Terminal sterilization provides a higher degree of sterility assurance than aseptic processing is well understood and leads regulatory agencies around the world to require that if the product can be terminally sterilized it must be. The technology of hot water sterilization with counter pressure has been developed specifically for the terminal treatment of solutions in sealed containers.
The working principle is based on automatic counter pressure by injection of compressed air into the chamber during the entire cycle, to minimize the differential pressure across the containers generated by exposure to heat. The water shower over the product ensures that a uniform temperature distribution is maintained throughout the chamber during the sterilization phase. The high rate of water circulation and the two-stage water distribution system ensures accurate and homogenous temperature distribution in the product to be sterilized. Since the water comes into physical contact with the container the heat transfer is more efficient and the process efficiency is not affected by air pockets. The pressure in the chamber is continuously adapted to the internal pressure of the containers and the entire process can be controlled easily and accurately.