27 Jul, 2010
Pasteurization Technologies Employed In The Food Industry
Posted by: Chris Channing In: General
The act of pasteurization is one that has allowed the food industry to ship products that spoil easily- and keep their shelf life high enough to allow for consumers to use them. The process is compared to other technologies such as homogenization and sterilization. One caveat with pasteurization is that the process actually takes some of the taste out of the item being sterilized. Because the liquid is being heated to hot temperatures and brought down again, the taste is disrupted. This is why milk that is fresh from the farm, and organic, may taste a bit better than the standard carton of milk from the grocery store. Nutrients that are in milk are great for growing children. There are helpful vitamins, enzymes, and other ingredients that growing children need for healthy bodies. Pasteurization takes out some of the benefits thanks to the heating process. Some companies will put fortified nutrients back into the milk to make up for the degraded quality, although this will cost more to the consumer. Technology is a wonderful thing. There are now processes that will allow the average carton of milk last months while on the shelf. You certainly wouldn’t be able to do this with a standard carton of milk found at a modern grocery store, however. With new types of heat treatment, and special packaging, one can find even organic types of milks that only need refrigerated after being opened for the first time. The amount of items that the pasteurization process applies to is vast. One would be narrow minded to assume that milk was the only industry that pasteurization serves. There are plenty of liquids, from soy sauce to marinade sauces, and also foods that you might not even think get sterilized. Foods would include crab, cheese, and some nuts. It extends the shelf life of each product dramatically, and with new packaging producers can keep food better for longer periods of time. In researching pasteurization, you will also come across the art of homogenization. This process achieves about the same effect as pasteurization, only the sterilization process is done differently. Instead of relying primarily on heat, the process collides the contents of the milk with itself, enough that the mixture is completely the same in all parts of the mixture. Unfortunately, this also means the fat is made soluble into the mixture, and that the nutritional content isn’t so great. Final Thoughts Heavy machinery and small machinery alike achieve pasteurization. Finding either will be a tough process, however. Start looking on the Internet for brokers who can help out, start going to local auctions, or buy new from a manufacturer to get started in pasteurization. Learn more on flash pasteuriser and pasteurisers. Mail this post |


