ARS | Publication request: THE VACUUM/STEAM/VACUUM PROCESS

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: April 28, 2003
Publication Date: December 1, 2003
Citation: Kozempel, M.F., Goldberg, N.M., Craig, J.C. 2003. The vacuum/steam/vacuum process. Food Technology. 57(12):30-33.

Technical Abstract: The Vacuum/Steam/Vacuum surface intervention pilot plant process was developed. The process was developed for chicken, hot dogs, fruits and vegetables, and catfish. Optimum process conditions were determined as nominally, 138 C saturated steam, vacuum and steam times of 0.1 s except that the final vacuum time is 0.5 s and 3 cycles. Kills of surrogate and naturally occurring pathogenic bacteria on chicken were 1.0 - 1.5 log. On hot dogs, the bacteria kill for L. innocua was 5 log. Depending on the fruit or vegetable, the bacteria kill ranged for 2.5 to 4.7 log of surrogate and naturally occurring aerobic bacteria. Up to 2.5 log kills of L. innocua were achieved on catfish. The process is being commercialized for hot dogs through a cooperative agreement.