Microorganism safety prediction method and system for retort pouch food and medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a microbial safety prediction method and system for retort pouch food and a medium, and relates to the field of retort pouch food sterilization, and the method comprises the following steps: obtaining basic data, microbial pollution data and microbial heat resistance data of to-be-processed retort pouch food; calculating the initial pollution amount of the to-be-processed retort pouch food based on the configuration proportion of the different raw materials and the number of microorganisms corresponding to the different raw materials; based on the initial pollution amount, the formula parameters and the process parameters, the total pollution amount of the to-be-processed retort pouch food is calculated; based on the total pollution amount and the process parameters, calculating the process sterilization amount of the to-be-processed retort pouch food; calculating target sterilization time of the to-be-processed retort pouch food based on the process sterilization amount, the process parameters and the microorganism heat-resistant data; and when the target sterilization time is less than or equal to the preset sterilization time, the to-be-processed retort pouch food does not have the problems of microbial safety and corruption in subsequent production. According to the method, the microbial safety of the retort pouch food is effectively predicted in the earlier stage of production of the retort pouch food.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of sterilization of retort pouch foods, and in particular to a method, system and medium for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods. Background Art

[0002] Retort pouches are a type of composite plastic film bag that can be heated. They have the advantages of both canned containers and boiling water-resistant plastic bags, so they are also called "soft cans." Years of consumer use have proven that retort pouches are a more ideal sales packaging container.

[0003] Retort pouch foods refer to products that are pre-processed raw materials sealed in retort pouches and then heated before consumption. The processing of retort pouch foods usually includes the following key steps: raw material pretreatment, which involves washing, cutting, and preliminarily seasoning ingredients such as meat and vegetables; bagging and sealing, which involves packing the pre-processed ingredients into multi-layer composite retort pouches according to the recipe, removing air and sealing them by vacuum or nitrogen filling; high-temperature retort sterilization, which involves retorting the sealed bags at high temperatures for 20 to 40 minutes, using heat to penetrate and inactivate microorganisms and mature the ingredients, while also ensuring a tight fit between the packaging material and the contents; cooling and drying, which involves rapid cooling after retorting to inhibit microbial growth, and removing moisture from the bag surface by air drying or wiping; finished product inspection and packaging, which involves checking the packaging integrity, air leakage, and microbiological indicators. Qualified products are then labeled and boxed for storage or transportation.

[0004] To effectively protect consumer health, regular testing of the microbial safety of retort pouch foods is generally required. However, most microbial safety testing techniques for retort pouch foods employ a trial-and-error approach. This involves conducting laboratory tests on retort pouch foods after production, using food microbiology testing methods specified in national food safety standards. The microbial culture involved in these tests typically requires two to three days to produce results, necessitating a significant waiting period. Consequently, most microbial safety testing technologies exhibit a time lag and rely heavily on finished product testing, failing to proactively predict the microbial safety risks of retort pouch foods in the early stages of production. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a method, system and medium for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods, which can effectively predict the microbial safety risks of retort pouch foods in the early stages of production, and the prediction results are also timely.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following solutions.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods, and the method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods is as follows.

[0008] Obtain basic data, microbial contamination data, and microbial heat resistance data of the retort pouch food to be processed; the basic data includes at least recipe content, recipe parameters, and process parameters; the recipe content includes the types of raw materials in the retort pouch food to be processed and the configuration ratio of different raw materials; the microbial contamination data includes the number of microorganisms corresponding to different raw materials in the retort pouch food to be processed.

[0009] Based on the configuration ratio of different raw materials and the number of microorganisms corresponding to different raw materials, the initial contamination amount of the retort bag food to be processed is calculated.

[0010] The total contamination amount of the retort pouch food to be processed is calculated based on the initial contamination amount, the recipe parameters and the process parameters.

[0011] Based on the total contamination amount and the process parameters, the process sterilization amount of the retort pouch food to be processed is calculated.

[0012] The target sterilization time of the retort pouch food to be processed is calculated based on the process sterilization amount, the process parameters and the heat resistance data of the microorganisms.

[0013] When the target sterilization time is less than or equal to the preset sterilization time, the process parameters meet the sterilization requirements, and there will be no microbial safety and spoilage problems in the subsequent production of the retort pouch food to be processed.

[0014] The retort pouch food to be processed is subsequently produced according to the recipe content, the recipe parameters and the process parameters.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present application also provides a computer system comprising: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the method for predicting the microbial safety of retort bag food as described in the first aspect.

