Process evaluation

Lethality
 Containers do not heat instantaneously
 All temp. have a lethal effect above 93oC
 Contributes to the destruction of m.o.
 Mechanism to determine the relative effect of
a changing temperature is necessary
 z value helps to calculate the lethal effect of
various temperature
Lethal Rate (L)
 The relative effect of temp. on microbial
destruction with respect to a certain
reference temp. (Tref)
 Equivalent time in min at reference temp /
time in min at temp. (T)

L = 10 (T-Tref)/z
 Lethal Rate (L)
Temp (oC) Lethal rate Time (FT) req.
(min at 121.1oC/ min at T) for 12 D
101.1 0.01 4h
111.1 0.1 24 min
121.1 1 2.4 min
131.1 10 15 s
141.1 100 1.5 s
Change in processing temp by one z value requires
10-fold change in processing temp
Sterilization value
 Lethal effect as a function of time (t) during
the thermal process
 FTref = 01 10 (T-Tref)/z dt
 FTref = Lt
 When T is the cold point temp. and when ref.
temp and z value are 121.1oC and 10oC, then,
the sterilization value is known as Fo value
 Fo value of 3 min is acceptable.
Commercial Sterility
 Application of heat that render the food free
from viable forms of m.o of public health
significance as well as any m.o of non PHS
capable of reproducing under non-
refrigerated conditions of storage and
distribution.
 Process evaluation
 Sterilizing effect : Starts at temp. above their
maximum growth temp.
 Lethal effect on bacterial spores commence at 93oC
 Process time - Time theoretically required to destroy
any specific spore in food can at any given temp is
calculated from
 Lethal rate of the temperature
 TDT curve
 Heating and Cooling curves
Thermal process evaluation
 Determination of thermal process, Fo involves
 Measurement of temp. at SHP
 Integration of lethal effect at this point
 Lethality
 Lethal rate - Rate of destruction of an organism per
min at any given lethal temp. is the reciprocal of the
time in min required to completely destroy it at that
temp. LR = Antilog [(T-121.1)/z]
If z value is 10oC, the LR for 111.1oC is 0.1
Integration of lethal effects
 C. botulinum spores requires Fo of 2.52 min
 Heat the food at 121.1oC hold for 2.52 min
instantaneously, and cool below lethal temp.
 Integrated lethal value equivalent to 2.52 min sufficient
 Fo at 121.1oC is unity
 So, for every temp. change of 10oC, there is 10-fold
change in death rate of organisms
 Work out Fo equivalent at that time-temp combinations
 If processing at 111.1oC, needs 10 times more heating
to attain sterilization effect
 If processing at 131.1oC, needs 1/10th of time
Methods
 Methods of estimating process lethality
 Classical calculation method
 General method
 Formula method
 Integrated lethality method
 Nomogram method
Classical calculation method
 Simplest method
 Record SHP temp/ min
 Obtain LR rate for temp. from LR table or
calculate LR
 Integrate lethal values of heat for all time-temp
combinations at this point
 Cumulative Fo value - Add LR of temp after steam
cut off also
General method (Bigelow, 1920)
 Graphical method - each point of H & C curve
represent lethal value for the organisms
 Construct TDT, H&C curves and lethality curve with
LR against time (min)
 Area under lethality curve gives the total lethality of
the process i.e summation of all lethal rates
obtained during CUT, retorting and cooling.
 Measure area by counting squares or using
planimeter
General method (Graphical method)
 If area under lethality curve is unity (1) – process
adequate – complete destruction achieved
 If total lethality < 1 – under processing
 If total lethality > 1 – over processing
 Process value (Fo)
= Area under LR curve x lethality/square
= 117 x 0.1 = 11.7 min
 Cannot predict Fo of shorter or longer process,
change in retort temp. or can size
Mathematical method (Ball and Olson, 1928)
 Applicable to convection and conduction
packs of any can size and retort temp
 Construct HP curve by plotting values
representing differences between retort
temp. and product temp. on a log scale and
time on linear scale
 Zero time taken when the steam is turned on
 After an initial lag, the graph becomes a
straight line
Mathematical method
 Slope is fh
 CUT sterilizing effect is 42% of CUT
 Corrected zero time is 52% of CUT
 Extend straight line of graph to meet ‘y’ axis
 The corresponding temp is theoretical initial temp (I)
 Ratio of jI/I is referred to as ‘j’
 jI = diff. between retort temp. and theoretical initial
temp
 I = diff. between retort temp and actual initial temp
 j = lag factor or time before which there is no increase
in temperature at SHP
Mathematical method
 The basic equation is
B process time (min) = fh log (jI-g)
g = diff. in oF bet. retort temp and max. temp at SHP
 From above, g is calculated
 Value of g is related to the ratio of fh/U
U = FoFi
Fi = Time in min at the retort temp equivalent to Fo
process at 250oF
Fi = log –1 (250-t)/z (t – process temp; z-18oF)
 From above, Fi is calculated
 From U and Fi, Fo is calculated
Integrated lethality method
 In convection pack, heating at SHP (Fc) is equal to
the effective mean through out the container (Fs)
Fc = Fs = D (log a – log b)
D = DRT at reference temp
a = initial no of spores
b = no of survivors
 For conduction pack, integration of lethal values of
heat received at SHP is more accurate
 Determine survival ratios for small volume
 Integrate over the whole volume
Nomogram method (Olson and Stevens, 1939)

 American Can Co – Quick method

 Not accurate
 Applicable to straight line and broken curve
lines
 Knowledge on Ball method necessary
 Calculate process value (Fo)
 Predict Fo values for similar products under
changed conditions ie. can size, retort temp or
filling temp.
Verification of the Process
Microbiological methods
 Most reliable
 Two methods
 Inoculated pack method – Spores are directly
added to the food
 Spore bulb method – Spores suspended in a
buffer and contained in a small bulb or
capillary tube are placed in the food in the can
Inoculated pack method
 Place heat resistance spores (gas former)
in SHP
 Subject to normal heat treatment
 Presence of blown can
 Estimate survival by culture or incubation
tests
Spore bulb method
 Similar to capillary bulb method
 Capillaries containing spores implanted in
solid pieces of food at SHP
 In convection packs, placed using special
device
 Compare no. of survivors with the initial no.
of spores
 Evaluate the lethality of the process