Food Marketing & Technology - India June 2019 | Page 37

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temperature of these types of foods is
100°C. A large deep cylindrical shaped
metal container is used in this method.
The container should be large enough
so that the water can come over the top
of packed jars or cans by leaving some
headspace for boiling. The canning
vessel is tightly fitted with dividers
to separate and keep the cans away
from the bottom of the container.
Inside racks are also present to prevent
the cans form knocking together or
tipping over during the processing.
The container is filled with water and
preheated before loading cans. The
boiling process of water should be
maintained uniformly throughout the
canning process.
well as the processed food products
require specific storage conditions like
refrigeration, etc. The canned products
are easy to transport from one place
to another and chances of microbial
contamination are very less as well.
Conclusion
In contrast to various advantages,
canned foods also have their
disadvantages. The heat during the
canning process destroys heat sensitive
vitamins and minerals such as:
Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, etc.
The amount of sodium, salt, sugar and
other preservatives used in the canned
foods can be harmful to health. In order
to avoid them, consumers should read
Pressure Canning Method: Pressure
canning method is used to preserve
low-acid foods such as: vegetables;
meats; poultry; and seafood. The shape
of the canning vessel is designed like
a pressure cooker where the food cans
are placed in 2 to 3 inches of water and
the cooker is heated to a temperature
of at least 116°C.
Low-acid foods require special care as
they might support the production of
the deadly Clostridium botulism toxin
if they are not processed properly in
a pressure canning method. Though
these bacterial cells are usually killed
at boiling temperatures, they have
a tendency to form spores that can
withstand these high temperatures.
These deadly spores grow well in low
acid foods; in the absence of air they
produce the deadly botulinum toxins.
Can Packaging is Better than
Other Preservation Methods
Can packaging is a more cost
efficient method as compared to
other preservation methods like
freezing, high-pressure processing,
etc. The canned foods can be stored
and utilised for a longer period of
time at normal room temperatures
from approx six months to 5 years. In
other preservation methods shelf-life
of foods is comparatively less and as
Food Marketing & Technology
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June 2019
the labels and choose the low-sodium,
low-sugar, and low-salt canned goods.
Also, the presence of BPA in the lining
of cans has negative effects on human
health and environmental condition.
All in all, canned foods provide you
convenience, are good for you and for
the environment. The only thing that
needs to be remembered is to eat them
moderately and don’t forget to recycle
them!
* M.Tech Scholar Food Science and
Technology, Indian Institute of Food
Processing Technology, Thanjavur (TN)
* M.Tech Scholar, Indira Gandhi Krishi
Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur (CG)