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Heat treatment of food doesn't just change its appearance and texture, but can also eliminate micro-organisms and increase shelf life. Nofima Mat is working on optimising heat treatment.
We are also investigating the effectiveness and possibilities of using high pressure, which is a relatively new technology for increasing shelf life if heat treatment of the product is not desired.
Micro-organisms can adapt and change quickly and we know from experience that they can adapt to the methods people use to control them. Nofima Mat is therefore researching into how bacteria defend themselves against the measures taken to prevent their growth and survival in food and production areas.
Copyright: Nofima
Solveig Langsrud
Research Scientist
Phone: +47 64970182
Jan Thomas Rosnes
Reseacher
Phone: +4751844631
Cellphone: +47 901 72 816
Mild heat treatment means heating the food at a low temperature for a short time. In this way the effect of heat on many nutritional elements is limited and the food retains a fresh, attractive appearance.
"Cuisson sous vide" is the term used to describe gentle heat treatment of raw or processed food which is vacuum packed and heat treated before storage. The technique was developed in the 1970s by French chefs who packed goose liver in plastic bags before heat treatment.
Fully preserved products can be kept for many years at room temperature. That is provided the food in the tin has been made sterile by heat treatment and that the tin is well sealed so that no reinfection can occur.
