ASSIGNMENT 2

TOPIC: Discuss and write the temperature and time

combinations of different thermal processes used in
fruit and vegetable industry along with examples.

Submitted to Dr Somesh
Sharma

Submitted by Divyanshi
BTech Food
Technology
150713
 THERMAL PROCESSING OF FOOD
Adding or removing heat to alter shelf-life.
Shelf-life time in which food can be stored and still
maintain its quality
Heat processing -- adding heat to a food to destroy
enzymes and some spoilage and pathogenic bacteria.

Cold processing -- removing heat from food to slow

deterioration from enzymes and bacteria.

TYPES OF THERMAL PROCESSING

HEAT PROCESSING COLD PROCESSING
-Blanching - Refrigeration
-Commercial sterilization - Freezing
-Pasteurization
-Appertisation
-Sterilization
-Dehydration
-Canning
 PASTEURIZATION

Pasteurization is a mild treatment aiming to inactivate most of the

enzymes and to inhibit the vegetative microorganisms cells, while
sterilization eliminates also the spores.
The thermal treatment depends on the microbial contamination. In
the case of low-pH fruit products, a pasteurization process (reaching
85C at the coldest point) allows a long shelf-life at room
temperature. Different time and temperature combinations can be
used.
For fruit juices, in the traditional practice, the juices are heated up to
60C75C for 30 min, then filled at that temperature, closed and
pasteurized at 84C88C during 1545 min depending of the size of
the packaging. After this heat treatment, the products are cooled
back to room temperature.
High-temperature short-time pasteurization is conducted at higher
temperatures (>90C) for shorter times. This can, for example, be
carried out at 95C98C for about 1530 s for apple juice.
Hot-fill-hold of containers 1 L with rapid closure gives temperatures
>85C due to thermal inertia. Ultrahigh temperature (UHT) is also
applicable to juices and commonly used in larger plants. Before this
pasteurization operation, the previous operations are
washing/blanching, crushing, enzyme maceration (40C50C/12 h),
pressing, centrifugation or filtration, optional second enzyme
treatment, and deaeration.
 For citrus and especially orange juices, specific extractors are used to
avoid contamination of the juice with peels, and the stabilization
treatment must be applied within a few minutes of extraction to
avoid pectin methylesterase action.
The fruit products are also processed in a more or less viscous liquid
form or in a combination of liquid and solid phases (purees,
preserves, jams, etc.). For pures, two processes are commonly
differentiated by the respective order of the sieving and cooking
phases: sieving before cooking for cold-break products or after
cooking for hot-break products. They result in different colors,
textures, and compositions due to the possibility of enzyme activity
in the cold-break products.
The process line consists of a holding tank, a mill, a heating zone, a
sieve, a holding zone (in principle for a few minutes, up to 0.5 h), a
pasteurization step followed by hot-fill or a cooling zone for aseptic
packaging equipment.
High temperatures are required during processing for fruit cooking
and for adequate viscosities during pumping, so that additional heat
treatments are limited.
For example, for apple puree, a cooking time of 15 min at 85C,
holding tanks at 50C85C, and a final pasteurization of 23 min at
90C [51] then hot-fill can be sufficient to ensure stability at room
temperature for months.
Jams require higher temperatures for cooking and evaporation;
thermal treatment under vacuum is preferred as it limits both
temperature and product degradation during the concentration
phase. However, temperatures must stay above pectin gelation, that
is, >70C90C, depending on the pectin grade. T
 The juices are frequently concentrated to be reused in fruit drinks.
Concentration of juices is most commonly carried out by vacuum
concentration, using efficient multieffect systems with recovery of
volatiles. The volatiles are later used in juice reconstitution for aroma
restoration. The evaporators operate at temperatures <50C.
Redilution of the concentrated juices entails an additional
pasteurization of the final product

BLANCHING
Blanching is a thermal treatment in hot water or steam aimed to
inactivate oxidative enzymes naturally present in fruits and
responsible for off-flavors, color change, and chemical reactions
during the further processing steps and storage.
This first thermal step is very important when the fruits are further
processed. The influence of blanching on quality attributes is
generally evaluated together with the following process steps such as
freezing, sterilizing, drying, and osmodehydration.
This thermal step also helps to destroy microorganisms (bacteria,
yeasts, and molds), prevent the flesh contamination when cutting ,
clean the fruits, brighten the color, and expel trapped air in the
intercellular regions.
The main enzymes affected by blanching are peroxidase, polyphenol
oxidase, catalase, lipoxygenase, and chlorophylase; their thermal
 kinetic inactivation is documented. Blanching is carried out by
different means such as hot water, steam , high pressure, infrareddry
blanching , ohmic , fluidized bed with steam, whirling bed with a mix
of hot air and steam , individual quick blanching system, combined
with ozone .
Hot-water blanching is by far the most popular and commercially
adopted process for its simplicity and economic reasons. The
microbial quality of the blanching water must also be observed
because the high temperature could select thermophilic bacteria.
The main problem of water blanching is the leaching of important
nutrients such as vitamins and pigments. Due to the thermal
diffusion in food matrices, blanching efficiency greatly depends on
the size and shapes of the fruits. The thermal product conductivity
governs the heat transfer in the matrix, and in the case of unsteady
state, the thermal diffusivity is introduced in the heat transfer
equations.
The heat transfers are 1000 times faster than the mass transfer of
micronutrients in fruits.
It is also important to note that as the thermal transfer time depends
on the fruit pieces as the size at the power 2, size reduction is
interesting in terms of heat and mass transfers.

