HIGH TEMPERATURE

High temperature, in food processing, refers to the application of heat at

temperatures above the normal cooking range (generally above 100 °C), under
controlled conditions of time and pressure, in order to achieve microbial
destruction, enzyme inactivation, and shelf-life extension of food products.
It is commonly employed in thermal preservation techniques such as
pasteurization, sterilization, canning, and ultra-high temperature (UHT)
treatment. The principle involves raising the temperature of food to a level
sufficient to destroy pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms, particularly
heatresistant spores (e.g., Clostridium botulinum), without causing undesirable
changes in the nutritional, sensory, and physicochemical properties of the
product.

# Principles of High tempreature

The principle of high temperature processing is based on the application of heat

at sufficiently high temperatures for a specified period of time to ensure the
destruction of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms, along with the
inactivation of enzymes that may otherwise deteriorate food quality.

The adequacy of heat treatment is governed by two important concepts:

1. Thermal Death Time (TDT) : Thermal death time is defined as the time
required at a specific temperature to kill a specified number of
microorganisms. In simpler terms, it answers the question: “How long must we
heat food at a particular temperature to ensure harmful microbes are
destroyed?” This concept is particularly important because different
microorganisms have varying resistance to heat.
The relationship between temperature and time is crucial – generally, the higher
the temperature, the shorter the time needed to achieve the same level of
microbial reduction. This inverse relationship forms the foundation of all thermal
processing calculations in the food industry.

2. Cold Point : The cold point (or cold spot) is defined as the region inside a
food container that is the last to reach the desired sterilization temperature
during thermal processing. It represents the slowest heating location within the
product and is therefore the critical point that determines the adequacy of heat
treatment.

Since heat transfer within a container depends on the physical state of the food
(solid, liquid, or semi-solid), the position of the cold point varies:

1. Conduction Heating (solid or highly viscous foods, e.g., canned meat paste,
custard):
Heat moves molecule to molecule.
The cold point is at the geometric center of the container.

2. Convection Heating (thin liquids, e.g., soups, juices):

Heat circulates due to fluid movement.
The cold point is located about one-third the distance from the bottom of the
container.

3. Conduction–Convection Heating (mixtures, e.g., peas in brine):

Heat transfer is partly by liquid circulation and partly by conduction through
solids.
The cold point lies between the center and the lower one-third of the container.
# Advantages of High Temperature Processing

1. Microbial Safety
High temperature destroys pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., Clostridium
botulinum, Salmonella, E. coli) and spoilage microbes.
Example: Milk sterilization at 121 °C ensures safety by killing harmful bacteria and
spores.

2. Extended Shelf Life

By eliminating microorganisms and inactivating enzymes, food remains stable for
months to years without refrigeration.
Example: Canned vegetables and soups can be stored for 1–2 years at room
temperature.

3. Enzyme Inactivation
Enzymes like polyphenol oxidase (causes browning) or pectinase (softens fruits)
are inactivated.
Example: Blanching of peas before canning stops enzyme activity and preserves
green color.

4. Wide Applicability
High temperature processing can be used for liquids, semi-solids, and solids.
Example: UHT milk, canned fish, fruit juices, baby foods – all processed using heat
but different methods.
5. Convenience in Distribution
Foods become shelf-stable and easy to transport without refrigeration, reducing
costs.
Example: Aseptic fruit juice packs are transported globally without cold storage.

# Disadvantages of High Temperature Processing

1. Nutrient Loss
Heat-sensitive vitamins (Vitamin C, B1) and some amino acids degrade at high
temperatures.
Example: Canned orange juice loses a large portion of Vitamin C during
sterilization.

2. Quality Changes
Texture, color, and flavor may be altered due to chemical changes during heating.
Example: Canned carrots may become too soft, and milk may develop a cooked
flavor.

3. Energy Intensive
High fuel or electricity is needed to maintain pressure and high temperatures in
retorts or UHT plants.
Example: Large-scale canning factories consume significant steam energy for
sterilization.
4. Overprocessing Risk
If heating exceeds the required time/temperature, food may lose nutrients and
sensory quality.
Example: Overheated canned beans may turn brown and lose firmness.

