Thermization process

Thermal processing can be defined as the combination of temperature and time in order to reduce or destroy microbial activity, reduce or destroy enzyme activity and to produce physical or chemical changes to make the food meet a certain quality standard.

According to the EU regulations, thermization is a sub-pasteurization treatment, performed under mild conditions (i.e., 57–68 °C for no less than 15 s in a heat exchanger), so as to guarantee the preservation of phosphatase activity and, consequently, part of the indigenous microbiota.

Thermization targets pathogenic bacteria while leaving the good bacteria in the product. The low temperatures do not alter the structure and taste of the product. It is used as a pre-pasteurization treatment of raw milk to safeguard milk quality during prolonged storage in insulated silos.

The process is also used as a post-pasteurization treatment of dairy products. The treatment always causes the elimination of psychrotrophic bacteria and the reduction of total bacterial count, enabling thermized milk to be stored for up to 3 days longer at 8 °C.

Psychrotrophic bacteria grow at less than 7°C. Common species in cold stored milk, which is the storage norm in most jurisdictions, are Micrococcus, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, and coliforms.
Thermization process

What are the benefits of HACCP to food processing?

HACCP is a system to help food industry guarantee the safety of cultivated and manufactured food products by controlling breeding, harvesting, food ingredients, food raw materials, food processing, packaging materials, and food storage.

HACCP approach can be used to help assure the safety of foods from production to consumption. It is a systematic approach relevant to all stages of food processing covering agricultural and horticultural practices, harvesting, processing, product distribution and customer practices.

Lack of food safety systems costs the food industry million of dollars annually through waste, reprocessing, recalls and resulting loss of sales. It is now recognized internationally that the most cost-effective approach to food safety is through the application of the HACCP technique.

By adopting an effecting food safety system based on HACCP helps food processors lower their overall cost up to a significant level by reducing and subsequently eliminating product recalls and product wastages, while increasing profits by proper decision-making and proper ingredients resourcing system.

HACCP will ensure the safety of food products through preventive measures rather than through final inspection and testing.

HACCP facilitates the move from retrospective end–product testing to a preventive quality assurance approach enabling the manufacturer to get it right the first time and reduce reject waste.
What are the benefits of HACCP to food processing?

Stainless steel equipment for food industry

Stainless steel is doubtless the most suitable material for the construction of the equipment that contacts food.

Stainless steel has become a widely used material for the construction of food process equipment because of its mechanical and it is also non-corrosive and easily sanitised. A special stainless steel may be required for areas controlled by chlorides, such as those occurring in sea water or brine.

The corrosion environment often involves moderately to highly concentrated chlorides on the process side often mixed with significant concentration of organic acids.

Most vats and vessels used in the food industry are made of stainless steel. Since products do not stay long in such equipment, usually AISI 304 stainless steel is sufficient.

Stainless steel can be produced in various grades depending on their chemical composition in iron, chromium and nickel. The most commonly used grade in the food industry is AISI 304 with 18% chromium and 9% nickel.

Other elements may be improved anti-corrosive properties, like molybdenum in AISI 316, often used in dairies. Type 316 is suitable in situations where alkalis, acids, etchants and various fermentation by-products lead to more corrosive situation.
Stainless steel equipment for food industry 

Potential glass contamination in processing area

Glass may be used as a food contact surface. These applications are limited due to the potential for breakage, resulting foreign body contamination of the milk and also safety issue with personnel.  It is used for piping for the transportation for liquids, such as milk, and such piping can be cleaned in place without dismantling.

When glass is used, must be durable, break resistant or heat resistant glass. Some applications where glass is used are light and sight openings into vessels and in very limited glass piping applications.

It is not suitable for lining metal equipment, nor is enamel being subject to chipping, thus exposing to metal, which may then corrode.  Glass or enamel chip may also become incorporated in food.

Food plants should adopt a glass policy that outlines requirements for shielding fluorescent tubes and light bulbs in process areas, for protection or removal of glass gages, emergency lights, thermometers and wall clocks , for control of glass containers in process areas, for the safe use of laboratory glass ware, and for handling breakage of glass packaging materials.

If standards glass were used it should have a protective film on its surface to prevent shattering on breakage.
Potential glass contamination in processing area 

Material used for food processing equipment

Processing equipment intended to produce safe food should at least meet the basic hygienic requirements. It must be constructed with acceptable materials from the perspectives of sanitary practice and chemical migration to foods.