TWO METHODS:
There are two basic methods of blanching produce or fruits: boiling
water bath and steaming. Both of these methods are effective and
bring pros and cons to the table.

Boiling Water Bath:

 This method of blanching is good at destroying the enzymes to reduce
spoilage, but many water soluble vitamins and minerals will be lost if the
blanching time is too long.
On average, dipping the produce in the boiling water for 30 seconds or so is
sufficient to destroy the enzymes.
Simply place the produce into the boiling water for 30 seconds or so and
remove with a slotted spoon. Drain the wet produce in a colander before
laying out to dry, placing into freezer bags to be vacuum sealed, or placing in
sterilized jars for hot water canning.

The Pros: The equipment to execute the boiling water bath include a large
stainless steel or enamel pot, a colander and a slotted spoon.
Its quick and easy to dip the produce into and out of the water.
The Cons: Special care should be given to not allow the produce to boil in the
water for more than 30 seconds.
The produce is "pre-cooked" in boiling water, altering the texture and water
content of the produce.

STEAMING METHOD:
Simply place the produce into the steamer basket and lower into the large,
covered pot for 15 seconds or so. Remove the steamer rack and proceed with
either drying, canning, or freezing the produce.
Steaming the produce over hot boiling water in a steamer will destroy the
enzymes and bacteria faster, allowing many of the beneficial benefits of the
food products to survive the process.
Pros: A large stainless steel pot and a steamer rack are all that is needed to
properly steam blanch the produce.
The steaming time for the produce is reduced to approximately 15 to 20
seconds per loaded steamer rack.
The produce is not submerged in the boiling water, keeping the texture and
vitamin content more intact.
Cons: Great care must be taken to make sure that the produce is not over-
steamed. Steam requires less processing time than the boiling water bath.
 Other Uses for Blanching:
Boiling Water Bath blanching is also used to loosen the skins of many fruits
and produce to prepare them for preserving. The method involves dipping the
fruit or vegetable into a boiling water bath briefly to allow the heat to loosen
the skin. After the boiling water bath, the produce is scooped out with a
slotted spoon and dipped immediately into an ice water bath to stop the
cooking process. When the produce is cool enough to handle, the skin is easy
to slip off. This works well with the following:
Peaches
Apricots
Tomatoes

STERILIZATION
Combines heat and vacuum seal to destroy spoilage and
pathogenicmicroorganisms.
Product shelf-life is long.
Examples include water bath, retort, or hydrostatic cooker and cooler
This process kills clostridium botulinum endospores in canned food.

