Heating Characteristics of Homogeneous Milk‐Based Formulas in Cans Processed in an Agitating Retort

Milk‐based formulas with proximate analyses similar to infant formulas were heated to determine influence of headspace, reel speed, solids content, and consistency on F o . Concentrations with 12.5, 25, and 30% solids were heated in three can sizes. Increasing Steritort rpm from 3.4 to 10.9 for 307 × 710 cans (12.5% solids) had greatest effect; the F o increased from 9.8 to 12.3. The same increase in rpm for a continuous retort would reduce F o from 9.8 to 2.0 because of reduced processing time. Solids content and consistency influenced heating, but variations in consistency of a given concentration had no measurable effect on F o . Headspace influenced heating for each concentration, but was not as critical as for more viscous products.