1.

2 INTRODUCTION

Preservation of food can be done in many ways, for example by using chemical, heat treatment
and fermentation. But this time we want to focus on the effect of thermal treatment on food quality such
as color, vitamin C, shelf life and others. By definition, thermal treatment is the combination of
temperature and time required to eliminate the microorganism from food. Heat processing is one of most
important method for extending the storage life of foodstuffs. Why many industries used heat treatment
processing? Firstly, heat treatment is one of the effective way of preserving food and second is majority
of the harmful pathogen were killed during this process and it is much superior than freezing. In order for
them to preserve the sterility of their product they need to adopt this technique in order to make sure
the food can last better, achieved by the application of heat to render the product free of microorganisms
that are capable of reproducing in the food under normal non-refrigerated conditions of storage and
distribution.

Furthermore, in order to apply thermal processes, we need to take certain measure such as to
analyze the heat resistance that the microorganism can withstand, how much heat needed and how long
does it take to destroy them, heating rate of the product and finally the method of thermal processing.
Moreover, there are many types of thermal processing that is sterilization, pasteurization, blanching,
canning and dehydration(drying). Apart from that, sterilization, pasteurization and canning are the
common type of commercial thermal treatment.

In order to study the effects of thermal treatment on food quality, dehydration(drying) technique
is used to demonstrate the effect on the subject used. Dehydration is a process of removing water and
other organic liquids molecule from a material as vapor by passing hot air. Dehydration is one of the oldest
methods of food preservation and was used by prehistoric peoples in sun-drying seeds. The North
American Indians preserved meat by sun-drying slices, the Chinese dried eggs, and the Japanese dried fish
and rice. Dehydration is the way to reduce the microbial activity by reducing water activity. Most
microorganism cannot growth below 0.6 water activity. These are the common terms used in dehydration
that is moisture content, equilibrium moisture content, drying rate, falling rate and constant rate. Besides
that, drying temperature, relative humidity of air, air velocity and drying time are the factors that can
affect the drying rate.
 Figure 1.2.2: Equilibrium curve of drying process

The figure above illustrates the process where the moisture content of the material is reducing
with time. At point A shown the initial free moisture content at time zero. The difference between A and
A’ is when the material starts at the colder temperature it will be at A and heated up to point B and when
the material starts at hot temperature it will start at A’ and cooled down to point B. From point B to C is
where the constant rate period occurred. From point C to D the first falling rate period occurs this is due
to insufficient of water to be removed and the surface of the material is no longer wetted. From point C
to D the second falling rate period is happening until it reached point D where the wetted area completely
dried.
 Water in food that is not bound to food molecules can support the growth of bacteria, yeast, and
mold. The term water activity (aw) refers to this unbound water. The water activity of a food is not the
same thing as its moisture content. Although moist foods are likely to have greater water activity than are
dry foods, this is not always so. In fact, a variety of foods may have exactly the same moisture content and
yet have quite different water activities. The water activity (aw) of a food is the ratio between the vapor
pressure of the food itself, when in a completely undisturbed balance with the surrounding air media, and
the vapor pressure of distilled water under identical conditions. A water activity of 0.80 means the vapor
pressure is 80 percent of that of pure water. The water activity increases with temperature. The moisture
condition of a product can be measured as the equilibrium relative humidity (ERH) expressed in
percentage or as the water activity expressed as a decimal. Most foods have a water activity above 0.95
and that will provide sufficient moisture to support the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and mold. The amount
of available moisture can be reduced to a point that will inhibit the growth of microorganisms.

Figure 1.2.1: Water activity values for selected food

 Water activity (aw) is the most useful application in predicting the growth of bacteria, yeast, and
mold. In order for food to have a useful shelf-life without relying on refrigerated storage, it is necessary
to control either its acidity level (pH) or the level of water activity (aw) or a suitable combination of the
two. This can effectively increase the product's stability and make it possible to predict its shelf life under
known ambient storage conditions. Food can be made safe to store by lowering the water activity to a
point that will not allow pathogens such as Clostridium botulinum and Staphylococcus aureus to grow in
it. The table below illustrates the water activity (aw) levels that can support the growth of particular
groups of bacteria, yeast, and mold. It is important to recognize the type of food and its level of
adaptability towards bacteria with respective moisture content.

Figure 1.2.3: Effects of water activity on spoilage of food

 Dehydration equipment varies in form with different food products and includes tunnel driers,
kiln driers, cabinet driers, vacuum driers, and other forms. Compact equipment suitable for home use is
also available. A basic aim of design is to shorten the drying time, which helps retain the basic character
of the food product. Drying under vacuum is especially beneficial to fruits and vegetables. Freeze-drying
benefits heat-sensitive products by dehydrating in the frozen state without intermediate thaw. Freeze-
drying of meat yields a product of excellent stability, which on rehydration closely resembles fresh meat.
Roller dryer, spray dryer, drum dryer and tray dryer are the most common equipment for drying
processes.

Figure 1.2.4: Common equipment for Drying

Hot-air dehydration was developed in France in 1795. Modern dehydration techniques have been
largely stimulated by the advantages dehydration gives in compactness; on the average, dehydrated food
has about 1/15 the bulk of the original or reconstituted product. The need to transport large shipments
of food over great distances during World War II provided much of the stimulus to perfect dehydration
processes. The advantages of reduced bulk later came to be appreciated by campers and backpackers and
also by relief agencies that provide food in times of emergency and disaster.
Reference:

College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University 323 Agricultural Administration
Building University Park, PA 16802. Retrieved from: http://extension.psu.edu/food-safety/food-
preservation/issues/water-activity-of-foods/water-activity-of-foodstable on 18 November 2017.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993. Retrieved
from: http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/Inspections/InspectionGuides/default.htm on 18 November 2017.

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