In-Pack Processed Foods: Improving Quality

Description: Recent developments have enabled the production of in-pack processed foods with improved sensory quality as well as new types of heat-preserved products packaged in innovative containers. This book reviews these advances in packaging formats and processing technologies and their application to produce higher quality, safer foods. Opening chapters cover innovative can designs and non-traditional packaging formats, such as retort pouches. The second part of the book reviews the developments in processing and process control technology required by newer types of packaging. Part three addresses the safety of in-pack processed foods, including concerns over pathogens and hazardous compounds in processed foods. The book concludes with chapters on novel methods to optimise the quality of particular types of in-pack processed foods such as fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry and fish products. In-pack processed foods: improving quality will be a valuable reference for professionals involved in the manufacture of this important group of food products and those researching in this area.


Contents: Part 1 Advances in packaging formats for in-pack processed foods: Advances in can design and the impact of sterilisation systems on container specifications; Retortable pouches; Improving retortable plastics; Advances in sealing and seaming and methods to detect defects. Part 2 Advances in processing technology: Advances in retort equipment and control systems; The Zinetec ShakaTM retort and product quality; Optimising the processing of flexible containers; Wireless data loggers to study heat penetration in retorted foods; Advances in indicators to monitor production of in-pack processed foods; On-line correction of in-pack processing of foods and validation of automated processes to improve product quality; Neural network method of modelling heat penetration during retorting; The role of Computational Fluid Dynamics in the improvement of rotary thermal processes. Part 3 Safety of in-pack processed foods: Emerging pathogens of concern in in-pack heat processed foods; Foodborne clostridia and the safety of in-pack preserved foods; Hazardous compounds in processed foods. Part 4 Improving the quality of particular in-pack processed products: Use of the natural food preservatives, nisin and natamycin, to reduce detrimental thermal impact on product quality; Novel methods to optimise the quality of in-pack processed fruit and vegetables: high pressure processing; Novel methods to improve the safety and quality of in-pack processed ready-to-eat meat and poultry products; Novel methods to optimise the nutritional and sensory quality of in-pack processed fish products.


Author Biography: Professor Philip Richardson is Head of the Food Manufacturing Technologies Department at the internationally renowned Campden BRI, UK.