Make sure your customers can cook (heat) your products

Selecting the correct packaging and providing good cooking or heating instructions on labels is as important to the quality and safety of heated products as is the effort spent creating the product. Instructions for the reheating or cooking of foods should be developed to ensure that all areas attain a safe heat process and prevent a reduction in the sensory quality caused by overheating of edges or certain components.

The trials we perform and the instrumentation we use in our work for clients depend on the nature of the product under investigation and the heating method (e.g. microwave or conventional oven). In all cases, the time-temperature history of the product is monitored, using either thermocouple or fibreoptic temperature measurement data logging techniques. The use of calibrated or performance assessed appliances is crucial. For example, two correctly rated microwave ovens can heat a particular food at different rates and give rise to different hot and cold spots, so it is important to use a wide range of microwave ovens for developing instructions. The selection of the appropriate package shape and material is also imperative to the safety of microwave heated products.

Ultimately, whether the product is designed for microwave or conventional heating, investing effort into getting the heating instructions correct is an essential part of delivering the quality of product you want the consumer to experience.

Contact: Greg Hooper
+44(0)1386 842039
greg.hooper@campdenbri.co.uk