George N. Stoforos, Ph.D.

Hot-fill–hold (HFH) is a practical thermal processing and packaging method for acid and acidified foods (fruit preps, sauces, salsas, dressings, beverages). It combines validated product heating with controlled hot filling and a defined hold endpoint to treat the closure/headspace surfaces. This guide explains the pH ≤ 4.6 boundary, critical factors (equilibrium pH, fill/hold/end-of-hold temperature), packaging-specific solutions, common failures, and validation.

The holding tube is the core of continuous thermal processing, ensuring food safety by delivering the required lethality (F-value). Proper design, regulatory compliance, flow calculations, and validation guarantee that every product particle receives safe treatment while maintaining efficiency and meeting global food safety standards.

This blog describes the use of food preservatives, their attributes, and the truths and myths about their use in our foods.