MICROWAVE STERILIZATION OF MASHED POTATO IN POLYMERIC TRAYS

摘要

This research studied the feasibility for developing microwave (MW) sterilization of the homogeneous food, mashed potato, packaged in 10-oz polymeric trays using a 915-MHz, single-mode, and pilot-scale MW sterilization system. The heating pattern and cold spot in mashed potato trays processed with the MW sterilization system were determined using the chemical-marker-based computer-vision method. The processing schedules to achieve F_0 = 3 and 6 min were established based on the temperature histories measured at the cold spot during processing. The effectiveness of the developed processing was validated by inoculated pack studies using Clostridium sporogenes PA 3679 spores. The study suggested that the 915-MHz single-mode MW sterilization technology is effective for processing of homogeneous foods.