8 replies to this topic

[dansm]

Hello all,

 

I am interested in commercially canning peppers in different types of packaging (glass, PET, tin). I am looking for information on how to ensure food safety and prevent any risks of infections such as botulism etc.

 

For glass and tin cans, I know that after filling the cans and sealing them, I can heat process them in water baths. However what is the method for PET bottles, as heating them can release phthalates and other toxins into the product. Can I use UV radiation rather than heat sterilization for glass, tin and PET bottles?

 

Thanks in advance.

[dansm]

Any one who can help? I want shelf stable products with around 1.5-2 years expiry.

[wafa2019]

Botulinum can grow in improperly canned, pickled foods with a pH higher than 4.6 you need shelf life tests 

[dansm]

Botulinum can grow in improperly canned, pickled foods with a pH higher than 4.6 you need shelf life tests 

Thanks for the reply. I have read that I will need a pH lower than 4.6, but also that pH alone is not enough. From my research, I have gathered that I will need to heat treat the cans. I want to know whether I can replace heat treatment with UV sterilization, since heat softens the food. Can UV sterilization be used for canned products?

[FurFarmandFork]

UV sterilization is difficult and only really effective for transparent products without a high organic material load.

 

You need to get involved with a process authority, I would recommend a university extension office since the advice will be free and get you on the right track.

 

NC state is really good at helping people out who want to produce. Here's their page on canning with some contact details: https://foodsafety.c...preservation-2/

[dansm]

UV sterilization is difficult and only really effective for transparent products without a high organic material load.

 

You need to get involved with a process authority, I would recommend a university extension office since the advice will be free and get you on the right track.

 

NC state is really good at helping people out who want to produce. Here's their page on canning with some contact details: https://foodsafety.c...preservation-2/

Thanks for the information. If UV sterilization is out of the question, can you please let me know how the following are sterilized:

 

https://www.walmart....ic-Jar/10308508

https://www.webstaur...e/12500515.html

 

Both of these are in what seems to be PET packaging. Now from what I know, if you heat sterilize PET bottles, there are chances of phthalates and other toxins leaching out into the product. So how do we go about this.

[FurFarmandFork]

It sounds like you need to do some research as to what your risks in this product are, because the immediate consumer risks are not from the plastic container. For example, the phthalate plasticisers you're worried about aren't found in PET bottles, despite the name Polyethylene Terephtalate having the word in it. Think of how carbon monoxide is dangerous, but that doesn't mean that everything with the word "oxide" in it is related to it. It's just part of the nomenclature for the compound.

 

The products you showed are likely hot-filled acidified foods. Of note, if you are planning on canning in the US, you will also need to file a process with FDA. So again, your first step is going to be to talk to a process authority on how to make your product safely, they can also let you know of any specific issues related to the packaging that you need to address. Many sports beverages packaged in PET (such as gatorade) are also hot filled, this is an extremely common practice.

 

As far as heat making chemicals leach "faster". That's correct, generally when you have a chemical reaction that occurs at a certain temperature, it will happen faster at higher temperatures, but in this case for most chemicals that leach from plastic, even though there is a change it's minimal. If you imagine me pouring a gallon of water into a lake, then pouring two gallons of water into a lake. While in the second step I added twice as much water (a.k.a water entered the lake 200% faster), it still doesn't really matter as far as the volume of the ocean is concerned.

 

We eat food packaging every day, as knives get dull that metal ends up on the cutting board, and as we open paper bags paper dust falls onto our produce. The key is the amount and the hazards it poses.

[dansm]

Thanks for the detailed reply. My target market is outside the US and so is my potential production facility.

 

For the PET packaging, I actually was not looking at the hot fill method as that would require sterilizing the PET bottles (probably with a chemical rather than heat) before filling the product. However I have read that hot fill is not as safe as hot bath or pressure canning. I mentioned phthalates because I assumed using the hot bath method or pressure canning method, however that would probably not work since plastics insulate heat much more than glass or metals.

 

In conclusion, do you believe that hot filling is safe for shelf stable peppers pickled in low pH brine that have an expiry date of atleast 18-24 months after packing. Also are these heat tolerant PET bottles able to withstand vacuum conditions like glass jars which can be vacuum sealed. Thanks in advance.

Edited by dansm, 07 January 2020 - 05:55 AM.

[FurFarmandFork]

 

In conclusion, do you believe that hot filling is safe for shelf stable peppers pickled in low pH brine that have an expiry date of atleast 18-24 months after packing. Also are these heat tolerant PET bottles able to withstand vacuum conditions like glass jars which can be vacuum sealed. Thanks in advance.

 

If a process authority helped me create the procedure and time/termpature checks required to do so, then yes, the gatorade bottles I mentioned before use much more plastic than a soda bottle, and the shape allows for expansion and contraction as the product enters hot and cools It does not necessarily need to be under vacuum and since PET is actually gas permeable without a barrier a lot of times it will come into equilibrium regardless.

 

Keep in mind that your expiration dates are going to be mostly based on product quality, not a safety standard, so you will need to determine what they are yourself, there are a ton of threads on IFSQN discussing shelf life determination that may be helpful.

 

Don't be overwhelmed, this stuff is difficult and everyone on the forum has spent years of study on it and doesn't know everything. Get someone from the industry involved in your project and they can give you clear guidance, try not to rely on folks selling you equipment as they are typically experts on their own process but not other options.