[0016] In a third aspect, the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch food described in the first aspect.

[0017] According to the specific embodiments provided in this application, this application discloses the following technical effects.

[0018] When calculating the target sterilization time of the retort pouch food to be processed, the present application first digitally describes the types of raw materials, the configuration ratios of different raw materials, the formula parameters, the process parameters, and the number of microorganisms corresponding to the different raw materials, and successively determines the initial contamination amount and the total contamination amount of the retort pouch food to be processed, and then determines the process sterilization amount of the retort pouch food to be processed based on the total contamination amount and the process parameters. In addition, the present application also fully considers the thermal tolerance of microorganisms in different raw materials and determines the heat resistance data of microorganisms. It then couples the process sterilization amount with the heat resistance data of microorganisms to effectively calculate the target sterilization time of the retort pouch food to be processed, and finally compares it with the preset sterilization time to predict whether the retort pouch food to be processed has microbial safety and corruption issues. The calculation process of the target sterilization time in the present application does not rely on the processed retort pouch food, but can directly calculate the result with the help of its relevant data, truly realizing the timely prediction and assessment of its microbial safety risks. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or related technologies, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of the method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods in an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a diagram of the application scenario of the method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch food in an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a diagram of the internal structure of the computer system in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] The purpose of this application is to provide a method, system and medium for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods, which can effectively predict the microbial safety risks of retort pouch foods in the early stages of production, and the prediction results are also timely.

[0025] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the present application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, a method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods is provided. The method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods is specifically described as follows.

[0027] Step S1: Obtain basic data, microbial contamination data and microbial heat resistance data of the retort pouch food to be processed.

[0028] In this embodiment, the basic data includes: formula content, formula parameters, process parameters, etc.; the formula content includes: the types of raw materials in the retort pouch food to be processed and the configuration ratio of different raw materials; the formula parameters include: the maximum net weight of the retort pouch food to be processed, etc.; the process parameters include: the expected spoilage rate of the retort pouch food to be processed, the preset sterilization temperature, the preset sterilization time, the number of sterilization baskets, the number of partition layers in each sterilization basket, and the number of packages on each layer of partition (that is, the number of retort pouch foods planned to be placed on each layer of partition), etc.; the microbial contamination data includes: the number of microorganisms corresponding to different raw materials; the microbial heat resistance data includes: the thermal inactivation dynamic parameter D value of different microorganisms at different temperatures.

[0029] As a preferred embodiment, a total bacterial count is determined for all possible raw materials in the production process and formulation of the retort pouch food to determine the number of (initial contaminating) microorganisms in the raw materials according to the method specified in GB 4789.2-2022, the national food safety standard for food microbiology. 16S rRNA sequencing is also used to identify the microbial species present in all possible raw materials in the production process and formulation of the retort pouch food.

[0030] As a preferred embodiment, according to the heat inactivation test method, the time required to kill 90% of the original number of residual bacteria in all microorganisms in the raw materials is calculated at different temperatures, that is, the heat inactivation kinetic parameter D value.

[0031] Step S2: Calculate the initial contamination amount of the retort pouch food to be processed based on the configuration ratio of different raw materials and the number of microorganisms corresponding to the different raw materials.

[0032] In this embodiment, the calculation formula of the initial pollution amount is as follows.

[0033] w c =(y1×m1+y2×m2......+y n ×m n )÷100.

[0034] Where w c is the initial contamination amount, y1 is the configuration ratio of raw material 1, m1 is the number of microorganisms corresponding to raw material 1, y2 is the configuration ratio of raw material 2, m2 is the number of microorganisms corresponding to raw material 2, y n is the configuration ratio of raw material n, m n is the number of microorganisms corresponding to raw material n.

[0035] Step S3: Calculate the total contamination amount of the retort pouch food to be processed based on the initial contamination amount, recipe parameters and process parameters.

[0036] In this embodiment, the calculation formula for the total pollution amount is as follows.

[0037] w z =(w c ×Q s ×Q g ×Q z ×G).

[0038] Where w z is the total amount of pollution, Q s is the number of sterilization baskets, Q g The number of partition layers in each sterilization basket, Q z is the number of packages on each shelf, and G is the maximum net weight.

[0039] Step S4: Calculate the process sterilization amount of the retort pouch food to be processed based on the total contamination amount and process parameters.

[0040] In this embodiment, the calculation formula of the process sterilization amount is as follows.

[0041] L g =log 10 (w z )-log 10 (Q s ×Q g ×Q z ×E b ).

