METHOD FOR PREPARING FOOD PRODUCTS FOR LONG-TERM PRESERVATION

摘要

A process is disclosed for preparing a foodstuffproduct, which permits long-term preservation of the productwithout impairing its organoleptic qualities andcharacteristics especially its taste as compared with thecorresponding fresh food products. The process comprisesmeasuring the pH of the product, determining itsoxidoreduction potential, calculating its rH2 value usingNernst's formula, and determining whether the cooked dish isreductive, neutral or oxidative. After determination of acooking temperature range that is below 100°C by varyingeither the pH of the product without allowing the pH to dropbelow 4.5, and/or the ratio of free water to total water ofthe product while maintaining the cooking temperature rangein excess of the minimum lethal temperature necessary todestroy Streptococci D, the product is subjected to a heattreatment for a time selected to attain but not exceed thecooking value and to attain at least the pasteurizationvalue, the heat treatment being effective to raise thetemperature of the product to within the predeterminedcooking temperature range. Finally, the temperature of theproduct is lowered to cool the product to a temperatureabove 0°C.