Safe production of heat preserved foods – the essentials (including principles of canning)

Campden BRI’s long-time running and prestigious course (originally Principles of canning) is a 4-day course aimed at providing the understanding of how to safely produce heat preserved foods.

A training course like no other in Europe, this is an in-depth course focussed on food and beverage products that require sterilisation for food safety and stability. These products, often still known as Low Acid Canned Foods (LACFs), are processed in many packaging types such as plastic tray/pots, pouches, glass, aluminium cans, tin cans, paperboard and more. 

The content flows logically through the week. Starting with the fundamentals, calculations and microbiology, we then cover crucial different packaging topics (with practicals), move on the to the processing equipment and validation activities (with practicals) and finish with process data analysis, deviation, modelling (and much more!). All crucial topics, presented by a range of industry experts, perfect for manufacturers, importers, suppliers and retailers of these products, as well as third parties such as auditors and equipment suppliers.

Note that this is a uniquely specialised course and therefore technologies such as UHT process, aseptic filling, cook chill/freezing processes are not covered. 

Technical knowledge is facilitated through tutor led sessions, group work and practical hands-on activities in our pilot plan such as packaging evaluation tests, heat penetration trial and retort processing. 

Who should attend?

This is a technical course designed to provide both theoretical and practical knowledge from a beginner’s level up Perfect for those new or returning to the Heat Preserved Foods sector, or perhaps more experience staff who want a refresher and some formal training. Typical roles could be:

• Food Product and Process Technologists/managers
• Technical and food safety managers, supervisors, assistants
• Factory, production, operations managers
• Process managers, engineers, authorities
• Third party auditors

• Introduction to the heat preserved foods, key regulations, definitions, processing methods, quality and shelf-life considerations
• Microbiology for heat processed food (food safety risks, spoilage risks, spore formers, target organisms, heat resistance and derivation of process target (e.g. Fo value)
• Key considerations for different packaging formats, closure methods, materials used and integrity testing options.  
• Thermal processing methods; retort types, principles and qualification methods
• Thermal process establishment, monitoring and validation
• Lethality calculations (Fo and P values)
• Pre and post process considerations (e.g. product preparation, cooling & handling).  
• Process data process deviations and modelling 

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course delegates will be able to:-

• Obtain practical hands-on experience of thermal process validation, packaging integrity testing, process calculations and predictive modelling.
• Be able to understand the fundamental requirements for the production of safe to consume and stable heat preserved foods.
• Consider the key food safety risk that need to be managed, relating to both processing and packaging.
• Be able to explain the microbiological theory underpinning thermal process targets and have a working knowledge of how to demonstrate thermal process compliance through validation.
• Demonstrate competency and awareness by passing an end of course exam.