PROCESS FOR REDUCING SPORE LEVELS IN COMPOSITIONS

• Main Authors: CHAPMAN, BELINDA LEIGH, BULL, MICHELLE KAY, LEGAN, JAMES DAVID
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 10.07.2008
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES; CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS,e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES,DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; CONVEYING; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HUMAN NECESSITIES; MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGINGARTICLES OR MATERIALS; PACKAGES; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; PRESERVING, e.g. BY CANNING, MEAT, FISH, EGGS, FRUIT,VEGETABLES, EDIBLE SEEDS; STORING; THE PRESERVED, RIPENED, OR CANNED PRODUCTS; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES; TRANSPORTING; UNPACKING

The present invention relates to a process effective for reducing the num ber of spores, especially psychrotrophic spores, in compositions. More speci fically, a method is provided for heating a composition at a temperature, pr essure and for a time effective for reducing the number of psychrotrophic sp ores in the composition by at least about 3 logs. In one important aspect, t he invention relates to producing vacuum packed or modified atmosphere packe d chilled food products.