Canning and Fish Packaging Technology

Unit 4 - Thermal process for canned foods

4.1.Thermal Processing
The thermal processing of can is a process of exposing the properly sealed cans to a combination of time and temperature to kill all the pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms inside the can. The time and temperature combination required for a can depends on the size of the can, heat penetration rate, and the type of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms expected in the particular food.The type of contaminating microorganism capable of growing inside the can depends on the pH of the food that is canned. Low pH food may arrest the growth of even the food poisoning bacteria like Clostridium boltulinum and may not need severe thermal processing.