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IFTPS Protocols Aplication in Thermal Process Validation
CNTA - GENERAL MILLS SPAIN
The National Centre for Technology and Food Safety (CNTA-Laboratorio del
Ebro) is a private non-profit making institution, whose objective is to
provide analytical, technical assistance and R&D&I services to
more than 500 companies. CNTA has more than 25 years of experience in these
fields.
Regarding thermal processes validation, CNTA is a company with expert
knowledge of thermal processing requirements. Our company has established
thermal processes for canned and aseptic processed food world-wide. Moreover,
CNTA is the most important Process Authority in Spain (in terms of number
of product registrations) to make companies be in compliance
with FDA´s requirements.
General Mills is one of the world's leading food companies, with more
than 150 years of experience in the food industry. General Mills markets
some of the world's best known brands, including Betty Crocker, Häagen-Dazs,
Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso and Cheerios. Their brand portfolio
includes more than 100 U.S. brands and numerous more around the world.
The aim of this presentation is to show a case study of CNTA´s work
for manufacturing companies. CNTA gave assistance to GENERAL MILLS SAN
ADRIAN (SPAIN) in order to validate their Pilot Plant retort for R&D
developments. CNTA validation procedures are conducted following IFTPS
protocols and the present case is an example of how to apply this thermal
processing methodology.
Thermal process validation in General Mills San Adrián included
the following tasks (for one product inside, in four different packaging
presentations and two different retort heating modes):
- Temperature Distribution tests
- Cold point determination
- Heat Penetration studies
Case studies discussion based in collaboration activities between food
processing companies and technological consultancies can certainly be an
enriching experience for technical personnel that have to deal daily with
its difficulties.
The presentation will show the procedures used to validate the thermal
processes in the specified retort and the way we tackle with the different
scenarios during the validation.
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Tomato Processing
Bernd Elhaus, Nestlé Product
Technology Centre Konolfingen
In the presentation an applied process for a tomato sauce in cans is discussed
in terms of HACCP. The following thermal process related control points
are identified:
• Container integrity
• Composition of the tomato sauce
• Thermal treatment
• Cooling
• Cooling water quality
• Can drying
For all control points control measures are identified. Their related
limits with references are provided.
The process steps thermal treatment and cooling are considered in detail:
an approach for time temperature measurements and measured data are presented
and discussed. The concept for a double stage pasteurization process is
shown and several options to ensure the limits for thermal treatment and
cooling which are based on GMA/FPA recommendations are discussed.
The present case can be rated as an example of how to apply the thermal
processing methodology, which was originally developed for retort processes,
to a double stage pasteurization process.
Nestlé Product Technology Centre Konolfingen
Nestec Ltd.
Nestlé-Strasse 3
CH – 3510 Konolfingen
Switzerland
Telephone + 41 31 790 1553
Mobile + 41 79 348 78 22
Fax + 41 31 790 1552
e-mail bernd.elhaus@rdko.nestle.com
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Predicting Splashing and Sloshing During Container Filling
D I Graham, J P Hughes and P W James
School of Computing and Mathematics,
University of Plymouth, UK
There are several factors that can affect the clean filling of food into
containers including the operation of the filling nozzle and splashing
or sloshing due to motion of the container itself. In this talk attention
is focussed on the flow induced by the motion of the container, in particular
the motion of the free surface.
Experimental work to obtain data on the free surface motion of highly
viscous liquids, and non-Newtonian, shear-thinning liquids, under
start-stop motion in a rectangular container is first described.
The results are then
compared with predictions from two types of numerical simulation
of free surface flows, namely (a) a method based on the assumption
of homogeneous two-phase flow, as incorporated in the commercial
CFD software ANSYS-CFX,
and (b) the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. The latter
method,
one of several so-called ‘mesh-free’ methods, has its origins in
astrophysics simulations but is now being used widely for free-surface
flows, especially
those in which the surface breaks up into discrete droplets. Some
of the key features of the SPH method will be described in order
to illustrate why it offers the potential to simulate not only splashing
and sloshing
but also mixing problems that may be of interest in the food processing
industry.