CANNED FOOD PRODUCTS

Among the different sterilization processes, the canned food process
has been one of the most widely used methods of food preservation
during the twentieth century for ensuring nutritional well-being of
populations.
The advantages of canned foods are determinant: relative low price,
storage at room temperature, acceptable nutrient contents, easy to
use, and varied contents. This process consists of heating
 hermetically sealed food containers (cans, plastic bottles and
containers, and flexible pouches) in pressurized retorts and imposing
a prescribed timetemperature history.
In the case of fruits containing trapped air such as apricot , peaches [,
or plums, an exhausting procedure during 510 min at 90C in a
steam chamber is used to remove the air.
The sterilization process is achieved in batch retorts, with the cans
being or not agitated, or in continuous retorts in which the cans are
agitated. In these retorts, the cans are heated by steam or
pressurized water, maintained at a high temperature until the whole
can content is subjected to the predetermined timetemperature
history.
Very roughly, 15% of the process thermal efficiency is achieved
during the heating phase, 15% during the cooling phase, and the rest
is achieved during the holding phase. The complete time treatment
depends on the size of cans and the contained product.
There are different types of retorts. The craterless retort consists in a
tank in which the cans fall in hot water after which the top hatch is
closed and vapor is injected up to the desired temperature. The cans
are immobile and when the thermal treatment is achieved, warm
water is injected in the retort, and the bottom hatch is opened to let
the cans fall in the discharge cooling canal.
The filling, heating, warming, and discharging are automatically
carried out. The hydrostatic sterilizers are so named because steam
temperature is controlled hydrostatically by the height of the water
leg, and they have self-contained structure that is often partly built
outdoors.
 The hydrostatic sterilizers are made up of four chambers: a
hydrostatic bring-up leg, a sterilizing steam section, a hydrostatic
bring-down leg, and a cooling section.
The cans are conveyed continuously through the different chambers
by a continuous chain link, and the residence is adjusted by the speed
of the conveyers. The continuous rotary sterilizers are horizontal
(indoor) rotary retorts in which the cans are conveyed by a reel while
they rotate around their own axis by different means.
The residence time in the sterilizer is controlled by the rotating
speed of the reel. The most common systems require at least three
shells in series to heat under pressure, cool under pressure, and cool
at atmospheric pressure. These retorts generally accommodate a
specific can size and are not flexible. There are different types of
discontinuous retorts in which the cans are contained in large baskets
rotating on their own axis at different speeds or shaken at high
speeds.
During the thermal treatment, the temperature in the cans is
measured with special devices such as thermocouples and is modeled
as a function of the operating conditions such as agitation, rotation,
and transport and the contents, that is, type of fruit pieces, and syrup
concentration.
The heat transfer between the can wall and the content is the
limiting factor of the heat transmission; the motion such as rotation
and vibrations of the cans enhance this heat transfer
The sterilization temperature/times for canned fruits are typically
100C/1730 min for apricot, 93C95C/2530 min for blueberry,
100C/20350 min or 116C/1418 min for peaches, and 100C/12
min for plums. For high-quality orange juices, it is proposed to
 centrifuge the raw product and to apply two different thermal
treatments for the pulp (85C/15 s) to inactivate the pectin
methylesterase and for the low pulp juice (65C/15 s) to inactivate
the microorganisms and then to blend these two products.

Drying (Dehydration)
One of the oldest methods of preserving food
Removes moisture stops the growth of bacteria, yeasts & molds that
normally spoil food
Slows down but doesnt completely inactivate enzymes

DRYING TECHNIQUES
Sun or solar drying Freeze drying Drum drying Spray drying
Foam mat and vacuum belt Convection air & Superheated steam
(tray, tunnel) Osmotic drying Microwave
Drying Techniques (continued) Combination of different techniques
Vacuum- osmotic Osmotic microwave Ultrasound pre-
treatment followed by drying Fluidized bed Pulse combustion
Jet zone or impingement

DRYING FOODS OUTDOORS

SUN DRYING
Fruits safe to dry due to high acid and sugar content Vegetables
should not be dried outside
 They need constant temperature & airflow Temperature of 30 C
or higher for several days with humidity below 60% Cover to
protect against insects/pests

SOLAR DRYING
Need to construct a dryer with panel(s) Need to stir and turn food
several times a day Need several days of sun in a row

VINE DRYING -
Beans & Lentils

TEMPERATURES FOR DRYING

The ideal temperature for drying or dehydrating foods is 60-70
degree Celsius. If higher temperatures are used, food cooks instead of
dries.
Avoid case hardening dried on outside but moisture
trapped inside allowing mold growth
Temperature close to glass transition gives better products.

THE PROCESS:
Prepare the fruit: wash, core and peel if desired
Fruits can be halved or sliced and some left whole
Thin, uniform, peeled slices dry fastest
If fruit is whole, check or crack the skin to speed drying
 PRE-TREATMENT:
Some fruits need to have their enzymes inactivated before drying,
especially those that oxidize when exposed to air
(e.g. bananas, apples, pears) Ascorbic Acid, Fruit juice dip, Honey
dip, Syrup blanching , Commercial acids

DRYING VEGETABLES: Prepare the vegetables , Wash, trim,

and peel .Cut uniform pieces or leave whole . Dry as soon as possible
after harvesting
COOLING VEGETABLES: Dip briefly in cold water only long
enough to stop cooking .Cool until they are only slightly hot to touch
about 120 F. Wipe and spread vegetables out on racks for drying.
 APPERTISATION

Nicolas Appert invented it in 1810

In general, Heating between 110 and 130 degrees during 20min to
an hour, in glass or aluminium cans
The results are the same as for Pasteurisation but the time of
conservation is longer

The appertization is an example of sterilization. This long time

conservation process at room temperature associates :

A thermal treatment destroying micro-organisms capable to

reproduce at normal storage temperatures and a tight packing
avoiding any product recontamination after sterilization.
The appertized product, stocked at room temperature, requires very
short time to be fully warmed up(by microwave especially)
Appertization is particularily recommended for baked and cooked
products.

REFRIGERATION
Slows enzyme activity and microbial growth.
Products have a short shelf-life.
Product is kept above freezing point.
It should be at 4 to 8 C temperature
 FREEZING
Stops enzyme activity and microbial growth
Products have a long shelf-life
Product is kept at below freezing point
Freezing should be at -18 C to -40