INTRODUCTION TO FOOD SCIENCE AND POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY

LABORATORY SESSION 1

Preservation of Foods by Heat Treatment

Objective

 To destroy pathogenic/ disease-causing and all forms of microorganisms

 To inactivate enzymatic activities of vegetables

Background
Of various means of preserving foods the use of heat finds very wide application. The simple
acts of cooking, frying, boiling or otherwise heating food prior to consumption are forms of food
preservation. In addition to making foods more tender and palatable cooking destroys a large
proportion of microorganisms and natural enzymes in foods, thus cooked foods generally can be
held longer than uncooked foods. However, cooking generally does not sterilize a product, so
even if it protected from recontamination, food will spoil in a comparatively short period of time.
This time is prolonged if the cooked foods are refrigerated. These are common household
practices.

Another feature of cooking is that it is usually the last treatment food receives prior to being
consumed. The toxin that can be formed by clostridium botulinum is destroyed by 10 minute
exposure to moist heat at 100 0c. Properly processed commercial foods will be free of this toxin.
Cooking provides a final measure of protection in those unfortunate cases where a processing
error does occur, or a faulty food container becomes contaminated. However, heat preservation
of foods generally refers to controlled processes that are performed commercially, such as
blanching, pasteurization and sterilization.

Materials and consumables

Thermometer vegetables
Glass bottles raw milk
Autoclave water
Milk bottles
Large bowl (water bath)
Slotted spoon
Plate lined with a cloth
large pot
Cutting board (slicer) and knife

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Lab. exercise one: Pasteurization

Pasteurization is mild heat treatment of liquid foods such as milk, orange juice, wine, and beer,
as well as cheese, to destroy disease-causing and other undesirable bacteria/organisms. The
process is named for the French scientist Louis Pasteur, who discovered in the 1860s that
undesired fermentation could be prevented in wine and beer by heating it to 135°F (57°C) for a
few minutes. Milk is pasteurized by heating it to about 145°F (63°C) for 30 min or by the "flash
method" of heating to 160°F (71°C) for 15 sec, followed by rapid cooling to below 50°F (10°C),
at which temperature it is stored. In milk, after pasteurization, the harmless lactic acid bacteria
survive, but if the milk is not kept cold, they multiply rapidly and cause it to turn sour.

Procedure
1. Boil empty milk bottles submerged in water for 10 minutes to disinfect them. Alternatively, you
can place the milk bottles in an oven preheated to 212 degrees F (100 degrees C) for 20 minutes
to disinfect.
2. Pour raw milk into the top of a double boiler and fill the bottom section with water. Place a
metal-stem thermometer into the milk to monitor its temperature. Keep the thermometer from
touching the sides or bottom of the double boiler so you get an accurate temperature reading of
the milk, not the container.
3. Heat raw milk to 1450 F(630c) and keep it at that temperature for at least 30 minutes. Stir
constantly to avoid burning and to maintain an even temperature. For a faster method, heat the
milk to 165 degrees F for at least 15 seconds, stirring constantly.
4. Put the top section of the double boiler that holds the heated milk into a pan of cold or ice water
to cool the milk. Continue to stir. Cool the milk until it reaches 40 degrees F or below. Pour the
pasteurized milk into the disinfected milk bottles. Cover and store in the refrigerator

Lab. exercise two: Sterilization

Sterilization refers to the complete distraction of microorganisms. Because of the resistance of

certain bacterial spores to heat, this frequently requires a treatment of at least 121 0c wet heat for
15 minute or its equivalent. It also means that every particle of the food must receive this heat
treatment. During sterilization the severe heat treatment may produce substantial changes in
nutritional and sensory quality of foods.

Procedure

1. Open the lid of the autoclave and check that there is sufficient amount of distilled or
demonized water in it. If necessary, refill.
2. Place the correctly packaged materials (e.g. laboratory equipment, culture medium, food
sample in a flask) into the chamber of the autoclave.
3. Close the lid of the autoclave and make sure that the bleeder valve is open.
4. Turn on the heating of the autoclave (the indicator lamp is lit).

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 5. If an intense (a thick, milky white) steam outflow can be detected through the outlet tube
of the bleeder valve (100°C on the built-in thermometer), wait for 4-5 minutes and close
the bleeder valve (venting).
6. With the help of a built-in thermometer and manometer, check the temperature and
pressure increase inside the chamber of the autoclave.
7. The sterilization time (15 minutes or more) begins only when the temperature
equalization (to 121°C) in the chamber has occurred. It is important that the operator
stays with the device and controls the process of sterilization from the time it is turned on
until the end of the sterilization period.
8. Turn off the power switch of the autoclave when the sterilization cycle/period has ended.
9. Allow the device to cool down to at least 60-70°C.
10. For decompression, slowly open the bleeder valve. Thereafter, carefully open the lid of
the autoclave and remove the sterilized materials, using heat-proof gloves.

Lab. exercise three: Blanching

Blanching is a heat treatment commonly applied to tissue systems prior to freezing,

drying or canning. The objectives of blanching depend on the process, which follows it.
Blanching prior to freezing or dehydration is done primarily to inactivate enzymes.
Unbalanced frozen or dried foods exhibit relatively rapid changes in such properties as
color, flavor and nutritive value as a result of enzyme activity. Blanching prior to
conventional canning fulfils several important objectives: to remove tissue gases, to
increase the temperature of the tissue, to cleanse the tissue, to wilt the tissue to facilitate
packing and to activate or inactivate enzymes. Since the product generally receives a
thermal process severe enough to inactivate enzymes, enzyme inactivation is not
necessarily a primary objective of blanching. Removal of tissue gases and preheating the
product prior to filling, however, are important objectives of pre canning operations since
they have a great influence on the final level of oxygen in the container and therefore
directly influence storage life. During blanching, a moderate heat treatment (less than
175°F) followed by a holding period of time can be applied.

Procedure

1. Have ready a large bowl of ice water (known as an ice bath), a slotted spoon, and a plate lined
with a cloth or paper towel.

2. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables (wash and slice). Doing this just before blanching prevents
oxidation.

4. Just before blanching the vegetables, add couple of tablespoons of salt to the boiling water.
Salt helps to maintain color and improve flavor, but it may be omitted if you wish.

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5. Add the sliced vegetables to the water bath in small batches so that the water continues to boil.
If blanching more than one type of vegetable, blanch each one separately and blanch lighter
colored ones first, as darker colored ones will tinge the water and subsequent vegetables.

6. After about 30 seconds, test for doneness. Remove one piece; dip it into the bowl of ice water,
and taste. Keep tasting every 30-60 seconds until the vegetables are cooked to your liking. Most
vegetables take between 2-5 minutes.

7. When the vegetables are done, quickly remove them from the boiling water with a slotted
spoon and plunge them into the ice bath to stop the cooking process. (This is called "shocking.")

8. When the vegetables are completely cool, remove them from the ice bath and drain on the
towel-lined plate.

Questions for Discussion

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each heat treatment methods

2. What do you think the special care given to foods during sterilization?
3. Do you think that, pasteurized milk does cause lactose intolerance?

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