5. Equipment Cost
Specialized equipment like retorts, UHT plants, and aseptic fillers require high
initial investment and maintenance.
Example: Tetra Pak aseptic processing units are costly but essential for UHT milk
production.

*1. Salient Heat Treatments Employed in Processing Food

Heat treatment in food processing is one of the oldest and most effective
methods to ensure food safety, extend shelf life, and enhance palatability.
Depending on the temperature applied, the treatments can be grouped into three
categories: below 100°C, exactly at 100°C, and above 100°C.

A. Heat Treatments Below 100°C (<100°C)

These are mild treatments where food is heated but not allowed to boil.

* Blanching:
A short-time heat treatment (usually 70–95°C) applied mainly to vegetables and
some fruits.
 Purpose: inactivate enzymes (like peroxidase and catalase) that can cause
spoilage, soften tissues, preserve color, texture, and nutritional quality.
Also helps remove trapped air in tissues (important before canning or freezing).

* Pasteurization:
Heating foods to 60–90°C for a specific time (e.g., milk at 72°C for 15 sec – HTST
method).
Purpose: destroy pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
Salmonella, Listeria) without severely affecting flavor and nutrition.
Common in milk, fruit juices, beer, liquid egg.

* Cooking below boiling:

Simmering, poaching, and steaming are also in this range for household
preparation.

B. Heat Treatments At 100°C

This involves heating food at the boiling point of water.

* Boiling:
Simple heating in water at 100°C.
Kills vegetative bacteria and softens food.
Used in rice, pulses, soups, etc.
* Steaming:
Direct exposure to steam at 100°C.
 Used in idlis, dhoklas, and vegetables.
Helps retain nutrients better compared to boiling.

C. Heat Treatments Above 100°C (>100°C)

This involves the use of pressure or dry heat to reach higher temperatures.

* Canning:
Food is heated in hermetically sealed containers at 110–121°C under pressure.
Purpose: destroy spores of Clostridium botulinum and other heat-resistant
microbes.
Achieves commercial sterility.

* Sterilization:
Complete destruction of all microorganisms, usually by heating at 121°C for 15
minutes (moist heat under pressure).
Used in surgical equipment and some medical foods.

* UHT (Ultra-High Temperature) Processing:

Heating at 135–150°C for a few seconds.
Common for milk and juices; results in long shelf life without refrigeration.

* Baking & Roasting:

Dry heat treatments above 100°C (typically 180–250°C).
Used in bread, cakes, biscuits, meat, nuts.
 Provide flavor (via Maillard reaction and caramelization).

* Frying:
Heating in oil at 160–190°C.
Produces unique flavors and textures but adds fat.

2. Process and Heating Systems – Use of Heat Before and After Packaging

# Heat Before Packaging

In this method, food is first subjected to heat treatment and then packed in
containers under aseptic conditions.

* Process Description:
Raw food → heated to destroy microbes → cooled → packed in sterile
containers.
Example: UHT milk is heated to 135–150°C for a few seconds and then packed
aseptically.

* Advantages:
Better retention of flavor, color, and nutrients since exposure to heat is shorter.
Flexibility in packaging (e.g., Tetra Pak cartons, bottles, pouches).
Efficient for liquid and semi-liquid foods.

* Limitations:
 Requires sophisticated aseptic packaging technology.
High cost of equipment.
Risk of contamination if sterile conditions are not perfectly maintained.

#Heat After Packaging

In this method, food is packed first and then the entire sealed package is
subjected to heat.

* Process Description:
Raw or partly processed food → sealed in can, glass jar, or pouch → heat
treatment applied (e.g., in retort).
Example: canned vegetables, canned fish, soups.

* Advantages:
Ensures both the food and packaging are sterile.
Very reliable in preventing contamination after processing.
Long shelf life at ambient temperature.

