ABSTRACT

For the new food processor/entrepreneur, these are often the rst products that they will manufacture. Often they are encouraged by friends and family who have tasted their homemade product to “go commercial” and they do! Although some give up when they “crunch the numbers,” others have the passion, the tenacity, and hopefully a sound business/marketing plan so they are more likely to enjoy success to varying degrees. For the new processor these products are somewhat easier to produce safely, as they are for the most part made shelf-stable by heat pasteurization coupled with being acidied or naturally high in acid. Packing into glass jars simplies container closure as start-up costs are small compared to double-seam canning operations. e regulatory requirements are signicantly less compared to low-acid canned foods (LACFs) or perishable fresh food. From a safety standpoint, they enjoy a somewhat greater degree of safety due to having pH values less than 4.6, eectively precluding the growth of Clostridium botulinum and other potential pathogens. ese factors coupled with an endless supply of diverse ingredients provide an outlet for culinary creativity that result in the “secret

ermal Processing 118 Quality Control Parameters 120

Packaging 128 Labeling 130

Summary 131 References 132

lar products we evaluate for compliance to processing regulations are BBQ sauces, salsas, and mustards. us we have chosen these three as examples to illustrate various aspects of food processing, preservation, analysis, and safety throughout the chapter.