PREDICTIVE MODELING OF ALKALINE-PHOSPHATASE INACTIVATION IN A HIGH-TEMPERATURE SHORT-TIME PASTEURIZER

In order to support regulations directed towards ensuring the safety o f heat processed dairy products, data on inactivation of alkaline phos phatase (AP) in whole milk in a pilot plant high-temperature short-tim e (HTST) pasteurizer were obtained. A computer program was designed to calculate the integrated lethal effect, or pasteurization effect (PE) , at temperatures of 60 to 74-degrees-C and with holding tubes for 3 t o 60 s. An equation was derived which related values of square-root PE to log % residual activity (r2 of 0.964). These results suggest that predictive equations based on PE could be used to assess the effective ness of commercial pasteurization processes.