Commercially sterile food packaging system

A modular system wherein a wide range of fluid and/or particulate food products are filled and sealed into rigid, semi-rigid or flexible containers at commercial sterilizing temperature and under pressure in a non-aseptic method. The machine is pressurized with an inert gas so that in-container oxygen volume is minimized and product evaporation is minimized. Sterilization and subsequent cooling is achieved in holding towers controlled at appropriate temperatures and pressures. Modular construction enables the whole machine to be tailored to suit specific food product and container applications and allows the filling and sealing sections of the machine to be very small.