Canning: Process of sealing food stuffs hermetically in
containers and sterilizing them by heat is known as canning.
The objective here is long term storage
Canning : It can also be defined as a process of preservation of
various fruits/ vegetables/food whole or in pieces, in sugar
syrup or brine by heat processing them in hermetically sealed
containers
History:
• 1804- Nicholus Apert in France invented a process
of sealing food hermetically in containers and
sterilizing them by heat. Hence Nicholus Appart is
called as father of canning
• Canning is also known as Appertization.
• Hermetic closure : This refers to sealing of the
can completely against the entry of gases,
vapours and are impervious to bacteria, yeast
and fungi. This principle is used in canning.
Canning requirement of fruits and
vegetables
• Fruit should be evenly ripe and firm.They
should not be over ripe.
• Should be free from blemishes, insect damage
infection by micro organisms and malformation
• Vegetables should be tender, free from soil dirt,
infection and pest damage
• Tomatoes should be firm, fully ripe and deep
red in colour.
Difference between Pasteurization and
sterilization
• Pasteurization is the • Sterilization is the heat
heat treatment at treatment generally above
temperatures below 100 0C ( 121 0 C)aimed at
killing all the microorganism
100 0C (70 to 800C)that
kills a part but not all
• Destroys both vegetative
the microorganisms.
cells and spores
• Destroys vegetative
cells but not spores
• Generally used in
• Generally used in fruits vegetables.
Difference between Pasteurization and
sterilization
• Property of food • Property of food
remains unchanged changes
• Foods which are heat • Foods which are not
sensitive are heat resistant are
pasteurized sterilized
FLOW CHART FOR CANNING
Selection of fruits/ vegetables
Grading Storage
Washing Cooling
Peeling Processing
Cutting Sealing
Blanching Exhausting
Cooling Filling and syruping or brining
STEPS IN CANNING OF FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES
1. Sorting and grading: Separating, unwanted fruits
and vegetables from the lot is essential. Grading is
done according to size and colour for uniformity of
the product.
2.Washing: This is done to remove pesticide residue, dust or micro-
organisms. Disinfectants like chlorine and KMnO4 can be added to
the water.
3.Peeling: it is done to remove the outer layer.
• Hand Peeling: Papaya, mango
• Steam Peeling: Potatoes and tomatoes
• Mechanical Peeling: Apple, peach, pineapple, carrot, turnip,
potatoes
• Lye Peeling: (This is a process of dipping the fruit / vegetable in
boiling caustic soda / NaOH for 30 seconds. After this the
commodity is to be washed in dil.HCL soln. to remove the excess
NaOH) Peach, apricot, sweet oranges, carrots and sweet potatoes
• Flame Peeling: Garlic and onion, which have a papery outer
covering.
4. Blanching: also known as scalding, parboiling or pre cooking.This
refers to dipping of fruits/vegetables in boiling water / steam for short
period of time followed by cooling. This is done with the primary
objective of inactivating enzymes.
Advantage of blanching:
• Inactivates most of the enzymes, which cause toughness,
discoloration (poly phenol oxidase), mustiness, off flavor
(peroxidase) and loss of nutritive value.
• Reduces the area of leafy vegetables by shrinkage or wilting.
• Reduces the number of micro-organisms (up to 99%).
• Enhances the green colour of vegetables. E.g. peas, broccoli and
spinach
• Removes undesirable acids and astringent taste of peel, thus improves
flavor.
• Helps in peeling.
Disadvantages OF BLANCHING:
• Water soluble materials like sugar and
anthocyanin pigments are leached by boiling
water.
• Fruits lose their colour, flavor and sugar.
5.Can Filling: hand filling of fruits / Vegetables is done in
sterilized cans. After filling, covering with brine or syrup is
done.
• 6.Syruping: A solution of sugar in water is called syrup. Hot
syrup of 62.0 % is poured on the fruits. The syrup should be
filled at about 79-82 0C, leaving a head space of 0.3-0.5 cm.
sometimes citric acid (to improve flavour) and ascorbic acid
(to improve nutritional value) are also mixed. The strength
of sugar syrup is measured using refractometer
• 7.Brining: a solution of salt in water is called brine. Only
vegetables are brined. Hot brine of 26.5 % concentration is
used and filled at 79-82 0C, leaving a head space of 0.3-0.5
cm.The strength of brine soln. is measured by salometer
Need for adding syrup or brine
• To improve the taste of canned fruit or
vegetable
• To fill up the interspace between fruit /
vegetable
• To facilitate heat processing during canning.
( Head space is left in the can
1. so as to make room for the escape of expelled
gas.
2. the food in the can gets expanded due to the
processing.)
8.Lidding: cans are loosely covered with lids and
then they are subjected to clinching.
