What one sees, in the form of an aseptic package, is really just the end of a much longer process. Just as important as the package is the product, and just as important as the product is its sterility.

How do we create a sterile product? We do the most logical and effective thing: heat it to very high temperatures. What differentiates us, in this respect, from the older retort method – most commonly associated with canning – is that we sterilize before, rather than after, packaging.

Product sterilization – which we call “processing” – occurs at an extremely high temperature, as high as 300°F, for a very short period of time – a matter of seconds. The brief and intense process achieves a critical balance – obliterating microorganisms without sacrificing quality, particularly flavor and nutritional integrity.

From here, it is all about sterility. Sterile product is transferred through sterile stainless steel piping to a sterile holding tank, where it awaits filling into a sterile package. Indeed, the product does not exit sterile conditions until the end-consumer opens the package.

Our Elma facility is fitted with a variety of processing systems to suit a variety of products. These include steam infusion, plate heat exchange, and tubular.