What is the difference between sterile packaging and non-sterile packaging?

The essential difference between sterile packaging and non-sterile packaging lies in the degree of control over microorganisms. This difference runs through the entire process from production to use and directly affects product quality and consumer experience.

Sterilization standards are the core watershed. sterile packaging requires that packaging materials, contents and filling environments are all commercially sterile (microbial spores ≤1/100g), and all links are sterilized by physical (high temperature) or chemical (peracetic acid) methods, and the risk of residual bacteria is close to zero. Non-sterile packaging only sterilizes the contents to a limited extent, and packaging materials and environments allow low levels of microorganisms to exist (total ≤100cfu/g), relying on subsequent storage conditions to inhibit microbial reproduction.

The packaging protection performance is significantly different. sterile packaging uses a multi-layer co-extruded film or aluminum-plastic composite structure, with an oxygen permeability of ≤0.05cc/24h and a water vapor permeability of ≤1g/24h, which can completely block the invasion of external bacteria; non-sterile packaging is mostly a single-layer structure with an oxygen permeability of ≥5cc/24h, and has limited protection capabilities, and can only cope with short-term storage.

Each application scenario has its own focus. sterile packaging dominates the long-shelf liquid food market, such as plant protein beverages (6 months of room temperature storage) and infant formula milk powder (12-24 months). Its sterile environment can save the addition of preservatives. Non-sterile packaging is the main force of fresh food, such as chilled meat (stored at 0-4℃ for 7 days) and ready-to-eat salads (refrigerated for 5 days), which need to cooperate with cold chain to achieve short-term preservation.

The cost structure contrast is large. The investment in sterile packaging production line is 3-5 times that of ordinary lines, but because cold chain logistics is omitted, the full-cycle cost is reduced by 20%-30%; non-sterile packaging has low initial investment, but relies on low temperature control throughout the process, and the logistics cost is more than 50% higher than sterile packaging.

When choosing, it is necessary to combine the characteristics of the product: products with good high temperature stability and long shelf life are preferred to sterile packaging; products that are sensitive to freshness and fast turnover are selected for non-sterile packaging. The two together build a safety protection system for food packaging.