A traditional method for making, pasteurizing and packaging preservative-free, fresh food product comprising chickpeas, such as hummus, that involves a continuous process in which the temperature does not deviate more than 50° C. from the cooking step until just prior to packaging. In one embodiment, the method comprises cooking the chickpeas from 110° C. to 125° C. while under pressure, which is followed by adding raw ingredients to the cooked chickpeas at a temperature ranging from 75° C. to 85° C., which is immediately followed by a pasteurization at approximately 75° C. Only after this pasteurization step is the temperature reduced in a multi-step cooling process. The as-made, fresh and preservative-free food product comprising chickpeas, such as hummus, is packaged into containers by transferring the finished food product that is maintained at a temperature ranging from 5° C. to 10° C. to a container, and vacuum sealing the container with a top sealing layer, wherein the packaged, fresh and preservative-free food product comprising chickpeas, such as hummus, exhibits total yeast and mold counts of less than 10 CFU/g at least 28 days after it is produced when stored at 2° C. to 8° C.

A traditional method for making, pasteurizing and packaging preservative-free, fresh food product comprising chickpeas, such as hummus that involves a continuous process in which the temperature does not deviate more than 50° C. from the cooking step until just prior to packaging. In one embodiment, the method comprises cooking the chickpeas from 110° C. to 125° C. while under pressure within the closed vessel, which is followed by adding raw ingredients to the cooked chickpeas at a temperature ranging from 75° C. to 85° C., which is immediately followed by a pasteurization at a temperature ranging from 70° C. to 80° C., such as approximately 75° C. Only after this pasteurization step is the temperature reduced in a multi-step cooling process. A fresh, preservative-free, fresh food product comprising chickpeas, such as hummus made according to the present method is also disclosed.

A method of and a system for surface pasteurizing or sterilizing low-moisture particulate foods, such as nuts, oats, and spices, is disclosed wherein the foods are pre-heated, pasteurized or sterilized in a gas, optionally dried, and cooled. The gas pasteurizing or sterilizing the foods contains water vapor and one or more further gasses, preferably air.

The invention relates to the validation of decontamination processes and in particular to a composition comprising new indicator organisms and a dye, said composition being used for validating the decontamination processes.

A method for preparing a shelf-stable, high-moisture food product is disclosed, including drying the pre-pasteurized food item to a water activity between 0.86 and 0.94; and vacuum packing the dried food item in an oxygen impermeable and water-impermeable membrane.

An aspect of the present invention is a frozen strawberry having: a breaking load of not less than 10000 g and not more than 30000 g; and a breaking strain factor of not less than 15%.

A method for the thermal treatment of bulk materials in a rotary tube with at least one infrared light unit. Bulk material is introduced into the rotary tube, which is provided on its inner wall with at least one mixing element and in the interior space of which the pressure of the ambient atmosphere prevails. A heat treatment of the bulk material is performed by at least one electrical infrared light unit, which is arranged at the center of the rotary tube and the light cone of which is directed onto the bed of bulk material that lies on the inner wall of the rotary tube. The bulk material is discharged from the rotary tube. Water vapor is directed onto the surface of the bulk material. The vapor is introduced into the interior space of the rotary tube through a nozzle tube.

A variety of plant products that are intended for consumption can become contaminated with microbial growth. The levels of contamination must be reduced or eliminated in order for the product to pass microbial growth testing standards. The contaminated plant product can be sterilized using high pressure processing to treat the product with a pressurized gas at a temperature for a desired period of time to reduce the level of the microbial contaminants present in the plant product to a predetermined acceptable level. After treatment, the sterilized plant product can then pass microbial testing standards and be fit for consumption.

The invention relates to the validation of decontamination processes and in particular to new surrogate organisms and mixtures of said microorganisms used for validating the decontamination processes.

A method includes heating a vacuum chamber to a first predetermined temperature, and providing an organic plant material within the vacuum chamber. A vaporizer is heated to a second predetermined temperature, and is in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber is evacuated to a a first predetermined, sub-atmospheric pressure using a vacuum pump. A liquid reagent is injected into the vaporizer such that the liquid reagent transforms into a gaseous/aerosolized reagent. The gaseous/aerosolized reagent is introduced into the vacuum chamber. After waiting a predetermined duration, a sterilization of the organic plant material is achieved. The vacuum chamber is then vented to atmospheric pressure, and the vacuum chamber is again evacuated, to a second predetermined, sub-atmospheric pressure, to remove a reagent residue from the organic plant material, followed by a second venting of the vacuum chamber to atmospheric pressure.