Milliliter Pasteurization Pasteurization is a mild or moderate heat treatment, usually performed on fishery products after the product is placed in the finished product container. Scheduled process For cooked seafood products, the scheduled process is designed to destroy the vegetative cells of pathogenic microorganisms or reduce their numbers to acceptable levels. Thermal death time studies determine the heat resistance of specific microorganisms in a product. Vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging Vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging means using packaging methods that exclude or reduce the amount of oxygen in the package, conditions that may be favorable for C. botulinum growth and toxin formation. Water activity Water activity is a measure of the availability of water in a food for microbial growth, and is designated a w .
Water activity is a measure of the equilibrium humidity above the food in a closed container.
The number of degrees Fahrenheit or Centigrade required for a thermal death time curve to traverse 1 log cycle. The z-value gives an indication of the relative impact of different temperatures on a microorganism, with smaller values indicating greater sensitivity to increasing heat.