FSM 3001

HEAT PRESERVATION OF FOODS

HEAT TRANSFER
The transfer of energy in the form of heat into
or out of a product
Heating
Pasteurization
Boiling
Cooling
Freezing
TYPES OF HEAT TRANSFER
Radiation
Convection
Conduction
Principle of Heat Transfer
Conduction
from one particle to another by contact
food particles in can do not move
Convection
movement inside can distributes heat
Radiation
energy transfer through a medium which itself is
not heated
Principle of Heat Transfer
Conduction
from one particle to another by contact
food particles in can do not move
Convection
movement inside can distributes heat
Radiation
energy transfer through a medium which itself is
not heated
CONDUCTION
Heat Transfer
product
Conduction
Heating medium
Convection
tank wall
Increase palatability
Baking, broiling, roasting (dry heat)
Frying in oil (160-190 C)
Boiling, stewing in boiling water
OBJECTIVES OF HEAT
PROCESSING
HEAT INDUCED CHANGES
Desirable
Destruction of microorganisms
Destruction or inactivation of enzymes
Alteration of color, flavor, texture
Improved digestibility
HEAT INDUCED CHANGES
Undesirable
Degradation of nutrients
Degradation of sensory
attributes
Color
Flavor
Texture
COOKING OR HEATING FOODS
kills some microorganisms
destroys most enzymes
improves shelf life
does not indefinitely preserve
OBJECTIVES OF HEAT
PROCESSING
Increase storage life - minimize foodborne
diseases
Blanching
Pasteurization
Sterilization = commercial sterilization
BLANCHING
A kind of pasteurization
Used for fruits & vegetables to inactivate enzymes
Common practice for products to be frozen
Boiling (temp ~ 95 C ) water sprayed onto fruits &
veggies or soaked in boiling water for 1-5 minutes,
depending on the product
BLANCHING
A process where food is briefly heated by
1) Immersing in boiling water
2) Steaming
3) Microwave
and then rapidly cooled to stop cooking
BLANCHING
Blanching is often used as a preliminary
step for freezing, canning, or dehydration
PURPOSES OF BLANCHING
Inactivate enzymes that can cause
Deterioration in flavor, texture,
color, and nutrients during
storage
Reduce number of microorganisms
Remove air from tissues
Make food more compact
Enhance color
PASTEURIZATION
Low order heat treatment at temperatures below
boiling.
Destroys pathogenic microorganisms.
Extends shelf life by destroying microorganisms
& enzymes (milk, fruit juices, beer, and wine)
Products contain many living organisms capable
of growth, thus limiting shelf life.
Pasteurization
Method Processing Parameters Approx. Shelf Life
Batch 63C for 30 min. ~ 12 days
High temperature 71.5 C for 15 sec. ~ 14 days
Short time (HTST)
Ultra pasteurized 140 C for 2 sec. & ~ 45-60 days
conventionally packaged
Ultra high temp. 140 C for 2 sec. & ~ 6 mo. @ room temp.
(UHT) aseptically packaged ~ 1 yr. @ refr. temp.
PASTEURIZATION
Destroys pathogenic microorganisms in
vegetative state
Juices, milk, liquid eggs
