A theoretical study for determination of quality equivalent points for volume average quality evaluation in conduction heating canned foods.

In the present study, a set of quality equivalent points, that is, points where the retention of a particular quality attribute at the end of a thermal process is equal to the volume average quality retention, was determined for conduction heating products in cylindrical containers. For this, initially, the temperature distribution inside the product during the thermal process was numerically calculated, assuming uniform initial product temperature, constant heating and cooling medium temperatures, and infinite heat transfer coefficient between the cylinder walls and the heating or cooling medium. Next, remaining concentration data at the end of the process were obtained at various points within the container for a heat labile quality factor following 1st-order degradation kinetics.