In: Biology
Commercial sterilization of cans is mainly focused on destroying the spores of bacterium Clostridium botulinum. These microbes grow under anaerobic conditions pretty well which is maintained inside the canned food. This bacterium produces lethal and deadly toxins which causes botulism upon being comsumed by the healthy individual. The environment of canned food provides an anaerobic conditions for the growth of the pathogenic micro-organisms. It is the sterilization process that kills those harmful micro-organisms before being comsumed. Heat treatment is one of the most effective used method of sterilization in the food industry. Sterilization is the controlled heating technique of the canned item which is achieved by dry or moist heat to kill the micro-organisms. For moist heat the temperature ranges from 110-130 degree celsius for a period of 20 to 40 minutes. Canned food are sterilized in an autoclave at 120 degree celsius for 20 minutes. There can be higher temperature with shorter time eg., 134 degree celsius for 3 minutes. For dry heat sterilization higher temperature eg., 160-180 degree celsius for longer period of 2 hours.