1. The benefits and use of heat treatment for pumpable products

Heat treatment of food products is one of the most important physical methods of food preservation. Depending on the intensity selected, it enables foodstuffs to be preserved:

• positive refrigeration for a limited period of time (shelf life of perishable foods defined by a use-by date);

• at room temperature for long periods (stable products with a Date of Minimum Durability (DDM)).

The main purpose of heat treatment is to destroy micro-organisms, toxins and enzymes, thus obtaining and preserving a healthy, wholesome, high-quality product.

There are two main groups of heat treatment technologies.

Batch technologies (autoclave, steam oven, etc.) are used for food products that have already been packaged in their final packaging....