Food Processing

Processing Principles
Food Processing and Food Microbiology
High Temperature Low Temperature Reduce Moisture Alter Gaseous Atmosphere Alter pH Packaging
Preservatives Chemical and Biological Irradiation/UV Radiation Sanitation and Handling Combination
Harrison, FDST 4030/6030
Processing and Food Microbiology
High Temperatures
Variety of equipment to achieve this
Immersion cookers, steam injectors, smokehouses, heating tunnels, ovens, etc.
High Temperatures
Smokehouse
Alkar.com
High Temperature
Spiral Cooker Use for fully cooked products Fully cooked items followed by chilling
Harrison, FDST 4030/6030 Processing and Food Microbiology
High Temperature
Immersion cooker
Processing and Food Microbiology Harrison FDST 4030/6030
High Temperature
High Temperature
Frozen and Refrigerated Foods

Fruits Vegetables Meat Poultry Seafood Etc.
Frozen and Refrigerated Foods

Time to chill to desired temperature Cooling solids vs. liquids Means use to chill
Air chill (including CO2, liquid nitrogen) Liquid chill
Refrigeration
Refrigeration
Hydrochiller
Refrigeration
Hydrocoolers
Blanched Foods
Blancher
Used to inactivate naturallyoccurring enzymes Commonly used for vegetables prior to freezing
Frozen Foods
Contact belt freezer
Frozen Foods
Tunnel freezer
Frozen Foods
Package spiral freezer
Frozen Foods
Spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms may be present
During freezing and frozen storage
Some may be injured Some may be killed
Not an effective, reliable means to reduce pathogen populations Exception might be parasites
While frozen concern would be whether or not they survive and become problems after thawing
Frozen Foods
Processing
Blanching
Microbial numbers reduced some Typically only common with vegetables
Frozen Foods
Microbial spoilage problems- rare Pathogen problems
Rare Many frozen foods are cooked prior to consumption
Freezing methods
Control of problems
Sanitation Proper blanching and freezing
Dried Foods
Primary preservation principle in these foods may be the reduced water activity
However, typically couple with another hurdle - low pH. low temperature, reduced O2, chemical antimicrobials, etc.
Dried Foods
In the process:
May apply heat May include chemical antimicrobials May allow for pH reduction via fermentation or acidification May package product May store product at low temperature
If done properly
Typically no spoilage problems Typically no pathogen problems
Fungal spoilage can occur if aw is too high

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030 Processing and Food Microbiology Harrison, FDST 4030/6030 Processing and Food Microbiology
Dried Foods
Possible problems
Insufficient heat applied to get any heatrelated lethality Wrong concentration or combination of chemical antimicrobials used, gradients occur Desired pH is not attained and maintained Desired packaging material and gas mixture not used Stored at improper temperature Overall sanitation and handling practices
Beef Jerky Processing

Cut and Trim Meat
May be acidic; May contain salt, etc. 140-160oC for example Wrap or vacuum pack Room temperature; Refrigerator
Marinate
Dry
Package
Store
Dried Fruit Processing

pH naturally low To prevent discoloration 140-160oC for example Wrap or vacuum pack Room temperature; Refrigerator
E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes and Salmonella on jerky strips treated at 60C
Cut and Trim Fruit

Marinated Non-marinated After Drying <0.60 Pre-tmt After Drying 2.12
Antioxidant Dip
E. coli O157:H7 L. monocytogenes Salmonella
Pre-tmt
After Marin.
Dry
6.38
5.88
6.37
Package
4.50
2.71
<0.60
4.51
1.13
Store
5.84
5.33
1.16
6.19
2.56
Other Food Processing Methods

Radiation Packaging Aseptic packaging Antimicrobials Types and Uses UV light High pressure processing Pulsed electric fields Combinations to achieve Hurdles
Radiation
Ionizing radiation Electron beam sterilization
No radioactive waste is produced cold pasteurized or electronic pasteurized Electron beams are produced with energy ranges between 5-10 electron volts
Lethal effect due to disruption of DNA
Packaging
Plastic Antimicrobials incorporated into package Moisture controllers Oxygen scavengers Retort pouches Contoured cans Aseptic packages
Antimicrobials Types and Uses

Types and combinations Mode of application
Direct application Indirect application With packaging Sprayed Dipped
UV light
UV at a wavelength of 253.7 nm is effective There is a time-exposure relationship Uses
Juice processors e.g., apple juice/cider Surface treatment for packaged foods e.g., packaged meats
UV light
Advantages:
No chemicals used Effective on a range of microorganisms Rapid, economical, simple operation
Disadvantages:
Low penetration power Shadowing
High pressure processing

