ARS | Publication request: In-package pasteurization of ready-to-eat meat and poultry product

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: September 1, 2011
Publication Date: July 1, 2012
Citation: Huang, L., Hwang, C. 2012. In-package pasteurization of ready-to-eat meat and poultry product. In: Kerry, J.P., editor. In Advances in meat, poultry and seafood packaging. Philadelphia, PA: Woodhead Publishing Ltd. 313:320.

Technical Abstract: Ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products are generally thermal processed to eliminate any foodborne pathogens in the final products. However, additional p processing steps follow the thermal process may recontaminate the products with pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, pathogenic Escherichia coli, and Salmonella spp. One way to ensure that a product is not exposed to potential contamination sources after the initial lethality treatment is to apply a final heat treatment after the product is packaged. The heat treatment is commonly referred as in-packaging thermal pasteurization and is widely used processing method to eliminate foodborne pathogens in packaged refrigerated RTE foods. The book chapter first gives an overview of the microbial concerns that are associated with ready-to-eat foods. It then describes factors such as product configuration in package and processing time-temperature that affect the effectiveness of in-package pasteurization. The chapter concludes with a review of published studies to summarize the technology of in-package pasteurization.