Patent ID: 7798185

Claim:
A method for aseptically storing and dispensing a sterile food product, comprising the following steps: (i) maintaining a sterile food product hermetically sealed within a variable-volume storage chamber of a dispenser including a one-way valve coupled in fluid communication with the variable-volume storage chamber, wherein the one-way valve includes an elastic valve member forming a normally closed valve opening; (ii) dispensing a plurality of different portions of the sterile food product at different points in time from the variable-volume storage chamber through the one-way valve by pressurizing sterile food at an inlet to the normally closed valve opening and in turn moving the elastic valve member between a normally closed position and an open position with at least a segment of the valve member spaced away from the closed position to allow the passage of sterile food product from the variable-volume storage chamber through the valve opening; and (iii) maintaining the sterile food product within the variable-volume storage chamber sterile and hermetically sealed with respect to ambient atmosphere throughout steps (i) and (ii).