ABSTRACT
Definition of commercial sterility Within the scope and framework of this chapter, the term “ commercially sterile foods” refers to food defined by Deibel & Jantschke (2001) as products that have been subjected to heat treatments and subsequently filled in hermetically sealed containers capable of preventing the entry of microorganisms. Filling can be done into cans, glass packages, flexible packages (pouches) or carton packages. In general, the cans and glass packages are vacuum-sealed, whereas the pouches and cartons may contain little or no vacuum. These products are microbiologically stable, and may be kept indefinitely at room temperature.
