ABSTRACT
Thermal processing techniques are widely used to improve eating quality and safety of food products, and to extend shelf life of the products. These thermal processing techniques involve the production, transformation, and preservation of foods. Sterilization and pasteurization are heating processes to inactivate or destroy enzymatic and microbiological activity in foods. Cooking (including baking, roasting, and frying) is a heating process to alter the eating quality of foods and to destroy microorganisms and enzymes for food safety. Dehydration and drying are heating processes to remove the majority of water in foods by evaporation (or by sublimation for freeze drying) for extending the shelf life of foods due to a reduction in water activity.
