Good practice and quality control

Once a pasteurisation process has been established resulting in a stable product of the desired quality the time and temperature of the process will need to be routinely monitored (Gaze, 2006). It should be included in the HACCP plan as a Critical Control Point. Monitoring devices will need to be regularly calibrated and calibration records must be maintained. 

Verification of the process will need to be based on likely errors that may occur and the organisms that are most likely to cause problems. The different processes employed in tunnel pasteurisation and flash pasteurisation mean they have different potential problems and monitoring must take this into account. For example, blocked jets or gas breakout are specific to particular methods though poor maintenance or calibration can apply to both. 

For tunnel pasteurisers time temperature indicators that travel through the tunnel recording the temperatures that containers are subjected to, and for what time, can be used to monitor the process. 

It is good practice to ensure pasteurisers run steadily and process interruptions are as limited as possible. The correct sizing of equipment and buffer tanks can be used to help ensure this (European Brewery Convention, 1995). 

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