In Good Taste

good-taste
Date: 23.04.21
Glancing at the supermarket shelves reveals the wide variety of beverages for sale; a colorful assortment of flavors based on current trends, target groups and seasonal changes. Making sure they all taste as they should is vital. A collaboration between Trelleborg Sealing Solutions and Krones, a specialist in components and lines for beverages, makes sure this goal is met.  -By Meghan Cloud Braunger

IN SHORT 

  1. Flavor carryover poses a real threat to beverage companies.
  2. Trelleborg Sealing Solutions partnered with Krones to identify the cause of, and find solutions to this.
  3. Sealing material selection proved to be key in ensuring beverages taste as they should.
IT’S CHALLENGING FOR BEVERAGE COMPANIES TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS
of a market driven by consumer demand. Products are modified rapidly and industry experts predict the beverage market will continue to evolve at increasing speed. Optimizing production, enhancing efficiency and flexibility, as well as maintaining the highest quality standards and food safety, are essential. More and diverse product lines mean manufacturing times are shorter and production changes more frequent. One issue with this is the risk of flavor carryover.

Sealing relevant in aroma carryover


Elastomer sealing components were believed to be a relevant factor in aroma carryover. The selection of an optimum sealing material would potentially be crucial in preventing the transfer of flavors from one filling process to the next. Based on this hypothesis, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions partnered with Krones, a specialist in the beverage bottling process, to analyze the reasons behind unintentional flavor carryover related to seals during the filling process.

Dr. Eva Beierle, Development Engineer Aseptic and Process Technology at Krones, understands the aroma carryover issue from the bottlers' point of view. She says: "One trend in the latest beverages is toward increasingly intense flavors. This poses challenges, since beverages with high concentrations of flavors naturally tend to leave perceptible traces of aroma in the bottling lines
optimum materials

Testing undertaken to identify optimum materials

Together with Krones, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions performed tests to understand where and why aroma carryover occurs in bottling lines. The elastomer materials used in sealing components in filling machines, which are in contact with beverages, proved to be a significant factor. The aromas used for beverages, especially when in high concentrations,  diffuse into elastomer materials. The seals can then release the absorbed aromas even after thorough rinsing between beverage filling processes.


Konrad Saur, Vice President Innovation & Technology at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, says, “The results are clear. Analysis of sealing materials showed that seals made of ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) absorbed more aroma molecules, while fluorocarbon (FKM) materials demonstrated significantly better performance, making it
suitable for use with many beverages.”

 

Isolast® FoodPro™ has virtually no flavor carryover

Tests also concluded that seals made of perfluoroelastomer (FFKM), such as the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Isolast® FoodPro™ compounds, can be an effective solution. “The Isolast® FoodPro™ materials did not absorb aromas and showed virtually no detectable effect on the taste of subsequent beverages, even under unfavorable conditions. This makes these sealing materials ideal for use on bottling lines processing beverages with intense flavors,” Konrad adds.

Aroma diffusion from materials
Aroma diffusion from materials
EPDM, FKM and FFKM materials were tested with numerous aromas to determine which materials were most effective in preventing carryover.
WHAT IS FLAVOR CARRYOVER

Flavor carryover is the transfer of flavors from one filling process to the next. Despite cleaning measures and adapted production plans, small traces of aroma can remain in the bottling machines, which can then be absorbed by the next beverage. This danger should not be underestimated, especially when intense flavorings are used.

The consequences of flavor carryover are product rejects, unintentional downtime,  additional inspections and complaints. In the worst case, it can even lead to recalls, closures and fines.

Selecting the optimum seal is critical

Martin Krüger, Area Sales Manager responsible for food & beverage at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, says: “Our customers rely on the performance of the sealing solutions they specify.

We can adapt our sealing systems in geometry and material exactly to specific requirements, in particular to fulfill hygienic sealing needs. “In bottling lines, selecting the optimum seal is proven to be important to prevent aroma carryover. In addition to this, our materials are stable against the chemicals and high temperatures found in bottling lines and those used in CIP and SIP regimes, as well as holding the approvals and complying to standards required for contact with foodstuffs.”
ABOUT KRONES: AN ALL-ROUND PARTNER FOR THE BEVERAGE AND LIQUID-FOOD INDUSTRY
Whether made of glass, PET or aluminum – Krones machines and lines process millions of bottles, cans and specially shaped bottles each day. Its customers mainly comprise breweries, water, soft drink and juice manufacturers, as well as dairies and producers of wine, sparkling wine and spirits, and companies from the liquid-food field.

FoodPro™ High-performance elastomer and plastic material range for the Food & Beverage industry

food-and-beverage-industry

Meets unique needs of the food and beverage industry

The Trelleborg Sealing Solutions FoodPro™ range is a comprehensive portfolio of polymer-based materials specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of the Food & Beverage industry. Implementation of  Good Manufacturing Practice ensures the ultimate in production efficiency and safety.

 

 

food contact regulations

Compliant with global food contact regulations

FoodPro™ materials offer proven high sealing performance and are suitable for CIP/SIP processes used in the food industry. They comply with the most relevant food contact regulations globally, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards, European Regulations including Reg. (EC) 1935/2004 and Chinese food safety standards.
custom-designed seals

Available for standard and custom-designed seals

The FoodPro™ material range is available for standard and customdesigned seals and components across the globe. Local Trelleborg Sealing Solutions engineers support with seal design to meet hygienic design requirements.
sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY HIGHLIGHTED AT VIRTUAL CONFERENCE EUROPE
The joint Trelleborg Sealing Solutions and Krones project was featured at the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Virtual Conference on November 25, 2020. Dr. Eva Beierle, the lead engineer at Krones involved in the aroma carryover R&D project, joined Konrad Saur as a guest speaker in the panel discussion “Engineering Towards a More Sustainable Future.”

Also participating in the sustainability session were Marina Ponti, Global Director of United Nations SDG Action Campaign and keynote speaker Dr. Will Ritzau, Professor for Digital Business Management & Sustainability at University Fresenius in Germany.