Sterilized food container, steam

The most widely used sterilization method ia the food industry is moist heat. The heat is usually suppHed by high pressure steam, but because most foods already contain moisture the role of steam is to heat the food to the required temperature. The cooking and sterilization processes can frequendy be combined into one. The food may be sealed into impervious containers of glass, metal, or plastic film and undergo terminal sterilization, or it may be presterilized in batches or in a continuous operation and then filled into a presterilized container. The latter process is called sterile filling. 

Therrtial Sterilization of Pouches of Beef. Methodology for food thermoprocessing in cylindrical metal containers assured food sterility in flexible packages. Beef slices (1.25 cm thick) were steam cooked to an internal temperature of 72°C and vacuum sealed in pouches to give a fill of 120 g. These pouches of beef were processed in a standard retort with complete water circulation and a superimposed air pressure of 1.7 X 105 Pa. The retort schedule—a 40-minute cook at 118°C plus come-up time followed by a 30-minute cooling time—achieved a F0 (lethality value) of 6. 

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