Exposed to pressures of 200-1,000 Mpa Nonthermal Pressure applied uniformly to food Lethal effect by interruption of cellular functions Applications high value, sensitive products
e.g., guacamole
Pulsed electric fields

Application of short pulses of high electric fields
Food placed between 2 electrodes Pulses applied for microseconds Nonthermal Lethal effect - probably due to disruption of cell membrane and electroporation
Batch and continuous processing

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030 Processing and Food Microbiology Harrison, FDST 4030/6030 Processing and Food Microbiology
Canned Foods
Preserved by heat in hermetically sealed containers Cans or glass or flexible packages Commercial Sterility of Thermally Processed Foods
Defined in the Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Part 113.3(e)
Commercial Sterility Testing of Canned Foods

Test at least 1 can/retort run Incubate can Visually inspect container and contents, measure container vacuum, check odor and pH If necessary: Microscopic examination, then subculture Duplicate tubes/plates inoculated to rule out lab contamination
Low Acid Canned Foods

Vegetables (most), meat, poultry, seafood pH > 4.6 Commercially sterile products Primary concern - Clostridium botulinum
Concern - home canned vs. commercially canned
Appearance of Unopened Spoiled Cans

Flat - can ends normal or slightly concave Flipper - one end made convex by striking or heating can Springer - one end pushed in and the other pops out Soft swell - bulged ends can be dented by pushing one in Hard swell - both ends bulged and cannot push in
Spoilage in Canned Foods

Non-microbial spoilage
Incipient spoilage Hydrogen swells Non-enzymatic browning (Maillard reaction) Formulation errors and mishandling (e.g., freezing of cans) Enzymatic changes
Liquefaction, off-flavors, curdling, discoloration In some UHT and HTST products
Microbiological Spoilage of Low Acid Canned Foods

Insufficient processing
Pure cultures of heat resistant sporeformers Could include C. botulinum
Post-processing problems - Container leakage Thermophilic spoilage due to inadequate cooling after processing or improper storage/distribution temperatures
Flat Sour Spoilage Thermophilic Anaerobe (TA) Sulfide Stinker
Thermophilic spoilage of Low Acid Canned Foods

Flat Sour Spoilage
Microbiological Spoilage of Acid Canned Foods

pH < 4.6 Fruits, Acidified foods Spoilage
Combined effect of proper time/temperature treatment and pH yields stable product
Container not swollen; Product pH is lowered Sporeformers - e.g., Geobacillus stearothermophilus (formerly Bacillus stearothermophilus)
Thermophilic Anaerobe (TA)

Container swells - may burst; Product may have cheesy odor Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum (formerly Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum)
Pathogens
Almost none
Sulfide Stinker
Flat can; Contents are darkened; Contents have the odor of rotten eggs Clostridium nigrificans (formerly Desulfotomaculum nigrificans)
Harrison, FDST 4030/6030 Processing and Food Microbiology Harrison, FDST 4030/6030
Microbiological Spoilage of Acid or Acidified Canned Foods

Insufficient processing
Butyric acid anaerobes - Butyric acid, CO2, H2 produced e.g., Clostridium pasteurianum Aciduric flat sours e.g., Bacillus coagulans in tomato products e.g., Alicyclobacillus spp. in fruit juices Heat resistant molds e.g., Byssochlamys fulva, Neosartorya fischeri, Talaromyces flavus Moldy taste and odor Fruit juices and concentrates Variety yeasts and asporogenous bacteria
Microbiological Spoilage of Acid or Acidified Canned Foods

Thermophilic spoilage
Particularly in tomato products
Container leakage
Mixed and varied microflora possible Container may be flat of swollen
Hurdles
Minimally Processed Foods

Fresh and fresh-cut produce for example
Combinations to achieve Hurdles Often used with minimally processed foods
Ready-to-eat-Foods
Variety of foods included Problem is the consumer typically would not have to heat or otherwise treat the food prior to consumption
No microbial inactivation step on the part of the consumer
Commodities - Outline
Microbiological characteristics of major food groups
Some characteristics of the food Natural microflora Spoilage issues Pathogen issues
Processing techniques commonly used

Food Processing

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Food Processing

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Processing Principles

Food Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Processing and Food Microbiology Harrison FDST 4030/6030

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Frozen and Refrigerated Foods

Frozen and Refrigerated Foods

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Processing and Food Microbiology Harrison FDST 4030/6030

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Processing and Food Microbiology Harrison FDST 4030/6030

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Fungal spoilage can occur if aw is too high

Beef Jerky Processing

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Processing and Food Microbiology Harrison FDST 4030/6030

Dried Fruit Processing

E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes and Salmonella on jerky strips treated at 60C

Cut and Trim Fruit

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Other Food Processing Methods

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Antimicrobials Types and Uses

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030

Processing and Food Microbiology

Harrison, FDST 4030/6030