The thermal process known as commercial sterilization consists of the application of a lethal amount of high heat to effectively kill spoilage and pathogenic organisms such as bacteria and molds. One of the most resilient of these organisms is Clostridium botulinum bacteria. The non-vegetative spore of this particular pathogen is very resistant to high heat. […]
General Knowledge
Retort Agitation Methods, Applications and Benefits
One of the benefits of retort processing, also known as commercial sterilization, is that it provides a food or beverage manufacturer the ability to produce a product that is “shelf stable” at room temperature for extended periods of time. The process usually occurs at temperatures ranging from 240°F/115°C to 270°F/132°C. These temperatures exceed that of […]
I Need to Commercially Sterilize My Product(s)
What Kind, What Size and How Many Batch Retorts Do I Need? So you have, or want to introduce, a containerized shelf-stable product to the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) market. Batch retort solutions offer the greatest range of technology and flexibility versus any other type of process solution that exists today. Here are some key considerations […]
In-Container Sterilization – Critical Factors
In the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services regulates food, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products consumed by humans and animals. This is done through either the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). US‐FDA 21CFR Part 113 defines critical factors as – “any property, characteristic, condition, aspect, or […]
Commercial Sterilization Defined
The adjective “sterile”, depending on which dictionary is cited, will have several entries defining everything from geographic regions to intellectual quality. For the intent of this discussion we are focusing on the definition pertaining to an environment being devoid of living microorganisms, namely spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. Sterility can be achieved by either chemical or […]