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RADIO‐FREQUENCY HEATING OF HAM TO ENHANCE SHELF‐LIFE IN VACUUM PACKAGING
Author(s) -
ORSAT V.,
BAI L.,
RAGHAVAN G.S.V.,
SMITH J.P.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of food process engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1745-4530
pISSN - 0145-8876
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-4530.2004.00461.x
Subject(s) - moisture , shelf life , pasteurization , vacuum packing , food science , plastic packaging , radio frequency , materials science , water content , plastic film , composite material , chemistry , telecommunications , computer science , geotechnical engineering , layer (electronics) , engineering
Radio‐frequency heating at 27.12 MHz was studied for the pasteurization of ham samples repacked in plastic films. The samples were brought to internal temperatures of 75C and 85C in 5 min and maintained at those temperatures for an additional 5 min. The ham samples were vacuum‐packed in three different plastic films and stored at 4C for 1 to 28 days. All samples were examined for moisture loss, colour change, sensory quality attributes such as off odors and sliminess, and total bacterial surface counts. The study indicates that radio‐frequency heating, coupled with appropriate packaging, can improve the storability of repacked hams by reducing the bacterial load, reducing moisture loss and maintaining an overall greater product sensory quality and acceptance.