Three-dimensional mathematical model of the heat transfer during the sterilization process of a conductive baby food packed into glass container was built using the finite element technique. The heat transfer model was experimentally validated through processes carried out in water at 121°C. Chi-square and regression lines were obtained for each set of temperatures generated by the model against experimental data. Thermal death parameters, D and z, of Bacillus stearothermophilus in baby food were determined. The results obtained for D value were 32.67, 9.31 and 1.57 minutes at 110, 115 and 121°C, respectively. The z value obtained was 8.32°C. The mass average value was also estimated and experimental processes were carried out at 110 and 115°C in order to validate the microbiological destruction model. For 110°C processes the differences between experimental and predicted results were less than 12% and for 115°C processes these differences were less than 27%.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.