Materials of construction used for equipment must be completely compatible with the food product, environment, cleaning chemicals and disinfectants and the methods of cleaning and disinfections.

Carbon steel cannot be used in the food contact are due to its corrosion sensitivity especially by salt and chlorine-containing bleach.

The preferred material for food contact surfaces is stainless steel because it is strong, easily, cleaned and resistant to rust and many cleaning/sanitizing compounds. Stainless steel AISI SS 304 (L) can be used for the construction of food processing equipment and food processing support system in applications with low chloride level, near neutral pH and at low temperature.

The best known application copper is vessels, traditionally used in many breweries and distilleries. Copper does not relay constitute a food safety problem but it is recommended to avoid direct contact with copper utensils, as they can cause unacceptable organoleptic effects. Moreover, alkaline materials used on copper equipment may cause a discoloration of foods. It is generally undesirable to use copper in food processing equipment, even though it is among the best conductor of heat available.

Monel metal an alloy consisting mainly nickel and copper, is suitable for food processing equipment but is expensive.

Aluminium conducts heat well but subject to corrosive when contacting alkaline materials or fruit acids.

Generally, high quality stainless steels, plastics and other materials approved for food contact are used. If care is taken in selecting equipment and contact surface materials taking into account the nature of the food being processed, there is minimal chance of harmful contamination.

Misuse of equipment or use of materials incompatible with the material being processed may result in contamination.
Material used for food processing equipment

What are the benefits of Hazard analysis and critical control points?

The principle characteristics of the HACCP system is that it is applied to each process of food production individually.

Hazard analysis and critical control points or HACCP system has been recognize throughout the developed world as a major advance in safety assurance systems.

The system is inherently more efficient that the traditional end point quality control scheme. The quality of all the products is assured.

Implementation of HACCP is to prevent the hazards at the earliest possible stage of food processing. It enables food processors to identify, prioritize and minimize various likely hazards.

It enables consideration all the factors that contribute to most outbreaks and of risk assessment techniques. 

The records of HACCP provide reasonable certainty that a company took responsibility actions when product was manufactured, for example that safety parameters were met.

It assures that approximate corrective actions have been taken to reformulate the products or redesign the process when critical limits were exceeded.

HACCP implementation would benefit both the regulators and the processor. The HACCP approach to food safety is not only more efficient but cost effective.

Another benefit is, once HACCP is set up, they involve participation by the whole production personnel so that quality assurance involves everybody rather than just a restricted number of quality control staff.
What are the benefits of Hazard analysis and critical control points?

Chemical hazards

Chemical hazards
Chemical can be defined as any substance used in or obtained by a chemical process or processes. All food products are made up of chemicals, but there are a number of chemicals that are not allowed in food. There are basically two types of chemicals hazards in foods: naturally occurring poisonous or deleterious chemicals and added poisonous or deleterious chemicals.

Some of naturally occurring toxicants have established maximum allowable limits e.g., aflatoxin, paralytic shellfish toxin, and scombrotoxin. Other foods, such as some wild mushrooms, are themselves toxic. The food processor may control some of these naturally occurring chemical hazards by learning in which foods they are most likely to occur. Proper raw material specifications, vendor certification and guarantees along with inspection and spot checks will prevent introduction of natural chemical hazard into plant facilities. Proper handling and storage of sensitive ingredients will prevent conditions conducive of production of other natural toxicants.

The second group of chemical hazards are those which are added to foods at some point between growing, harvesting, processing, storage and distribution. These include the agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, fertilizers, antibiotics and growth hormones. The conditions and levels of use for all these chemicals are regulated. The direct or indirect use of other chemicals in foods is prohibited because of a determination that they present a potential risk to the public health or have not been shown by adequate scientific data to be safe for use in human food.

Toxic elements and other toxic compounds chemicals used in the food processing are either not allowed in food at all or have established maximum tolerances. Other types of added chemicals are direct, secondary direct and indirect food and color additives. These include chemical compounds used in actual food processing to preserve the food, enhance flavor, impart color or nutritionally fortify. Also included in the food additive group are some chemicals used in the food processing plant such as lubricants, cleaners, sanitizers, paint and coating. These food additives have allowable limits in foods in according with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMPs). At established limits these chemicals are not hazardous, but if tolerances are exceeded, potential health risks to consumers may occur.
Chemical hazards