Sterilization technology commonly used by dehydrated vegetable manufacturers

According to a dehydrated vegetable manufacturer, one of the more important steps in making dehydrated vegetables is sterilization and disinfection. The more commonly used vegetable sterilization and disinfection methods are mainly the following:

1. Sterilization technology:

Hydrogen peroxide is a sterilizing agent with strong sterilization ability and has a broad-spectrum sterilization effect on microorganisms. Its sterilization power is related to the concentration and temperature of hydrogen peroxide. The higher the concentration and the higher the temperature, the better its sterilization effect. At room temperature, the sterilization effect of hydrogen peroxide is weak. Hydrogen peroxide is usually used for sterilization of packaging containers and auxiliary equipment. When using hydrogen peroxide for sterilization, its concentration is generally controlled at 25% to 30% and the temperature is 60℃ to 65℃.

2. Ultrasonic sterilization technology:

Ultrasonic waves are sound waves with a frequency greater than 10kHz. Ultrasonic waves are longitudinal waves like ordinary sound waves. The interaction between ultrasound and sound-transmitting media contains huge energy. When encountering materials, it produces rapid alternating compression and expansion effects on them. This energy is sufficient to kill and destroy microorganisms in a very short time, and can also produce various effects on food such as homogenization, aging, and cracking of macromolecular substances.

3. Ultra-high pressure sterilization technology:

Ultra-high pressure treatment has some advantages that heat treatment and other processing methods do not have. It can maintain the original flavor components, nutritional value and color of food (such as meat, etc.), and kill common yeasts, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, etc. in food to achieve the purpose of sterilization.

4. Irradiation sterilization technology:

Irradiation is a cold sterilization method that uses the penetration of χ, β, γ rays or accelerated electron rays (the most common are Co60 and Cs137 γ rays) to kill microorganisms and pests in food.

5. Superheated steam sterilization technology:

also known as dry heat sterilization. It uses high-temperature superheated steam for sterilization, that is, superheated steam with a temperature of 130 degrees Celsius to 160 degrees Celsius is sprayed on the items to be sterilized, and the sterilization operation can be completed in a few seconds. At present, superheated steam sterilization technology is only applicable to the sterilization of heat-resistant food packaging containers (such as metal products, glass products, etc.).

6. Ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization:

Ultra-high temperature short-time sterilization is to heat the food to a high temperature (above 130 degrees Celsius) in an instant to achieve the purpose of sterilization. It can be divided into two methods: direct heating and indirect heating.

7. Pasteurization:

The sterilization conditions are 61 degrees Celsius to 63 degrees Celsius/30 minutes, or 72 degrees Celsius to 75 degrees Celsius/15 minutes to 20 minutes. Pasteurization technology is to fill and seal the food in the packaging container, and keep the temperature below 100 degrees Celsius for a certain period of time to kill the bacteria in the packaging container. Pasteurization can kill most pathogenic bacteria, but its ability to kill non-pathogenic spoilage bacteria and their spores is insufficient.