Cooked and Dressed Vegetable Products
Food items: Bean Chillies, Bhajis, Broccoli in Cheese, Bubble and Squeak, Cauliflower Cheese, Coleslaw, Cooked Beans, Cooked Beetroot, Cooked Potatoes, Corn Fritters, Garlic Mushrooms, Lentil Cutlets, Nut Cutlets, Other Dressed Salads, Pakoras, Pasta Salads, Pilafs, Potato Cakes, Potato Salads, QuornT Dishes, Rice Salads, Rissoles, Stuffed Aubergines, Stuffed Peppers, Stuffed Tomatoes, Stuffed Vine Leaves, Vegetable Bakes, Vegetable Chillies, Casseroles containing Vegetables, Vegetable Pastas, Vegetable Crumbles, Vegetable Curries, Vegetable Dosas, Vegetable Flans, Vegetable Pilau, Vegetable Shepherd's Pie, Vegetarian Burgers, other items
Recommended gas mix
The gases and mixtures listed above are for general guidance. To identify the optimum gas for your product and process, we recommend you undertake a product trial, with the help of an Air Products MAP gas specialist. If you would like a specialist to contact you to discuss this more click here. Storage temperature Achievable shelf-life Principle spoilage organisms and mechanics Food poisoning hazards include |
Typical MAP machines Typical types of package** Examples of typical MAP materials Lidding and/or pillow
pack film: Bulk |
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The principal spoilage mechanisms affecting cooked
vegetable products are microbial growth and oxidative
rancidity. MAP with CO2/N2 mixtures is very effective
at inhibiting these spoilage mechanisms, thereby
significantly extending the shelf-life of such products. A
gas/product ratio of 2:1 is recommended. For cooked
vegetable products, the heating process should kill
vegetative bacterial cells and inactivate degradative
enzymes. Consequently, spoilage of cooked vegetable
products is primarily due to post-cooking
contamination by micro-organisms which can be
minimised by good hygiene and handling practices.
Similarly, dressed vegetable products can be spoiled by
post-packaging contamination.
Possible food poisoning hazards associated with cooked vegetable products include the germination and growth of heat resistant spores if recommended chilled temperatures are not maintained. The other possible food poisoning hazards can arise from post-cooking contamination as a result of poor hygiene and handling practices and faulty seal integrity. Poor temperature control will also exacerbate the problem of microbial growth.
Dressed vegetable products usually have a pH < 4.0 and hence virtually all possible food poisoning bacteria are inhibited. Spoilage of dressed vegetable products is primarily due to enzymic browning and microbial growth of acid tolerant lactobacilli, yeasts and moulds. For both cooked and dressed vegetable products, it is recommended that strict control over temperature, hygiene and handling be maintained throughout.
