ASEPTIC THERMAL PROCESSING FOR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

摘要

A method for keeping fruit pieces such as pineapple slices and vegetables intact while processing under aseptic and anaerobic conditions. The pineapples are positioned on a "slice carrier", to hold the pineapple slices. Then the "slice carrier" is transferred to the anaerobic chamber and immersed in a heating and the cooling mixture of sugars and acids. The slices are heated at minimal thermal parameters at defined spacing positions to allow uniform heat penetration. The immersion solutions are maintained at a pH and oBrix similar to the pineapple's pH and oBrix. The pineapple slices are then cooled and packed into sterile packaging under anaerobic and aseptic conditions. The immersion solutions are optionally recycled. Optionally, oreconditioning of the fruit and vegetables could be done at ambient conditions.