* Limitations:

Heat penetrates slowly through packaging, so longer processing times are

required.
Can lead to overcooking, nutrient loss, and texture changes (especially in
delicate foods).
Limited mostly to rigid or semi-rigid containers like cans and glass jars.
Key Difference Between Heat Before and After Packaging

The major difference lies in the stage at which heat is applied relative to
packaging. In before-packaging methods (like UHT milk), the product is first
heated to kill microorganisms and then filled into pre-sterilized containers under
aseptic conditions. This approach preserves better flavor and nutrients since the
heat treatment is shorter and more controlled. In contrast, in after-packaging
methods (like canned foods), the product is sealed in its container first and then
heated as a whole, ensuring both the food and its package are sterilized together.
However, since heat must penetrate through the packaging material to the core
of the food, longer heating times are required, often leading to greater nutrient
losses and texture changes. Thus, heat before packaging is more suited to liquid
foods and requires advanced aseptic systems, while heat after packaging is
reliable for shelf-stable canned products but may compromise food quality.

*Ultra High-Pressure System

Ultra High-Pressure Processing (UHPP), also commonly termed High-Pressure
Processing (HPP), represents a non-thermal preservation technology that has
gained significant attention in modern food science. The process involves
subjecting food products to extremely high pressures, typically in the range of
300–600 mpa and in certain applications extending up to 1000 mpa, for a
relatively short duration.
The pressure is transmitted isostatically through water (meaning: pressure is
applied evenly from all directions using water as the medium), ensuring that it is
applied uniformly across all directions of the product. This mechanism effectively
inactivates microorganisms and certain enzymes while avoiding the detrimental
thermal effects associated with conventional heat-based treatments. As a result,
UHPP is recognized for its ability to maintain nutritional integrity, sensory
attributes, and overall product quality to a greater extent than traditional
pasteurization methods.

Autoclaves
An autoclave is a pressure-based thermal processing device widely used in the
food industry for sterilization and preservation. Unlike High-Pressure Processing
(HPP), which is a non-thermal method, autoclaves rely on moist heat under
pressure to inactivate microorganisms, including bacterial spores.

In food processing, autoclaves are

commonly applied in the
production of canned foods,
ready-to-eat meals, and low-acid
products where long-term shelf
stability is required. The typical
operating conditions involve the
use of pressurized steam at 110–
135 °C for defined time intervals, ensuring that pathogenic and spoilage
microorganisms are destroyed.
Autoclaving is highly effective for microbial inactivation and provides long shelf
life without refrigeration; however, it can lead to nutrient degradation, flavor
loss, and textural changes due to the high temperatures involved. For this reason,
autoclaves are often contrasted with ultra high-pressure systems, which preserve
sensory and nutritional qualities more effectively but require costly equipment
and refrigerated storage.

Steamers
Steamers are widely employed in both domestic and industrial food applications
as a means of heat treatment that utilizes saturated or superheated steam as the
transfer medium. In contrast to thermal sterilization in autoclaves, which
operates at elevated pressures and temperatures for microbial destruction,
steaming typically occurs at atmospheric pressure or under mild pressurization,
with process temperatures ranging between 100 °C and 105 °C. The primary
purpose of steamers in food processing is not preservation, but rather cooking,
blanching, or pre-treatment prior to subsequent preservation methods such as
freezing, drying, or canning. Steaming has been shown to better retain vitamins,
pigments, and volatile flavor compounds compared to boiling, as nutrient
leaching into water is minimized. Industrially, steamers are used for applications
such as the pre-cooking of vegetables for frozen ready meals, the proofing of
dough in bakery operations, and the preparation of seafood and rice-based
products. While steaming enhances nutritional retention and product quality, it is
limited in its ability to inactivate microbial spores and, therefore, does not
provide long-term stability without complementary preservation techniques.
Heat Exchangers
Heat exchangers are essential unit operations in food engineering, designed to
facilitate the transfer of thermal energy between two fluids without direct
contact. In the food industry, they are predominantly used for pasteurization,
sterilization, cooling, and concentration processes. Common examples include
the heating of milk, fruit juices, beer, and liquid egg products, as well as the
cooling of soups, sauces, and other viscous formulations.
The most frequently applied configurations are plate heat exchangers (PHEs) for
low- to medium-viscosity fluids, and tubular heat exchangers for high-viscosity or
particulate-containing products. In both systems, one fluid (the heating or cooling
medium, typically water, steam, or glycol) flows in one set of channels or tubes,
while the product flows in adjacent channels or tubes. Heat transfer occurs across
a solid barrier (metal plates or tubes), ensuring product safety and hygienic
integrity.
By maintaining controlled time–temperature profiles, heat exchangers achieve
microbial inactivation and enzyme deactivation while minimizing nutritional and
sensory degradation. Additionally, modern designs incorporate clean-in-place
(CIP) systems to ensure hygienic operation and efficient turnaround between
production batches.

