ABSTRACT
Heat transfer is one of the most important unit operations in the food industry; it is the cheapest and most efficient method of preservation. Almost all processes include supplying or removing heat by physical, chemical or biological methods. The objective of food heat treatment is the destruction of microbial populations and enzyme inactivation in order to prevent spoilage and proliferation of pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. Sanitation is ensured after heating; practically all microorganisms are destroyed or irreversibly damaged by heat (1). Process conditions – time and temperature – are the decisive applied factors according to the expected shelf life of the product, although heating also causes changes in physicochemical and biological food characteristics (2). Therefore, in order to ensure thermal processing
efficiency several variables must be considered such as microbial survival rate and physicochemical composition and structure.