[0042] Where, L g is the process sterilization amount, E b is the expected corruption rate.

[0043] Step S5: Calculate the target sterilization time of the retort pouch food to be processed based on the process sterilization amount, process parameters and microbial heat resistance data.

[0044] In this embodiment, the calculation formula of the target sterilization time is as follows.

[0045] F t =max(3.0,L g ×Di ).

[0046] Where, F t is the target sterilization time, D i is the thermal inactivation dynamic parameter D value of microorganism i at the preset sterilization temperature, i∈M, and M is the number of microorganisms in all raw materials.

[0047] Step S6: When the target sterilization time is less than or equal to the preset sterilization time, the process parameters meet the sterilization requirements, and there will be no microbial safety and corruption issues in the subsequent production of the retort pouch food to be processed.

[0048] Furthermore, when the target sterilization time is greater than the preset sterilization time, there are microbial safety and spoilage issues in the subsequent production of the retort bag food to be processed, and the formula content, formula parameters and process parameters are readjusted (then based on the adjusted formula content, formula parameters and process parameters, the target sterilization time of the retort bag food to be processed is recalculated according to the above steps S2 to S5) until the target sterilization time is less than or equal to the preset sterilization time.

[0049] Step S7: performing subsequent production on the retort pouch food to be processed according to the recipe content, recipe parameters and process parameters.

[0050] The advantage of this application is that it does not use the produced retort pouch food, but only uses relevant data analysis in the early stage of production. Once it is predicted that there are safety problems with the retort pouch food planned to be produced, the production plan can be suspended and the formula and parameters can be readjusted, avoiding waste of resources and saving energy efficiency.

[0051] In addition, the above-mentioned microbial safety prediction method for retort pouch food can be used in practical application. Figure 2 First, user data (i.e., user name, password, permissions, etc.) needs to be entered, and subsequent operations can be performed only after identity verification is passed; the user enters the acquired microbial contamination data and microbial heat resistance data into the database, and then enters the project information (project name, product name, etc.), the formula content to be determined, the formula parameters and the process parameters in the user interface, and executes the above-mentioned microbial safety prediction method for retort pouch food, outputs the final calculated target sterilization time, and verifies whether the process parameters meet the actual sterilization requirements by comparing it with the preset sterilization time.

[0052] In another exemplary embodiment, a computer system is provided. The computer system may be a server or a terminal, and its internal structure diagram may be as follows: Figure 3As shown. The computer system includes a processor, a memory, an input / output interface (Input / Output, abbreviated as I / O) and a communication interface. The processor, memory and input / output interface are connected through a system bus, and the communication interface is connected to the system bus through the input / output interface. The processor of the computer system is used to provide computing and control capabilities. The memory of the computer system includes a non-volatile storage medium and an internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium stores an operating system, a computer program and a database. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and computer program in the non-volatile storage medium. The database of the computer system is used to store basic data, microbial contamination data and microbial heat resistance data. The input / output interface of the computer system is used to exchange information between the processor and external devices. The communication interface of the computer system is used to communicate with an external terminal through a network connection. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it realizes the above-mentioned microbial safety prediction method for retort bag food.

[0053] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 3 The structure shown in the figure is only a block diagram of a part of the structure related to the solution of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the computer system to which the solution of the present application is applied. The specific computer system may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have a different component arrangement.

[0054] In another exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, storing a computer program, which implements the steps in the above method embodiments when executed by a processor.

[0055] In summary, this application mainly has the following advantages.

[0056] By digitally describing the distribution of various microorganisms in different raw materials, clarifying the D value of their characteristic survival heat inactivation dynamic parameters, and combining key production data such as formula content, formula parameters and process parameters, the safety risks of microorganisms can be predicted and evaluated, thereby providing a scientific basis for formula optimization and process improvement. In addition, this application can be put into use in the development of new products for retort pouch foods. When determining microbial safety, it is not necessary to undergo delayed food microbiological testing. The microbial safety of new formulas and new processes of retort pouch foods can be quickly evaluated, providing a systematic tool for food safety quality assurance in the retort pouch food industry and improving the quality and efficiency of new product research and development.

[0057] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of relevant data must comply with relevant regulations.

