Food Engineering
Retort
A pressure vessel used to sterilise food after sealing in its container, allowing temperatures above 100 °C.
Real-life application
The industrial pressure cooker used to sterilise canned foods and retort pouches, like packaged ready-to-eat curries.
Related terms
Cold spot
Food EngineeringThe slowest-heating location in a container, where lethality accumulates least during thermal processing.
Commercial sterility
Food MicrobiologyThe condition in which no microorganisms capable of growing under normal storage conditions remain, though highly heat-resistant spores may survive.
Aseptic packaging
Processing & PreservationFilling a commercially sterile product into a sterilised container in a sterile environment, sealing without further heat.
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