Microbiological Validation of Microwave-Circulated Water Combination Heating Technology by Inoculated Pack Studies.

BSTRACT A 915-MHz Microwave-Circulated Water Combination (MCWC) heating technology was validated for a macaroni and cheese product using inoculated pack studies. Before the tests, heat resistances of a Clostridium sporogenes (PA 3679) spore crop were determined in neutral phosphate buffer and macaroni and cheese product. Trays of macaroni and cheese products were subjected to 3 processing levels: target process (F0= 2.4), under target process (F0= 1.2), and over target process (F0= 4.8). The inoculated packs were evaluated by count-reduction method and end-point method. The microbial results showed that microbial destruction resulting from MCWC heating technology matched the calculated degree of sterilization (F0 value). This study suggests that the MCWC heating technology has potential in sterilizing packaged foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]