Guarantees long product shelf life without refrigeration.
	Preserves nutritional values, quality and taste of the product.
	Prevents product contamination.

The immediate advantages of the aseptic process settled its success wherever it has been introduced. This technique allows products, formerly considered perishable, to be stored and distributed without refrigeration for prolonged periods of time (from 6 to 24 months depending on the product). In addition, the aseptic process can be utilized to package a wide range of products, such as milk and dairy, fruit juices, flat drinks, wine, mineral water, tomato sauce and so forth.
The first "step" of the aseptic process is the sterilization of the product by heating and then cooling at room temperature (thermal shock). The treatment temperature and the exposition time vary according to the kind of product. Products can be broadly divided into two main categories:

	Low-acid products (pH equal or higher than 4.6): milk and dairy products (cream, soy milk, etc.). These products are quite sensitive to temperature treatment and prone to bacterial growth. That is why they are processed utilizing Ultra High Temperature (U.H.T.) Schedules, which involve heating the product from 135° to 145°C for 2 - 8 seconds.
	High-acids products, such as fruit juices and drinks. These products do not support bacterial growth, but they are particularly subject to the development of yeast and mold. They are usually sterilized utilizing High Temperature for a Short Time (H.T.S.T.), which involves heating the product from 90° to 105° C for 10-30 seconds.

In both cases the thermal shock makes the product "commercially" sterile. The thermal shock can be realized both directly and indirectly. In the first case steam is directly injected into the product and then the product is cooled; in the second case both hating and cooling take place by means of plate or tubular system. The process is completed by packaging the sterilized product in hermetically sealed aseptic packages.