Tests from Independent IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group Prove The Answer Protects Liquid Sterility for 20 Days Without Refrigeration
The Journal of Food Protection, an internationally recognized food microbiology research publication, recently published the findings of a major independent study on International Dispensing Corporation’s (IDC) (IDND.PK) The AnswerTM. The article, entitled “Sterility Testing of a Dispensing Valve for Aseptic Function in Food Service Applications,” proves that The Answer maintains sterility of growth-promoting liquids for at least 20 days of non-refrigerated dispensing in both normal and unsanitary food service conditions. The Answer, the world’s only certified aseptic dispensing tap, is the core technology behind Multiserve SafePakTM, a new flexible packaging growth category. In order to gain approval for publication in the Journal of Food Protection, the paper was subjected to peer review, allowing scientists to question and challenge its protocols and findings.
Conducted by IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group, a leading food and beverage testing laboratory, the study tested the efficacy of The Answer to maintain sterility of low-acid liquids at ambient temperatures in highly challenging food service settings. Bag-in-box (BIB) flexible packages, fitted with The Answer and aseptically filled with growth-promoting liquid media, were stored at 25ºC and dispensed each day to simulate food service use. A number of nozzles were inoculated with excessive concentrations of bacteria and mold most commonly found in food service environments (S. aureus and A. niger) to test whether microorganisms would migrate into the package once the hermetic seal was broken and dispensing commenced.
The study, reflecting a “conservative, worst-case scenario,” asserts that The Answer maintains sterility of growth-promoting products in BIB packages following multiple actuations for 20 days without refrigeration in conditions simulating realistic use and operator misuse. The paper further states that pathogens such as L. monocytogenes are able to propagate in refrigeration temperatures and can cause serious human illness, even death, and that The Answer provides a “safer alternative” for facilities that require refrigeration. Use of the aseptic dispensing valve, the study concludes, can provide great benefits to the food service industry, enabling it to expand its product ranges while alleviating the need for refrigeration.
“There are many pathogenic organisms that grow both in and out of refrigerated settings, and it was our aim to test the viability of a valve that could operate aseptically and maintain the sterility of products after breakage of the hermetic seal,” says Jarret Stopforth, Director of R&D and microbiologist for IEH. ”Based on our test results, The Answer appears to provide the food service industry with what it needs to safely dispense product without refrigeration.”
Copies of the full research article can be obtained upon request.
About IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group
IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group is an A2LA accredited laboratory and meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 170:2005 and cGMP regulations. Its major focus is providing expert analytical and technical support to the food industry through consultation, research, product development and the investigation of microbiological issues in food. IEH employs more than 40 Ph.D. level scientists with expertise in a wide range of scientific disciplines, including food science and technology, microbiology, industrial hygiene, biochemistry and toxicology.
About International Dispensing Corporation
Founded in 1995, International Dispensing Corporation (IDC) is a research and development company that develops, manufactures, and licenses cutting-edge dispensing solutions for the packaging and foodservice industries. For more information about IDC and its products, please visit www.idcdispensing.com |
