Combining a deflection logger and a pressure logger to your products and packaging within your heat processes (sterilization, pasteurization, chilled or frozen, ambient, …) allows for comprehensive monitoring and validation of the processes, especially when working with flexible or semi-rigid packaging (like pouches, trays, or cans).
Here’s why each logger is used, and why using both together is important:
1) Pressure data logger
- Purpose: Measures the internal pressure inside the autoclave chamber during sterilization, and/or inside the different packaging. One or two pressure loggers can be used simultaneously to optimize the process analysis.
- Importance:
o Ensures that the equipment (autoclave/oven) maintains the correct pressure during the process.
o Measures the differential pressure applied to the packaging
Helps validate the sterilization cycle by confirming that conditions stayed within the required thresholds.
2) Deformation / deflection data logger
- Purpose: Measures physical deformation (deflection) of the food package (e.g., expansion or contraction of flexible packaging in static or rotary processes).
- Importance:
o Delivers the information required to develop your over pressure profile or sealing conditions to prevent package ruptures or paneling…
Ensures package integrity is maintained—critical for safety, shelf life and appearance.
Why combine both ?
- Pressure alone isn’t enough: Even if the chamber pressure is correct, the package could still deform or burst if internal vapor pressure isn't balanced properly.
- Deflection alone isn’t enough: If a deflection occurs, but you don’t know the pressure conditions that caused it, it’s hard to optimize or troubleshoot the process.
• Together, these loggers help you:
- Correlate pressure conditions with package behavior.
- Design heat processes that are effective and gentle (maintain package integrity).
- Validate and document compliance with regulatory standards (e.g. FDA, EU food safety).
- Optimize overpressure monitoring to match package needs.
- Avoid air trapped inside the chamber (which reduces sterilization efficiency).
- Ensure your program is properly developed in accordance with Molliers diagram and that you have vented the machine properly. It is also specific to steam/air retorts – which excludes raining water retorts, pasteurizers, ovens etc
- Know if the equipment pressure sensor in chamber if fully functional and representative of load conditions.
In brief :
Using both a deflection logger and a pressure logger gives a complete picture of what's happening during sterilization/pasteurization processes—inside the chamber and to the package. This is critical for ensuring that the food is safely sterilized/pasteurized without compromising the packaging.
Of course, these loggers are used in addition to temperature loggers to ensure the right sterilization process.