Extend product shelf life by reducing microbial
and enzymatic spoilage
Beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks
Fruit juices
Pickles
SUMMARY
Pasteurization - Temps < 100
o
C (212
o
F)
Destroys pathogenic microorganisms
Extends product shelf life (but not extensively)
Ex: milk, beer, fruit juices, liquid eggs
Blanching
Primarily used for fruits & vegetables
Deactivates enzymes
Kills some bacteria
COMBINATION OF PROCESSING STEPS
PASTEURIZATION AND .
Refrigeration (eg. milk)
Fermentation (eg. pickles)
Additive (eg. sweetened condensed milk)
Acidic medium (eg. fruit juices)
COMMERCIAL
STERILIZATION
Destroys both vegetative and spores of
pathogenic organisms
Reduces nutritional value
Causes loss of organoleptic properties
STERILIZATION
Complete destruction of microorganisms
121C for 15 minutes or more
Can be considered to be a very harsh treatment
Used to sterilize foods in cans or containers
Commercially Sterile Foods
All pathogens & toxin-forming organisms are
destroyed as well as other organisms that
could cause spoilage under normal
conditions.
Commercially Sterile Foods
May contain a small number of heat-resistant
bacterial spores, but these will normally not
multiply in the food.
Shelf life of two years or more.
SUMMARY
Sterilization
Complete destruction of microorganisms
121
o
C (250
o
F) for 15 minutes (internal temp)
Commercially Sterile
All pathogenic & toxin-forming organisms are
destroyed (applies to most preserved foods)
Conventional Retort Processing and
(Non-Aseptic) Packaging
Product Package
(FORM)
Fill Seal
Sterilization
(Heat)
Shelf
Stable
Product
Aseptic Processing and Packaging
Product
Sterilization
Package
Sterilization
UHT
Temperature
Aseptically
(FORM)
Fill
Seal
Shelf
Stable
Product
(hydrogen peroxide)
H
2
O
2
+ Heat
Ultra High
Aseptic Packaging
Food is sterilized outside the can
Placed into a sterile container and sealed
under aseptic conditions
Paper and plastic packaging materials most
commonly used
Most suitable for liquid-based food products
SELECTION CONDITIONS ARE
BASED ON :
Nature of the food (pH, composition, viscosity,
heat capacity, other components)
Storage conditions following thermal
processing
Heat resistance of organisms
Heat transfer characteristics
Initial load of organisms
Post-processing packaging
pH CONSIDERATIONS
HIGH ACID FOODS (pH <3.7)
Spore forming bacteria do not grow
Depends on either inactivation of yeasts
and molds or maintenance of anaerobic
conditions
pH CONSIDERATIONS
Acid foods (3.6<pH<4.5)
Based on outgrowth of facultative
anaerobes
B. Coagulans
B. Thermoacidurans
B Polymyxa
Low acid means higher pH
pH CONSIDERATIONS
LOW ACID FOODS (pH>4.5)
Cl. Botulinum can grow
Low acid canned foods ideal for growth and toxin
production
Control of spoilage organisms requires more heat -
B. Stearothermophilus used as reference organism
for spoilage
Processing Requirements Based Upon
Acidity (pH)
Acidity
Class

