ABSTRACT
Thermal processing is an important method for food preservation in the manufacture of shelf-stable canned foods, and it has been the cornerstone of the food processing industry for more than a century (Teixeira, 1992). The basic function of a thermal process is to inactivate food spoilage microorganisms in sealed containers of food using heat treatments at temperatures well above the ambient boiling point of water in pressurized steam retorts (autoclaves). Excessive heat treatment should be avoided because it means a detrimental effect to food quality and underutilization of plant capacity (Simpson et al., 2003a).
