METHOD FOR SURFACE PASTEURIZATION AND STERILIZATION OF PIECES OF FOOD

• Main Authors: PERREN, RAINER, FISCHER, JURGEN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.03.2012
• Subjects: CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; HUMAN NECESSITIES; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; PRESERVING, e.g. BY CANNING, MEAT, FISH, EGGS, FRUIT,VEGETABLES, EDIBLE SEEDS; 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

Disclosed is a method for the surface pasteurization or surface sterilization of pieces of food products, wherein the food products are employed pre-warmed, and the product temperature lies below the evaporation temperature of the pasteurization or sterilization systems, the pre- warming temperature of the food products is selected to be lower than the saturation temperature, treatment is performed in a moist atmosphere free of air, wherein pasteurization is performed at temperatures between 55 and 99°C at low pasteurization pressure, or sterilization at temperatures between 100°C and 140°C at a higher sterilization pressure, heat treatment is performed in the course of 1 to 30 min, and the condensation water is removed from the surface of the food products by means of subsequent vacuum drying under further reduced pressure.