pH
Food
Group
Spoilage
Agent
Processing
Required
Low
Acid
7.0



6.0
Meat
Fish
Milk
Poultry
Vegetables
Soups
Mesophilic
Spore-forming
Anaerobs

Thermophiles
High Temp
116
o
-121
o
C
240
o
-250
0
F

Processing Requirements Based Upon
Acidity (pH)
Acidity
Class

pH
Food
Group
Spoilage
Agent
Processing
Required
Acid 4.5

Fruits
Berries
Aciduric,
spore-forming
and non spore-
forming
bacteria
Boiling
water
100
o
C
(212
o
F)

Food Processing Requirements Based
Upon Acidity (pH)
Acidity
Class

pH
Food
Group
Spoilage
Agent
Processing
Required
High
Acid
3.0

Pickled
foods,
jams,
jellies
Yeasts, molds Boiling
water
100
o
C
(212
o
F)
CANNED
FOODS
THERMALLY
PROCESSED
FOODS
Canning : Historical Perspective
Late 1700s
France was at war with most of Europe
French troops ate salted meat & bread
Other food could not be kept fresh
Soldiers were dying of scurvy and other disease
because of their diet
Needed some nutritious food
Canning : Historical Perspective
Napoleon offered a prize of 12,000 francs to
whomever could devise a method to preserve
food
Nicolas Appert, a French confectioner& chef
won the prize is 1809
Heat Preservation
Appert put food in cork stoppered, wide
mouth bottles and submerged them in boiling
water for several minutes
Published a report: The art of preserving
animal and vegetable substances for many
years.
The process of canning was pioneered
in 1790 when a French confectioner,
Nicolas Appert, discovered that the
application of heat to food in sealed
glass bottles preserved the food from
deterioration.
In about 1806 Appert's principles were
successfully tested by the French Navy
on a wide range of foods including
meat,vegetables, fruit and even milk
THE
PROCESS
OF
CANNING
FRUITS
CANNED FRUIT
PROCESSING STEPS
WASHING AND CLEANING
GRADING
PEELING
BLANCHING
CAN FILLING
SEAMING
RETORTING
COOLING
PACKING
STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION
THE
PROCESS
OF
CANNING
FISH
PRINCIPLES OF CANNING
THERMALLY PROCESSED FOODS
The primary objective of thermal processing of
food is to destroy the most heat resistant
pathogenic spore forming organism, which is
clostridium botulinum
The secondary objective of thermal processing
of food is to destroy spore forming organisms
that cause spoilage. These organisms are
generally more heat resistant than the pathogenic
spore formers
MICROBIAL DESTRUCTION BY
HEAT
Spores are much more resistant that vegetative cells
Lethality terms
D value - time at a given temperature to cause a one
log cycle decrease in cell numbers
Z value- temperature required to give a one log
cycle decrease in the D value
F
o
value - time at 121
o
C to give a 12 log cycle
decrease in the spore or cells of a given organism
Thermal Death Curves
Heat kills bacteria logarithmically
i.e. If 90% are killed in the first minute at
a certain temperature, then
90% of those remaining alive will die
during the second minute, and
90% of those remaining alive will die
during the third minute, etc.
Spores are more heat resistant than vegetative cells
1
10
100
1,000
210 230 250
TEMPERATURE (
o
F)
1
,
0
0
0
/
m
l
1
0
,
0
0
0
/
m
l
1
0
0
,
0
0
0
/
m
l
Killing
time
(min)
Thermal death curves for bacterial spores
at different initial concentrations
UHT
Ultra High Temp
Pasteurization
Temperature
Profile
Of
Pasteurization
And
UHT
D VALUES AT 121

C
Bacillus stearothermophilus (flat sour)
D value = 4.0 to 5.0
Clostridium botulinum
D value = 0.1 to 0.2 min
MICROBIAL DESTRUCTION BY HEAT
Factors affecting heat inactivation
pH
Time and temperature
Viscosity
Product type
Convection versus conduction
Package size
Organism
HIGH/LOW ACID FOODS
Foods can be classified on the basis of pH
>pH 4.5 ARE LOW ACID FOODS
<pH 4.5 ARE ACID FOODS
<pH 3.7 ARE HIGH ACID FOODS
CONVECTION VERSUS CONDUCTION
HEATING
F
o
is determined at the slowest point in the
package
Fluid products are heated mainly by convection
Products with high viscosities or with
particulates are heated by conduction
Thermocouple Placement at
Cold Point in Can
Determining Process Time and Lethality
1. Heat-sensing thermocouples placed at the cold
spots in the can
2. Measure come-up times for the heat process inside
the can as well as the cooling periods
3. Total lethality of the heat process represents a
summation of the lethal effects of changing
temperatures with time during the entire retort
operation
4. The required heat treatment will be different
depending on the retort, the size and shape of the
containers, and the composition of the food.
Degrees of Heat Treatment
Sterilization
Complete destruction of microorganisms
121
o
C (250
o
F) for 15 minutes (internal temp)
Commercially Sterile
All pathogenic & toxin-forming organisms are
destroyed (applies to most preserved foods)
Selecting Heat Treatments
Heat that is sufficient to destroy all
microorganisms and enzymes is detrimental
to other food quality factors such as:
Color
Flavor
Texture
Nutrition
Consistency
To pick the right heat treatment severity for
a specific food you must determine...
1 Time/temperature combination required to
inactivate the most resistant microbe
2 Heat penetration characteristics of
the food (varies with consistency, particle size)
the container (varies with size, shape, material)
Time/temperature combination required to
inactivate the most resistant microbe
The most heat resistant pathogen in canned
foods is Clostridium Botulinum (botulism)
Therefore, must use time/temperature
combination adequate to kill this species
Assumptions of Safety
Unknowns in raw foods, especially those
which are low acid:
types of microbes present
number of microbes present
Therefore assume:
C. Botulinum to be present in large numbers
INOCULATED PACK STUDIES
Method
A known substantial population of Clostridium strain
is inoculated into cans of food that are then processed
in a retort. After processing, the cans are stored at
temperatures favorable for outgrowth of any
surviving spores, and checked periodically for growth
and spoilage, such as bulging cans due to gas
production.
To Check the Effectiveness of Thermal Processing
Processing Requirements Based Upon
Acidity (pH)
Acidity
Class

