# Presentation: 217425

## Post-Packaging Pasteurization:Will it work with country-cured hams?

- Benjy Mikel
- Professor/ Coordinator
- Food Sciences

## Listeria and 10240.4

- Is Listeria in your plant?
- Probably
- Is it on your RTE product?
- Hopefully not
- What measures can you take?
- Sanitation
- Anti-microbials
- Post-packaging pasteurization

## Risk Management Strategies

- Eliminate *L. monocytogenes* from the environment  of processing plants that produce ready-to-eat foods
- Use a pasteurization processes to destroy* L. monocytogenes*
- In-pack pasteurization, or
- Immediately before packaging
- Use product formulations that prevent the growth of *L. monocytogenes*

## USDA-FSIS Alternatives

- Alt 1.	Post-lethality AND Antimicrobial Agent
- Alt 2.	 Post-lethality OR Antimicrobial Agent
- Alt 3.	Sanitation Only

## Post-Packaging Heat/Pasteurization 

-  **Heat re-applied to package ****	****surfaces to destroy any surface cross contamination.**
** ****Immerse pkg. in hot water**
** ****Surface steam (205F, 15 sec)**
** ****Hot air or infrared.**

- Pasteurization for 2 or 4 min at 96.1 C reduced LM by 2 and 4 logs (Gill et al., 2002)
- Reheat 60-90 sec @195-205 F
- Steam or H2O
- Goal: 2-3 mm of product to 160 F for 15-30 sec
- Immediate chill and 3-4 log reduction
- Shelflife- increase 25-33%

## Post-Packaging Heat Disadvantages 

-  **Difficult to heat all surfaces**
** ****May adversely affect package.**
** ****Product changes with heat (color, texture, purge, etc.)**
** ****Expensive**
** ****Apply heat/moisture in refrigerated ****	****room (condensation, etc.)**

## Comparison of Pasteurization Methods

-  Hot Water Bath Advantages:  Simple method.
- 	Disadvantages: Process time, approx. 8 minutes.	Increases internal product temperature.	Lack of uniform surface heat distribution.	Heating large volumes of water.
- 	Steam ChamberAdvantages:  Simple method.
- 	Disadvantages:Long processing time, approx. 15 minutes.Increases internal product temperature.
- 	Lack of uniform surface heat distribution.Poor energy utilization. Circulating WaterAdvantages:  Short processing time (3 minutes) does not affect product characteristics.
- 	Very uniform surface heat distribution.Most efficient energy utilizationClose ratio of water/product.

## Steam Surface Pasteurization

**Top film**

**Discharge**

**Cut                        Seal                         Cool            SSP           Load            Form          Preheat**
**	****	****	****	****	****            ****heat **
**	****	****	****	****	****         ****treatment**

**SSP step = 1.5 sec of high pressure steam**

**Machine Configuration**

**Film Travel Direction**

- Graphics and information provided by ALKAR-RapidPak, Inc.

## Steam Surface Pasteurization

- Hot dogs inoculated with indicator microorganism
- SSP treatment = 1.5 seconds
- 4-log reduction for single-layer package configuration
- Actual *Listeria monocytogenes* inoculated-pack tests (102 per package) resulted in zero positives
- Double-layer package tests in progress
- Preliminary findings show 2.0 - 2.5 log reduction

- Graphics and information provided by ALKAR-RapidPak, Inc.

## In Package Pasteurization

**Log cycle reduction of *****Listeria monocytogenes at 96.1°C***

- Data and images supplied by Drs. James Marsden and Randall Phebus, Kansas State University

## 		Water Temp		Time (sec)		Product Temp

|  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | 205 | 30 | 152 |
|  | 200 | 30 | 154 |
|  | 195 | 30 | 162 |
|  | 195 | 30 | 151 |
|  | 212 | 30 | 173 |
|  | 200 | 30 | 157 |
|  | 195 | 30 | 148 |
|  | 195 | 30 | 152 |
|  | 202 | 60 | 158 |
|  | 206 | 60 | 164 |
|  | 195 | 60 | 163 |
|  | 201 | 60 | 168 |
|  | 202 | 60 | 161 |
|  | 207 | 60 | 160 |
|  | 210 | 60 | 168 |
|  | 210 | 60 | 178 |

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