Maximum Change in Physical and Quality Parameters of Fluid Foods During Continuous Flow Heating. Application to Liquid Whole Egg

A fluid in continuous flow heating approaches maximum thermal treatment as the viscosity profile becomes plug flow. This effect is examined for physical and quality changes in tubular heating of fluid foods. Arrhenius mathematical forms of constituent change are incorporated into the thermal profile models for the general case. Application to soluble protein loss (SPL) and viscosity change in liquid whole egg (LWE) are used as examples. Time and temperature schedules are suggested for pasteurization of LWE at elevated temperatures and shorter times, relative to standard schedules, based on the plug flow velocity profile assumption.