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Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are pre-cleaned, pre-cooked, and generally packed meals that are ready to consume without any prior preparation or cooking

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Pooja salve
Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are pre-cleaned, pre-cooked, and generally packed meals that are ready to consume without any prior preparation or cooking

Ready-to-eat food is food that the maker or manufacturer intends for direct human consumption without the requirement for heating or other processing that effectively eliminates or reduces microorganisms of concern to an acceptable level.


Despite their many benefits, ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are linked to the development of foodborne disease cases and outbreaks, raising concerns regarding their safety. Several RTE foods use acidic conditions to prevent pathogen development. Bacteria including Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Clostridium botulinum, and Clostridium perfringens, however, can live and develop in the acidic RTE meals, providing a health danger.


L. monocytogenes is one of the most common and fatal foodborne infections, responsible for more deaths than any other foodborne pathogen. To live in acidic circumstances, this bacteria employs a variety of processes that also allow it to pass through the stomach. The most significant systems are glutamate decarboxylase and arginine deiminase, but additional processes also contribute to acid resistance. This chapter examines how L. monocytogenes might thrive and cause sickness in acidic RTE meals.


Foods that are ready-to-eat (RTE) are always dry. To make them, grains or grits go through a heating procedure that gelatinizes the starch and then expands the result, usually by steam vapourisation. RTE meals have a crispy/crunchy feel as a result of the expansion process. RTE snacks and morning cereals are typically made using the same technology. Savoury flavourings are added to snacks after processing, and sweet flavourings can be applied to morning cereals.

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