Bob Price (rjprice@ucdavis.edu)
Tue, 23 Nov 1999 11:27:34 +0000
The U.S. FDA's Hazard Guide states that "Pasteurization is a mild or
moderate
heat treatment, usually performed on fishery products after the product
is placed in the finished product container. The purpose of
pasteurization is to either: 1) make the product safe for an extended
shellfire, which, in most cases, involves eliminating the spores of
Clostridium botulinum type E and nonproteolytic B and F (the types of C.
botulinum most commonly found in fish); or 2) eliminating or reducing
the numbers of other target pathogens (e.g. Listeria monocytogenes,
Vibrio vulnificus).
Selection of the target pathogen is critical. If a target pathogen other
than C. botulinum type E is selected, you must consider the potential
that C. botulinum type E or other relatively heat tolerant pathogens
will survive the pasteurization process and grow under normal storage
conditions or moderate abuse conditions. For example, vacuum packaged
lobster meat that is pasteurized to kill L. monocytogenes but not C.
botulinum type E must be frozen to prevent C. botulinum type E growth
and toxin formation."
FDA has suggested verbally to some processors that they use processes
such as 185F (85C) internal temperature for 15 minutes and 190F (87.8C)
internal temperature for 10 minutes for pasteurizing vacuum packaged
seafood products.
185F (85C)/15 minutes is an overkill for Type E bot (over 24D) and an
underkill for nonproteolytic type B (about 0.6D). 190F (87.8C)/10
minutes is an overkill for Type E bot (over 30D) and an underkill for
nonproteolytic Type B (about 0.7D).
Are there some published international or industry guidelines (F-values
or D-values) for adequate pasteurization processes and for target
microorganisms?
Bob
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