pH
Food
Group
Spoilage
Agent
Processing
Required
Low
Acid
7.0



6.0
Meat
Fish
Milk
Poultry
Vegetables
Soups
Mesophilic
Spore-forming
Anaerobs

Thermophiles
High Temp
116
o
-121
o
C
240
o
-250
0
F

Processing Requirements Based Upon
Acidity (pH)
Acidity
Class

pH
Food
Group
Spoilage
Agent
Processing
Required
Acid 4.5

Fruits
Berries
Aciduric,
spore-forming
and non spore-
forming
bacteria
Boiling
water
100
o
C
(212
o
F)

Food Processing Requirements Based
Upon Acidity (pH)
Acidity
Class

pH
Food
Group
Spoilage
Agent
Processing
Required
High
Acid
3.0

Pickled
foods,
jams,
jellies
Yeasts, molds Boiling
water
100
o
C
(212
o
F)
HEAT TRANSFER
Every food particle inside a can must reach
the critical temperature for the required time
Factors affecting heat penetration include:
size of can
shape of can
consistency of the food item (thick or thin)
nature of the food (particulate vs liquid)
Protective Effects of
Food Constituents
Sugar protects bacterial spores in canned
fruit
Starch & protein protect spores
Fats & Oils protect bacterial spores
Examples of Process Times
Initial Temp 307x409 cans


Product


o
C


o
F
Min @
116
o
C
(240
o
F)
Min @
121
o
C
(250
o
F)
Green Beans 21 70 21 12
French Beans 21 70 40 20
Corn, cream 71 160 100 80
Corn, whole 38 100 55 30
Peas 21 70 36 16
Pumpkin 71 160 80 65


