Question

When cream is heat treated in excess of 121 °C for 3 minutes it is termed as __________.

• A. tyndallization
• B. thermization
• C. botulinum cook
• D. flash cook

Hint:

Any low-acid canned or sterilized food (including whipping cream or canned milk) must undergo a minimum of a \(12\text{D}\) process, which corresponds to \(121^\circ\text{C}\) for \(3\) minutes, known as the "botulinum cook".

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
In food preservation, thermal sterilization of low-acid foods (pH \(> 4.6\)) must be designed to destroy the most heat-resistant pathogenic spore-former, Clostridium botulinum.
The standard thermal treatment required to achieve commercial safety is called the "botulinum cook."

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The spore-forming bacterium Clostridium botulinum produces a lethal neurotoxin under anaerobic conditions.
Its spores are highly heat-resistant, requiring temperatures above \(100^\circ\text{C}\) for inactivation.
The reference thermal death time for these spores at a reference temperature of \(121.1^\circ\text{C}\) (\(250^\circ\text{F}\)) is \(F_0 = 2.4 \text{ to } 3.0 \text{ minutes}\).
Applying a heat treatment of \(121^\circ\text{C}\) for at least \(3\) minutes achieves a \(12\text{D}\) reduction (reducing the survival probability of the most resistant C. botulinum spores by twelve decimal places, or \(10^{12}\)).
This severe sterilization process is internationally termed the "botulinum cook".
- Tyndallization is fractional sterilization over three days at \(100^\circ\text{C}\).
- Thermization is a low-temperature holding process (\(63^\circ\text{C}\) for \(15\text{ s}\)).
- Flash cook refers to pasteurization or high-temperature processes without a \(12\text{D}\) safety margin.

Step 3: Final Answer:
A heat treatment of \(121^\circ\text{C}\) for \(3\) minutes is defined as a botulinum cook.