Thermal Processing Optimization: From Theory to Practice

By Dr. Ricardo Simpson

Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Chile

Monday September 25th, 2017 at 09:00 (Mexico City, MX; UTC -05:00)

Thermal processing is an important method of food preservation in the manufacture of canned foods, and has been the cornerstone of the food processing industry for more than a century. Thermal process calculations, in which process times at specified retort temperatures are calculated to achieve safe levels of microbial inactivation (lethality), must be carried out carefully to assure public health safety. However, over-processing must be avoided because thermal processes also have a detrimental effect on the quality (nutritional and sensorial factors) of foods.

For convection-heating products the internal mixing permits a uniform cook for the whole product; however, for conduction-heating products the heating and, consequently, the degree of cooking vary from the outside to the inside of the food. The product nearest the container wall receives the maximum heat treatment and is consequently the most cooked portion of the food. In general, this results in overcooking the outer layers, with a consequent loss of overall quality, especially for products in large-diameter cans.

In this presentation processing optimization, will be approached as follows: a) Accuracy of calculation methods, b) Package design, c) Processing temperature, d) Variable retort processing, e) Simultaneous sterilization at constant temperature, f) Simultaneous sterilization at variable temperature, g) Multi-objective optimization, and h) Retort type.