[0058] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, any reference to memory, database or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application may include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory may include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, optical memory, high-density embedded non-volatile memory, resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetic random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase change memory (PCM), graphene memory, etc. Volatile memory may include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory, etc. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM may be in various forms, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

[0059] The databases involved in the various embodiments provided herein may include at least one of a relational database and a non-relational database. Non-relational databases may include, but are not limited to, distributed databases based on blockchains. The processors involved in the various embodiments provided herein may include, but are not limited to, general-purpose processors, central processing units, graphics processing units, digital signal processors, programmable logic units, data processing logic units based on quantum computing, and the like.

[0060] All actions of acquiring signals, information or data in this application are carried out in compliance with the relevant data protection laws and policies of the country where they are located and with the authorization given by the owner of the corresponding device.

[0061] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0062] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above examples is only intended to help understand the method and core concept of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, based on the concept of this application, there may be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting this application.

Claims

1. A method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods, characterized in that: The microbial safety prediction method for retort pouch food comprises: Obtaining basic data, microbial contamination data, and microbial heat resistance data of the retort pouch food to be processed; the basic data includes at least recipe content, recipe parameters, and process parameters; the recipe content includes the types of raw materials in the retort pouch food to be processed and the configuration ratio of different raw materials; the microbial contamination data includes the number of microorganisms corresponding to different raw materials in the retort pouch food to be processed; Calculate the initial contamination level of retort pouch food to be processed based on the configuration ratio of different raw materials and the number of microorganisms corresponding to different raw materials; Calculating the total contamination amount of the retort pouch food to be processed based on the initial contamination amount, the recipe parameters, and the process parameters; Calculating the process sterilization amount of the retort pouch food to be processed based on the total contamination amount and the process parameters; Calculating a target sterilization time for the retort pouch food to be processed based on the process sterilization amount, the process parameters, and the microbial heat resistance data; When the target sterilization time is less than or equal to the preset sterilization time, the process parameters meet the sterilization requirements, and there are no microbial safety and spoilage issues in the subsequent production of the retort pouch food to be processed; The retort pouch food to be processed is subsequently produced according to the recipe content, the recipe parameters and the process parameters.

2. The method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods according to claim 1, wherein: The method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch food further comprises: When the target sterilization time is greater than the preset sterilization time, there are microbial safety and spoilage issues in the subsequent production of the retort bag food to be processed. The formula content, the formula parameters and the process parameters are readjusted until the target sterilization time is less than or equal to the preset sterilization time.

3. The method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods according to claim 1, wherein: The recipe parameters include the maximum net weight of the retort pouch food to be processed; the process parameters include the expected spoilage rate of the retort pouch food to be processed, the preset sterilization temperature, the preset sterilization time, the number of sterilization baskets, the number of partition layers in each sterilization basket, and the number of packages on each layer of partition; the microbial heat resistance data includes the thermal inactivation dynamic parameter D value of different microorganisms at different temperatures.

4. The method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods according to claim 1, wherein: The calculation formula of the initial pollution amount is: w c =(y1×m1+y2×m2......+y n ×m n )÷100; Where w c is the initial contamination amount, y1 is the configuration ratio of raw material 1, m1 is the number of microorganisms corresponding to raw material 1, y2 is the configuration ratio of raw material 2, m2 is the number of microorganisms corresponding to raw material 2, y n is the configuration ratio of raw material n, m n is the number of microorganisms corresponding to raw material n.

5. The method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods according to claim 3, wherein: The calculation formula for the total pollution amount is: In z =(in c ×Q s ×Q g ×Q z ×G); Where w z is the total amount of pollution, w c is the initial pollution amount, Q s is the number of sterilization baskets, Q g The number of partition layers in each sterilization basket, Q z is the number of packages on each shelf, and G is the maximum net weight.

6. The method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods according to claim 3, wherein: The calculation formula for the sterilization amount of the process is: L g =log 10 (w z )-log 10 (Q s ×Q g ×Q z ×E b ); Where, L g is the process sterilization amount, w z is the total amount of pollution, Q s is the number of sterilization baskets, Q g The number of partition layers in each sterilization basket, Q z is the number of packages on each shelf, E b is the expected corruption rate.

7. The method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods according to claim 3, wherein: The calculation formula for the target sterilization time is: F t =max(3.0,L g ×D i ); Where, F t is the target sterilization time, L g is the process sterilization amount, D i is the thermal inactivation dynamic parameter D value of microorganism i at the preset sterilization temperature.

8. The method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch foods according to claim 1, wherein: The basic data also includes user data and project data; the user data includes user identity, password and authority; the project data includes project name and product name.

9. A computer system comprising: A memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch food according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method for predicting the microbial safety of retort pouch food according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is implemented.

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