· The product (blue → red) enters cold and exits hot.

· The heating or cooling medium (orange → green) flows through the exchanger
in a separate path.
· Heat transfer occurs across plates or tubes, without direct contact of fluids.
Canning in Food Technology
Canning is one of the oldest and most reliable preservation methods in the food
industry, designed to achieve long-term stability by hermetically sealing food
products in containers and subjecting them to thermal processing. The primary
objective of canning is the inactivation of spoilage microorganisms and
pathogenic bacteria, including spore-forming species such as Clostridium
botulinum, which pose serious health risks if left uncontrolled.
The process involves several critical stages. First, raw materials undergo
preparatory operations such as washing, peeling, cutting, and blanching, which
help inactivate enzymes, reduce microbial load, and improve texture and color
stability. Next, food is filled into metal cans, glass jars, or more recently,
retortable pouches, along with brine, syrup, or other preserving liquids,
depending on the product type. Containers are then hermetically sealed to
prevent post-process contamination. The sealed units are transferred to retorts
(autoclaves), where they are exposed to pressurized steam or hot water at
temperatures typically ranging between 110–135 °C for a calculated period based
on product acidity, viscosity, and container size.
Foods with low acidity (pH > 4.6), such as meat, fish, and vegetables, require
high-temperature sterilization to ensure safety against C. botulinum, while acidic
foods (pH < 4.6), including fruits and tomatoes, can be safely processed at lower
thermal intensities. After heating, containers are rapidly cooled to prevent
overcooking and to maintain sensory quality.
Canning offers significant advantages, including extended shelf life at ambient
temperatures, minimal reliance on cold storage, and
wide applicability across diverse food categories.
However, thermal exposure can lead to nutrient
degradation (especially heat-sensitive vitamins like
vitamin C), flavor changes, and texture softening.
Despite these limitations, canning remains a
cornerstone of large-scale food preservation,
balancing microbial safety with consumer
convenience.
Steps of Canning Procedure
1. Raw material preparation (washing, cutting, blanching)
2. Filling into containers with liquid medium
3. Sealing (hermetic closure)
4. Thermal processing in retorts (sterilization)
5. Cooling to prevent overcooking
6. Storage & distribution
Key Facts about Food Preservation & Processing Technologies
· Foods processed by High-Pressure Processing (HPP) can stay fresh for weeks in
the fridge while still tasting like they were just made — that’s why premium cold-
pressed juices in supermarkets often use this method.
· An autoclave in food processing works almost like a giant pressure cooker —
strong enough to destroy deadly bacteria such as Clostridium botulinum, which
can survive boiling water.
· Steaming is not just healthier than boiling — it preserves up to 40% more
vitamin C in vegetables compared to cooking in water.
· In milk pasteurization, plate heat exchangers can heat and cool thousands of
liters per hour within seconds, making them one of the most energy-efficient
systems in the food industry.
· The first canned foods were developed in the early 1800s for Napoleon’s army
— more than 50 years before the invention of the can opener!
· Canned products, when processed correctly, can last over 5 years without
refrigeration, making them essential for space missions, military rations, and
disaster relief supplies.