Hot food requires a cool down period in order to be vacuum packed effectively, costing time and reducing flexibility, and in the case of active cooling, also costing energy. The alternative from MULTIVAC is the new SFP Light steam flushing system.
When vacuum packing hot products, some residual air with 21 percent oxygen content always remains in the header space. This residual air content can reduce the shelf life of the food.
The thermoforming packaging machine first forms the pack cavities for the product from a plastic film. For example, five kilograms of goulash would be packaged at 60 degrees celcius. The portions then travel into a hermetically enclosed sealing station. The SFP Light system moves hot steam at a temperature of 180 degrees celcius, and the upper web is sealed to the formed film, with the steam remaining in the pack.
SFP Light is available with immediate effect for MULTIVAC thermoforming packaging machines.