R&D AND PRODUCTION RETORTS SPECIALISTS (33 to 175 L) www.terrafoodtech.com Heat Process Values F (2nd Ed.) for several Commercial Pasteurization and Sterilization Processes: Overview, Uses, and Restrictions Janwillem Rouweler -
[email protected]; June 12, 2015 Which heat process value F should a particular food receive to make it safe and shelf stable? 10 * Section 1 lists reported sterilization values F0 = F 121.1 (= F zero) for commercial food preservation processes of all types of food products, for several package sizes and types. * Section2 contains reported pasteurization values F, or P, of a great variety of foods. The required storage conditions of the pasteurized foods, either at ambient temperature, or refrigerated (4-7 °C), are indicated. * Section 3 shows a decision scheme: should a particular food be pasteurized or sterilized? This depends on the intended storage temperature (refrigerated or ambient) after heating, the required shelf life (7 days to 4 years), the food pH (high acid, acid, or low acid), the food - water activity aW, and on the presence of preservatives such as nitrite NO2 (E250) miXed with salt NaCl, or nisin. * In Section 4, two worked eXamples are presented on how to use an F value when calculating the actual sterilization time Pt: - C.R. Stumbo’s (1973) calculation method has been manually applied, verified by computer program STUMBO.eXe, to find the sterilization time and the thiamine retention of bottled liquid milk in a rotating steam retort; - O.T. Pham’s (1987; 1990) formula method, incorporated in EXcel program “Heat Process calculations according to Pham.xls”, has been used to find the sterilization time and the nutrient retention of canned carrot purée in a still steam retort.