Thermal penetration study for the purpose of formulating sterilization procedures of yellowfin tuna canning

This study aims to provide the community-based business with simple to follow procedures in the sterilization of canned yellowfin tuna. Two filling mediums, brine and palm oil were used. The thermal treatment process was performed using a small business scale retort of 24L. The process is divided into three stages: heating, holding temperature and cooling stage. The targeted temperature at the holding stage was set at 121.1 degrees C for 50 minutes and measured using a thermocouple gland placed inside the retort. Two more thermocouple glands were placed inside the cans to record the product core temperature. During the heating stage, a time lag of 20 minutes was observed for the palm oil tuna to reach the same holding temperature as the brine tuna. The lethality rate F-h during heating stage was 2.52 and 8.69 minute for brine and palm oil respectively. Lethality rate at the holding temperature stage F-121.1 was 49.23 for brine and 38.96 for palm oil. The lethality rate F-cl of both products were closed at 2.3 and 1.93 minutes respectively for brine and palm oil. The total F-0 value were 54.05 and 49.58 minutes respectively for tuna in brine and tuna in palm oil.