Major Research Programs

within the Institute of Food Science and Engineering

Effects of Thermal Processing on Food Quality and Safety

  The overall objectives of this research are to determine property changes, evaluate heat and mass transfer mechanisms, establish models for pathogen lethality and product yield and investigate the bacterial safety of thermally processed foods.

      Studies are being conducted on various meat products to determine the thermal inactivation kinetics for Salmonella and Listeria. The products are being processed using lab- and pilot-scale oil, steam, hot water and air convection processes.

     The pathogen lethality during cooking and the bacterial recovery and growth after cooking also are being studied. It has been found that pathogen lethality is affected by product formulation, product temperature and processing conditions. Studies indicate that storage conditions after processing affect the recovery and growth of bacteria. The results from these studies provide the industry with valuable information to validate thermal processes and improve product quality, yield and safety.