ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the engineering concepts involved in the process design and development of aseptic processing of foods, including the criteria for selection of the equipment, heat exchange systems, system design, mechanism of heat transfer, important parameters in process design, and tools for process validation. Designing of a food process system requires knowledge about the food material, the target microorganism and its destruction kinetics, and the destruction kinetics of nutrients. Aseptic processing is a part of thermal sterilization, which is the leading unit operation in food preservation and includes pasteurization and canning. The primary reason for slow development of aseptic processing technology for low-acid particulates has been the regulatory concern regarding process safety assurance. Aseptic processing is a continuous processing system and requires a continuous flow of product, which is achieved by pumps. Dielectric, microwave, and ohmic resistance heating are being considered for aseptic processing of foods.