Time-Temperature Combinations
From thermal death curves, the following
time/temperature treatments yield the same
microbe killing effect:
0.78 min @ 127
o
C 10 min @ 116
o
C
1.45 min @ 124
o
C 36 min @ 110
o
C
2.78 min @ 121
o
C 150 min @ 104
o
C
5.27 min @ 118
o
C 330 min @ 100
o
C
Heating Before or
After Packaging
After:
simplest
oldest form of preservation using heat
Before:
less damaging to food
requires aseptic packaging
Temperature - Pressure Relationship
10 psi = 116 C
15 psi = 121 C
20 psi = 127 C
Retort
Retort
Heating Food Prior to Packaging
Pasteurization (liquid products)
Batch
Product in steam-jacketed kettle heated to specified
temperature and rapidly cooled
(for example, milk heated to 63
oC
for 30 min)
Continuous
High Temp Short Time (HTST)
For example, Milk heated to 71
o
C for 15 sec.
Aseptic Packaging
Food is sterilized outside the can
Placed into a sterile container and sealed
under aseptic conditions
Paper and plastic packaging materials most
commonly used
Most suitable for liquid-based food products
CAN MORPHOLOGY
RETORT POUCH
Metal can sizes are derived from
nominal outside dimensions and
expressed in inches
The custom is to use a conventional
method in which three-digit numbers
are used to express each dimension.
The first digit indicates the number
of whole inches in a dimension
The second and third digits indicate
the fractional inches as sixteenths of
an inch.
diameter
height
CAN SIZE
303 x 406 means 3 - 3/16 x 4-6/16 inches
307 x 512 means 3 - 7/16 x 5-12/16 inches
603 x 700 means 6-3/16 x 7 inches
The first three-digit number describing a round can
indicates the diameter measured across the outside
of the chime on the seamed end.
The second three-digit number indicates the overall
height of the can with one end on.
For the dimensions of oval, obround, or obrotund cans,
outside dimensions are used, the dimensions of the opening
being stated first, followed by the height.
There are three sets of figures, the first two being the long
and short axis of the opening.
Their interpretation in inches and sixteenths of an inch is
the same as with round cans.
An oval can might have the size give as 402 x 304 x 612,
which would mean that the oval opening was 4-2/16 x 3-
4/16 inches and the height was 6-12/16 inches.
Three-piece Food Can Dimensions
Imperial Size Metric Size
(mm)
Metric Volume
(ml)
202 x108 52 x 38 70
202 x 213* 52 x 72 140
202 x 309 52 x 90 180
52 x 134 250
211 x 202 66 x 54 155
211 x 205 65 x 59 175
211 x 301 65 x 78 235
211 x 400 65 x 102 315
211 x 414 65 x 124 385
300 x 108 73 x 38 125
300 x 201 73 x 52 185
Why Can Foods?
SOME FACTS ON CANNING
Many vegetables lose some of their vitamins
when harvested.
Nearly half the vitamins may be lost within a
few days unless the fresh produce is cooled or
preserved.
Within 1 to 2 weeks, even refrigerated produce
loses half or more of some of its vitamins.
The heating process during canning destroys from one-third
to one-half of vitamins A and C, thiamin, and riboflavin.
Once canned,additional losses of these sensitive vitamins are
from 5 to 20 percent each year. The amounts of other vitamins,
however, are only slightly lower in canned compared with fresh
food.
If vegetables are handled properly and canned promptly after
harvest, they can be as or more nutritious than fresh produce
sold in local stores.
What Are the Ridges Often
Seen Around the Body of a
Can?
Ridges or "beads" are designed
to give added strength to the can
body
The "rings" around the can ends
are designed to allow for
expansion of the ends during heat
processing without causing
permanent distortion.
How Long Can I Keep Canned Foods?
Manufacturers advise two years from time of manufacture.
It is good practice to use them within twelve months of
purchase to enjoy maximum flavour, appearance and
nutrition.
Always store canned foods in a cool, dry place.
Canned foods must be permanently marked in such a
manner as to identify the manufacturer and to trace the
batch or time of manufacture. This information is usually
displayed via embossing or inkjet on the can ends and
might be encoded.
How Do I Know Whether the Food in the
Can Is Still Good?
If any can is slightly swollen, bulging or leaking
return it to the point of purchase.
Small amounts of rust on a can should not affect
the contents but a badly rusted can should not be
used.
The common sense practice of testing by smell
and sight after opening any packaged food product
should be followed.
How Can I Tell When a Can of Food Was
Produced?
Some cans have a date of manufacture that is easily
understood. Otherwise, the manufacturer should be
contacted so that they can tell you what the codes
stamped or printed on that particular can mean.
Do Canned Foods Contain Preservatives or
Not?
Heat sterilisation of the contents of the can in the
food canning process means that no chemical