9.Clinching: lid is partially seamed in clinching by
single first roller operation. By this the lid remains
sufficiently loose to permit the escape of dissolved as
well as free air from the can and also the vapour
formed during the exhausting process.
10.Exhausting: The process of removal of dissolved
air from the inside contents (fruits/vegetables) of cans
is known as exhausting.
Advantages:
• Corrosion of the tin cans during storage is avoided.
• Minimizes discolouration (by preventing oxidation)
• Helps in better retention of vitamins particularly Vit. C
• Reduces chemical reaction between container and
content.
• Prevents development of excessive pressure and strain
during sterilization.
• Restricts the growth of aerobic microbes.
• Reduces formation of hydrogen swells in the can.
• Exhausting is done after clinching and before
sealing.
• In exhausting, the cans are passed through a
tank of hot water bath at about 82-870C for 5-
25 min so that the temperature at the center
of the can becomes minimum 790C
11.Sealing: Immediately after exhausting, the cans are sealed
by the second roller operation . After sealing, air cannot enter
the can and there cannot be spoilage During sealing the
temperature should not fall below 740C.
12. Heat Processing: Heating of foods for preserving is
known as processing. This is done to kill bacteria and other
microbes. During this, processing time temperature should be
adequate to eliminate all bacterial growth. Fruits are processed
at 100 0C and vegetables are processed at 115 to 121 0C
13.Cooling: after processing the cans are cooled rapidly to
about 390C to stop over cooking of the food inside the can,
stack burning. Cooling is done by following methods:
• Dipping or immersing the hot cans in tanks containing cold
water.
• Letting cold water into pressure cooker in case of vegetables.
• Spraying cans with jets of cold water.
• Exposing the cans to air.
14. Storage: the outer surface of the cans should be dry as
even small traces of moisture induce rusting. Storage of cans
at high temperature should be avoided as it shortens the shelf
life of the product and often leads to the formation of
hydrogen swell.
Causes of spoilage of canned foods:
A. Spoilage due to physical and chemical changes
1.Swell: when the ends of a can become bulged, it is termed as Swell.
2. It is due to internal pressure of gases formed by action of microbes or
due to chemical reaction.
There are many types of swells /bulging in cans.
a.Hydrogen Swell: Hydrogen swell is formed because of formation
and accumulation of hydrogen gas due to the reaction of metal surface
and acid of the food
b.Flipper: Can appears normal but when struck against a tabletop one
or both ends become convex and springs or flips out but can be pushed
back to normal condition by little pressure. Over filling or under
Flipper
c.Springer: There is a mild swell at one or both ends of can.
This is called a ‘springer’. The bulged end can be pressed
back to original position but will again become convex
after some time. Over filling or under exhausting causes this
defect.
d. Hard Swell: This is the final stage of swell.
The bulged ends cannot be pushed back to
normal position. Over filling or under
exhausting causes this defect.
e. Breathing : Tiny leakage in the can allowing
air to enter into the can. This is due to
defective seaming.
Precautions necessary to prevent Hydrogen
swell
• 1. Good quality tin plates should be used in canning
• 2.Lacquering (acquering, or applying a protective
lacquer coating, is a common process for food
and beverage cans to enhance their durability,
prevent corrosion, and improve their
appearance. )of the cans should be done properly
• 3.Addition of citric acid to syrup will lower the pH which
will damage the cellular membrane and cause the death of
bacteria.
• 4. Before placing the lid proper head space should be
maintained.(0.6 to 0.9 cm)
• Clinching should be done properly so as to
ensure high vacuum in the cans.
• Cans should be exhausted for a long time,
without effecting the quality of the product.
• The sealing temperature should not be less
than 74 0C
• The processed cans should be stored under
cool and dry conditions so that there is no
hydrogen formation in the can.
B. Microbial spoilage
• 1. Thermophilic bacteria: Three types of spoilage of
processed foods.
Flat Sour: Here there is production of acid without
formation of gas. This is difficult to observe from
outside. This spoilage is seen in low acid foods. Caused by
Bacillus cogulans and B. sterothermophilus,. The food cans
remain flat and the spoilage cannot be detected from
outside.
Thermophilic acid spoilage: The cans swell due production
acids and gases such as CO 2 and H2 by Clostridium
thermosaccharolyticum, which is an obligate thermophile.
Due to gas accumulation for long time, the can will burst.
Sulphide spoilage: This is caused by Clostridium
nigrificans in low acid foods. Spores of this
bacterium are not very heat resistant and their
presence is an indication of under processing. The
sulphur dioxide produced by the bacteria reacts
with the tin and causes browning of the product
Botulism : This is a rare but serious condition (can
lead to death) caused by toxins developed from
bacteria Clostridium botulinum in the canned foods,
when the canned foods are not processed properly.
