Examining engineering, microbiology, and statistical challenges in the quest for aseptic processing of particulate foods The emerging technology of aseptic processing of particulate foods promises lower packaging costs and higher food quality and safety. The process, however, has yet to be regulated, and the majority of the innovative research performed in the past decade remains uncollected. Aseptic Processing of Foods Containing Solid Particulates fills this void, providing students and industry professionals a reference on how the continuous sterilization of particulate foods may be accomplished.
The fundamental challenge of the method is simple: how to determine the temperature within a freely flowing solid piece (particle) entrained in a viscous fluid stream, considering that the fluid and solid must achieve uniform composition at outlet, and that the solid is of significant size. Aseptic Processing thoroughly incorporates the three disciplines intimately involved with this question: engineering, microbiology, and statistics. Drawing on a pair of landmark conferences, the text details critical experiments conducted with an eye toward developing uniform parameters for operation. Specific topics covered include:

• Flow and residence time distributions of solid-liquid mixtures
• Fluid-solid convective heat transfer
• Statistical design and analysis and microbiological validation
• Hazard analysis and critical control point evaluation of a multiphase food product aseptic system
• The filing process for FDA approval

An indispensable companion to the work and studies of engineers and university personnel, Aseptic Processing of Foods Containing Solid Particulates brings the level of scholarship equal to the level of enthusiasm for this potentially groundbreaking system.