Methods for aseptic packaging of low-acid foods

A method for forming and maintaining an aseptic work zone of a blow fill seal process, comprising:

• subjecting critical, direct and indirect food product contact surfaces of a fill nozzle assembly, parison and resulting hermetically sealed container to a sterile gas, wherein the sterile gas flows uni-directionally, thereby maintaining sterility of the critical, direct, and indirect food product contact surfaces during a fill cycle;
• extruding hot molten plastic via an extruder;
• continuously passing sterile gas through the hot molten plastic thereby creating a hot plastic parison;
• providing a mold apparatus comprising walls to enclose the hot plastic parison thereby sealing the bottom of the plastic parison;
• cutting the hot plastic parison with a sterilized cutting device such that is it removed from the extruder and forms a plastic parison having a closed end and an open end;
• subjecting the open end of the plastic parison to a sterile fill nozzle assembly;
• and
• providing a sterile blowing gas from the fill nozzle assembly into the interior of the plastic parison, wherein the sterile blowing gas forces the parison against the mold walls thereby forming a plastic container, wherein the sterile blowing gas passes out of the plastic container and maintains sterility of the opening of the plastic container,
• wherein the hot molten plastic is extruded at an extrusion temperature sufficient to maintain the sterility of the plastic.