The huge capital costs, expensive and time-consuming installations, the low efficiency of filling equipment and the requirement for highly skilled technicians are increasing the overall costs forfood processors, says analyst Frost & Sullivan in a new study.
Aseptic processing involves filling a sterilised package with a sterile food under a confined hygienic environment. Through the method processors can achieve a shelf life without the use ofpreservatives or refrigeration.
To exploit the demand for minimally processed foods without synthetic chemical preservatives, manufacturers are also exploring other methods of production. These include high pressure processing,hot filling, ohmic heating, pulsed electric field, irradiation and bright light manufacturing.
Extending the shelf life of chilled products also opens new opportunities for processors by allowing them to consolidate operations and extend their distribution chain.
The US aseptic packaging market had revenues of $4.61bn in 2004 and is forecast to grow to $5.31bn in 2011, according to Frost & Sullivan.
To face the challenge of justifying the huge upfront costs, enterprises need to capitalise on factors such as longer shelf life, low distribution costs and flexibility in designing and labeling,the first stated.
Food processors are also using aseptic packaging to venture into niche segments such as liquid eggs, sauces, puddings, and meal-replacement drinks.
Aseptic packaging methods also drastically reduce a firm's distribution costs as the cartons can be folded to occupy less space, allowing more volume to be transported in a single vehicle, Froststated.
Technological advances in high-speed processing and packaging equipment could also boost the use of aseptic packaging in the industry.
"Certain established companies are conducting extensive research on developing safe and easy-to-operate high-speed equipment," Frost & Sullivan stated. "Aseptic packagingtechnologies provide better options in terms of overall designing and packaging, which are superior to other packaging alternatives."
However packagers still need to update their products so as to meet the technical requirements of the speedier equipment, Frost warns.
"In particular, aseptic packagers need to focus on the beverage market where there is a demand for products with new flavours and high nutritional value," the analyst stated. "Certainflavors and nutrients are sensitive to high temperatures, which makes hot fill packaging unsuitable for them. Aseptic packaging uses techniques emphasising on high temperature-less time, making themideal for these emerging consumer goods.