How sterilisation affects ingredients
Canned and sterilised products undergo high-temperature heat treatment to achieve long ambient shelf life. This ensures microbiological safety but challenges starch consistency, spice flavour, colour and texture. Choosing ingredients that withstand these conditions ensures the product has the expected quality when the can is opened.
Heat-stable starch
Native starches lose viscosity under prolonged high temperature as their swollen granules break down, and the product thins. Cross-linked modified starches resist heat, acid and mechanical stress and keep their consistency after sterilisation. Stabilised grades also limit water release during storage. In some processes, starches that develop their viscosity during sterilisation are preferred to aid heat penetration.
Acidity and pH
pH is the key parameter determining heat treatment severity in canned products. For acid products with a pH below 4.6 a milder heat treatment is sufficient, while low-acid products require full sterilisation. Because an acidic medium can reduce the viscosity of native starch, acid-resistant modified starch should be used in tomato-based and acidic sauces.
Colour protection with ascorbic acid
Through its antioxidant action, ascorbic acid limits browning in canned fruit and vegetables and helps preserve colour. It reduces oxidation by consuming oxygen in the headspace. Dosage and conditions of use are set by regulation according to product category.
Spice flavour
During sterilisation the fresh, volatile notes of spices decrease and cooked notes come forward. Base flavours such as onion powder, garlic powder and ground cumin are relatively heat-stable; in herbs such as thyme and dried parsley, colour and flavour loss is more marked. The dose should be set according to tasting after sterilisation and at the end of shelf life. Because the microbial load of spices, especially heat-resistant spore counts, affects heat process design, low-spore ingredients should be preferred.
Protein and texture
In canned meat products, fibres and starch reduce cooking loss. In plant-based canned products, textured wheat protein gives a heat-stable texture, but as it can soften with excessive processing, rehydration ratio and piece size should be tested.
Validation
The heat process must be designed and validated by a competent specialist using heat penetration studies. Any change in formula, consistency or fill weight can affect heat transfer, so the process should be reassessed.
Sourcing notes
PERDIST supplies modified corn and wheat starch, ascorbic acid, spices, fibres and textured wheat protein to canned food manufacturers with their documents.
Frequently asked questions
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