QUESTION: When you cold-fill a beverage after you have pasteurized it, it there not a risk of contamination after cooling before the bottles are filled and capped? I have heard that yeast and mold spores exist naturally in air. 

ANSWER:  It is true that ambient air naturally contains microorganisms, including airborne mold spores and, to a lesser extent, yeast cells. Our manufacturing process is specifically designed to deal with this.

The process begins with flash pasteurization typicaly at 190°F for 20 seconds. Although the heat treatment is brief, it greatly exceeds the FDA requirement for a 5-log (99.999%) reduction of pathogens. It also destroys the spoilage yeasts and molds that may be present in the product before processing.

After pasteurization, the beverage travels through a closed sanitary system from the HTST (flash) pasteurizer, through a crash cooler, and o the filler. The cooling water never comes into contact with the beverage, so the cooling process does not expose the product to environmental contamination.

The bottles are cleaned with either water or CDA (Clean Dry Air) as they travel to the filler. 

Once the beverage is filled, the bottle remains open only briefly before it is capped. Any theoretical exposure to airborne microorganisms is addressed by the beverage's low pH (3.3 or below), the preservatives in the formulation, and our sanitation and Good Manufacturing Practices.

Rather than relying on any single step, beverage safety and stability are achieved through multiple layers of protection working together. These include the validated heat treatment, the closed sanitary processing system, controlled filling and capping, the beverage's low pH, preservatives, and our comprehensive sanitation program.

This complete process has been reviewed and approved by an independent Process Authority to provide assurance that it is appropriate for the safe manufacture of the types of cold filled beverages that we produce.