preservatives are needed or used.
Anything added to canned food is simply to
enhance texture, taste or flavour.
A wide range of low or no-sodium and reduced
sugar or sugar-free varieties are available if
preferred.
What Food Additives Are Used in
Canned Foods?
Sugar and salt are added to some canned
foods. These are added to suit people's tastes -
no canned foods need any form of
preservative.
Are Artificial Colours and Flavours Used in
Canned Foods?
Artificial flavours and colours may be used in
some products. Only those listed in the Food
Standards may be used.
Can I store unused food in its can?
Canned foods don't contain preservatives.
Once opened, the contents of the can
should be treated just as you would fresh
food.
Any unused portion must be transferred to
a plastic or glass container, cover and store
in the refrigerator.
I'm Concerned About Food Poisoning. How
Safe Is Canned Food?
Very safe
The cans are first checked for quality before they are filled
with food prepared by Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
Each can is sealed and heated under pressure to above
100C.
Heating is to a predetermined temperature for a specified
time is so that each can becomes like a little pressure cooker
ensuring that organisms, or bacteria called which cause food
poisoning, are killed.
Is there a difference between the nutritional
value of fresh and canned food?
There is a perception that "fresh is better"
The canned food industry commissioned research
to establish whether this perception is true or not.
The studies showed that there is very little
practical difference in the nutritional value of
canned foods compared with their fresh
equivalents.
Why Are Cans Never Completely Full?
When a sealed can is heated during processing an internal
pressure develops.
If a can was completely filled this might cause excessive
strain and subsequent distortion of the can ends as there
would be no room for expansion of the contents.
The consumer always gets the correct net content weight
stated on the label because allowances are made for this so
called "headspace".
What Material Is Used in Can Linings?
Many tinplate cans manufactured for the food
industry are lined with an inert organic film designed
to protect the tinplate from corrosion or staining by
the can's contents.
These films will vary depending on the specific
application, but in general, they consist of organic
materials which have been applied in liquid form via
a water or solvent based system and subsequently
'cured' at high temperatures to produce a solid film.
ADVANTAGES
Produce a shelf stable product that retains
its shelf life for several years
DISADVANTAGES
Loss of quality due to thermal degradation of
Color
Flavor
Texture
Hot Pack/Hot Fill
Filling unsterilized containers with sterilized
food that is still hot enough to render the
package commercially sterile.
Microwave Heating
Eliminates temperature
gradients
Rapid heating
Limited packaging (no
metal containers)
Temperature distribution of microwave heating 2% milk cylinder
MICROWAVE HEATING OF EGG
Domestic Oven
Heating Of Poultry
Carcass
Considerable variation (up to
30C) in final surface
temperatures at the same
defined positions on replicate
carcasses
Average temperature
difference of up to 61C
between different points on
the carcass
STERILIZATION EQUIPMENT
UHT sterilizers
Combined with aseptic packaging provides
for less heat induced changes
Retorts (pressure processors)
Still
Rotary sterilizer
Hydrostatic cooker (pressure provided by a
40-50 feet of head pressure)
Heating of Food in Cans
Still Retort
Max temp of 121
o
C to prevent food damage near
can wall
Long cook time
Agitating Retort
Shorter cook time
Less food damage
Retort
Hydrostatic Retort
Continuous flow of cans
Uses hydrostatic head
to control pressure
Is an agitating system
Pasteurizer
Plate Heat Exchanger
HIGH TEMPERATURE SHORT TIME (HTST)
Homogenized milk is
brought to 72-75 C for 15
seconds and then chilled to
4 C in the High
Temperature Short Time
(HTST) process, to ensure
a pasteurized product with
a life span of 8 to 10
days.
Scraped Surface Heat Exchanger
PROCESS EFFECTS
High Heat treatment Inactivation of enzymes, destruction of
microorganisms; browning; flavor changes;
texture changes
Freezing Minimize of microbial growth; slowing the rate
of chemical rreactions; disruption of cellular
material (softening); precipitation of proteins on
thawing
Packaging Improper packaging or packaging materials can
permit the transfer of oxygen into the product
and cause off flavors; moisture transfer into
packaged foods can cause caking, increase in
the rate of chemical reactions and permit
enzymes to act of food constituents
High shear pumping Can cause size reduction; production of foams
(either desired or undesired); disruption of
protein structure; activation of enzymes in some
cases.
THE END