ABSTRACT
Thermal treatments are used extensively in the food industry to control pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms and enzymes. The major concern during thermal processing is degradation of food which adversely affects its quality. Kinetic study of quality changes in food is essential to the design of appropriate thermal treatments. This chapter focuses on the kinetic study of thermal treatments designed to inactivate microorganisms and enzymes in food. The theoretical basis of kinetic study, common and special kinetic models related to major quality attributes of food, and the application of kinetic models to the development of thermal treatment are discussed.
