Cornerstone Stainless Containers (CSC) offers the finest stainless steel liquid handling, storage, and transportation containers from Europe to the North American market. This style of container is often referred to as IBC – Intermediate Bulk Container, containers, totes and tanks. The CSC brand of aseptic food grade tanks/IBC for fruit puree, flavors, seasonings, and the complete range of viscous food ingredients and products. These pressures rated tanks provide for the perfect aseptic container. By eliminating the bag, disposable drums, product, and materials waste associated with ambient pressure containers the CSC food container provides an aseptic alternative that offers sustainability and quality assurance. Only with pressurized stainless steel containers can true aseptic production be achieved in a cost and production efficient manner.

Sciencedirect.com defines aseptic processing as the processing and packaging of a commercially sterile product into sterilised containers followed by hermetic sealing with a sterilised closure in a manner that prevents viable microbiological recontamination of the sterile product (Betta et al., 2011). This can only be achieved by filling a sterile container, in a sterile environment and preventing non-sterile air or materials into the container. This is done through the CSC line of pressure tanks/IBCs under the Stärker™ Line of TÜV and EC certified pressure containers. Stainless steel cylindrical tanks are ideal for pressure rated IBCs and aseptic tanks.

Keeping an environment sterile requires:
a- The environment is sterile when filled
b- When filling nothing that is not sterile enters the container
c- What is in the container remains in the container and what is outside the container remains outside the container.

This is accomplished through a Clean in Place (CIP) and Sterilize in Place (SIP) system and then filling with aseptic product that has been heated up to a sterilizing temperature and remains in a sterile environment from that point forward. Stainless steel provides for the best means to obtain and maintain sterile and sanitary conditions.

With the attachments on a standard Stärker™ container the processor is able to fill airspace in the container with sterile gas – typically a nitrogen blanket to force all oxygen out of the container in a safe and cost efficient manner. With a nitrogen blanket and a pressurized container, the aseptic integrity of the product is maintained until the container is opened or discharged. The standard Stärker™ container includes a surgical quality air filter with a Pore size 0.2 µm filter under the gas valve and the pressure relief valve (PRV). These two filters further improve the HACCP critical point integrity control to maintain sterile aseptic quality.

The CSC Stärker™ line of stainless steel aseptic containers are pressure rated by TÜV inaccordance with the European pressure equipment directive PED 2014/68/EU and with CE markand EC standards. The CE marking is a certification mark that indicates conformity with health, safety, and environmental protection standards of the EU.

Often referred to as totes or Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) these state-of-the-arts containers are utilized by the worlds leading producers of yogurt, ice cream, fruit filling and flavour with shipment to all major markets. The economies of scale and nearly 50 years of production at the European the CSC Stärker™ provide European Craftsmanship with production efficiencies and experience to offer the finest product at a price competitive with inferior product from other producers. Available in single wall, jacketed and insulated construction the Stärker™ line provides the food processor with a focus on quality control, consistency and sanitation with the container built to meet their needs.

If your product requires aseptic fill, storage, transport and discharge the Stärker™ line of pressurized stainless steel food grade totes/IBC containers will exceed your requirements.

If you do not require aseptic product but require a sanitary fill, storage, transport and discharge the Stärker™ line will exceed your requirements without paying for quality beyond your requirements. Many global customers utilize the Stärker™ line of containers for non-aseptic product. The 304 stainless steel utilized in the Stärker™ containers allows for efficient CIP cleaning and the manway and butterfly valve provide for efficient fill and discharge viscous liquids. Stärker™ containers are also available in the following bespoke options:

• 304 stainless steel
• 316 stainless steel
• Titanium
• jacketed (double stainless steel walls for glycol, steam, or other liquids to control temperature of the tank and its contents)
• Insulated – to maintain temperature and to minimize sweating
• Vacuum rated – to allow for sterile and complete evacuation of the container