Capture growth with a versatile dosing solution
Self-care trends are driving the demand for beverages with precisely dosed functional ingredients that support health and wellbeing. The Tetra Pak® Aseptic Dosing unit F supports popular additives, including omega-3, lactoferrin, collagen, vitamins, minerals, biotics and therapeutic enzymes, helping you tap into new consumer segments and expand your portfolio.
Reduce complexity with a compact alternative to conventional dosing
Functional ingredients are often costly, prone to spoilage if exposed to microbial contaminants and sensitive to the heat used to eliminate those contaminants. Conventional dosing compounds the challenge. On top of the extra hardware and steps required, traditional methods need to compensate for ingredient loss during heat treatment by adding more than the target amount.
The Tetra Pak Aseptic Dosing unit F is a compact solution that turns this challenge on its head. By dosing aseptically after heat treatment, it helps preserve ingredient functionality while reducing the need for overdosing.1 All it requires is a few additional metres of piping and minimal floor space. In fact, depending on your existing setup, the unit can also be installed in your filling room, freeing up production space.
Cut ingredient losses, simplify operations and produce across categories
Because functional ingredients are injected directly into the product stream right before filling, they bypass heat treatment entirely. This not only reduces costly ingredient waste but also makes the process medium-agnostic. That means it works regardless of your choice of medium, whether coconut water, nectar or milk. In practice, that gives you the freedom to produce across categories without the dosing reconfiguration that conventional setups demand. The functional ingredients come in pre-sterilised aseptic bags that are easy to load and quick to replace, minimising downtime. And because heat treatment is bypassed, it may even eliminate the need for additional equipment, such as a pasteuriser for certain dairy-based applications.
Switch between recipes without stopping production
With two separate dosing stations that support a broad variety of ingredients, the unit can switch between different recipes in minutes.2
Each station can dose up to 15 litres per hour and can be operated either simultaneously or alternately. When operated alternately, production remains continuous (typically for 20-72 hours3), as long as new bags are loaded before active ones run out. Simultaneous operation pauses production since the bags need to be replaced once fully used. While simultaneous dosing is not the most viable option for longer production runs, it does have its applications. It is a practical choice when ingredients need to be dosed at higher volumes for smaller batches, such as certain omega-3 applications. This simultaneous configuration could also be used to dose flavouring4 alongside a functional ingredient.
Test, scale and launch with fast time to market
The unit may be connected to one or more fillers using the same product base. One filler may run as normal while the others handle fortified variants of the base recipe, with a combined output ranging from 1,000 to 20,000 litres per hour (and the possibility of higher output rates for some applications). Together, these options reduce complexity and shorten your time to market. You can run, test and release small batches, then switch back almost immediately without significant disruption to production. The process requires no major setup changes5 when it comes to heating units or tanks. Nor does it involve significant downtime due to sterilisation and cleaning-in-place processes.
Rigorous aseptic safety protects your product and your reputation
When the dosing needle is about to enter the product pipe, steam is applied at a minimum of 125°C to prevent microbial contamination. Once the needle has entered the product pipe, the temperature is rapidly reduced to approximately 70°C using cooling water, which creates a sterile condensate barrier. This maintains aseptic safety while reducing the heat load on sensitive products such as lactoferrin, resulting in a gentler approach without compromising effectiveness.
High-precision dosing builds trust
Aseptic integrity is complemented by a dosing accuracy of ±2%, achieved through smaller dosing amounts that give you a degree of precision difficult to match with conventional methods. Behind this precision is a system of tightly coordinated components including a responsive flow meter, a weighing scale and a fast-acting peristaltic pump. All these components are both governed by and inform an algorithm that calculates and adjusts dosing according to your parameters, in real time. The dosing range of 0.5 litres to 15 litres is segmented into four hose sizes, further ensuring accuracy.
Navigate regulatory compliance with confidence
In special nutrition where scrutiny is high and purchase decisions are driven by trust, aseptic safety and precision dosing go hand in hand. Together, they help you ensure consistent product efficacy, substantiate ingredient claims6 with confidence and build the brand reliability that this category demands.
Built for simplicity, built for growth
The unit was designed with simplicity in mind. It requires minimal operator intervention, no major line overhauls and a comparatively low capital investment, making it accessible to producers looking to enter or expand in functional beverages without significant infrastructure upgrades.
1. Heat-sensitive ingredients such as probiotics can be dosed in chilled applications but are particularly challenging in applications that require heat treatment. The Tetra Pak Aseptic Dosing unit F helps make this feasible even in heat-treated products.
2. When dosing stations are operated one at a time, recipe changeover by switching from one dosing station to the other typically takes about 5 minutes. Actual times may vary, depending on factors including timely replacement of empty ingredient bags or operator familiarity with the process.
3. Long continuous production runs are contingent on several factors, including other equipment in the line, line condition, operator familiarity with the process and application variables (such as recipe complexity). For most standard operations, 20 hours of continuous production can be achieved. In some cases, it is possible to achieve up to 72 hours, sometimes even longer on request.
4. This unit’s flavour dosing application is ideal for recipes requiring up to 15 litres per dosing station per hour. For higher volumes, the Tetra Pak Aseptic Dosing unit E is a practical alternative.
5. Depending on your application, the filling machine may require additional setup changes. For example, the paper-based packaging material may need to be replaced to match the product you are switching back to.
6. Production traceability is built into this system, allowing you to track ingredient dosing and verify the accuracy of your claims. Barcodes on ingredient bags communicate attributes such as weight, ID number and expiry date to the machine, supporting operational product safety and minimising the risk of incorrect dosing. At the same time, the system continuously calculates, collects and records data on the amount dosed at any given point. This makes it easy to go back and verify each step or to prepare reports through supervisory systems.