Processors have several options for pasteurization, including high-pressure pasteurization (HPP), hot water, steam, hot air, infrared heat, radiofrequency and irradiation. Hot water, steam and HPP are the most popular, with HPP and hot water growing the fastest, says Wes Shilling, professor of food science at Mississippi State University in Mississippi State.
Processors use post-harvest pasteurization methods to put another barrier between their product and Listeria — their clean, sustainable qualities are an added benefit.
Post-packaging pasteurization has become an important intervention for reducing the Listeria monocytogenes hazard in packages of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products, as well as extending the shelf life of RTE products.
