Designing of thermal treatment parameters for tomato sauces

Abstract

In contrast to the commercial treatment parameters currently used for the production of tomato sauces in the processing plant, this study offers new temperature and time combinations for heating, holding and cooling of products. The aim of the current study was to model the effect of time-temperature conditions for the pasteurisation/sterilisation process on the quality of different tomato sauces. Four pasteurisation and sterilization tests (20-3-21/95, 20-10-20/95, 20-5-20/110 and 20-5-24/110 (min·ºC-1)) were carried out at 95 and 110 ºC to obtain the kinetic constants of the simulated process. By measuring the product temperature in the time interval 1 min through inserting the loggers into the glass jars during thermal treatment, the achieved F-value was analysed. The temperature of the product was measured starting from the heating process till the end of cooling. F85 = 5 min with z = 8.9 were used for the study as reference value. pH, water activity, total plate count and colony forming units of sulfite-reducing clostridia were determined according to standard methods. Experimentally chosen thermal treatment parameters showed that the reference F-value can be achieved by using 20-10-20/95 (min·ºC-1) and 20-5-20/110 or 20-5-24/110 (min·ºC-1) time-temperature combinations. The newly established time-temperature combinations could be used for tomato sauces production and achieve products safety and shelf-life criteria.