Validação do ponto crítico de aquecimento em tanques de cozimento de presunto

Abstract

Heat treatment is a fundamental step in cooked ham production, ensuring the microbiological safety of the product and compliance with current regulations. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the thermal behavior of eight ham cooking tanks in order to determine and validate the critical heating point in accordance with Circular Letter No. 14/2023/DIPOA/SDA/MAPA. Temperature data were collected in triplicate using twelve temperature recording devices (data loggers) strategically distributed throughout the cooking tanks, allowing continuous temperature monitoring during the entire cooking process. The data were analyzed based on the time required for each monitoring point to reach the reference temperature of 72 °C. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and, when appropriate, Tukey's post hoc test, adopting a significance level of 5%. The results showed similar thermal behavior among the monitored points in most of the cooking tanks, indicating adequate heat distribution. In situations where the analysis of variance indicated statistically significant differences, Tukey's post hoc test complemented the statistical evaluation, enabling the validation of the critical heating points in all evaluated tanks. It was concluded that the proposed methodology was effective in characterizing the thermal behavior of the eight cooking tanks, validating the critical heating points, and demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements, contributing to process control and the microbiological safety of the final product.