Tools
Kailash S. Purohit, PhD

Phone
1 (847) 296 9312

Message
1 (847) 922 6682

Emai
l
kaipurohit@processtek.net

Reliability Considerations in Steam-Air Processing
29th Annual Conference, IFTPS
March 4, 2010, San Antonio, Texas

A perspective of salient process parameters involved in Steam-Air
Processing will be presented, along with a summary of prior art and
practice of the factors affecting SA Process Efficacy.

The effects of Steam Content and Mechanical Heating Media
Re-Circulation on Temperature and Heat Distributions prevailing
during Steam-Air Processing will be discussed, along with the
effects of Package Shape, Rack and Manifold Designs.

Illustrative examples and data of the use of representative Heating
Rate Transducers and Heat Flux Sensors, as pragmatic tools in
assessing the Heating Rate Uniformity or Reproducibility of SA
Retorts, as well as the Slowest Heating Retort locations to be used
for Process Development by Heat Penetration Studies, will be
presented and discussed.

Alternative or recommended approaches that may be of potential
use, to assess the reliability of Steam-Air Processing Retorts,
including the use of appropriately designed and calibrated Biological
and Thermo-Chemical Integrators of Lethality will also be briefly
presented.

Safety Factors that may beneficially be used in Process Design and
Establishment for reliable Steam-Air Processing will be very briefly
discussed. Finally, lessons learned and points to consider in SA
Processing will be shared, to aid Process Design Engineers with a
better understanding of critical Steam-Air Retort intangibles, with an
aim to enhancing reproducibility, reliability and robustness of
Steam-Air Processing of Retorting Products in Flexible and
Semi-Rigid Plastic Containers.
Challenges Facing a Process Specialist in Implementing
Alternate or Non-Thermal Processes
26th Annual Conference, IFTPS
February 21, 2007, San Antonio, Texas

Investigations utilizing Alternate and/or Non-Thermal Processes for
manufacture of safe, shelf-stable LACFs are proceeding rapidly,
and it is only a matter of time before these emerging or novel
technologies will reach the “reduction to practice” stage in our
industry. 21 CFR Part 113 will in all probability, albeit indirectly,
play a significant role in guiding these “new” technologies towards
implementation.

This presentation attempts to provide “Points to Consider prior to
Validations & Approvals” for Non-Thermal Processes, from the
perspective of established and accepted Thermal Processing
principles and practices.

Special Emphasis and Historical Case studies from Canning will be
used in an attempt to provide a sound Basis for the Design Criteria,
Surrogate Challenge Organisms, Inactivation Kinetics Models and
Validation Approaches for the newer Alternate or Non-Thermal
Processes.

A systems approach to evaluating and implementing upcoming
alternate or non-thermal processes will be shared, grounded in the
lessons learned and the accumulated experiences from the thermal
processing industry, with the overriding aim of making  new and
alternate processes reliable, reproducible and robust for
manufacture of safe and functional shelf stable LACFs.