill pasteurisation**: 92–96°C for 25–30 seconds, then bottle at 85–88°C, most-popular for PET hot-fill juice and RTS.
- **HTST (High-Temperature Short-Time)**: 72–75°C for 15–20 seconds, for chill-chain pasteurisation.
- **UHT (Ultra-High Temperature)**: 136–142°C for 4–6 seconds, for aseptic juice & dairy beverages with 12-month shelf life.
Equipment: **plate heat exchangers** (most common), **tubular heat exchangers** (for pulpy juices), and **shell-tube** systems (for high-viscosity products). Pasteuriser sizing depends on flow rate, holding time, and product properties.
Related terms
CIP (Clean-In-Place)
An automated cleaning protocol where cleaning solutions are circulated through process equipment without disassembly.
SIP (Sterilise-In-Place)
A high-temperature steam or chemical sterilisation cycle run on installed equipment without disassembly, required for aseptic operations.
Aseptic Filling
Filling sterilised product into pre-sterilised bottles within a HEPA-filtered Class-100 environment, enables 12-month shelf life without preservatives.
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