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Advances in TTI technologies
Gary Tucker,
Campden BRI
A Time-Temperature Integrator particle (TTI) is a probe used to determine
the amount of cook delivered by a commercial food process. It consists
of a thermally-labile chemical enclosed in a small sealed container, which
can be passed through the process and subsequently assayed to determine
the amount of reaction it has undergone. From this the thermal history
of the material can be deduced. Conventional TTIs are based on enzymes,
and systems have been developed which can be used to study pasteurisation
processes, but TTIs that work at sterilisation ranges are not commercially
available.
As part of ongoing research project, a candidate material was identified
for a sterilisation TTI using an amylase extracted from the extremophile
organism Pyrococcus furiosus. This organism grows anaerobically at 100°C.
The amylase it produces is capable of surviving a commercial sterilisation
process and shows kinetics that make it suitable for a sterilisation TTI.
Results will be presented for isothermal and non-isothermal calibration
of the sterilisation TTI. Such a device will be extremely useful to the
food industry for measuring processes where conventional temperature loggers
cannot be used.
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Monitoring of continuous heat treatments by means of biosensors (TTIs)
M. Chiquirrin,
CNTA-Laboratorio del Ebro Time/temperature integrators (TTIs) are used to verify the efficacy of
a pasteurisation and/or
sterilization continuous heat processing line. As the intensities
of the treatments applied by the
food industry are very variable, it is not possible to create a universal
integrator. By means of an
integrator superficially coated by an impermeable material, it is
possible to quantify the efficacy
of the process, preventing the interferences of the heating medium.
Taking this into account, the objectives of this work were the following:
a) to select different
bacterial populations that allow covering a broad range of industrial
treatments; b) to
demonstrate that the impermeabilization of the spheres developed
was feasible, allowing
successive integrations influenced only by the processing facilities.
c) the final objective was to
develop a methodology to manufacture the integrators allowing their
ultimate transfer to the
industrial sector.
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Reduction of can
material thickness - consequences
related to can pressure and potential
deformations
Grzegorz Rogala, Unliver Polska
Reduction of can thickness is an interesting subject for both can suppliers
and producers. Both parties benefit from lower costs of material and all
of us benefit from lower environmental impact.
This sounds ideal and actually is worthy of effort. Can producers invest
time and money to provide the industry with thinner cans trying to maintain
can strength and all critical parameters not changed. Despite the efforts
in some cases the specification has to be changed and this brings some
consequences to processing conditions.
Looking only from a thermal process point of view, changes of parameters
which describe resistance of cans to high underpressure or overpressure
conditions, such us peaking pressure or paneling pressure, can potentially
create a need to verify or amend overpressure profile of the thermal process.
In most of cases this not that difficult, as the majority of modern retorting
systems have good controls in place.
But there are situations where adaptation of overpressure profile is not
possible. This requires revision of the whole process/product design and
a look at other parameters than the sterilizer conditions itself to stay
inside the packaging limitations and be sure of packaging integrity and
product safety.
This presentation is based on an actual work and measurements done
in can material reduction project.
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Characterization of heat transfer in reciprocating agitation (SHAKA) of
retorted foods
Dagbjørn Skipnes, Nofima Norconserv AS
In heat treatment of products by agitation in batch autoclaves, quantification
of heat transfer is of primal importance. Here, we present the first extensive
study on heat treatment of food products in a SHAKA (autoclave with reciprocal
agitation) process. One of the main advantages of using SHAKA process over
the batch or rotary processes is the ability to impose forces up to 3-4
g, hence enhancing the convective mixing within the product. In this study,
we characterize effect of viscosity, rate of agitation and head space in
cans on the heat transfer process.
Various concentrations (2.5%,5%,10%) of bentonite solution (food simulant)
in cans were used at different frequencies (20-140 rpm) in this study.
