Non-pasteurised beer

For several years now, Royal Grolsch NV and Simonazzi have been working together on a project aimed at making the packaging process for non-pasteurised beer increasingly reliable in terms of hygiene.

Simonazzi enjoys a dynamic and close relationship with Royal Grolsch NV, the only Dutch brewery that has earned the title 'Royal'. Their relationship has led to the development of a major project for non-pasteurised beer.

Since the filled bottle is not treated in a tunnel pasteuriser during the packaging process, there is a risk of product recontamination during the filling and capping stages. However, there are ways to cope with the problem. The machines in the packaging and bottling line can be adapted to the special requirements of non-pasteurised beer by introducing a series of technical modifications aimed at optimising hygienic conditions.

Collaboration between Simonazzi and Grolsch in developing hygienic design solutions is nothing new. Back in 2002, the two partners came up with some very technologically advanced machines. At the time, they were considered state-of-the-art from a hygienic standpoint. Since then, the challenge has continued, driven by the increasingly sophisticated, specific requirements for Grolsch's new Boekelo brewery. Simonazzi experts and Grolsch test laboratories pooled their skills to design and test a series of technical fine-tunings for the machines.

The modifications took aim at two objectives: develop machines less liable to pick up dirt and accelerate and simplify the machine washing process.

To validate the innovations, many tests were carried out during the summer, a critical period in bacteriological terms. The tests were aimed at objectively gauging the effectiveness of the technical modifications made to the machines.

The greatest strength of the entire project turned out to be the components devised for transporting the bottles, ie, those elements in closest contact with the container such as starwheels and guides. The advantages may be summed up in the concepts of greater simplicity and superior system functionality. In fact, the components are now easier to dismantle and wash and much more resistant to potential contaminating agents.

Naturally, the challenge continues. In the near future, Sidel aims to focus on other bacteriologically 'delicate zones' in the line, namely the conveyor belts, pasteuriser infeed and bottle washer discharge.