Thermal Processing Training

Course details

Virtual Training

16 hrs.

Dr. Gene Bartholomew

Mark Deniston

Randy Porter

Thermal processing remains the most important method of food preservation in use today. The large scale of these operations makes it more important than ever that the process is error-free. This 2-day workshop will give an introduction to thermal processing concentrating on low acid food retort production operations. Many food industry professionals will benefit from attending, such as process engineers, plant engineers, packaging engineers, microbiologists, quality assurance technicians, system operators, quality assurance managers, corporate quality, and production managers.

Interested in registering 10 or more participants for this course? Contact us for pricing and details

Also available is IEH customer service at (206)522-5432 or iehacademy@iehinc.com.
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Benefits and Learning Objectives

Food processors and manufacturers use thermal processing as a critical part of their operations and preservation procedures. Failure to implement effective procedures will lead to product deterioration and loss of sales at best, and at worst to serious illness or death. This course is specifically designed for all those involved in thermal processing. It covers all of the essential information regarding the preservation of food products by heat – all taught by industry leaders.

Participants in this course will learn all of the components required in a comprehensive Food Safety Plan, and understand how Prerequisite Programs set the foundation for a Food Safety Plan.

Additionally, participants will learn to:

Understand the Definition of a Critical Factor in a Thermal Processing Unit Operation
Understand Why Some Product, Package, and System Characteristics are Critical
Understand the Advantages of Utilizing More Critical Factors in Process Design
Understand the Disadvantages of Utilizing More Critical Factors in Process Design

Agenda

Thermobacteriology
Retort Systems and Temperature Distribution Testing
Heat Penetration Theory and Data Acquisition
General Method and Ball Calculation Procedures
General Plant Sanitation Principles for Retort Operations
Sanitary Design for Retort Operations
Sanitary Design Break Out Sessions
Critical Factors in Retort Processing
Thermal Process Deviations and Process Deviation Record Keeping

Who Should Take This Course?

The intended audience for this course includes:

Quality Assurance Managers
Thermal Processing System Operators
Process Engineers
Plant Engineers
Food Processors
Corporate Quality Assurance Managers
Corporate Engineering Managers
Production Managers

Meet the Instructor

Randy Porter

Randy Porter joined IEH in 2019 as Vice President of Technical Services after working for food processing companies such as Campbell Soup, Post Holdings, ConAgra Brands, Kraft/Nabisco and Dannon over his career. Mr. Porter has a wealth of expertise in Operations, Engineering and Hygienic Design, Sanitation, Quality and Food Safety, both in plant and corporate environments. He has been in charge of domestic and international food processing facilities across multiple food categories, including dairy, bakery, meat, edible oils, eggs, snacks, agricultural, flour, frozen meals, chocolate confectionary, powdered beverages, fruit juice and more. Most recently, Mr. Porter has held leadership roles as Senior Director of Food Safety, Hygienic Design & Sanitation at ConAgra Brands, Vice President of Quality & Product Safety at Post Holdings, Director of North America Quality at Campbell Soup and Senior Director of Food Safety at The Acheson Group. Mr. Porter has authored and published multiple articles on Hygienic Design and has trained and presented at numerous food industry events and seminars across the globe. He is also a lead trainer for Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals (PCQI), and Human Food Rule.

Meet the Instructor

Dr. Gene Bartholomew

Dr. Gene Bartholomew joined IEH as Vice President of Technical Services in 2019. He earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in microbiology from Cornell University and a B.S. in biology from Bucknell University. Dr. Bartholomew began his professional career at International Paper in 1983 as a research scientist. During his 15 years there, he commercialized and validated an aseptic packaging system, managed a beverage pilot plant and its laboratory, started taste panel testing for the company, and advanced to manage several products, and development groups. Dr. Bartholomew then joined Smithfield Foods Packaged Meats. He started in the John Morrell Group as the corporate director of food safety for 7 meat processing and slaughter facilities and 1 spice plant. He later took on the role of Senior Director of Corporate Food Safety, during which he was responsible for 14 meat processing plants and several FDA-regulated plants. Throughout his 20-year career at Smithfield, he led HACCP plan design and validation, thermal processing, regulatory compliance, sanitation, allergen control, and environmental pathogen monitoring. He also managed a corporate microbiology laboratory and its accreditation, has certifications in HACCP training, BRC, and SQF schemes, and is a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual. Dr. Bartholomew was a founding member of the North American Meat Institute Listeria Control Workshop and has taught numerous courses to members of the food industry.

Meet the Instructor

Mark Deniston

Associate Director, Process Engineering – IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group
Mark Deniston has worked with IEH since 2005. He earned his M.S. in Food Engineering from UC Davis and his B.S. from Cal Poly. He has published papers on heat transfer to foods with particles, heat transfer to food products heated in steam/air retorts, and hyperfiltration technology for protein recovery. Deniston also was co-author of a National Food Processors Association (NFPA) book on automated control system validation. Deniston has taught numerous workshops and courses such as the FDA Advanced Low Acid Canned Foods Workshops, NFPA, and IEH Thermal Processing, Aseptic Processing and Process Deviation Workshops, and Better Process Control Schools. At IEH, Deniston conducts evaluation studies on automated control systems, 21 CFR Part 11 electronic record-keeping systems, retort systems, and aseptic processing and packaging systems. He also recommends LACF and acidified thermal processes and evaluates LACF and acidified thermal process deviations. Deniston has held a part-time UC Davis position for 33 years, and before working at IEH, he worked at the NFPA Western Research Laboratory for 19 years in thermal processing and environmental engineering.

Thermal Processing Training

Course details

Virtual Training

16 hrs.

Dr. Gene Bartholomew

Mark Deniston

Randy Porter

Interested in registering 10 or more participants for this course? Contact us for pricing and details

Benefits and Learning Objectives

Agenda

Who Should Take This Course?

Meet the Instructor

Randy Porter

Meet the Instructor

Dr. Gene Bartholomew

Meet the Instructor

Mark Deniston

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