They show remarkably different heating patterns, bentonite 2.5% solution
at agitation rate of 140 rpm reached from 35C to 120 C in 5min, however
it took 90min to reach that temperature in static mode, resulting in 18
fold decrease in heating time. At all the concentrations of bentonite,
with increase in frequency of agitation, a transition from conductive to
convective heating was observed. The transition frequency shifted to higher
values with increased concentration of bentonite (and hence for higher
viscosities). Effect of head space proved to be significant, as 4% head
space cans at 100rpm were reaching 120C, 5-6 times faster as compared to
0% head space. This is because of enhanced turbulence mixing due to presence
of the head space bubble.
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Industrial applications of the Ellab
TrackSense Sky transmitting system
Geoff Shaw,
Ellab UK Limited Ellab A/S is one the leading manufacturers of datalogging equipment for
use in thermal process validation studies in the world having supplied
the industry for over 60 years.
Ellab unveiled the TrackSense Pro Sky system at the 2008 IFTPS Annual
Conference in San Antonio. Offering a real-time-data cable-free solution
for process validation, Sky could be considered the Holy Grail of datalogging
technology. Since February 2008, the system has been commercially launched
and is now in use at a number of sites across the world.
The presentation will provide background to the meeting on the Sky concept
and along with case studies for practical applications show the flexibility
and advantages provided by the wireless transmitting technology to the
Thermal Process Specialist.
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Solution to flexible retorting by JBT FoodTech
Marc Vandenberghe, JBT FoodTech
In 1921, JBT FoodTech, formerly known as FMC FoodTech, installed the first
continuous pressure sterilizer in the world, the JBT rotary sterilizer.
The rotary pressure sterilizer represented a breakthrough in canning technology
and is still one of the key milestones in the industrialization of the
canning process.
Today, almost 90 years later, JBT FoodTech is still the world’s leading
supplier of in-container sterilization systems installed worldwide, more
than 50% of the world’s canned foods are sterilized on JBT FoodTech equipment.
This vast expertise allows us to offer the industry’s widest range of in-container
sterilization systems, ranging from small lab units for research application
to high capacity, double chain hydrostatic sterilizers for the pet-food
industry.
JBT has designed and implemented a new line of Sterilization systems
which allows for Full Immersion, Partial Immersion and SWS processing.
We are labeling this technology our SuperAgi line of Multifunctional retorting
systems. SuperAgi, due to the high capacity and superior thermal process
performance and Multifunctional because the application can be purchased
with a Storage Drum to provide additional process modes other than SWS
which was our standard offering.
The concept of designing a SuperAgi retort was an revolutionary process
based upon the JBT Steam Water Spray (SWS) sterilizer. It was quickly determined
a standard SWS sterilizer delivered the highest degree of energy efficiency,
but in an agitating mode, centrifugal force limited the RPM speed to 12.
In addition to limits in RPM speed, the lack of container buoyancy limited
some container applications.
Before empty vessel systems existed the immersion sterilizer was dominant
in the European overpressure agitating arena. Europe introduced empty vessel
sterilizers in the early 80’s and the technology quickly started to replace
the immersion applications simply due to the energy requirement immersion
sterilizers needed for processing. For many companies there was not enough
flexibility in the empty vessel agitating processes to allow for existing
“on the shelf” processes.
After proving empty vessel SWS technology several hundred times over,
our Thermal Process and Engineering team fully understood that SWS processing
simply does not offer enough processing modes to accommodate today’s rapidly
changing container world.
Based on our experience with retorting systems, SuperAgi with the
Multifunctional option is the most flexible sterilizer ever offered to
the food industry. This retort utilizes a slip-ring to direct water into
the basket or container racking system. The process water delivery circuit
including system manifolds and nozzles rotate with the path of the containers.
The unique design improves water penetration into the load and completely
eliminates the water shearing effect a fixed manifold application would
be subjected too as the insert rotated past the spray path of the nozzle
which results in an excellent temperature distribution at all speeds.
The unique design will allow for higher rpm speeds while maintaining the
efficient SWS process. As mentioned, we were previously limited in rotation
speeds due to centrifugal force. We’ve documented up to 20+ RPM with our
new design, whereas conventional empty vessel system are limited to 12
RPM. With the sterilizer capable of multifunctional processing methods,
we will be able to process in SWS, Partial and Full Immersion environments.
