HEAT TREATMENT OF FOODS | Synergy Between Treatments Chapter uri icon

abstract

  • 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Canning typically involves the heating of low-acid foods at121C, with the goal of eliminating all mesophilic microorganisms, as well as spores of Clostridium botulinum, leaving the product 'commercially sterile.' In order to accomplish this, the process is applied for a period of time long enough to achieve a 12 log10 reduction in the number of spores of this pathogen (termed '12D processing'). This usually entails heating for at least 2 min, depending on the food composition. Such a process is very effective in maintaining the stability of low-acid foods during room-temperature storage. However, the time/ temperature used in canning affects the quality of many food products. It has been suggested that if processing technologies could be used in combination with heat to achieve the 12D process, the heating treatment used in canning would not have to be so severe, i.e., the temperature could be lower and/or the time shorter than that currently being used.

author list (cited authors)

  • Murano, E. A.

citation count

  • 1

complete list of authors

  • Murano, EA

Book Title

  • Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology

publication date

  • April 2014