MICROBIOLOGICAL AND SENSORY EVALUATION OF SIX OHMICALLY HEATED STEW TYPE FOODS

Presented are the results of a Natick RD&E Center study of microbiological and sensory evaluation of six commercially produced ohmically heated stew type products before and after three years' storage at 27C. All six products were commercially sterile and had no post processing contamination and, in general, had excellent retention of sensory quality, as determined by sensory measurement of color, appearance, flavor, texture and integrity attributes and overall quality ratings. These studies indicated that ohmic heating technology has the potential to provide shelf-stable foods closely equivalent to those prepared from scratch. It was also evident that reformulation of the entree items presented and development of new items is needed to take full advantage of this technology.