Heat process validation

Heat process validation is a method used to ensure that a food’s thermal process reduces a target microorganism’s count down to a safe level, rendering the food safe to consume.

In any heat preserved food, it is essential that the product has received the correct thermal process. Many factors affect the amount of lethality delivered to microorganisms: with packaged foods these factors include the shape and volume of the package, the product it contains, and the degree of mixing during the process.

With aseptically processed foods, the viscosity of the product and its velocity through the heating pipes are major determinants. The same factors apply whether the product is going through a sterilisation or pasteurisation process.

We have a range of techniques that can predict and measure both the heating characteristics, and the actual amount of delivered lethality within both products and processes. We also have expertise in determining the susceptibility of different organisms to heat.