Thermal Processing for Food Sterilization and Preservation

This chapter introduces the reader to the wide array of food process machinery, equipment, and systems that are used throughout the food industry for the purpose of manufacturing shelf-stable foods that are preserved by heat sterilization (thermal processing). The first part of the chapter describes the various retort systems used in the manufacture of sterilized canned foods, beginning with batch processing in still-cook steam retorts and progressing through modern-day continuous retort systems used by large manufacturers of canned foods. The second part of the chapter describes a number of automated materials handling systems that provide substantial automation to the loading and unloading of batch retorts used by large food manufacturers. This is followed by a chapter section on aseptic processing and filling systems widely used in the manufacture of shelf-stable liquid food products. The chapter concludes by acquainting the reader with the scope of compliance activities required of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Low-Acid Canned Food Regulations (LACF) that must be followed in order to enter the market place with sterilized canned foods.