SWS is ideal for rigid pack bussee loads or racked product. Partial
Immersion works extremely well for hard to achieve Temperature
Distribution profiles. For example, small cans in bussee configurations
or odd shaped containers that yield very little open area for water
channeling. We’ve determined that a combination of partial immersion
and close tolerance spray really drives energy in to those hard
to reach areas. Immersion processing is available when agitation
speeds
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Product & Process Profiling - The Role of Microbiology
D.J Freeman, DFMicro, Ireland
While generally conceded that Microbiological Quality is a critical
parameter in the majority of Food, Neutraceutical and Pharmaceutical
production processes, the exact nature of Microbiology’s role and
contribution to
Quality and in particular to Process Efficiency is often hard to
define and frequently questioned. Traditionally, Microbiology has
been and often
continues to be seen, to have a “retrospective”, certainly not “real
time”, influence on the overall Product Quality Status of a given
product and
to be a fundamentally a QC function, principally focused on Laboratory
Testing for Product Release purposes and to a lesser extent on-going
Validation and Environmental Monitoring of equipment and manufacturing
environments.
Even the widespread emergence of HACCP during the early 1980s, has
primarily involved the use of Microbiology testing as a type of “early
warning system”
for In-Process control or more precisely, “an early indicator” of
the loss of process control”. It is therefore hardly surprising that
the ability
of Microbiology to contribute added value to a process is regularly
questioned. It however can be argued that Microbiology Quality is
the most difficult
product parameter to control and proactive management of Microbiological
Quality requires a change in approach, in particular as to how and
when resources are best employed.
The consideration for the future is to bring Microbiology out of
the laboratory and into the Manufacturing Area and most importantly
in to the field of Process Design. A key tool in this approach is
the more widespread use of Microbiological Profiling during the design
and
development
phases of a given production process. Microbiological Profiling is
not a new concept and has always been an inherent part of the Risk
Analysis element of HACCP, though generally applied on a very limited basis
in conjunction
with the other elements that constitute a typical HACCP programme.
However the current emphasis of GMPs for the 21st Century on Risk
Assessment
has
re-focused interest in Microbiological Profiling, as has the increased
focus of regulators and inspectors on the subject of “Objectionable
or Undesirable Microorganisms”, irrespective of whether a product
meets the
relevant specification limits defined. Microbiological Profiling
is a central pillar of good Risk Assessment and it is at the process
design and development
stage that Profiling can be most effective and provide real added
value and quality improvements to the overall production process.
The aim of this presentation is to review how Microbiology is defined,
discuss the Role of Microbiology in Industry, outline the importance
of Microbiological Product & Process Profiling using relevant examples
and to review how good Microbiological Quality Systems (MQS) can be used
to improve product quality and make more effective use of available resources.
Above all the presentation should provide both Microbiologists and
Non-Microbiologists from Industry, the opportunity to reflect on
the role of Microbiology, the effectiveness of Contamination Control
Systems, the
Effect of Unit Processes on microbial populations and the effective
Management of Testing Resources and Process Design.
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Energy Saving Strategies for Batch Retorts
Richard Walden, Zinetec Ltd, UK
It had been assumed that if there were any energy savings from using the
Shaka® process compared with conventional retorting that they would
be fairly marginal. However, work done by Campden BRI showed that a surprisingly
high proportion of the steam used in conventional saturated steam retorts
is consumed during venting as air is driven from the retort. Because of
the intense mixing effect of the agitating baskets in the Shaka® process
it was thought that it might be much less sensitive to the effects of residual
air so reduced venting could be possible thereby reducing energy consumption.
Experiments showed that significantly reduced venting was possible. The
energy savings from reduced venting encouraged Zinetec to consider whether
further energy saving strategies could be successfully employed. By utilising
reduced venting and the best of the other strategies very significant energy
savings were shown to be possible.
Based on the work with saturated steam energy savings when using other
process methods were then investigated, the results were encouraging. The
other process method investigated included steam/air, steam water spray
and raining water.
Finally work was done which showed that some of the energy saving strategies
developed for Shaka® retorts could be applied to conventional static
and rotary batch retorts.
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[IFTPS Meeting]
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